Grand Rapids Pundit

GR Pundit Election Wrap-Up

Posted by: GRPundit on Thursday, 9th Nov, 2006

GR Pundit would like to express contentment with the outcome of the elections in Michigan this year. We have been in favor in a split government, that’s why we weren’t very big fans of a DeVos election. The re-election of Jennifer Granholm will ensure that continued split, with the addition of a Democrat-controlled State House. We just hope that the legislature and governor can get together and see the light about really turning Michigan around. Pet economic development plans won’t work - and when government picks economic winners and losers, we all lose. It’s time to make Michigan friendly to all businesses, not just a few that the governor likes.

As for the proposals, we are very pleased about how they turned out.

Proposal 1 - Ensuring that state park funds are actually spent on state parks - Passed

Proposal 2 - Banning racist hiring, admissions, and contracting practices by any unit of government in Michigan - Passed

Proposal 3 - Allowing morning doves to be hunted - Failed

Proposal 4 - Banning eminiment domain for economic development purposes - Passed

Proposal 5 - Setting up mandatory funding levels for K-16 education - Failed

We were most worried about Proposal 5 passing because it would have caused the most economic damage and would have done nothing but protect the bloated public education bureacuracy and continue the lack of accountability of education in Michigan. Now it’s time to lift the cap on charter schools - which cost less than traditional public schools and do a better job. Parents desperately want and need the choice.

Proposal 2, which we were also hopeful would pass, did so handily. Michigan, and any unit of government in Michgian, will no longer be able to engage in racist hiring, admissions, and contracting practices. We now have true equality in Michigan. Of course, groups such as By Any Mean Necessay (BAMN) have filed lawsuits trying to overturn the passage of Proposal 2. This just shows their complete contempt for the will of the people. In addition, their lawsuit invokes the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment in trying to argue that creating a color-blind government somehow creates unequal treatment.

Let the gnashing of teeth begin.

Granholm Campaign has Jumped the Shark

Posted by: GRPundit on Thursday, 12th Oct, 2006

It’s official, the Granholm campaign has jumped the shark. In their desperation to find one thing that Amway manufactures in China, they’ve found it - tissues.

According to the Detroit News, the Chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, Mark Brewer, says that he is in possession of a packet of facial tissue from Amway, manufactured in China. The only problem is that it was manufactured in 1989. That’s the best they can do.

The governor’s campaign is in serious trouble if this is all they can come up with to counter DeVos’ campaign. It seems as though the issues aren’t really part of the discussion. Both candidates need to answer these questions:

Granholm - What have you done for the last four years? No one we ask seems to know.

DeVos - What will you do that’s better?

So far, even though we’re not DeVos fans, DeVos seems to be answering the necessary questions better than the governor.

DeVos: Intelligent Design is a "viable alternative theory."

Posted by: GRPundit on Thursday, 21st Sep, 2006

The pandering has begun in the Michigan gubernatorial race. Dick DeVos, as reported in the Detroit News, has stated that he thinks schools should have the choice of teaching Intelligent Design (creationism) as an alternative to evolution.

Simply giving schools the choice, it could be argued, isn’t a bad thing. After all, 99.999% of science teachers would ignore Intelligent Design for what it is, a mess of ludicrous “theories,” with no scientific backing whatsoever. However, he divulges his personal view, one based on ignorance.

From the article:

“I would like to see the ideas of intelligent design that many scientists are now suggesting is a very viable alternative theory,” DeVos told the Associated Press during a taped telephone interview on education. “That theory and others that would be considered credible would expose our students to more ideas, not
less.”

Oh boy. The fact that no serious scientist with any credibility considers ID as “very viable” or even slightly viable not withstanding, advocating the teaching of anything non-scientific in science class is reckless and ignorant.

May we suggest to the possible Governor DeVos, in addition to Intelligent Design, that the theory of the Flying Spaghetti Monster also be taught in the classrooms? After all, who determines what is credible when it comes to pure conjecture?