Tag Archives: Koch brothers

The ACLU to wage war against America’s militarized police state

By Mark | March 6, 2013

The ACLU today announced that they would be launching a broad investigation into the militarization of America’s domestic police forces. As of this evening, ACLU affiliates in 23 states have signed on to assist in the investigation, and it’s thought that more will join shortly, assigning investigators and filing Freedom of Information Act requests with [...]

Posted in Civil Liberties, Uncategorized | Also tagged ACLU, Aiyana Jones, Anaheim, Battlestar Galactica, CATO Institute, Detroit, Disneyland, Eric Holder, FOIA, GPS device, Houston, investigative reporting, Kara Dansky, Miami, military, Military Cooperation with Law Enforcement Act, military industrial complex, military spending, Obama, police investigations, police state, police tactics, Posse Comitatus Act, predator drones, Ronald Reagan, SWAT, targeted assault, targeted killings, the militarization of the police, tracking, urban warfare, war on drugs, War on Terror, William Adama | 21 Comments

Was I the only one thinking that Marco Rubio was hitting the pollyjuice potion tonight?

By Mark | February 13, 2013

This evening, when Marco Rubio franticly lunged for his water bottle during the Republican response to President Obabma’s State of the Union address, was I think only one to immediately think, “

Posted in Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged Barty Crouch Jr., Death Eaters, Dick Cheney, Harry Potter, Mad Eye Moody, Marco Rubio, Obama, pollyjuice potion, State of the Union | 14 Comments

Calling what happened during Michigan’s lame duck session “very, very bad,” former State Senator Joe Schwartz blames term limits and the unprecedented influence of corporate money

By Mark | January 22, 2013

As we recently discussed, Michigan Radio, as part of their Issues & Ale series, hosted a panel discussion in Ypsilanti late last week on the subject of Michigan’s newly passed right-to-work legislation. The panel, which included former Republican State Senator Joe Schwartz, Kristin Dziczek, the Director of the Labor & Industry Group at the Center [...]

Posted in Media, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged Ave Maria, Ave Maria graduates, Center for Automotive Research, collective bargaining, Community Capital Forum, Corner brewery, corporate takeover of politics, F. Vincent Vernuccio, get the money out of Washington, Gretchen Driskell, Issues & Ale, Jack Lessenberry, Kristin Dziczek, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, MEDC, Michael Shuman, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan House of Representatives, Michigan Radio, Michigan Senate, Mike Finney, money in politics, partisan politics, Proposition 2, Pure Michigan, right-to-work, Ron Weiser, tea party, term limits, Tom Monaghan, union busting, unions | 25 Comments

Coup d’etat in Michigan… following the money, connecting the dots, and assessing Snyder’s role

By Mark | December 12, 2012

This afternoon, as over 10,000 protesters surrounded the Capitol building in Lansing, Governor Snyder singed into law legislation that would make Michigan the 24th right-to-work state. When asked why it was so urgent that this be done now, during the lame duck session, outside of the accepted procedural process, Snyder essentially blamed the unions, who, [...]

Posted in Michigan, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged Americans for Prosperity, Cindy Estrada, collective bargaining, corporatocracy, Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, Dick DeVos, Emergency Manager, Flint Sit-Down Strike, Frank Keating, John Engler, labor history, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Paul Singer, Proposal 2, Proposition 2, Rick Snyder, right-to-work, Ron Weiser, tea party, UAW, unions, West Michigan Policy Forum | 31 Comments

For those of you who were wondering what the Republican endgame would look like, just turn your attention toward Michigan, where women’s rights, gay rights, public education, and unions are all being systematically dismantled before our eyes, in one fell swoop

By Mark | December 7, 2012

Not only did both houses of Michigan’s Republican-controled legislature, with the aid of billionaire conservative activists like Dick DeVos and the Koch brothers, jam through controversial right-to-work legislation this afternoon, in violation of long-honored rules, as members of the public were forced from the Capitol by armed police and pro-labor protestors were assaulted with pepper [...]