Week in Review
Board of County Commissioners, Tuesday, December 26
New Opportunities for the New Year
A new clerk was sworn in in the Moscow Township.
There is a new company in Hillsdale County that helps to provide transportation to those in need: Feonix Mobility Rising.
There were numerous new appointments in the Fire Department in the City of Jonesville after last fall’s contentious ousting of the former chief.
Brad Benzing updated the Board about Jackson College’s EMS courses that are largely covered for interested students. They offer Medical First Responder, EMT Basic, and EMT Advanced courses. The Advanced EMT course will be offered this upcoming Winter term. For those interested in becoming firefighters, the courses are primarily funded by state taxes on fireworks in Michigan, bringing the cost down to $275/person.
What’s up with LifeWays?
In public comment, Joseph Hendee encouraged the Board to host a public hearing about the potential sale of the Lifeways building, which may or may not be owned by the County—we will see once the deed is located!
Hendee further suggested a proper appraisal of the property before it is sold.
Underpaid Lawyers?
Probate Judge Michelle Bianchi pleaded with the Board to pay the lawyers of the County more money.
Although we are opposed to our overly-litigious society (and therefore the widespread need for lawyers), the Judge made a good argument: Lawyers in the state of Michigan who work in “Neglect and Abuse” cases (related to children) in Michigan make between $200-$400 per hour, with $300 being the average. In Hillsdale County, they currently make $60/hr. Bianchi made the request that their pay be increased to $100/hour.
Closing Thoughts
On the day after Christmas, Mark Wiley read to the public a short statement about “Why do I wish people ‘Happy Holidays?’” He said that between November 1 and the 15th of January there are approximately 29 holidays celebrated by 7 of the world’s major religions, “And I don’t think mine are the only ones that count.” We wonder if those Christians who sailed across the Atlantic on the Mayflower “for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith” would agree.
Steve Lanius noted that society is changing a lot, and that people don’t care for one another like they used to. He also noted that Government has been too generous recently in handing out free money to people for not working. Finally, he reminded the public that God commands us to love one another and to take care of one another.
Lewis Emory Park Grant Denied
The Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners had applied for a grant from the state of Michigan’s Natural Resource Trust Fund to “improve” the nearby Lewis Emory Park. Fortunately, we will be spared the renovations as the grant was denied, so reported HDN’s beleaguered Corey Murray.
The funding would have been used to make the park more “accessible” by creating “[Americans with Disabilities Act]-compliant dock spaces.” The state would also have transformed the walking trails into “ADA-compliant” paths (sidewalks?). As we know well from City Council, where there are Trip Hazards, no expense can be spared. Former county commissioner Bruce Caswell, who had tried to maneuver the grant, said that improving accessibility is his highest—and perhaps only—goal: “Making this disabled accessible is a priority in the parks.”
External Links
“The appellants have identified no analogous provision in the Michigan Election Law that requires someone seeking the office of President of the United States to attest to their legal qualification to hold the office.” Justice Elizabeth Welch and the Michigan Supreme Court keep Trump on the ballot.
“I do not reach this conclusion lightly. Democracy is sacred . . . I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.” Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, on the other hand, hopes to disenfranchise her state’s voters.1
“Three members of Michigan’s redistricting commission have resigned, and now it's looking to fill those empty seats in early January.” Fox 47.
“The South accounted for almost all the nation’s population gains — and more. The Southern states . . . gained 3,822,000 people in the 39 COVID and post-COVID months. That’s more than the nation’s population gain, thanks to the losses in New York, California, and Illinois. . . . trends explicable only as the result of dreadfully destructive public policies.” Michael Barone.
“Were I to sign House Bill 68, or were House Bill 68 to become law, Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government knows better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child the most: their parents.” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine affirms “gender-affirming care.”2
“Time and again, these cases illustrate that the 14th Amendment’s primary role is to protect disfavored minorities and preserve our fundamental rights from legislative overreach. That was true for newly freed slaves following the Civil War. It was true in the 20th century for women, people of color, inter-racial couples, and individuals seeking access to contraception. And it is no less true for transgender children and their parents in the 21st century.” Federal Judge B. Lynn Winmill fortifies Our Democracy in Idaho.3
“Jessica is a loving mother who feels called to adopt siblings under the age of 10 from foster care. But the state of Oregon is categorically excluding her from adopting any child because Jessica shares a view held by millions of Americans: that boys and girls are biologically different and should cherish that difference, not reject it.” Alliance Defending Freedom.
“I share the concern expressed by women and girl athletes and women sports associations, as well as women and girls on sports scholarships, that the proposed Title IX rule changes would have detrimental effects on the participation of biological women and girls in sports.” Even the United Nations wants no part of the Biden Administration’s transgender agenda.
“You’re Joe Biden. Suppose your goals are to a) get reelected, b) in the process let in as many migrants as you can . . . The outlines of a cunning, perhaps brilliant Biden plan have emerged.” Mickey Kaus.
“The Biden administration on Thursday warned Texas that it will sue the state if it implements a strict immigration law known as SB4 that would empower state and local law enforcement officials to arrest, jail and prosecute migrants suspected of entering the U.S. unlawfully.” CBS News.
“The gentle vision of conservatism, where men are only good as their sacrifice for their families, goes together with another more libertarian version, where sacrifice is for suckers and success alone is the goal. . . . Yet these characters cannot be true protagonists, because no audience really admires them. Perhaps they’re not even very interesting. Self-interest alone doesn’t say much about what’s beautiful in America, nor even about the remarkable intelligence required to deal with our great troubles.” Titus Techera on It’s a Wonderful Life.
What can’t the 14th Amendment do?