Blogger/liberals...rule, Michigan Policy Summit....

Progressives plan ... Michigan's future[k]

________________________
GOOD MORNING FLINT!
BY Terry Bankert 5/11/08 You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362 ___________________________
Full article at http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/
Flint Talk http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=28442#28442 __________________________

IT WAS LIKE OLD HOME WEEK FOR ME SATURDAY AT THE MICHIGAN POLICY CONFERENCE!

The conference had 357 souls who preregistered. The Michigan Policy Summit is an annual gathering of the state's progressive community aimed at bringing labor, environment, social justice and other progressive groups together to move Michigan forward. The summit ... provided ...forums on key issues as well as opportunities for leaders and activists to network, plan and share best practices.[m] Groups tired of watching what they say is Michigan's economic and cultural slide ...HAD... a daylong summit Saturday aimed at finding progressive solutions to the state's problems.[k] A diverse gathering of labor, education, healthcare, faith and environmental advocates ...SPENT... the weekend in Lansing working on solutions for some of Michigan's most difficult challenges. The Michigan Policy Summit will address the cost of healthcare, education policy, and the state's energy future. [p]

BRANDON SPEAKS? Organizer Brandon White says the group's goal ...WAS... to develop progressive solutions, particularly for the millions of Michigan residents who are uninsured or at risk of losing their current insurance.[p]

HEALTH CARE, WILL YOU HELP THE 200 MILLION CHILDREN WITHOUT HEALTH CARE "Healthcare costs have become a drag on the state's economy. ... look(ING) at the ballot initiative to create universal healthcare in Michigan, and ...we'll look at reforms we need to be thinking about, such as controlling costs and ensuring all our children are covered."[p]

LEVIN THE BRAINS BEHIND MOVING THE MICHIGAN PRIMARY AND DISENFRANCHISING 500,000 MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS IS FORGIVEN, BREWER IS NOT! In a rousing speech to hundreds of progressive activists gathered here in Lansing to discuss pursuing policies about the environment, health care and education, Michigan's senior Senator Carl Levin said the conversations to be held today will have an impact in the fall. [mm] "The issues you are working on today, are going to make a difference in the fall," he said. [mm] Levin also said the $600 billion spent on the Iraq war, "we should never have even entered," is monetary resources needed for education, health care and education. "That $10-$12 billion a month is only going to end when one of our two democrats gets elected (to the presidency)," Levin said. "It is a war without end with McCain. The only practical way to end that war is to vote for a democrat." [mm]

AN UNUSUALITY CAUSED BY HIM! Levin also said this year's presidential race will be an "unusual circumstance." He said the presidential battle will not only be fought in the states, but on the floor of the United States Senate. [mm] I arrived late, 7:30 pod cast and 9 a.m. radio obligation in Flint. I missed Carl Levin. The opening speaker Amy Goodman was in her last 3 min as I entered the room.

WHERE THE HECK IS MY FLOWED SHIRT AND BELL BOTTOMS ! My first impression was she’s important, forceful, smooth, exciting, motivating and a dedicated image of the flat haired grayed child of the 60's. When I entered the room I was given my first inkling/ impression the conference is the rebirth in new form of the 1960' movements and activitism. The audience was dressed in the hopes and dreams of those who care and want this country back. Most were exciting and inspiring to watch. Most but not all.During Lunch, like an island of malevolence, Michigan Democratic Party Chairperson Mark Brewer was holding court in the middle of the room at a table filled with scare crow like ,drawn faced aging relics ,of the MDP party leadership that has run the party like a private club for the last 20 years.

CORPORATE DEMOCRATS PRETEND TO LISTEN BUT JUST WANT US TO GO AWAY I call them the corporate democrats. The corporate democrats are only concerned with control. The rest of us small ‘d” democrats are concerned about issues, involvement, diversity and expansion of the party. The Corporate democrats are not. They have a right to want to control the out come of a state or national convention. If you don’t like it organize and fight them for control. What is sad is that the process keeps new people out of the party. Here is my point. The precinct delegate deadline is next week. Precinct delegates are the power base of the unions and other interest that control the party. The Michigan Democratic Party web site does not tell us how to be a precinct delegate. So much for expanding the party. see;http://www.michigandems.com/ Us small ”d’s" must fight our battle outside the scope of these corporate dem's. Brewer nods with a knowing satirical

DEMEANING GRIN TO HIS COURTESANS. He knows he is in control and will stay in control know matter what this room full of wanna bees have to say. But I digress.

BLOGGERS RULE AT THE SUMMIT! OH BOY.... I went to the blogger meeting right after Goodman spoke. These are thoughtful dedicated people. 20 were in the room. They are all better writers than I, better researchers and great with a pen and thought. Why was I there what ever it is I am doing I made it up in a vacuum, I am a poor writer, probably do not care. What I do is done fast and furious. But taking from Hightower they may be progressive I am aggressive. I respect their style but I do not have time to retake English 101. I am here to fight. We met with Hightower and Goodman for 20 min.

AMY GOOD MAN WAS COOL! Journalist and author Amy Goodman, the Summit's keynote speaker, says 2008 represents a turning point on the path to rebuilding Michigan and the rest of the country.[p] "When Michigan is healthy economically, it matters not only in the United States, but in other nations, because we are the most powerful country on earth. What happens here has a ripple effect all over the world."[p] White says, with gas prices and global warming continuing to be big news, energy issues will be an important topic of discussion during the weekend event.[p] "We're trying to understand the connection between these high gas prices, which are impacting our economy, and global warming. Also, we're looking at clean energy, which not only would positively impact our environment, but also would increase jobs."[p] The Michigan Policy Summit , funded by 60's liberals, led by 60‘s gray hairs, is an emerging force to be reckoned with. A liberal counterpart to the Mackinaw Institute.

THINK TANK.. WHY DO WE USE THE LANGUAGE OF THE CONSERVATIVES? Former Democratic state Rep. Lynn Jondahl is executive director of The Michigan Prospect, an Okemos-based think tank that helped organize the summit. He said the inability of state government leaders to pass a budget or get much else done this year points to the need for alternative solutions.[k] "What we're hoping is that we'll get a vision and a focus that's more longer term than the crisis of the moment," Jondahl said. "We see it as an ongoing thing. It's not a one-shot thing."[k]

HIGHTOWER WAS GROOVY The Summit, what a title, headline speakers were popular activists author Jim Hightower dubbed the nations number 1 populist- and top author Journalist and radio commentator Amy Goodman. Jondahl said Saturday's summit will focus on making sure "government is working for the people and not just the powerful special interests."[k] ...YAWN.... The meeting theme was “ Rebuilding Michigan” self proclaimed to led by THE progressive leadership of Michigan. We must have missed that meeting. Just what is a progressive? Lyn Jondal through his immaculate but gray haircut made a promise that through his organization Michigan Prospect he promised that we the activist will give to these leaders, who are not us ,insight. Okay, or a potential to be co-opted by them to march to their predetermined agenda? I hope not ,my mind is open. The summit will look at how best to use the state's resources to develop top-notch health care and educational systems and the nation's leading clean energy economy.[k] "If we don't do something about controlling health care costs while continuing benefits, if we don't do something about education ... and renewable energy ... I don't want to think about the future of good jobs in this state and therefore the future of this state," said David Hecker, president of the state branch of the American Federation of Teachers and a summit participant.[k] Jim Hightower summarized that as an alternative source of information the blogger can change the political thoughts of this country. Blogging is becoming more important /greater impact/ force to be reckoned with. That this new form of communication will increase our collective impact on public policy. He continued, what should we/you be doing? is to INFORM AND AGITATE!

We need street agitation. I asked do we report or organize this agitation. He responded, both. Amy Goodman said the United States is hungry for oil and will start more wars. We must enter this debate. We must fight for our future change. That means you. With the work of bloggers we are winning back some of the grass roots media(Hightower). You must continue to challenge....( You get the drift).I lunched with a group of dedicated activist and one beautiful/blogger/ person/ activitist. I will watch your stuff. Hightower said he is not a progressive, he is aggressive. Continuing , The only thing that is in the middle of the road are yellow lines and road kill. His point, take a position. The summit ..was to... bring together representatives of groups that support students, labor, education, human services, civil rights, faith-based initiatives and the environment as well as those promoting the rights of the disabled, women and the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender community. Elected officials are expected to attend.[k] The summit for progressives comes two weeks before Republican activists gather on Mackinac Island to discuss their vision for Michigan and the nation and to listen to what the GOP presidential candidates have to say.[k] We must do a better job of spreading our points of view and helping others to get active. Do not try to co-opt, lets assimilate and become something new, new ideas, new objectives and a new AMERICA. P.S. I kissed and made up with Walling...

Posted here by Terry Bankert ...
Family Mediation and Divorce Practice.
http://attorneybankert.com/
Join my political party of preference,
http://www.michigandems.com/join.html
Join me in creating a new voice in The Michigan Democratic Party, become a Precinct Delegate. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Aff-ID_Precnt_139901_7.pdf
You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362
Link here for a re broadcast OF THE 5/3/08 GOOD MORNING FLINT ON FLINT TALK RADIO http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/audioPop.jsp?episodeId=113134&cmd=apop

—where did this stuff come from— [] all unattributed Cap Headines and Paragraphs are by Terry Bankert http://attorneybankert.com/ [k] The Kalamazoo Gazette http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2007/09/progressives_plan_summit_on_mi.html [P] Public News Service http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/5103-1 [m[ Michigan Policy Conference http://www.mipolicysummit.org/ [mm] Michigan Messenge http://www.michiganmessenger.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1235 54911/13571

! still correcting typos 5 edits and 2 hr later...well only a 100 people saw the bad stuff...

Sphere: Related Content