Department of Natural Resources and local officials will be on hand Thursday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Blair Township Hall, located at 2121 County Road 633 in Grawn, to provide an update and take public comments on an area of state forest land commonly known as the Hoosier Valley Ranges.

These informal shooting ranges, located nine miles south of downtown Traverse City, have become popular with a full spectrum of gun enthusiasts, from those sighting in deer rifles to those recreationally shooting at exploding targets and using semi-automatic firearms. Local residents have voiced noise, safety, road congestion and litter concerns.

“Numerous citizen reports of shooting at all hours, explosions, trash dumping and roads being impacted all clearly indicate that we need to address the situation. The public meeting will allow us to hear directly from all those involved,” said Dave Lemmien, Traverse City unit manager with the DNR’s Forest Resources Division, tasked with land administration duties for the area. “I expect that we will hear from those who support keeping the area open to shooting as well as those who want to see the area closed.”

Several options for addressing public concerns are being considered, one of which is a set of interim rules for this area that may designate shooting hours, types of targets permissible and types of firearms allowed, among other things. These rules are only in the draft stage and will be presented for public comment. A long-term permanent solution is being sought, and will be discussed at the meeting.

For more information, please call the DNR Traverse City Field Office at 231-922-5280.

Perhaps the TCAPS board president had written this before Friday?

“Actions speak louder than words, and we show what we value by how we invest our resources.”

Said Kelly Hall, regarding a concern that the legislature is not willing to fund school operations to the level she feels is adequate. Her opinion piece in today’s Traverse City, Record Eagle cites numbers that if left unchecked, paints a picture of a truly challenged financial state.

She claims that TCAPS cut more than $11.4 million since 2008 in her piece; a point easily misunderstood when the word ‘cumulatively’ is absent from her statement of fact. One might actually assume that the budget each year has been stripped to that point of being 11.4 million less than that budget in 2008. It seems that wordplay and contextual presentations are easily utilized in order to convince the public of its malfeasance to provide sufficient funding ‘for the children’.

Recall the context that left many to this day thinking the $26.5 million Performing Arts Center was only to cost $16 million or $18 million:

“The pie shows it as a 16% component of proposed projects, which is also misleading in the way it suggests that it is a ‘small part’ of the overall project. The 16% figure is arrived at by taking the already approved and remaining from 2007 $65 million bond, and adding it to the requested $100 million on this go-round. $26.5 million is exactly 16% of $165 million.”

Not ONCE did the administration, board president Kelly Hall, nor any others on the board attempt to reveal the truth behind the numbers. It was apparently better for people to draw their own conclusions in hopes the diminished appearing cost would not seem so bad.

And the TCAPS budget, which has been challenged by lowered operational millage funding, has added to its operational cost with expansion of services.

Taxpayers saw $900,000 of the last bond approved in 2007 spent on ‘site work’ at Bertha Vos for the purposes of utilizing the school for its IB school status. This ‘special school’ that will be a place for children of (the elite ruling class of a communist government ) China, has $460k, and $1.8million more slated for the 2013-2014 years. All of this after spending $1.7 million to expand Courtade for the bussed in Bertha Vos students after its closure. $627,000 was budgeted for the 2013 operational costs of the IB school and Montessori at Courtade back in 2012, with the explanation that ‘even though we don’t have money, we are irresponsible to not do it for the children’. The actual quote from the budget hearing booklet:

As part of the districts strategic plan, and in order to remain a vibrant and competitive option for students and parents, the district has committed to adding the following programs.

• International School at Bertha Vos (candidate for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme)
• World Language in Kindergarten
• front Street Writers
• Montessori at Courtade

Each of these new offerings will provide unique and creative learning experiences for the children of our district. the total operational costs of these programs for the 2013 year budget is $627,000. In order for any organization to survive difficult budget times, there has to be a focus on moving forward at some level. Where organizations attempt to manage through such times with only budget restrictions, that system is doomed to fail. We expect that over time, as more students choose TCAPS because of these programs, the majority of these costs will be offset by new revenues.

‘Ignore the bull in our china shop. We have a business to run.’

And the board president has the nerve to make a claim “TCAPS has acted in a fiscally responsible manner” in her forum piece?

And now that acting in a fiscally responsible manner brings us home to the recent events at hand.

As I asked at the beginning of this piece, maybe Kelly Hall could step outside the sheltered elitist paradise where money matters not if its for our kids? How can she make statements that apply directly to the administration and TCAPS board and not expect them to be seen as willful spendthrifts on the latest craze in education; a performance accompanied by excuses to continue such wasteful efforts? She chastises our legislators for their efforts in balancing a budget, yet makes no effort to do so in the meaningful way that is afforded her and the board. The hollow words and hypocrisy she preaches in her editorial simply punctuated by the statement that the STATE uses the kids as political pawns.

And on Friday, her words of reproach about ‘value’ came home as a chicken to its roost.

TCAPS was noticed that it had been found in violation of Michigan election campaign law.

We had noted the violation here, and pursued it through an official complaint to the Secretary of State’s office in October. We pointed out that a mailer sent out by TCAPS was expressly advocating a “yes” vote with the language:

“Traverse City Area Public Schools is asking voters to support the continuation of TCAPS’ long-term capital infrastructure improvement plan by authorizing a bond proposal on November 6, 2012.”

At the very least, we felt it was constructive advocacy. Others did as well

The elections bureau agreed.

The district spent taxpayers own money to persuade them to give more; offering real ‘value’, or at least an insight to where the administration and board might find it.

One might expect a place of humility after all of that however. One might actually expect the slapped hands of the superintendent to bring about a sense of contrition. Certainly the school chief responded, but was it in a manner that is truly accepting of responsibility?

Immediately following the notice of sanction by the bureau of elections, Superintendent Stephen Cousins did not reach out to this writer and complainant to offer any heartfelt apology. He did not email a response, or call directly, yet he ‘apologizes’ for my misunderstanding, and that confusion that taxpayers must have had with the illicit mailer. In an email blast to parents of TCAPS students, Cousins says:

“Dear TCAPS Parents,

In October, a complaint was filed against TCAPS alleging the district violated the Michigan Campaign Finance Act during our 2012 bond informational campaign. TCAPS has been cooperating with the Secretary of State during the course of their investigation.

As soon as we were made aware of the possibility that improper wording may have been used in our mailer, we immediately took steps to halt those communications and adjusted the language to avoid further confusion.

TCAPS has received the disposition from the Secretary of State today regarding the complaint. The Secretary of State disposition states the district mailer contained express advocacy and it further believes that the evidence supports its conclusion that there may be a reason to believe that a violation of section 57 of the Act occurred.

As superintendent, I want to assure you that the district did not intend to violate the Act or mislead the public. I take full responsibility for the issue. On behalf of the district and the Board of Education, I apologize to Mr. Gillman, our parents, staff and community for any confusion the mailer may have caused. We value the trust our community places in TCAPS and we will work with the SOS to resolve this in a manner that will prevent it from occurring again.

Sincerely,

Steve Cousins
Superintendent

Right.

Would it be overly critical to assume that the buck did not stop there? Full responsibility would be to step up and personally accept the punitive sanctions that have yet to be determined by the state agency handling this. Somehow, I doubt that either Stephen Cousins, nor a capitulating board is willing to willfully accept this as ‘their fault’. In fact, the response is at best, lip service and subtly belligerent.

Our confusion is not caused by a mailer. The mailer was clearly advocating a YES vote. Vindication of that made in an official manner, yet willfully declined in a sort of wordplay that shows how much smarter than the common folks who pay his salary he is. His letter demonstrating his understanding that the problem lays not with the wording or presentation of misappropriated taxpayer funds, but that we just get confused easily.

And as the ‘informal process’ to determine a punitive end to this particular episode wraps up, it will again be the taxpayer who truly bears the cost.

Speculation ended only yesterday, when the 1st district Democrat declared that he would rather run against fellow first district citizen, businessman, and author Jason Gillman, for Governor of Michigan, than he would against the current incumbent Rick Snyder. “My goal is to win back the state for Democrats, and I think I could actually beat Gillman,” Stupak said. “And anyhow who is that guy?”

Stupak’s campaign manager Dennis Lennox was hired by the former trooper and legislator after it was determined that he was personally responsible for a long string of Republican losses. Lennox reportedly said “What can I say? Its not everyone who has such consistent results,” and when questioned about his last paying job, he simply replied “please talk to my attorney.”

Stupak was recently recruited by Michigan Democrats by newly installed Dem Chair Lon Johnson. Johnson who lives in the 1st district apparently still ‘owed one’ to the former congressman not for political favors, but from “that time when he was a trooper and was really cool and let me off with a warning.” according to Johnson.

The endorsement of Gillman is seen as a wise strategic move and is expected to move all the big [liberal] money in the Republican primary to a non incumbent.

Found over at the Schoolcraft Republicans site:

In the Aparecida Document, a document that represents a joint statement by Latin American church leaders but presented by Francis in 2007, the leaders stated, “we should commit ourselves to ‘eucharistic coherence,’ that is, we should be conscious that people cannot receive holy communion and at the same time act or speak against the commandments, in particular when abortions, euthanasia, and other serious crimes against life and family are facilitated. This responsibility applies particularly to legislators, governors, and health professionals.”

I agree.

As disagreements go, we must identify the point in which we disagree.  Liberals certainly do not advocate open murder, so the unborn must be classified as non human in some way.  A question of “when a baby becomes human,” will forever twist in the nether for those not committed to the sanctity of life.

A challenge to be sure.

For those folks.

Nearly a full month out from the last commission meeting attended, their editorial writers attack once more.

The Editorial: “Gillman’s rant shows his true colors” begins as a few others do; laced with hate, and front loaded with hyperbole:

“Former Grand Traverse County Commissioner Jason Gillman has always had an interesting take on public policy issues. Often factually wrong, or lacking perspective or just plain biased, but interesting.“

As if using the word “interesting” alongside their claims of factual incorrectness or my perceived personal shortcomings allows them to escape the obvious slight to character from the start. Certainly framing one as a crazy uncle, or blathering idiot, makes it easier to libel freely with barrels of ink in the following paragraphs.

The next paragraph in fact gives them the start of a ‘two-fer’. Because a simple derogatory attack on one [former] public servant might seem targeted, they get to label both myself and those who agreed on a specific issue in simplistic pejorative terms that could only be logically attributed to an ongoing bias against all who are attacked:

“One of his last acts before (thankfully) leaving the board at the end of the year was to rally his weak-willed colleagues to reject Planned Parenthood’s application for a $12,000 grant from the Grand Traverse Band to pay for abstinence-based sex education in area schools.”

Oh my. And yet another chance to breath a sigh of relief in my departure from the board.

Of course what would the severe bias of the R-E editorialist be without a gratuitous assumption of what ‘conservatives’ think:

“For a lot of conservatives, teaching abstinence is the Holy Grail of sex education. They say that educating kids about their bodies and telling them how to avoid getting pregnant or catch a sexually transmitted disease, the staples of Planned Parenthood’s message, just encourages kids to have sex.

So why reject a grant to teach abstinence? Because, in the world according to Gillman (and a majority of the county board, apparently) Planned Parenthood is evil incarnate. “

Other than the fact they essentially are, (though during the interview which lasted all of 3 minutes, the term ‘evil incarnate’ was never used) there was no reason for the board to put its stamp of approval on the grant request that could be made elsewhere. The actual quote; “The organization is designed to kill babies. The nicer side of it is only there to mask its evil intent, and that is to kill babies” was pretty straight forward.

The organization WAS and IS designed to kill babies. Specific babies in fact. Defective or particular races deemed ‘defective’ by its founder Margaret Sanger to be precise. Her words are fairly clear, and remind us of the evil intent of PP’s design:

“Our failure to segregate morons who are increasing and multiplying … demonstrates our foolhardy and extravagant sentimentalism … [Philanthropists] encourage the healthier and more normal sections of the world to shoulder the burden of unthinking and indiscriminate fecundity of others; which brings with it, as I think the reader must agree, a dead weight of human waste. Instead of decreasing and aiming to eliminate the stocks that are most detrimental to the future of the race and the world, it tends to render them to a menacing degree dominant … We are paying for, and even submitting to, the dictates of an ever-increasing, unceasingly spawning class of human beings who never should have been born at all.”
– Margaret Sanger. The Pivot of Civilization , 1922. Chapter on “The Cruelty of Charity,” pages 116, 122, and 189. Swarthmore College Library
edition.

Sanger’s words should be enough to raise the hair on the nape of the neck of anyone who still carries their soul. And her lifetime of litanies continues:

“The third group [of society] are those irresponsible and reckless ones having little regard for the consequences of their acts, or whose religious scruples prevent their exercising control over their numbers. Many of this group are diseased, feeble-minded, and are of the pauper element dependent upon the normal and fit members of society for their support. There is no doubt in the minds of all thinking people that the procreation of this group should be stopped.”
– Margaret Sanger. Speech quoted in Birth Control: What It Is, How It Works, What It Will Do. The Proceedings of the First American Birth Control Conference . Held at the Hotel Plaza, New York City, November 11-12, 1921. Published by the Birth Control Review , Gothic Press, pages 172
and 174.

But wait! There is More!

“[Our objective is] unlimited sexual gratification without the burden of unwanted children … [Women must have the right] to live … to love … to be lazy … to be an unmarried mother … to create … to destroy … The marriage bed is the most degenerative influence in the social order … The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.”
– Margaret Sanger (editor). The Woman Rebel , Volume I, Number 1. Reprinted in Woman and the New Race . New York: Brentanos Publishers, 1922.

And the Record Eagle has a problem with my voice calling out evil where I see it? THEY continue with their mission of [attempted] character assassination

“Gillman said he couldn’t support providing any type of aid to Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan, regardless of the program, because “The organization is designed to kill babies.”

“The nicer side of it is only there to mask its evil intent. That is to kill babies.” ..”

Bingo. See Sanger quotes above.

“Never mind that Planned Parenthood’s actual mission is about sex education (which would mean fewer abortions). And never mind that Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan doesn’t perform abortions.

Jason knows better — that they’re evil and are willing to help preach abstinence just to cover up their actual intent.“

Yes. Actually I do, and the fact that they arrange abortion trips from the office here, discredits any discussion otherwise. And frankly when one considers the Planned Parenthood admissions of killing nearly a MILLION unborn children nationwide in the last three years through brutal abortive procedures, my sharp tongue is rather dull as compared to the tools which they employ.

And the argument that the “local PP offices don’t perform abortions and ought not be considered” in the debate, easily falls flat. Imagine the Record Eagle editors, or anyone in our community, remaining quiet upon an announcement of a Ku-Klux-Klan office opening in our region that purports to be a social club only.

In reality, the local Planned Parenthood office is an extension of the Planned Parenthood organization, and no less. Its claim of no abortive procedures is masked as I had indicated by the trips out of town our young women must make to carry out their counseled missions. They even refer to it:

“More disappointing is that most of the sheep-like county board went along with him, even though it has passed along Planned Parenthood applications since at least 2009.”

Yet the county board is “sheep-like”. Bravo.

But just to make sure there is no question that I am fully disqualified from logical and upright opinion, the editorialist harkens back to the day when another opinion was challenged. Ultimately, THIS is where the obsession began, as the local homosexual interests were incensed that someone DARE speak politically incorrect, and have an opinion in opposition of their own:

“This is the same Jason Gillman who, in January of 2010, likened homosexuals to pedophiles and called same-sex relationships “a perversion.”

He also Tweeted a vulgar comment about the elimination of the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, blogged about his opposition to Traverse City’s anti-discrimination ordinance and told the Record-Eagle that “Homosexuality is a perversion … but I don’t care what people do in their own bedroom.”

“I’m not hateful, but I have a right to my opinion,” Gillman said.”

The vulgar “tweet” which they refer to? Jan 25 2011, “Butt sex in Military is ok now.. Yay.. #SOTU Sorry.. just don’t want to know. thank you”

Over sensitive much? In fact, what is more offensive, the act or a brief snipe about the act?

The Editorial closes with its final swipe:

“And, apparently, his own facts. It is well documented that pedophilia, a term for an adult’s intense sexual interest in prepubescent children, is not linked to homosexuality.

Many people have conservative or liberal views about sex education or homosexuality but most don’t bend the facts or feel obligated to broadcast their beliefs to anyone within earshot.

At least taxpayers won’t have to pay to hear Gillman spout off anymore.

A couple of things. Up until 1974 homosexuality was a mental illness. And of course their obsession with my views is understandable. Freud had concluded that paranoia and homosexuality were inseparable. It behooves them to make comment. Until 1974, and after a number of protests by those in the gay community, there was little or no suggestion within the psychiatric community that homosexuality might be conceptualized as anything other than a mental illness that needed to be treated. And, of course, homosexuality was listed as a mental illness in DSM-II.

Though I will vigorously defend myself and my comments, I will not, and have not pursued the end of the ‘perversion’, and refer only to its existense as a choice that adults make. The use of the subject of homosexuality by the Record Eagle is NOW an attempt to discredit my position on Planned Parenthood, though it had never affected my term of service, nor did it find room in any of the deliberative process.

My “spouting” has ceased on the board with no affect to their championed downtrodden of the gay community.

I end this reply to an unfortunate diatribe with a couple of definitions. Their appropriate place can be implied easily.

rant [rant]
verb
1. to speak or declaim extravagantly or violently; talk in a wild or vehement way; rave: The demagogue ranted for hours.

ob·ses·sion [uh?b-sesh-uh?n]
noun
1. the domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.

I doubt that the editorialist responsible for today’s might feel any call to reveal whom they are, for it is far easier to attack from hidden places. I wonder however, if the newspaper of record in seeing its continuing circulation declines recognizes the cancer behind that curtain and what might make it more vibrant and productive.

Perhaps a new organization might appear. One we could call “Planned Publishing”

Former elected county commissioner and Michigan state representative candidate Jason Gillman issued the following statement regarding the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway:

“The departure of Hathaway January 21 under the shadow of discomforting allegations and circumstance requires that the seat be filled quickly and with an experienced  and rule-of-law judge of only the highest integrity.  Politics aside, rulings by the supreme court must be made based on the constitution, and the plain language of the state’s statutes.”

“There is likely no better qualified candidate in the state than Judge Jane Markey, who has served with unquestionable integrity and distinction for nearly 18 years on the court of appeals; the second highest court in Michigan.  Michigan would be well served if the selection by Governor Snyder was indeed Judge Markey.”

###

]]> http://jasongillman.com/2013/01/08/press-release-supreme-court-vacancy-requires-rule-of-law-justice/feed/ 0 http://jasongillman.com/2013/01/01/happy-new-year-2013/ http://jasongillman.com/2013/01/01/happy-new-year-2013/#comments Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:59 +0000 Admin http://jasongillman.com/?p=680

Voters will decide if it is worth forcing property owners to pay an additional 0.8 mil in taxes for the luxury of a Performing Art Center, destruction of wealth, and an open ended slush fund for the school district’s physical desires. Part of the plan is of course to extend the FULL 3.9mil an additional 5 years.

If the bond request passes.

Lets clarify the slices of pie TCAPs is asking the taxpayers to put on its plate.

The Performing Arts Center

Sunday’s (November 04, 2012) Record Eagle ad and also similar postcards sent out by TCAPS Citizens for Students in its pie graph uses the term “CHS Renovation” to represent its current version of the $26.5 million Performing Arts Center. This language is now consistent, and closely matches that of School board member Scott Hardy who advised the TCAPS board to deceive voters with the language “renovation” rather than face an obvious backlash for a perceived and very real luxury of “Performing Arts Center”.

The pie shows it as a 16% component of proposed projects, which is also misleading in the way it suggests that it is a ‘small part’ of the overall project. The 16% figure is arrived at by taking the already approved and remaining from 2007 $65 million bond, and adding it to the requested $100 million on this go-round. $26.5 million is exactly 16% of $165 million.

The other deception the TCAPS board and its shill organization (TCAPS Citizens for Students – which is coincidentally run by a finance director for the schools, and funded by the local chamber) attempts, is the canard that it is ONLY $18 million that is being spent on the auditorium. They explain that the other amounts are for “school improvements, office moves, and new entry areas.” Though all of those can be verifiably true, they also gloss over the fact that without the auditorium, NONE of the additional improvements would be necessary.

The Performing arts Center is in fact, the sole source of the “CHS renovation” expense.

Elementary School Reconstructs

The 34% of the $165 million total the school is asking for taxpayers to give a green light, is being spent on destroying physical assets, then replacing them with newer construction.

Eastern elementary is a 55 year old brick and steel building. It is a solid structure, that needs a little attention. The roof apparently leaks in hard rains, which begs the question: “Why will our school board not properly maintain its facilities?” The answer might well be that they expect voters to give them additional moneys to start with their planned reconstructs, and do not wish to expend on something that will be torn down anyhow.

A fair reason, except in the meantime, it poses a safety and health risk to our children. It ASSUMES the bond will pass.

Interlochen Elementary (62 years old – still only middle aged by institutional standards) is another which likely has the same type of reasoning for its planned reconstruct.

The plans for these two schools is analogous to having a flat tire on a car. The replacement of the entire car being the closest response the board could come up with for dealing with the flat.

Unconscionable.

Central Grade School is another story entirely.

The 90 year old building has undergone renovation in the past, yet is still an old structure. Yet in THIS case, renovation is handled differently. No complete tear down, but an interior upgrade maintaining the old school facade. The cost of $26 million is the result of the desire to maintain its historic image, and neighborhood location. What might the costs be, if the school was instead (as an option of outside the box thinking) sold to a private developer to renovate as apartments, condos, etc., and the school itself moved?

We may never know as that question will likely never come up.

Other costs in the Pie chart

28% listed as district infrastructure needs. That is $46 million dollars. No specifics. Simply a general ‘doors and things’ type of explanation. No specified expenses, but rather an open ended ‘slush fund’ opportunity for the TCAPS board and superintendent Stephen Cousins. Let me repeat .. Slush Fund.

• 6% for buses $9.9million
• 12% Technology infrastructure $19.8 million, and a chance for all K-12 (yes kindergartners included) to have iPads as well as the $1.8 million and $8 million or so pocket change for planned IT improvements.
• 2% for athletic concerns $3.3 million.
• 1% for maintenance. – Do we really need to comment on this? (yes – some is included in the previously mentioned slush fund)

That sure is SOME pie!

what if the bond does NOT pass?

There is still $65 million for the next 5 years.

Within that amount, there is room for a $10 million unneeded rebuilds of Eastern, Interlochen, and Glenn Loomis AND Central. Along with the $3 million stated maintenance need for each of those five years. At the point when the approved bonds expire, the district can ask for more.

Not only that, but if the economy recovers, we would also see improvement in the 18 mil operations end (paid by non homestead) as well.

Conclusion.

This bond request is an overreach.

It assumes that the taxpayers can afford another round of higher expenses.

It assumes need where there is only luxury.

This is not the time to be placing an even heavier weight on the backs of taxpayers. It is not the time to be assuming that because other communities are assuming higher millages and burdens on THEIR citizens, that it is appropriate to do so here.

It IS the time for the traverse City Area Public Schools board to appropriately manage the facility needs, and apply proper maintenance ensuring longer usefulness, and efficiency from our assets.

The millage request based on the facts presented here, should be declined.