Voting in Michigan’s Primary

Michigan’s Presidential Primary is Tuesday, February 28. What is different this year? First of all, it’s a closed primary and Michigan rarely holds closed primaries. A closed primary means only Democrats can vote for Democrats and only Republicans can vote for Republicans. Voters will get different ballots based on your party affiliation.

An open primary would offer one ballot with both parties choices on it and it’s up to the voter to vote in only one party’s election. Those who attempt to vote in both parties’ elections would not have their ballot count at all.

Secondly, the political party you choose will become a matter of public record. It does not register you as a member of that party, however.

Last year, the Republican-dominated state legislature passed a law to make public the voters’ party affiliations in the Presidential Primary. One can assume this is to deter Democrats from voting in the Republican primary. Democrats will have only one name on their ballot, and a vote on Feb. 28 will be largely symbolic because Michigan’s Democratic Party decided to hold their presidential caucus on May 5. That’s when they will officially select Barack Obama as their candidate.

What’s on the February 28 ballot? For Democrats, only the name of Barack Obama. For Republicans, the names of 11 Republican candidates. The list of Republicans was finalized in December and will not reflect the fact that some candidates may have dropped out of the race. The names in alphabetical order are: Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson, Fred Karger, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Buddy Roemer, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum.

Voter ID requirements have not changed in the last 2 years. Voters must show picture identification. Preferred are your Michigan driver’s license or personal ID card. If a voter doesn’t have either, a current picture ID from another state, federal or state government-issued photo ID, a U.S. passport, military ID with photo, student ID with photo from a high school or an accredited institution of higher education, or a tribal ID card with photo may substitute.

If a voter does not have picture ID, they may vote after signing an affidavit.

Youth Registration - Fordson

The team working on the youth registration project has visited Fordson and met with the principal, Mr. Yousseff Mosallam. Principal Mosallam offered a warm welcome and support for our project.

While some specifics await the next semester's schedule (begins Jan 31), we expect to hold registration events in mid-February. The school has enrollment of 2,500 students. There are ten sections of government classes so we will have to cover several hours. Student groups will also be encouraged to participate, such as F-COPS: Fordson - Club of Political Science.

If you would like to be involved in this important outreach, please send an email to lwvddh@gmail.com or call our local president, Mary Bugeia, 313-278-6476.

It Happens Here – Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation

Theresa Flores was 15, living in Birmingham, MI when she became trapped in a sex-slave operation for two years. “It happens here,” Flores says, “to white, middle-class teens who live in the suburbs. It’s easy to think that because you live in a nice neighborhood, you’re safe.¹”

Flores was on the track team, had a nice house and seemed like an ordinary suburban girl, but at night, she was subjected to horrendous abuse. Compelled to keep her secrets to protect her family from a scandal, she snuck out of the house - in compliance but against her will. This started with a crush in high school. Taking advantage of her affection, a 16 year old boy brought her to his house and raped her while others photographed the incident. The photos were used to blackmail her into cooperating, coerced into becoming a sex slave for the benefit of a criminal enterprise. She was finally free when her family moved, still unaware of her trauma.

Theresa Flores’ story is typical of sex-trafficking victims that Nicole McGee, Special Victims Agent, FBI-Michigan deals with daily.

Read more about Theresa Flores at her website: http://www.traffickfree.com/

Agent McGee spoke on October 17 for the LWVOA about the worldwide problem of human trafficking, including its prevalence within the United States. She works with human trafficking victims to advise them of their rights and assure that they get the help with short-term and long-term needs-like legal and repatriation services, immigration relief, housing, employment, education, job training, and child care. Human trafficking is about forced labor in general, but sexual exploitation is the most common.

Officer McGee shared some statistics about human trafficking in Michigan and beyond. Human trafficking affects virtually every region of the world, including metro Detroit. Sex trafficking accounts for at least 40% of all forced labor-human trafficking. Some experts estimate that it is more like 80%.²

Women and girls are the most vulnerable; trafficking victims tend to be the poorest and most vulnerable people coming from poor cities and countries.

Ms. McGee told us exploiters and pimps look for girls in malls, cinemas, even at high school events - anywhere teens gather with stragglers on the perimeter.

Kathy Gapa reported on the LWV Oakland Area Event for this article. Sexual exploitation of young girls in our community isn’t going away. Learn to identify and help those trapped in the sex trade with facts and resources from this Fact Sheet for Schools, “Human Trafficking of Children in the United States” http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/factsheet.html

[1] Terri Finch Hamilton, “Human Trafficking, exploitation is on the rise in Michigan”. The Grand Rapids Press <http://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/09/human_trafficking_exploitation.html>. 10-27-2011

²Sexual Trafficking: the facts trafficking for sexual exploitation have become an epidemic in the past decade”. New Internationalist, <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JQP/is_404/ai_n21026843/> 10-27-2011

Opinion - Privatization

Opinion by Joe Borrajo – Privatization
The cachet of "privatizing services" is it saves money. Not necessarily true. In the mid 1990s, the City of Dearborn sought to save money by not using city employees to erect Yule-tide decorations on city hall grounds; the city hired a contractor to do the job for $50,000.00. As it turned out, the contractor sent a single worker who supervised the same city employees that weren't suppose to be used for the task of decorating the grounds. The task took a matter of a few days, but $50,000.00 could pay the salary of an employee for a year.

Besides the money proposition, "privatization" also raises the question of the quality of services rendered. The process of out-sourcing responsibilities can lead to the problem of inferior work requiring remedial effort that translates into cost-overruns, left for the taxpayer to cover. Likewise, communities can be expected to accommodate "privatization's" development with a costly infrastructure and upgrading that explicitly serves the recipient of the community's asset with little return to the taxpayer.

Furthermore, the subject of "privatization" rarely broaches the matter of community/taxpayer "assets". Putting valuable assets, a measure of the wealth and value of a community, into the hands of corporation developers and speculators is a forfeiture that weakens the very foundation of a community, leaving it open to having the quality of life negatively impacted. "Privatization" can leave a mark comparable to what the problematic issue of "eminent domain" has done to injure stable residential communities.

privatization roundtable report

We started our Privatization Study with an overview and discussion with current examples and proposals in the news. You can read the briefing with video links at www.lwvddh.org/privatization.pdf. Some personal experiences were shared along with well-studied ideas and strong opinions. Our president talked about her time as a school board member when the custodial staff counter-offered to keep their jobs instead of losing them to outsourcing. Our treasurer shared her expertise regarding the Social Security program as we considered how it differs from investments.

An important point that came out of our discussion is that the issue to privatize or not seems to get tangled up in corruption issues. While we agreed that corruption in the private and public sectors ought to be addressed directly, sometimes it seems too far gone to do anything but start over.

The need for strong oversight to ensure proper delivery of services or transfer of assets would ease concerns for some. In certain situations, the potential for harm if things went wrong was considered too risky. For example, with the police and military, a closer tie between them and the citizenry would hopefully mean loyalty to the public over their employer.

We will continue the discussion with ideas from many sources, pros and cons. If you find an interesting article, please pass it along.

Here is an article that warns against privatization from one of our roundtable attendees:

http://www.alternet.org/story/153093/privatization_nightmare:_5_public_services_that_should_never_be_handed_over_to_greedy_corporations

What does your water taste like?

How would you describe the water from your tap? Metallic, fresh, tasteless, chlorinated, bland, clean...? 80% of water taste testers preferred the taste of our bottled water samples at UM Dearborn's Water Expo. We hosted a blind taste test as part of their Sustainability Week. Along with bottled natural spring water, we had a sample from the bottle refill station at a local grocery store and the campus tap water. Last year we had a similar event where the preference was about tied, so we were surprised at the overwhelming preference for bottled water this time around. Sometimes tap water wins, sometimes it doesn't. If you don't like the taste of your tap, do you filter it, put up with it, or pay for another source?

At what cost?

With our cultural emphasis on hydration and effective marketing, many have just gotten in the bottled water habit. See this 20/20 episode on the impact of marketing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3QBZac3MSY - which also mentions that some bottled water is just tap water conveniently packaged.

If you watched the movie "F.L.O.W.", you might recall the dispute between commercial access to cheap water, the transfer of water out of a local watershed and the differing regulatory oversight of municipal vs bottled water. Here's a trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGd9D4J0lag.

Objections about bottled water also include the production and disposal of the plastic bottle itself, the environmental burden caused by trucking water across the country, and the comparatively high price per gallon.

Visit this website to learn about the energy-intensive production of bottled water and other important factors: http://www.responsiblepurchasing.org/purchasing_guides/bottled_water_university_edition/social_environ/

To avoid the plastic problem, the convenience of bottled water can be met by refillable containers. UM Dearborn has a bottle-filling adaptation on the drinking fountain at the University Center, so students can refill any container with chilled tap water. It does taste better cold. The UMD Student Environmental Association is working to get rid of all plastic bottles on campus with an emphasis on sustainability, but refillable containers help budgets as well. The current decline in bottle water sales are most likely related to the economic downturn. http://moneyland.time.com/2010/02/01/bottled-water-taste-test-challenge/

Tap Water vs Frack Water

This particular taste test included 'natural spring water' from a region threatened by fracking. What will be the results if fracking fluids impact the source? With complaints about water quality coming out of these regions, it may be even more important to know where our drinking water has been and what has been done to it. Start your studies by reading here: http://www.americanrivers.org/our-work/protecting-rivers/fracking/?gclid=CPGH-Lyw8KsCFYlM4AodWBRpIg

SMART changes? Transportation Cuts Ahead

Due to the significant decrease in revenue and increased fuel and healthcare costs, SMART is seeking public input on proposed service changes. SMART encourages its riders and any citizen to attend the public hearings to better understand the issues at hand. Citizens will have the opportunity to contribute their comments. The public hearings are scheduled for: November 3rd, 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. City of Dearborn Ford Community & Performing Arts Center 15801 Michigan Avenue, Club Room #1 Dearborn, MI November 7th, 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. City of Pleasant Ridge Community Center 4 Ridge Road Pleasant Ridge, MI November 9th, 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. City of Roseville Council Chambers 29777 Gratiot Avenue Roseville, MI For those who are unable to attend the hearings, written comments will be accepted through November 10, 2011. Send written comments to: SMART Administrative Offices 535 Griswold Street, Suite 600 Detroit, MI 48226 Attention: Public Hearings Send email comments to: publichearing@smartbus.org To review proposed service cuts click here. For more details, please visit SMART's website at www.smartbus.org. For further questions, please call Customer Information (866) 962-5515.