Mark Maynard | 2009 | December

Feingold gives his support, blames Obama

By Mark | December 20, 2009

Senator Russ Feingold issued a statement today, saying that he would vote to support the current draft of healthcare legislation being considered in the Senate, in spite of the fact that it doesn’t include a public option. He also pretty much said that we lost the public option because of a lack of leadership on Obama’s part. Here’s a clip:

…I’ve been fighting all year for a strong public option to compete with the insurance industry and bring health care spending down. I continued that fight during recent negotiations, and I refused to sign onto a deal to drop the public option from the Senate bill. Unfortunately, the lack of support from the administration made keeping the public option in the bill an uphill struggle. Removing the public option from the Senate bill is the wrong move, and eliminates $25 billion in savings. I will be urging members of the House and Senate who draft the final bill to make sure this essential provision is included.

But while the loss of the public option is a bitter pill to swallow, on balance, the bill still delivers meaningful reform, and the cost of inaction is simply too high. This bill significantly expands coverage and helps protect Wisconsinites from high costs and insurance company abuses, such as denying or restricting coverage based on pre-existing conditions. The bill also improves a flawed Medicare formula that denies Wisconsin fair reimbursement rates, encourages the kind of low-cost, high-value care practiced in our state, increases access to home and community-based long-term care, and reduces federal budget deficits by $132 billion over the next decade…

And, for what it’s worth Howard Dean agrees that a great deal of the blame resides with Obama.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Posted in Health, Politics | Tagged healthcare reform, Howard Dean, Meet the Press, Obama, Russ Feingold, the public option | 9 Comments

How the Michigan smoking ban is likely to impact Ypsi bars

By Mark | December 20, 2009

A few days ago, when the Michigan House of Representatives voted to outlaw smoking in Michigan bars and restaurants, I sent a note out to a few of our local Ypsi bar owners, asking whether or not they felt that the legislation would negatively impact their businesses. I was expecting that at least a few would suggest that the legislation would drive away customers, but, fortunately, that wasn’t the case… Following are their responses.

Linda French from the Sidetrack:

We are really pleased with the ban as it will be welcomed by the majority of our customers. As you probably know, we have been non smoking at dinner and lunch for over a year and it increased our business not just by the sales numbers but the volume of people as well. Basically, the hours which we have gone non-smoking thus far have been a boon to both business and customer relations.

We are planning to accommodate our late night customers, who are mostly drinkers, by making better use of our back patio with large commercial propane heaters and wind block panels.

Andy Garris from the Elbow Room:

I think that the ban was only a matter of time. The initial impact of this I think will be big. Some folks(smokers) may choose to be angry and quit going out as much, however they will quickly come back when they realize they still want to be part of the scene. I think also that people who don’t go out due to the smokiness of bars (especially the Elbow Room), are going to be way more willing to come out more. I have been to various cities where smoking is already banned, and it has not seemed to be a big deal. I do think that bars will have to be creative in costructing their smoking areas outside, especially in the, at times very chilly, Michigan winter days! I am not a smoker, however due to the bars I have ran for the past 7 years, I would most likely be considered a smoker. And I think this was definitely bound to happen.

Brian Brickley from the Tap Room:

We are pretty optimistic that this will not reduce our business and may acctually help bring more folks in that up to now were staying away because of the smoke. We were not in support of the ban until my wife went to New York several years ago and noticed all the bars were busy and people smoked outside with no problems.

I think once folks get used to it it will really be not much of an issue at all.

Sandee French from Aubree’s:

I’m happy that the smoking ban was passed by the legislature this past week. We have had experience in allowing one of our businesses go smoke-free and the other remain a smoking environment. We heard a lot of grumbling on both sides of the issue, including the government’s role in all of this. In the end, our customers remained pretty much the same. Not being allowed to smoke in an establishment was not the defining criteria in deciding where to go for lunch, dinner, or an evening out. However, a smoky environment did discourage some customers.

It was also difficult to have a section in the restaurant where smoking was permitted. That would be the last section to fill. This new law levels the playing field throughout Michigan and takes the ‘blame’ off the restaurant. Once the no smoking ban becomes everyone’s new normal, folks will move on and just change their routine.

We are fortunate we have the Tiki Bar above Aubree’s that will allow customers to go outside with their drink and have a cigarette under a heater. Celebrations has a lovely Courtyard with a nice environment too. I’m sure most establishments will try to create a nice location outdoors where their customers can go to have a cigarette and not feel out of place.

Some form of this new law has been trying to get passed for over 12 years. It’s finally time for a change and I welcome it.

Since establishments will have months in order to get ready for the change, I think those with outdoor seating will make a winter location for smokers as welcoming as possible. Marquette Michigan doesn’t allow smoking in restaurants and if they can find a solution for those nicotine blues, I’m sure Ypsi can too.

It hadn’t occurred to me prior to this, but this legislation, among other things, is going to be a huge boon to those Michigan contractors working with bar owners to build heated, outdoor smoking areas. And whoever is selling those big, outdoor heaters, is going to make a killing.

Posted in Food, Locally Owned Business, Michigan, Ypsilanti | Tagged Aubree's, Elbow Room, Sidetrack, smoke-free, smoking, smoking ban, Tap Room | 85 Comments

Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Chambers of Commerce to join forces

By Mark | December 20, 2009

It was just announced on Friday that, come January, the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce and Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce would be rolling up into a single entity. I was going to take the opportunity to ask what our local Chamber actually does, other than host fundraisers at local golf courses, fight progressive legislation, and chip in to bring inspirational thought leaders like Glenn Beck to Michigan, but I decided that, in the spirit of the holidays, I’d put aside my reflexive dislike for what has historically been a Republican fundraising entity, and ask instead what kinds of things we – especially those of us doing business along the A2-Ypsi corridor – would like to see from a new, revitalized Chamber which seeks to better join our two communities… Here, for reference, is the announcement from the Ann Arbor Chamber.

The Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Area Chambers of Commerce announced today that the respective Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a resolution to pursue joint operation and form the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber. In addition, Diane Keller, current President of the Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce, will be President of the new organization.

Further details will be available at a special event held on Tuesday, January 12, 7:30am – 9:30 am at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building. At that event a formal announcement will be made about the joint operation and chamber leadership will discuss the plan for moving forward.

“The joint operation of these organizations represents a significant step towards more regional efforts to meet the needs of our membership base,” commented Karl Couyoumjian, Chair-Elect of the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “We are also very pleased to welcome Diane with her extensive Chamber background and look forward to her leadership and direction as we work towards serving members of the new organization.”

“Now more than ever we felt it was important to explore collaboration, and I’m pleased to see this effort move forward,” noted Mark Ouimet, current Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Chair.

A committee of current Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Chamber board members and member representatives was formed in October to explore the joint operation of the two organizations. The committee met numerous times and concluded that collaboration between the two groups is in the interest of their business members and the community and would result in expanded affinity programs and benefits for members; overall cost savings; increased networking opportunities and a stronger voice in public policy.

Diane Keller will become President of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber on January 1, 2010. She has been President of the Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce since June, 2007. A longtime local resident, Keller previously served as Director of Education for the Ypsilanti Chamber and as manager of the Ypsilanti Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

And, for what it’s worth, even though I have an issue with Chambers of Commerce generally, I think this really is a positive step forward, and I wish them all the best in pulling it off. I do think, however, that it’s incumbent upon us to give them direction. I know a lot of good people who own small businesses, who aren’t presently members of the Chamber, and I’m thinking that this might be a good time for them to reengage.

update: I got a letter from someone on the Chamber board today. He seemed happy with the post, but had an issue with my suggestion that our local Chambers had anything to do with Glenn Beck being brought here. As he explained it, our local Chambers, while members of the Michigan Chamber, “do not fund them in any way,” and didn’t have a hand in coordinating the event. The same, he says, is also true of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. They’re members, he says, but they’re not active participants.

Posted in Local Business, Other | Tagged Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce, Diane Keller, Karl Couyoumjian, Mark Ouimet, mergers, Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce | 7 Comments

Joe Posch, playing footsie with Fox

By Mark | December 18, 2009

My friend Joe, who I told you about a few days ago, was on Fox this morning, in Detroit, selling his used Playboys and cement book ends. I’d like to give him a hard time for getting into bed with Rupert Murdoch, and exchanging witty reparte with a Fox infotainibot, but, truth is, I’m happy for him…. If you haven’t shopped at his store yet, you should.

Posted in Media, Retail | Tagged bachelor style, FOX, Fox infotainibot, Hugh, Joe Posch, retail happening, retail in Detroit, Rupert Murdoch | 3 Comments

Robert Reich thinks the healthcare bill would be an improvement, but just barely

By Mark | December 17, 2009

In the interest of fairness, I thought that I should include a link to this new piece by Robert Reich. Reich, unlike Dean, and some of the other people I’ve been quoting here lately, thinks that the current version of the healthcare bill being considered in the Senate would be worth passing. Here’s a clip:

“Don’t make the perfect the enemy of the better,” says the President and congressional insiders when confronted with the sorry spectacle of a health-care bill whose scope and ambition continue to shrink, and whose long-term costs to typical Americans continue to grow. They’re right, of course. But by the same logic, neither the White House nor congressional Democrats will be able to celebrate the emerging legislation as a “major overhaul” or “fundamental reform.” At best, it’s likely to be a small overhaul containing incremental reforms.

Real reform has moved from a Medicare-like public option open to all, to a public option open to 6 million without employer coverage (still in the House bill), to a public option open only to those same people in states that opt for it, or about 4 million (the original Harry Reid version of the Senate bill), to no public option but expanded Medicare (the Senate compromise) to no expanded Medicare at all (the deal with Joe “I love all the attention” Lieberman).

In other words, the private insurers are winning and the public is losing.

…Is the effort worth still worth it? Yes, but just. Private insurers will have to take anyone, regardless of preconditions. And some 30 million people who don’t now have health insurance will get it. But because Big Insurance, Big Pharma, and the AMA will come out way ahead, the legislation will cost taxpayers and premium-payers far more than it would otherwise. Cost controls are inadequate; in fact, they barely exist. If Wall Street’s top brass are “fat cats,” as the President described them last weekend, the top brass of Big Insurance, Big Pharma, and the AMA are even fatter. While they don’t earn as much, they’re squeezing the public for even more.

We are slouching toward health-care reform that’s better than nothing but far worse than we had imagined it would be. Even those of us who have seen legislative sausage-making up close, even those of us who never make the perfect the enemy of the better, are concerned. That two or three senators are able to extort as much as they have is appalling. Why hasn’t Reid forced much of the bill into reconciliation, requiring only 51 votes? Why has the President been so cowed? In all likelihood, the White House and the Dems eventually will get a bill they can call “reform,” but they will not be able to say with straight faces that the reform is a significant improvement over the terrible system we already have.