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_13th_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> <div> <A HREF="redistricting.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I><B>New Districts Await 'Blessing</B></I></U></A><I><B>'</B></I></div> <div> <A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district_fashion.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I><B>Fashion Funder Pix</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district_reorganization.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I><B>GOP Reorganization</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="182" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 58 WIDTH="162"><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> <bR> </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=CENTER HEIGHT= 3548 WIDTH="560"><div> <A HREF="durant.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Clark Durant"><U><IMG SRC="1c4da0060.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="262" ALT="Clark Durant" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="6"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Pointer Clark Durant Speaks</B></div> <div> <B>At </B><B>ERC's</B><B> January 17 Forum</B></div> <div> Republican U.S. Senate candidate Clark Durant will speak to the Eastside Republican Club on Tuesday, January 17.</div> <div> The 7:30 p.m. event will be held at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Road.</div> <div> Durant, co-founder of Detroit's Cornerstone Schools, will present his vision for America and welcome questions from the audience.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="187" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 731 WIDTH="167"><div> <I><B> <A NAME="redistricting_quiz"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I><I><B>Redistricting Quiz</B></I></div> <div> <B>The “S” Map</B></div> <div> Michigan's new 14<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> Congressional District includes Detroit's eastside as well as Oakland County's Kego Harbor. True or False? >><A HREF="redistricting.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I>View the answer</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Congressional District 14</B></div> <div> Under the new redistricting plan, the 14th Congressional District excludes Highland Park. True or False? >><A HREF="redistricting_district_14_city.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I>View the answer</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>State Senate District 2</B></div> <div> The voting age population of Senate District 2, including all five Pointes and Harper Woods, is more than 56% African-American. True or False? >><A HREF="redistricting_senate_maj_min_data.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I>View the answer</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Pointes Divided in House</B></div> <div> Even if the State Representative currently representing the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods is re-elected, about half of all Pointers will have a new state representative in 2013. True or False? >><A HREF="redistricting_pointes_divided.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I>View the answer</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>The Small Exception</B></div> <div> Depending on where you live, Grosse Pointe-area voters will be represented in the State House by the representative from District 1, District 2, or District 18. True or False? >><A HREF="redistricting_exception.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I>View the answer</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>One More Map</B></div> <div> One web-based map can picture your housetop, while indicating your precinct, State House, State Senate, and U.S. congressional district. True or False? >><A HREF="redistricting_one_more_map.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I>View the answer</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Wayne County</B></div> <div> The 2010 census does not change the number of districts comprising the Wayne County Commission. True or False? >><A HREF="redistricting_wayne_county.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I>View the answer</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Republican Party Reorg</B></div> <div> New boundaries will be followed in electing a temporary 14th District Republican Party chairman on May 18, 2012. True or False? >><A HREF="redistricting_gop_reorg.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Redistricting Changes"><U><I>View the answer</I></U></A>.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Now a local attorney and Farms resident, Durant was born in Detroit in 1949 and attended Tulane University in New Orleans where he studied economics, graduating in 1971.</div> <div> Durant was nominated by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed by the Senate to serve on the board of the Legal Services Corporation, which provides legal aid to low-income Americans. He served as its chairman from 1984 to 1988.</div> <div> In 1991, Durant co-founded the Cornerstone Schools with Adam Cardinal Maida and other civic leaders as an independent, inner city school in Detroit. He served as chairman of the board until 2003, and as CEO from 2003 to 2009.</div> <div> He helped establish Cornerstone charter schools in 2009 to increase access to a Cornerstone education in Detroit. <I>>></I><A HREF="durant.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Clark Durant"><U><I>More details here</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Supreme's Texas Ruling Bodes Well for Michigan</B></div> <div> Michigan's redistricting can not be implemented without Federal pre-clearance. To expedite this, the Mitten State has asked a federal court to okay its redistricting plan. In the meantime, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a Texas case. According to a July 21 <I>New York Times</I> report, "The unanimous decision said that redistricting is primarily a job for elected state officials...." >><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/us/supreme-court-rejects-judge-drawn-maps-in-texas-redistricting-case.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/us/sup"><U><I>Justices' Texas Redistricting Ruling Likely to Help G.O.P</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> <B>Eastside Republicans Elect New Officers</B></div> <div> Members of the Eastside Republican Club elected officers and directors at the club's annual meeting at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial on January 17, 2012.</div> <div> Elected were Jenny Nolan, chairman, Susan Gillooly, vice chairman, Mike Nolan, treasurer, and Marie Hackleman, secretary.</div> <div> In addition, Mike Hennigan, Jermain Jones, and Cindy Pangborn were elected directors. >><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><I>See the photo.</I></U></A><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><I><IMG SRC="1c780f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></U></A><A HREF="hoekstra196.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pete Hoekstra"><U><IMG SRC="1c4a78bb0.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="187" ALT="Pete Hoekstra" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="6"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Pete Hoekstra Predicts</B></div> <div> <B>Michigan to Elect New Senator</B></div> <div> “I will fight to pass a balanced budget, reduce government spending, eliminate senseless regulations, and help grow our economy," Pete Hoekstra promised the Eastside Republican Club during a November campaign stop.</div> <div> With confidence, he said, “In 51 weeks we will have elected a new Senator.”</div> <div> Of course, Hoekstra is working hard to be that new Senator, but his first objective is to win the August 7 Michigan Republican primary leading up to the November 2012 General Election.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="242" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 92 WIDTH="222"><div> <I><B>Who said it?</B></I><I><B> <A NAME="who_said_it__4"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I></div> <div> "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>>></B></I><A HREF="civic___governmental_links_answer.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><I><B>Find out</B></I></U></A><I><B>!</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> “The sooner we unite behind a candidate, the better opportunity we'll have to turn the incumbent out,” he added.</div> <div> Co-founder of the congressional Tea Party Caucus, Hoekstra boasted, “I signed the no-tax pledge.” It was his endorsement of the Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge. >><A HREF="hoekstra196.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pete Hoekstra"><U><I>More Hoekstra</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Check Out ERC's Social Networking Site</B></div> <div> The Eastside Republican Club has launched a FreedomConnector web site to encourage networking of eastside conservatives and activists favoring less government/more freedom. <I>>></I><A HREF="http://connect.freedomworks.org/node/56562" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://connect.freedomworks.org/node/565"><U><I>Click to join our Eastside Republican Club Connector online group</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> <B>Races for Council, School Board</B><A HREF="local_pointe_candidates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Candidates Forum"><U><IMG SRC="1bfd96850.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="133" ALT="Vote November 8, 2011" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Focus of Eastside's October Forum</B></div> <div> More than a dozen local candidates pressed voters for support at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial as Eastside Republicans hosted their Candidates' Forum on October 18, 2011.</div> <div> Voters got to see and hear the non-partisan candidates named on the municipal and public school board ballot in the upcoming November 8, 2011, election.</div> <div> “An important feature of our Forum was the opportunity for our members and guests to hear candidates answer questions posed on the spot,” said Farms resident Jenny Nolan, Eastside Republican Club chairman.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="187" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 113 WIDTH="167"><div> <I><B>View Your Sample Ballot Now!</B></I></div> <div> The Michigan Voter Information Center offers voter registration information, including an advanced look at a sample of your local, municipal ballot. >><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#001BAD" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/mivote/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/mivote/"><U><I>Use one of two search options to view a sample ballot</I></U></A></FONT>.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> ERC Board member Marie Hackleman of the Park agreed. “Having all the council candidates field questions together made for a great 'Q & A.' I think everyone was delighted with that dynamic and the excellent discussion it generated between the candidates, and with the audience!”</div> <div> One of the hottest topics, judging from school board candidates Diane Karabetsos, Daniel Roeske and Lois Valente, isn't even on the November ballot.</div> <div> The three, none of whom are incumbents, are competing for two seats on the Grosse Pointe Public School System's Board of Education.</div> <div> They each expressed opposition to opening public school enrollment across district boundaries throughout Michigan, a measure not on any ballot but pending in the state legislature.</div> <div> Another highlight of the Forum was an update by Katharine Barr, co-founder of <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://miclc.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://miclc.com/"><U>Michigan Communities for Local Control</U></A></FONT>, on the mandatory open enrollment bill pending in Lansing. >><A HREF="local_pointe_candidates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Candidates Forum"><U><I>Read more</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <B>Noted Political Cartoonist Henry Payne</B></div> <div> <B>Displayed His Craft at September Forum</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="payne.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Henry Payne"><U><IMG SRC="1bfbb8000.jpg" border=0 width="184" height="256" ALT="Syndicated cartoonist Henry Payne sketches 'nerd' at ERC Forum at Grosse Pointe War Memorial" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"></U></A></FONT></div> <div> “Good looking folks are hard to cartoonize,” admitted syndicated cartoonist Henry Payne speaking to the Eastside Republican Club Forum September 20.</div> <div> But that didn't stop him from sketching cartoons on the spot featuring Governors Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, and Rick Snyder for his audience at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms.</div> <div> Payne illustrated how he differentiates by emphasizing such characteristics as a “nerdy beanie,” ponytail or a ten-gallon hat.</div> <div> Labeled “the Thomas Nast of his time" by <I>National Review</I> magazine, Payne creates his editorial drawings from a distinctly conservative point of view. More than a cartoonist, Payne also is a skilled and well-informed journalist whose investigative work has garnered national headlines.</div> <div> As a credentialed member of the media, he said he sees first hand how most of the media is merely an “extension of Democrat Party,” using events such as national conventions to provide glowing press coverage for the left.</div> <div> The Pulitzer Prize nominated cartoonist is prolific, producing five local editorial cartoons a week for <I>The News</I>. He also writes and draws a weekly column, “Payne & Ink.” His weekly “CAR-toon” -- a humorous look at America's car-crazy culture -- runs exclusively on <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#001BAD" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henrypayneblog/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henry"><U><I>T</I></U></A><A HREF="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henrypayneblog/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henry"><U><I>he Detroit News'</I></U></A><A HREF="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henrypayneblog/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henry"><U> web site</U></A></FONT>.</div> <div> Payne is also editor of <A HREF="http://detnews.com/section/miview" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://detnews.com/section/miview"><U>TheMichiganView.com</U></A>, a lively, daily online political site commenting on Michigan news. That site is a service of <I>The Detroit News,</I> providing original commentary and a one-stop shop for the state's best opinion web sites on topics ranging from politics to autos. >><A HREF="payne.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Henry Payne"><U><I>See Photos & </I></U></A><A HREF="payne.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Henry Payne"><U><I>More Payne</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> <B>Pointe's Maura Corrigan</B></div> <div> <B>Outlines Big DHS Changes</B></div> <div> Showing a life-long concern for the welfare of Michigan children and families, Maura Corrigan, newly appointed director of the Department of Human Services, told of big changes underway at DHS in remarks to the Eastside Republican Club Forum.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="199" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 272 WIDTH="179"><div> <I><B>Solterisch Feted for Service</B></I></div> <div> <A HREF="solterisch.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Linda Solterisch"><U><IMG SRC="1b8350760.jpg" border=0 width="80" height="118" ALT="Linda Solterisch at 2011 Tribute banquet in Troy" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"></U></A>Honored on May 21 by the Republican Women's Federation of Michigan at their annual Tribute banquet in Troy was Grosse Pointe Park activist Linda R. Solterisch.</div> <div> Solterisch has been an active member of the Republican Women's Club of Grosse Pointe since 2003.</div> <div> She has served on the Wayne County Republican Committee where she was secretary. From 2005 to 2008. >><A HREF="solterisch.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Linda Solterisch"><U><I>Read about Solterisch</I></U></A>.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> “Great changes are taking place at the Department of Human Services,” she told her June 21 audience at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.</div> <div> Vowing that the DHS would assist Michigan's needy in their move to self-sufficiency, she noted, “an entitlement culture doesn't entitle you to much at all.”</div> <div> At risk of being bogged down by an overwhelming caseload, the department's nearly $7 billion budget is getting a hike of $70 million for such things as the hiring hundreds of new caseworkers.<A HREF="corrigan.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Human Services"><U><IMG SRC="1b9a78c10.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="193" ALT="DHS Director Maura Corrigan" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="4"></U></A></div> <div> The goal is to reduce the caseload per social worker, and thus improve the outcome for kids.</div> <div> Although serving only since January 2011, Corrigan was pleased to report that the state now has only 344 children who are awaiting adoption, compared to as many as 4,000 not long ago.</div> <div> To reign in the growing DHS budget, Corrigan said her department is determined to meet court-established guidelines, thus allowing Michigan to be released from federal oversight and the accompanying cost of reporting and attorney fees.</div> <div> She said that waste, fraud, and abuse have contributed to Michigan's sky rocketing cost of administering “Bridge” cards, taxpayer-financed debit cards for those deemed in need of food assistance. Until recently, 1.9 million Michigan residents received this assistance.</div> <div> As an example, she cited elimination of the automatic eligibility of some for food stamps. Although the move dropped 34,000 from the rolls, she said the action triggered very few appeals. Thousands of those dropped were full-time college students not otherwise qualified for assistance.</div> <div> Next, she said asset verification would be in place by October 1, making Michigan one of five states checking assets before certifying eligibility.</div> <div> In addition to keeping the lid on spending, this change will “redirect welfare to the truly needy and vulnerable, while cutting out the games,” Corrigan said. >><A HREF="corrigan.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Human Services"><U><I>Read more</I></U></A><I>.</I><A HREF="zahra.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Justice Zahra"><U><B><IMG SRC="1b7478be0.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="190" ALT="Justice Brian K. Zahra >>Read more" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="8"></B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Justice Zahra Tells ERC Forum</B></div> <div> <B>'Rule of Law' is Winning the Debate</B></div> <div> “The term, 'judicial activist' has become a dirty word!” declared Michigan Supreme Court Justice Brian K. Zahra speaking to the Eastside Republican Club Forum on May 17.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="199" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 HEIGHT= 361 WIDTH="179"><div> <I><B>Zahra Credits McCleary</B></I></div> <div> <A HREF="mccleary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Founder Tom McCleary"><U><B><IMG SRC="1b69507f0.jpg" border=0 width="80" height="127" ALT="Thomas R. McCleary, Jr." ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"></B></U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >“He was single-minded in his purpose,” said Justice Zahra of the Michigan Supreme Court, referring to ERC founder, the late Thomas R. McCleary, Jr.</FONT></div> <div> “In 1996, Tom McCleary was instrumental in my winning my first circuit court race.”</div> <div> Zahra had been appointed by Gov. John Engler to the Wayne County Circuit Court in 1994, but in 1996, he was on the ballot for the first time in his bid for a full, six-year term.</div> <div> Giving testimony to McCleary's influence on behalf of the Eastside Republican Club, Zahra stated, “I was always at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial whenever Tom asked me to be here.” >><A HREF="mccleary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Founder Tom McCleary"><U><I>Read More</I></U></A>.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> “Today, the rule of law is winning the debate,” he noted.</div> <div> Yet Zahra cautioned, “Today, even liberal judges now describe themselves as 'rule of law' judges. But the difference is they mean 'rule of the judiciary.'”</div> <div> Speaking to the gathering at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms, Zahra explained the difference between being ruled by law and being ruled by judges.</div> <div> “When judiciary expands its power, it reduces the ability of the people to govern themselves. The courts overturn their intent and democracy is undermined,” he warned.</div> <div> For example, he noted that after thousands of years, “In 2001 the people of Michigan found it necessary to define the word 'marriage.'”</div> <div> Citizens had a choice. They could have either appealed to their lawmakers, or opted to exercise “direct democracy” to amending the constitution.</div> <div> They chose direct democracy to cut off what a court might do through judicial activism.</div> <div> “A rule of law judge,” Zahra explained, “is a judge who determines the intent of the lawmakers. This brings certainty and predictability to the law.” >><A HREF="zahra.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Justice Zahra"><U><I>More about the May Forum with Justice Zahra</I></U></A>.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <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> <I><B> <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 </B></I></U></A><A HREF="mailto:jhacklem@eastside-republican-club.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jhack&#108"><U><I><B>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></B></I></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>