Week in Review
City Council, Monday, April 1
Municipal Civil Infraction Ordinance Amendment Public Hearing (138)
The public was heard with respect to the increase of civil infraction fees.
Paladino: “If we’re going to increase the fees of the city. . . we should probably have a proportionate increase for violating the rules of the city.”
Vear: “The fee schedules were adjusted to mimic state laws, so that we’re more in line with state laws.”
The public made no comment.
The amendment was adopted, all in favor.
Use & Occupancy Permit for Principal Residence Public Hearing
The amendment aims to allow citizens to live in their homes without permission.
Paladino: “If someone owns their own home, we should leave that to them. . . We’re sending out hundreds of letters per year, the enforcement is scattered, people’s responses are scattered.” With respect to the increasing landlord use and occupancy fees: “When there is a contract between parties—a landlord and a renter—that’s where the role of government usually begins. When something needs to be guaranteed from one party to the other, the state needs to ensure the parties are safe.”
The amendment was adopted, all in favor.
Adoption of Renewable Energy Systems Ordinance Public Hearing (147)
The Council passed the amendment to the current ordinance that banishes ground-mounted solar panel systems greater than six feet in height from all lots less than one acre in size. Amendment adopted, all in favor.
Joint Early Voting Site Agreement Update
Stockford and Paladino voted to have the City of Hillsdale run its own elections; all others ceded that power to Abe Dane.
Set Public Hearing: 2024-25 Budget (154)
The public hearing for the budget was set for May 20.
Contract with Domestic Harmony (216)
The city will continue to redistribute $6,000/year to this non-profit.
The Domestic Harmony Director listed service statistics: “[In the past year] 86 adults came for support and counseling. . . we would appreciate being able to continue to provide those services to the constituents.”
Socha motioned to approve, seconded by Sharp. All in favor.
Solicitors and Peddlers Registration/Permit Fee Increase (219)
The annual permit for peddling will be increased to $50/year from $25. The fee increase will ostensibly address the food truck trend.
Stockford: “The food trucks are competing with our brick-and-mortar restaurants here.”
All favored the punishment of peddlers.
Upcoming Events
Monday, April 8th: Total Solar Eclipse1 — according to the Collegian, “Hillsdale County should witness a maximum solar coverage of 98.6% around 3:11 p.m.”
Tuesday, April 9th: County Commissioners
External Links
“At this time I would not be in favor of allowing dispensaries in the city.” Mayor Adam Stockford.2
“Nothing more than a personal vendetta from a hateful person who wants to hurt my chances in August and get on the news.” Stockford responds to Penny Swan’s recall petition.
“As a Rule of Law Justice, I will prioritize governance rooted in the letter of our laws, not the whims of our leaders. As a Rule of Law Justice, I will protect the rights of all and make Michigan safe for our families.” Branch County 15th Circuit Judge Patrick William O’Grady aims to run for Justice Kyra Harris Bolden’s seat on the Michigan Supreme Court.
“I have several friends conceived through IVF. I’m so glad they exist. While I don’t think their parents were justified in choosing IVF, their lives have as much dignity as people conceived naturally . . . If anything, these people deserve greater empathy for the complex circumstances of their conception and the reality of their frozen siblings.” Caroline Kurt.
“In the West alone, the spirit of science, conquest, and philosophy propelled a portion of mankind out of the primordial ooze of mere life and bare survival. This spirit was intrinsically and decisively masculine.” Josiah Lippincott argues, against Professor Schlueter, that patriarchy is man’s only defense against nature’s fascism.3
“Never part your hair in the middle.” One of the many nuggets of political wisdom that will be yours when you buy “True Gretch.”
“So we don’t believe in a literal Satan or demons or anything like that . . . it’s sort of like a battle cry . . . hail us, hail humanity, hail the people who are really working to make this world a better place.” Weird invocations are all the rage at Michigan county meetings.
“Americans have been completely left behind in this economy: foreign-born employment is not only several million above its pre-pandemic level but is even above its pre-pandemic trend, while native-born Americans have made no progress in 4 years—in fact, they’ve gone backwards.” E.J. Antoni.
“Wisconsin has spoken and the message is clear: elections belong to voters, not out-of-state billionaires.” Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming comments on the passage of a constitutional amendment banning “Zuckerbucks.”
“Rural Americans often prioritize their way of life over immediate economic gains that are often promised (and not always delivered) by policy solutions. My research suggests that their perceived resistance to certain policies, and especially a political party that advocates for a multitude of governmental correctives, is a complex reaction stemming from years of economic transition, dislocation and yes, harm from policies they were told would help.” Nicholas Jacobs.
“Do you know—OK, a bit of a history lesson—the women’s teams were not allowed to have brackets until 2022. Think about that.” She moves in mysterious ways.
“The pleasures of baseball . . . reside as much in the thinking that occurs between pitches as in observing the graceful physical action. It’s a sport for people who share Socrates’ distaste for the ‘unexamined life’—those who aspire to be fully aware of what is going on even as it’s going on. This requires sufficient pauses in the action for the mind to notice, to wander and to analyze.” Charles Blahous.
“The greatest threat to Western civilisation comes from . . . the ‘new aristocratic class’ . . . not only do we have to deal with the beliefs of the oligarchs, but also those of their forsaken wives and their offspring . . . The elites’ arrogance could turn out to be their greatest liability.” Joel Kotkin.
“The most advanced pagan societies have always taken the form of slave empires . . . in which power alone determines what is right. In such societies, the ruling class is free to do as they please as regards the underclass, who are obliged to adhere to the state morality and do as they’re told. Understood in that light, we can see the outlines of a modern form of paganism emerging in our time.” John Daniel Davidson.
“This serial fabrication is part and parcel of Butler’s ideology. She has spent decades pushing theories of ‘social construction’ and denying fundamental realities—pushing the lie, for example, that men can become ‘trans women,’ and that women can become ‘trans men.’ With her latest book, Butler has gone trans factual.” Christopher F. Rufo.
“To give an example, in 2017, two per cent of Canada’s population was made up of temporary immigrants. Now we’re at 7.5 per cent of our population comprised of temporary immigrants. That’s something we need to get back under control.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is being mugged by reality.
“Amazon is phasing out its checkout-less grocery stores with ‘Just Walk Out’ technology . . . The technology allows customers to skip checkout altogether by scanning a QR code when they enter the store. Though it seemed completely automated, Just Walk Out relied on more than 1,000 people in India watching and labeling videos to ensure accurate checkouts. The cashiers were simply moved off-site, and they watched you as you shopped.” Gizmodo.
“By trying to keep our kids safe, we deprive them of the little failures, the bumps and bruises that are part of growing into a responsible, self-controlled adult . . . Kids need to learn how to cope without mom and dad around . . . The top accommodation I make for students with some kind of diagnosed disability has gone from those dealing with dyslexia or ADHD to ‘flexible attendance due to anxiety.’” Jon D. Schaff.
“I do think we are culturally a Christian country. I call myself a cultural Christian.” New Atheist Richard Dawkins.
“The idea was to block the election of [Ratzinger]. They were using me, but behind them they were already thinking about proposing another cardinal. They still couldn’t agree on who, but they were already on the verge of throwing out a name.” Pope Francis on the 2005 conclave.
Farewell
“For me, this alignment of the Annunciation and the North American total solar eclipse of 2024 reminds me that Christ has to do with everything.” Dr. Timothy Dolch, associate professor of physics at Hillsdale College.
Stockford also made an appearance on one of Hillsdale College’s podcasts.
See Jason Isbell’s “Relatively Easy.”