Democracy - Michigan's New Endangered Species

203,238 Michigan residents took a ball point pen in their hands, exerted the power of democracy, and signed petitions circulated by Stand Up for Democracy to put a proposal to overturn the Michigan Emergency Manager law on the November ballot. The ballots were delivered to the State Board of Canvassers, reviewed, and deemed valid.

The petition gatherers were everyday folks who spent hundreds of hours volunteering their time to obtain the required number of signatures to bring this issue before the voters. They worked hard. And other everyday folks took a few minutes out of their busy lives to read these petitions and sign their names, all in good faith that our democratic process was intact.

A last minute appeal to the challenge was made by Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, an opposition group formed by the Sterling Corporation, a Republican political consulting firm (wanna see something scary? visit their website). The group argued the font size on the petitions is too small, in violation of state rules.

Font size. Ridiculous right? Would never happen, right?

The State Board of Canvassers deadlocked along party lines and the proposal failed to get on the ballot. On font size.

Of course.

Jeffrey Timmer, Republican, is on the State Board of Canvassers. Jeffrey Timmer voted against putting this proposal on the November ballet. Jeffrey Timmer also works for the Sterling Corporation.

A clear, unequivocal conflict of interest. He chose to do it anyway and nobody stopped him.

Proponents will fight this all the way to the Supreme Court and let them decide whether the proposal will make the ballot.

Michigan's Supreme Court has four Republican and three Democratic Justices. Which way do you think they will vote?

When will we the people of this most beautiful state in the country stand up and say enough is enough? When will we the people do like the folks in Wisconsin did and take to the streets? The Republicans are destroying democracy in this state. Not hiding behind closed doors and doing it, well OK I am sure they are. They are blatantly throwing it in our faces. Is this the kind of government we want? We the people must take back our rights, our integrity, our quality of life from Michigan's Republican-run government. Do it with your votes in November. Do it by protesting. Do it every way you can. It is our responsibility to each other and future generations to preserve democracy in this country.

I know we Michiganders are tired. Many of us are struggling and broke. Many of our cities are in trouble. Does that mean we throw up our hands, roll over, and play dead? Turn over our democratically elected process to a takeover by one party or the other without even a peep? I say NO! We are Michiganders! We NEVER give up! I call upon our strong unions to take be the leaders they are and rally the folks for change.

We the people want democracy. Stand up and tell them so. Loudly. Then vote the bums out.

Flowers for Life and Death

I once worked in the floral business. I started as a delivery gal then graduated to highest honor possible - floral designer. It was work I loved. Who could complain about being around beautiful smelling flowers and lush, green plants every day at work?

Life in a flower shop was like living with bipolar disorder. There were days when nobody was born or died, or had a birthday or got sick. Those days were the downers. I spent hours cleaning every pebble that the potted plants were sitting on in order to prevent death by boredom. Then there was the manic phase - Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Christmas. Twenty-four hour marathons of poking flowers into wet green foam called Oasis, and getting dozens of bloody holes in my fingers from stripping thorns and boxing roses. Ah, I miss those good old days.

Standing behind the front counter, I was greeted with every emotion known to humans. Folks would stop in to pick out a bouquet for a friend or family member who was celebrating a birthday. They would take their time looking for just the right arrangement or container which reflected the personality of the recipient. That was especially true for the planters sent up to the hospital for the birth of a new baby or a sick loved one. There were little pink and blue ceramic lamb containers and green John Deere tractors. Tea cups and southwestern-style pots. Large handled wicker baskets that looked like a tropical forest once it was planted up. Those people always left with a smile.

My favorite arrangements to design were casket pieces. I loved the way I could let the flowers spread out like they do in nature. I was creating a living blanket, one to comfort both the dead and those left behind, the people that I found the most difficult to face. I am a very sensitive person, as you probably have already figured out. Witnessing the depth of grief in people getting flowers for their lost loved ones just broke my heart, plain and simple. Especially the Elders. Yes, casket pieces were my favorite, my way of helping comfort those families with the beauty and fragrance of flowers.

I had a boss at the last shop I worked in named Tommy. He was the kind of character you met once in a lifetime. Tommy drove the delivery van and his wife ran the business. He had shocking white hair, black rimmed glasses, and was always on the go. Tommy had an illness that required him to take a certain medication. This drug had several side effects, one of which caused him to take frequent and urgent bathroom breaks.

Tommy and I had a ritual. Every April Fool's Day, we played a prank on each other. One year, I got to work early and snatched the child mannequin from the upstairs storage area. I strategically placed her on the toilet, as if doing her business. Now visualize that the bathroom was long and narrow, maybe four feet across. It was a straight shot from the hall to the toilet, and worked well for someone who had to get there quick.

As he did every morning, Tommy brought in a sack of fresh donuts and made a pot of Cadillac coffee.  He knew I loved jelly-filled, sugar coated donuts and had several in the bag. I got my hot cup of coffee, reached in the sack and pulled out the largest one. With great anticipation I bit down and felt the raspberry filling squirt into my mouth. Along with a tablespoon full of dried onions. It was all I could do to keep from losing my cookies.

Ten minutes after drinking his first cup of coffee, Tommy ran to the bathroom 90 miles per hour. I was already cracking up when I heard him yell as he flipped on the light switch and almost sat on the poor little girl! The whole shop was laughing hysterically as we listened to him hollaring at me from behind the closed door.

Tommy passed away a few years ago and I went to the service to pay my respects. There were dozens of beautiful flower arrangements circling the room along with all the stories being told about Tommy. What I remembered most was the last video at the end of the video depicting Tommy's colorful life. He was waving from high in the sky, hang gliding behind a powerboat at the ripe old age of 80. I hope I go out with such joy.