Thursday, November 6, 2008

Election...that was the easy part..we now have to get to work!

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
11/06/08 By, Terry Bankert
http://attorneybankert.com/
I opened my mail this morning to see this message from my new Best Friend John Sweeney President of the AFL-CIO.
I agree with its contents I hope you will also.

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Dear Terry

Thank you!

Because of years of work by people of all ages, races, stations and faiths hungry for change, the political pendulum is swinging back toward sanity. It took the inspiration of a rare leader to translate that hunger for change into an election the likes of which we have not seen in our time. Barack Obama brings new hope to America’s working families, and our increased majority in the U.S. Senate means we can translate that hope into reality.

So thank you for your hard work in educating and mobilizing voters. Last night was a time to rejoice, but now it is time to get back to work fighting for working families. We are responsible for holding our elected leaders to the promises they made and providing public support for the tough legislative choices they will make on our behalf. The first challenge for Barack Obama, Joe Biden and the hundreds of great legislators we helped elect is to address the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Hard-working families are losing jobs, homes, health care, retirement savings and hope. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been committed to rescuing Wall Street—but almost nothing has been done to rescue Main Street. People need help, and they need it now. We need an immediate new recovery plan to jumpstart our economy, including provisions for: Restructuring mortgages to keep people in their homes; Extending unemployment assistance for jobless workers; and Aiding states so they can continue to provide vital public services We also desperately need to make job-creating infrastructure investments in schools, roads, bridges and clean renewable energy for sustained economic growth. We must reregulate our financial markets and reform America's broken health care system so no one has to choose between food and medicine or between life-saving treatment and bankruptcy.

These are the building blocks of a sustainable economy. But even with with those investments, our economy cannot work for everyone unless we restore worker's freedom to bargain for a better life.

To do that, we must enact the Employee Free Choice Act, which will: Level the playing field for corporations and workers who want to form and join unions; Strengthen penalties against companies that coerce or intimidate employees who support the union; Establish mediation and binding arbitration when the company and workers cannot agree on a first contract; and Enable employees to form unions when a majority signs authorization cards.

Instead of respecting workers' free choice about whether to form unions and bargain, corporations have formed multiple front groups to launch a massive campaign to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act. Those groups have pledged to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to attack and smear members of Congress who support the legislation. Count on this being one of the largest, foulest propaganda campaigns in our history.

This fight is their No. 1 priority, and it is ours as well. We need your support. When Barack Obama is sworn in Jan. 20, 2009, we want to deliver 1 million signatures in support of the Employee Free Choice Act to the president and the new Congress.

We need you to join our Million-Member Mobilization today. http://www.freechoiceact.org/page/s/aflcio?source=jjspostelection

America's unions—from the national level down to individual union members—are joining together to overcome the lies and distortions and win prompt passage of the Employee Free Choice Act to restore America's middle class. Workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than nonunion workers, are 59 percent more likely to have employer-provided health coverage and are four times more likely to have pensions.

Not surprisingly, more than half of U.S. workers—nearly 60 million—say they would join a union right now if they could. But not enough workers get the chance to join a union, because today's company-dominated system allows corporations to block workers from deciding for themselves whether to form unions to bargain for a better life.

Companies routinely intimidate, harass, coerce and even fire people who try to organize unions. This is an urgent problem for workers, blocking their free will and their ability to improve their economic well-being.

Join the Million-Member Mobilization in support of the Employee Free Choice Act today. http://www.freechoiceact.org/page/s/aflcio?source=jjspostelection

America's entire union movement is committed to passing the Employee Free Choice Act in 2009.

We will fight, just like we fought to win this election, to do so.

Yes we can, and yes we will!

Thank you again, John J. Sweeney AFL-CIO President
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Posted here by Terry Bankert 11/06/08
http://attorneybankert.com/

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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Regime change.......the American way!

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
By: Terry Bankert
ELECTION DAY 11/04/08 http://attorneybankert.com/

How to find your polling place?

1. Think real hard, where did you vote in August.

2.Look in your wallet for your voter registration card.

3.Ask your wife, she will remember.

4.Call your local clerk if you remember where you live.

5. If you do not remember where you live, Walk outside your house look at your address, check your drivers license for your birth date. Then contact the numbers below.......... Cheessse!

- Michigan Secretary of State polling place finder. https://services2.sos.state.mi.us/mivote/registeredvoter.aspx?vid=3580106

- Google Polling Place Finder http://maps.google.com/maps/mpl?moduleurl=http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/mapplets/elections/2008/us-voter-info/us-voter-info.xml

- My choice for Genesee County election information. Michael Carr Genesee County Clerk Election Information. http://co.genesee.mi.us/clerk/election.htm

Carr also has provided you with Ballot Proposal information. http://co.genesee.mi.us/clerk/images/pdfs/2008GeneralProposalsForWeb.pdf

- THE ELECTION NIGHT PARTY IN GENESEE COUNTY YOU ALL ARE INVITED, PROVIDED BY Doug Weiland, Election Night Gatherings County Clerk Mike Carr will be counting ballots in the basement of the County Administration Building. Immediate results will be provided via Internet link in the Harris Auditorium, 3rd Floor of the County Building. Watch the results from anywhere on the planet over the Web at http://www.co.genesee.mi.us/clerk/images/Election%20results/CurrentElecResults/elecdata/SUMMARY.HTM

State Representative Rick Hammel will be at Gabby's, 6277 W. Pierson Road, Flushing at 8:00 PM.

State Representative Candidate Jim Slezak will be at Little Caesar's, 1081 S. State Road, Davison. Contacts are Bette at 618-4153 or Jim at 845-8803.

State Representative Candidate Michael J. Thorp, will be at Brick Street, 1223 E. Grand Blanc Road, Grand Blanc, 8:00 PM

Democratic Coordinated Campaign Party will be at UAW Local 599, 812 Leith Street, Flint, at 9 PM. Food and drinks provided.

Sponsored by: the UAW,
Michigan Campaign for Change (Obama/Biden),
Rick Hammel,
David Leyton,
Rose Bogardus,
5th District Democratic Committee,
Dale Kildee,
Dan Kildee,
Jeff Wright,
Brenda Clack,
Woodrow Stanley,
Jim Slezak,
Lee Gonzales
and the RWDSU.

Contact Dayne Walling, Regional GOTV Coordinator at dwalling@michiganforchange.com for information.

Those expected to be at the party include: State Representative Brenda Clack State Representative Lee Gonzales Congressman Dale Kildee County Treasurer Dan Kildee County Prosecutor David Leyton County Commission Chairman Woodrow Stanley County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright County Commissioner Rose Bogardus

Voters Rock Event, 6:30 PM to 11:00 PM, sponsored by Planned Parenthood of East Central Michigan and the Greater Flint Creative Alliance, at Churchill's Food and Spirits, 340 S. Saginaw, Flint. Music, spoken word performances, activist speakers, food, drinks, prizes and televised election updates. FREE and open to the public. For information call 238-3631.

Southern Genesee County Democratic Club Victory Party, at John's Pizza, N. Leroy Street at Long Lake Road, Fenton, 8:00 PM to ?? Hot and cold food, cash bar, big screen TV election coverage, $10 per person. In the banquet room with friends, family and supporters of the Campaign for Change. RSVP to Elizabeth Dickens at 810-629-3519.

- Pssst; We were told to not speak to the press, so if you are please disregard the following.

I will be working on the Michigan Voter Protection as a polling place monitor at an undisclosed location in Genesee County Michigan. Because it’s the right thing to do. This is the third election I have volunteered for this duty. We had our training last Sunday.
See http://www.flickr.com/photos/30366181@N05/sets/72157608602962821/show/

Our job is to monitor Republican Challengers and report if the lines are being slowed down. American will be changed today, for the better.

These elections are what separates a Democracy from the rest of the hordes. Some countries cause regime change by bullets we do it by ballots under the rule of law. What a wonderful day to be an American. See ya on the other side.

Terry Bankert
102265

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Saturday, November 1, 2008

Michigan Court of Appeals...Kelly

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
11/01/08 By Terry Bankert

Last night Halloween I found myself at a friends house in the neighborhood passing out candy. Former Flint resident, now Traverse City, Michael J. Kelly was there.

We knew each other but not socially. I was quite impressed with the discussion of law that followed. He is running for the Court of Appeals in the 4th district.

I would vote for him if I lived there. My New Best Friend The Michigan Court of Appeals candidate Michael J. Kelly. In our discussion I learned Mike Kelly has: Twenty years of experience in courtrooms throughout Michigan.

In over 100 trials he has sought justice for Michigan citizens. More than four dozen appeals in State and Federal Courts.

So some of you say ,What is the Court of Appeals? Created in 1963 under the Michigan State Constitution, the Court of Appeals is an “intermediate” appellate court between the Supreme Court and the Michigan trial courts. Final decisions resulting from a circuit or probate court hearing may be appealed to the Court of Appeals.

Every party has a right to file an appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals. Several thousand cases are resolved each year by the Court. The political boundaries of the Districts of this Court do not seem to make any sense.How is a District determined for the Court of Appeals? The Court of Appeals is divided into four districts that are determinded by the population of the counties whithin.

The Fourth District is by far the largest, holding 58 of Michigan’s 83 counties. How many judges sit on the Court of Appeals? There currently are 28 judges on the Court of Appeals. Hearings are held before a panel of three Court of Appeals’ judges and at least two of the three judges must agree on the ruling. The panels are frequently rotated so that a variety of judicial opinions are considered.

The decision of the panel is final except for those cases that the Supreme Court reviews. Where are the Court of Appeals hearings held? The Court sits in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Marquette.

Do Candidates run on a partisan basis? No. The Court of Appeals, like all judicial races, is non-partisan.

I strongly suggest that if you can to vote for Michael J. Kelly for the Court of Appeals?

Why you ask?

Because he has the necessary experience, work ethic and temperament for the Court.

For twenty years, Michael J. Kelly has represented people in courtrooms throughout Michigan. In over 100 trials he has sought justice for Michigan citizens.

Having worked for two decades in the courtrooms from where the appeals arise, Michael J. Kelly not only has the requisite knowledge of Michigan law, procedure and the rules of evidence essential for the court, but the practical experience of knowing what actually takes place in a trial.

This, combined with an extensive appellate background that includes over four dozen appeals in the Michigan Court of Appeals, Supreme Court and Federal Courts, makes Michael J. Kelly the right choice for the Court of Appeals.

IMPORTANT Remember to turn your ballot to the judicial races.

If you vote a “straight ticket” alone, you have not voted for judges. Posted here at not cost nor direction by Terry Bankert http://attorneybankert.com/

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