Eastside Republican Club

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="044005a0exvipq.gif"> <div> <B>Eastside Republican Club</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="eastside_republican_review_summary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ERC Review"><U><B>ERC Review</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="michigan_s_14th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><B>Congressional District News</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="civic___governmental_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="link_to_michigan_gop.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan Republicans"><U><B><IMG SRC="05358580.gif" border=0 width="88" height="88" ALT="Michigan GOP" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> The ERC serves Detroit's near eastside, including Grosse Pointe, Michigan, hosting informative <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U>speakers</U></A>. Read about<A HREF="republican_history.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Early History of Detroit Republicans"><U> early Republicans</U></A> in Detroit! Local and State civic/governmental <A HREF="civic___governmental_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>links</U></A>.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="donnelly.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Elaine Donnelly"><U><I><B>Women in Combat</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="andrew_arena.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crime Commission"><U><I><B>Veteran Crime Fighters Deployed</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="redistricting.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I><B>See New District Maps</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B><IMG SRC="81b871f0.gif" border=0 width="135" height="31" ALT=">>Events" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="180" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 58 WIDTH="160"><div> <I><B>Go Paperless!</B></I></div> <div> To receive meeting reminders via e-mail just <A HREF="mailto:jhacklem@eastside-republican-club.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:"><U>send us a note</U></A>, subject: “Paperless.”</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <I><B>Another way to connect...</B></I></div> <div> <A HREF="https://www.facebook.com/EastsideRepublicanClub" TARGET="_top" TITLE="https://www.facebook.com/EastsideRepubli"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1eb8878c0.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="140" ALT="Now you can 'Like' us on Facebook" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="560" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 3347 WIDTH="560"><div> <A HREF="viviano.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Justice Viviano"><U><IMG SRC="1eb1fa940.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="404" ALT="Justice David Viviano" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="4"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Michigan Supreme Court</B></div> <div> <B>Justice David Viviano</B></div> <div> <B>To Speak at June 18 Forum</B></div> <div> Michigan Supreme Court Justice David F. Viviano will address the Eastside Republican Club Forum at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 18, at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Farms.</div> <div> Jenny Nolan, chairman of the club said, “As the newest member of our Supreme Court, we look forward to hearing from Justice Viviano."</div> <div> Nolan added, "His family has deep roots in our area, and we look forward to knowing more about his view of the court system. The Forum will be a good opportunity for us to get better acquainted and to ask him questions."</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="226" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 130 WIDTH="220"><div> <I><B>ERC Picnic Coming July 14</B></I></div> <div> "Connect with like-minded conservatives and enjoy a hot dog,” said Eastside Republican Club picnic coordinator, Mike Hennigan, announcing the eleventh annual Family Fun Picnic set for Sunday, July 14, 2013, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Patterson Park on Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Park.</div> <div> Mark your calendars!</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> There is no charge for the 7:30 p.m. public event at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Farms.</div> <div> Doors open at 7 p.m. for coffee and networking.</div> <div> Gov. Rick Snyder appointed the Macomb County jurist to the court in February. Previously, Justice Viviano was a judge of the Macomb County Circuit Court, to which he was elected in 2006, and served in that court's criminal/civil division. <I>>></I><A HREF="viviano.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Justice Viviano"><U><I>Read more Viviano</I></U></A><I>.</I><A HREF="richardville.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Randy Richardville"><U><IMG SRC="1ec678c20.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="194" ALT="Senator Rany Richardville (R) Monroe" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="4"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Senate Leader Richardville</B></div> <div> <B>Avoids Pot Holes to Deliver Good News</B></div> <div> Michigan's economic health is vastly improved, yet finding money to pay for needed road projects continues to be a challenge, said State Senator Randy Richardville who trekked from his home in Monroe to speak May 21 to the ERC Forum.</div> <div> Not long ago, he said, "Michigan was at one of its low points -- a lot of people moved out."</div> <div> By working together, he said, "We'll have a complete FY2014 budget by June 1 with a projected $702 million surplus."</div> <div> The largest share of that surplus would go toward road projects, he said.</div> <div> Selected by fellow-Republicans as Senate Majority Leader, Richardville was first elected to the Michigan Senate in 2006. <I>>></I><A HREF="richardville.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Randy Richardville"><U><I>Richardville Speaks to Forum</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> <A HREF="lt__governor_brian_calley.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2013 PAC Dinner"><U><IMG SRC="1ebf78dd0.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="221" ALT="Michigan Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="4"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Lt. Governor Brian Calley</B></div> <div> <B>Pulls Record Crowd for PAC Dinner</B></div> <div> By John Minnis</div> <div> <I>Legal News</I></div> <div> Lt. Governor Brian Calley drew a record crowd to the annual Eastside Republican PAC fundraiser April 24 at Sindbad's Restaurant on the Detroit River.</div> <div> “In the 15 to 20 years we've held these dinners here, this is the most we've ever had,” said Eastside Republican Club PAC chairman John Stempfle. He then thanked the nearly two-dozen sponsors of the event, including University of Michigan Regent Andrew Richner, former State Rep. Ed Gaffney, attorney Charles Kennedy, and Butzel Long director Louis Theros.</div> <div> Others in attendance included Republican stalwart and Grosse Pointe Park Mayor Palmer Heenan, retired Wayne County Chief Judge William Giovan, and past American Bar Association President Wallace Riley.</div> <div> Many of those present had attended a rare appearance of former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who spoke that afternoon at Grosse Pointe South High School at the invitation of student leaders of Young Americans for Freedom.</div> <div> “We are now $20 billion less in debt than we were in January 2011,” Calley said. “I realize we've got a long way to go, but I love the trend he (Gov. Snyder) is on, of where we're going.” Read more and see event photos at the link. <I>>></I><A HREF="lt__governor_brian_calley.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2013 PAC Dinner"><U><I>Calley Speaks in Detroit</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> <B>New Volunteer Commission </B><B>Deploys Veteran Crime Fighters</B></div> <div> "I try to have hope every day," said Andrew G. Arena, former agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit office and newly appointed executive director of the <A HREF="http://detroitcrimecommission.org/index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://detroitcrimecommission.org/index."><U>Detroit Crime Commission</U></A>, in his March 19 talk to the Eastside Republican Forum in Grosse Pointe Farms.<A HREF="andrew_arena.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crime Commission"><U><IMG SRC="1ea478d00.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="208" ALT="Andrew Arena, executive director of Detroit Crime Commission >>Read more" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="4"></U></A></div> <div> He said the DCC focus is quality of life, and creation of an "atmosphere of no corruption," including crime investigation, abatement/abandonment issues, public corruption, and witness protection.</div> <div> He noted, "I was encouraged when the Kwame Kilpatrick jury convicted the former mayor of racketeering, which is tough to prove -- that jury really worked hard."</div> <div> "Right then and there, I thought, 'there is hope.'"</div> <div> Arena ticked off some of Detroit's challenges. In mortgage fraud Detroit ranks second in the country, police suffer from a misuse of manpower and lack of leadership, and in one four-square-mile area violators with 600 active arrest warrants live and walk the streets unchallenged.</div> <div> He described the DCC's work to stop a ring of insurance fraudsters operating "under the radar" in southwest Detroit. Their "business" involved buying 159 foreclosed houses in disrepair, renting them to illegal aliens -- who were afraid to complain -- never repairing the houses, and then torching them after the houses could no longer be rented.</div> <div> Their final payoff was a claim against their insurance policy for the fire loss. The case uncovered tax evasion and 213 fraudulent house fire insurance claims.</div> <div> “We are privately funded through private donors and grant proposals. We're not costing the taxpayers any money,” Arena said. >><A HREF="andrew_arena.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crime Commission"><U><I>Veteran crime fighters deployed</I></U></A><I>.</I><A HREF="donnelly.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Elaine Donnelly"><U><B><IMG SRC="1e6378ab0.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="171" ALT="Elaine Donnelly" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="4"></B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Move to Draft Young Women</B></div> <div> <B>For Ground Combat May Be Next</B></div> <div> Young ladies, prepare to be drafted for combat duty! That was one of the warnings issued by Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, in February 19 remarks to the Eastside Republican Club Forum.</div> <div> Lauding the thousands of women who have and will continue to serve, Elaine Donnelly nevertheless laid out a strong case for restricting them from any combat role.</div> <div> Donnelly leads the Center for Military Readiness, an independent, nonpartisan public policy organization specializing in military/social issues. Founded in 1993, CMR advocates high, single standards in all forms of military training, and sound priorities in making military/social policies.</div> <div> She noted that thus far, the Supreme Court has rejected efforts by the ACLU to force women to register for the draft. She explained that the Court came to that conclusion because conscription was used only during wartime to build combat forces from which women were exempt<I>.</I></div> <div> That was 1981. Now that women are slated for combat duty, the argument can no longer be made.</div> <div> "Combat effectiveness is now secondary," Donnelly said, because by his January 24, 2013, announcement Defense Secretary Leon Panetta unilaterally lifted the ban on women serving in combat roles.</div> <div> She explained that added to victory is now a new priority, "gender diversity metrics." Plans call for "significant cadres" of women in direct ground combat battalions by 2016." >><A HREF="donnelly.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Elaine Donnelly"><U><I>More </I></U></A><A HREF="donnelly.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Elaine Donnelly"><U><I>Donnelly on Military Readiness</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Massive Government Growth</B></div> <div> <B>Root Cause of U.S. Fiscal Crisis</B></div> <div> “Stop digging!” insisted Paul Welday in his talk to the Eastside Republican Club Forum January 15 at the War Memorial.<A HREF="welday.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paul Welday Speaks in the Pointes"><U><IMG SRC="1e4878bd0.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="189" ALT="Paul Welday >>Read more about Welday to the Pointes" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="8"></U></A></div> <div> The Republican activist and Oakland businessman explained, that's the first rule when you realize you're trapped in a hole.</div> <div> Welday's message focused on leadership and “the crisis facing our state and our country.”</div> <div> The root fiscal problem, he said, is the massive growth in government.</div> <div> In laying out the facts, Welday noted that our national debt at $15.6 trillion is now bigger than the entire U.S. economy. By comparison, he said the gross domestic product is just $15.1 trillion.</div> <div> To help illustrate how fast the debt has grown and how deep the “hole” is, he pointed out that in 2007 national debt was considered high at $9 trillion.</div> <div> In another comparison, Welday put the U.S. debt crisis in international context. He said that the annual amount of interest paid to the Chinese on U.S. debt held by them would soon equal China's annual military budget.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="226" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 175 WIDTH="220"><div> <I><B>New Faces Join ERC Board</B></I></div> <div> Added to the Board at the annual election of ERC officers and board members held January 15 were Dan Follis, of the Farms, and Park residents Ken Chadwell and Michael Vethacke.</div> <div> Reelected for another term as chairman was Jenny Nolan, of the City.</div> <div> Serving with her will be vice chairman Susan Gillooly and secretary Marie Hackleman, both of the Park. Treasurer will be Mike Nolan of the City. >><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><I>See Board photo</I></U></A>.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> “What do we do now?” he asked.</div> <div> Welday advocated “changing course, and stopping endless government spending.”</div> <div> He said taxpayers and our leaders must accept the challenges, endure sacrifice, and realize that responsibility for action belongs to us. <I>>></I><A HREF="welday.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paul Welday Speaks in the Pointes"><U><I>Welday to the Pointes</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Finley's </B><B>Analysis of Vote</B></div> <div> <B>Sees No National Mandate</B><A HREF="finley1a8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nolan Finleys PostElection Perspective"><U><IMG SRC="1e6178cb0.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="203" ALT="Nolan Finley of the Detroit News >>Learn more" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="6"></U></A></div> <div> “This was not a wave election -- there were mixed results,” said <I>Detroit News</I> editorial page editor Nolan Finley.</div> <div> He noted, for example, that Republicans picked up 30 of the 50 state houses.</div> <div> Finley spoke November 20 to the Eastside Republicans at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.</div> <div> In Michigan, he reminded, “Voters defeated union proposals up and down the ballot… and voters did a wonderful job on the Supreme Court.”</div> <div> At the federal level, “Voters did not give [the President] the votes in Congress to get his agenda passed. Voters returned a Republican House.”</div> <div> Being realistic, he observed, “It is extraordinarily hard to beat an incumbent.”</div> <div> Finley encouraged his audience, “In 2010, just two years ago, Republicans swept the landscape. Do we really believe that things have so fundamentally changed in two years, and Republicans are no longer relevant?”</div> <div> In the final analysis, Finley recognized a GOP weakness. “We got beat on the ground,” he opined.</div> <div> He said that the election outcome “was not an affirmation of [Obama's] last four years.” <I>>></I><A HREF="finley1a8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nolan Finleys PostElection Perspective"><U><I>Learn more</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> <B>Ballenger: Redistricting</B></div> <div> <B>A 'Travesty' for Pointes</B></div> <div> Echoing the sentiment of his audience, analyst Bill Ballenger told the Eastside Republican Forum October 16 at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial that splitting the Pointes into two districts was “a travesty.”<A HREF="ballenger1a6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ballengers Perspective"><U><IMG SRC="1e2d78c10.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="193" ALT="Political analyst Bill Ballenger" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="4"></U></A></div> <div> Noting that the united Pointes have been a bastion of the GOP since the party was founded, “Too bad the Republicans [in Lansing] have not seen fit to keep the district together.”</div> <div> Ballenger bluntly told the audience, “The GOP threw Grosse Pointe 'under the bus' by splitting the Pointes.” As a result, the area is divided between two Michigan House districts. <I>>></I><A HREF="redistricting_pointes_divided.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I>Pointes divided</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> Pointing fingers, he said, “The news media was so asleep” during the primary, looking the other way while a felon won the Democratic nomination for state representative in District 1.</div> <div> “Today, Republicans control everything in Lansing,” he said.</div> <div> That's why Ballenger sees the Michigan Supreme Court as a key battleground. He said the three Supreme Court seats are “almost the biggest thing” at stake. Because three of seven justices are up for election, including two Republicans.</div> <div> Though they are non-partisan positions for the Supreme Court, Republicans are supporting Justice Stephen Markman (incumbent), Justice Brian Zahra (incumbent, partial term), and Judge Colleen O'Brien. <I>>></I><A HREF="erc_pac1a7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ERCPAC Endorsements"><U><I>ERC endorsements</I></U></A>.</div> <div> He pointed out that failure to elect these three could tip the balance from a conservative to a liberal court. >><A HREF="ballenger1a6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ballengers Perspective"><U><I>More on Ballenger</I></U></A><I>.</I><I> <A NAME="eastside_office"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 1878 WIDTH="560"><div> <B>Judicial Candidates, Ballot Proposals</B></div> <div> <B>Subject of September 18 ERC Forum</B></div> <div> Eight judicial candidates, discussion of State of Michigan ballot proposals, and news of an eastside campaign office made up the agenda for the Eastside Republican Club's September 18 Forum.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="121" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 236 WIDTH="115"><div> <A HREF="judges1a5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Judicial Forum"><U><IMG SRC="1e0c73c60.jpg" border=0 width="115" height="198" ALT="Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly, Michigan Court of Appeals >>Read more" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Knowing that voters face a staggering number of decisions on November 6, Jenny Nolan, ERC chairman said, “Voters too often overlook the non-partisan ballot, and don't know enough about the judicial candidates. We look forward to introducing the candidates on this very important portion of the ballot.”</div> <div> With the long list of non-partisan judicial candidates, six statewide and six countywide ballot proposals, added to the usual presidential, state, and county candidates, it's no wonder Wayne County has determined the lengthy ballot facing voters on November 6 will require two pages.”</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="242" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 242 WIDTH="222"><div> <I><B>Who said it?</B></I><I><B> <A NAME="quote_2_1_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I></div> <div> "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>>></B></I><A HREF="civic___governmental_links_answer_1_1_1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><I><B>Find out</B></I></U></A><I><B>!</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Nolan was excited to report results of the campaign's first 2012 “Super Saturday” precinct walk on September 15. She said eastsiders set a state record by knocking on 2,500 Grosse Pointe doors.</div> <div> Langston Bowers and other local high school students were commended for working the precincts every Saturday.</div> <div> Nolan invited everyone to take part in the next GOP “Super Saturday,” a statewide effort planned for October 6.</div> <div> Speaking were eight judicial candidates, including Grosse Pointe's own Judge Kirsten Frank who is running unopposed. All will appear on the non-partisan portion of the November ballot and were introduced to outline their campaigns. >><A HREF="judges1a5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Judicial Forum"><U><I>Read more</I></U></A>.<A HREF="michigan_s_14th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="123" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 197 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1cec78b10.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="177" ALT="Richard Cunningham >>Congressional District News" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Rick Cunningham</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></U></A></div> <div> <B>Fall Conventions on Tap</B></div> <div> <B>For Wayne County and State GOP</B></div> <div> Richard Cunningham, temporary chairman of the Wayne 14 Republican Executive Committee, has officially announced the August county convention for the portion of the "new" 14th Congressional District that is in Wayne County.</div> <div> He called the convention for 7:30 p.m., Thursday, August 16, 2012, at St. John's Episcopal Church in Detroit.</div> <div> He said purpose of the August meeting is to elect delegates and alternates to the September 7 and 8, 2012, State Convention, to be held at Devos Place in Grand Rapids.  >><A HREF="michigan_s_14th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I>Read the story</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Wayne County Commissioner</B></div> <div> <B>Laura Cox Calls for Transparency</B></div> <div> “I'm an outspoken advocate of transparency,” announced a courageous Wayne County commissioner Laura Cox speaking to the June 19 Eastside Republican Club Forum.<A HREF="cox1a3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Laura Cox"><U><IMG SRC="1de778ad0.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="173" ALT="Commissioner Laura Cox >>Read more" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="4"></U></A></div> <div> “Transparency is not a county priority,” Cox said in her remarks to the Republican group at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.</div> <div> First elected in 2004 and since reelected three times, Cox represents residents of District 10, located in western Wayne County, including Livonia, Plymouth, and Northville.</div> <div> “My number one goal has been to ensure that your tax dollars are never lost to waste, fraud or abuse,” she said.</div> <div> Cox, who has already posted budget details for her own District 10 office online, said the county is reluctant to increase the availability of countywide data. The county's most recent online quarterly report, she said, is three years old.</div> <div> Her push is for availability of data in “real time,” answering the taxpayer's question, “How are they spending my money?” </div> <div> She advocates a “searchable” county financial database that answers other questions such as, “What are employee job descriptions?” and “What is the pay?”</div> <div> “I believe that if we had our checkbook online for anyone to scrutinize, Bob Ficano would never have made that secret severance payment,” she said.</div> <div> “They work in the dark! That wouldn't happen if we were transparent.”</div> <div> As reported in the news media, the county's financial transactions have drawn the attention of law enforcement and there may be more to come. “It is my belief that our federal government is a long way from concluding its investigation,” she said.</div> <div> These are all reasons the county “cannot move forward with Bob Ficano in place,” she said.</div> <div> “Four months ago I called on Mr. Ficano to resign in the wake of all this turmoil.”</div> <div> “My goal is to get a Wayne County Charter amendment out to the voters that would give the commission the authority to remove the county executive,” Cox said.</div> <div> According to Cox, recent polling is revealing. It indicates 71% of Democrats statewide think Bob Ficano should resign because he is a “drag” on the Obama ticket. >><A HREF="cox1a3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Laura Cox"><U><I>More Commissioner Laura Cox</I></U></A>.<A HREF="cox1a3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Laura Cox"><U><B><IMG SRC="1dac0f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><A HREF="hills.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rusty Hills"><U><B><IMG SRC="1d81d21d0.jpg" border=0 width="210" height="285" ALT="ERC chairman Jenny Nolan with Forum speaker 'Rusty' Hills at May 15, event" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="6"></B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Time for 'Bold Solutions'</B></div> <div> <B>Hills Tells ERC May Forum</B></div> <div> Proclaiming, “We need bold solutions, as Republicans!” Rusty Hills, director of public affairs for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, waded into the nation's current political climate, religious liberty, and Schuette's public safety initiatives at the May 15 Eastside Republican Club Forum.</div> <div> Commenting on the Obama administration's constitutional rationale for ObamaCare, Hills, who in addition to serving the Attorney General is a lecturer in public policy at MSU's <A HREF="http://www.fordschool.umich.edu/faculty/Gerald_Hills" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.fordschool.umich.edu/faculty/"><U>Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy</U></A>, told the Forum audience, “No one has ever advanced this theory. It is unlimited.”</div> <div> “If it stands, there is no limit to what the government can compel you to do,” Hills said.</div> <div> Because the AG's chief role is to enforce the law and uphold the constitution, Hills said that Schuette represents Michigan as part of the federal lawsuit challenging ObamaCare.</div> <div> Introduced by ERC chairman Jenny Nolan, pictured with Hills above, the speaker commented on the 2012 elections, “Reelections are a referendum on the incumbent.”</div> <div> In his role as director of public affairs, Hills' responsibilities include the Attorney General's relations with constituents, the legislature, and the media. Previously, Hills worked in the Attorney General's office for Mike Cox. <I>>></I><A HREF="hills.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rusty Hills"><U><I>Read more about Hills at Forum</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Pointers to Represent 14th District at National Convention in Tampa</B></div> <div> The newly reconfigured congressional district for the Pointes will be represented in Tampa at the 2012 Republican National Convention by two Pointers, Jenny Nolan of Grosse Pointe Farms, and Andrew Richner of Grosse Pointe Park. <I>></I><I>></I><A HREF="michigan_s_14th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I>See list of all district delgates/photos</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="558" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 109 ><NOBR><div> <I><B>Thanks for visiting ERC on the web, now </B></I><A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><I><B>meet us</B></I></U></A><I><B> at the G.P. War Memorial</B></I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="399" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 64 ><NOBR><bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:jhacklem@eastside-republican-club.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jhack&#108"><U><I><B>Let us have your feedback</B></I></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div>  <center> <a href="http://www.networkshosting.com/join/index.bml?AffID=649987"> <I>Hosted By</I><br> <img src="http://networkshosting.com/images/affbanners/hosted-by/networks-sm.gif" alt="Web Hosting by Networks" border="0"> </a> </center>  </div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>