Let's talk about the SAVE Act (and dispel the bullshit)

 I recently received an email from a local resident. He wrote this:

CAN YOU TELL ME IF THIS PARTY SUPPORTS THE ... SAVE AMERICA ACT ? PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY OR WHY NOT THANK YOU

One thing that seems to consistently distinguish MAGA email writers is the style: ALL CAPS, scattered punctuation, and a tone that suggests the conclusion was reached long before the question was asked. I knew this was unlikely to become a friendly exchange, but I responded anyway:

We do not support the SAVE Act. In fact, we are working hard to prevent its passage because it is a bad-faith political effort designed to sow doubt in our elections and undermine public confidence in the voting process.

As an election worker in Oscoda, I know firsthand that every voter who comes through our polling place has already completed the required process to establish their identity and eligibility.

Adding unnecessary federal requirements would create confusion, place additional burdens on voters and election officials, and make it harder for eligible citizens to participate in our democracy.

If you have additional questions, please stop by our office or contact your local clerk’s office.

And of course, he had to respond. This time, the CAP LOCK was off but still struggled with proper punctuation.

Sow doubt,make harder ,undermine ,confusion that’s what not having the save American act would do sorry but your wrong we need this passed before the mid terms

I guess that was all, but he forgot the period. And the reference to the Act was incorrect.

As an election worker, I am on the front lines of our voting process, and I am tired of hearing baseless and reckless claims from people who have clearly never worked an election.

Voters do not just waltz in and vote. Ballots do not magically appear in tabulators or ballot bags. They CAN’T. Every voter is checked in, every application is processed, every ballot is accounted for and reconciled with the e-pollbook, and every step is handled by trained workers following strict procedures.

The people spreading these fantasies are not exposing fraud; they are exposing how little they understand about how elections actually work.

Stop it.

Michigan's Rural Caucus Summit

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Are we great yet?

 Gas just hit $5/gal where I live. Diesel is $6/gal. Hey, are we great yet? 

The same day, I received an email about a general strike on Friday, May 1.   No work, no school, no shopping. 

I have friends who can’t afford to put gas in the car to travel downstate to see family and friends. 

I also know people who can’t keep their kids home from school because they can’t miss work. If they do keep their kids home and must go to work, they might need someone to watch the kids and that costs money.  Money that is already squeezed by increased costs. 

Many people I know simply can’t afford to take a day off, as their wages cover essentials like rent or mortgage payments, groceries, and fuel. Without mandated paid time off, missing work means losing pay.

I believe strongly there is a place for a general strike. I also want to acknowledge those who can’t afford, for whatever reason, to miss school or work or need to shop.  

An Easter Sunday Reflection: Hope Amidst Harsh Realities

For countless people across the world, today, Easter Sunday, is meant to be a beacon of hope—a celebration of renewal, resurrection, and the promise of a better tomorrow. It is a day traditionally filled with bright expectations and profound spiritual significance.

Yet, as we look beyond the brightly colored eggs and the joyful church hymns, a stark and unsettling reality emerges: for a growing number of people, that hope is rapidly diminishing in real life. The promise feels increasingly disconnected from the harsh socioeconomic and political climate we inhabit.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been called a number of names. My posts and advocacy for basic human needs have drawn a torrent of vitriolic language. I’ve been called  a "snowflake," "libtard," and "Demoncrat." It is curious to me that these names come from people I don’t know, will never meet, and who, frankly, say more about the depth of their own anger and brokenness than they do about me.

What is truly bewildering—and the source of this conflict—is the simple set of values that provokes such fury: I believe that every single person—EVERYONE—in this wealthy nation should have their fundamental needs covered. This is not radical ideology; it is a basic plea for human dignity. This includes:

• A safe place to lay your head: The human right to stable, secure, and affordable housing, free from the constant threat of homelessness.

• Medical care when you are sick: Access to quality healthcare as a right, not a privilege reserved for the employed or the wealthy. No one should face bankruptcy or death because they cannot afford a doctor.

• Food on everyone’s table: The elimination of food insecurity and hunger, ensuring that every family has nourishing meals.

• A good job with decent pay: The opportunity for meaningful employment that pays a living wage, allowing workers to support themselves and their families and addressing income inequality. 

Pause for a moment and truly grasp the gravity of this situation. Imagine being so utterly hollow, so consumed by political resentment, or so profoundly broken in spirit that these fundamental goals—safety, health, food, and work—create not consensus, but immediate and overwhelming anger, hostility, and deep-seated resentment.

Also imagine being so shallow and broken that this anger translates into a voting pattern that actively supports an administration committed to the punitive dismantling of our country’s social safety nets. This ideology, which thrives on cruelty and the belief that suffering is a deserved punishment for the poor or the vulnerable, is the very antithesis of the message of hope and compassion that this day is supposed to represent.

To those who are celebrating Easter Sunday today—who honor the message of sacrifice, resurrection, and boundless love—but simultaneously lend their support to an administration focused on removing the pillars of support for millions for our neighbors: I strongly encourage you to critically reconsider your choices.

There is a profound and hypocritical disconnect in celebrating the spiritual ideal of hope while actively voting to remove that very hope, safety, and security from millions of our neighbors. This day is about lifting people up, not tearing down the nets designed to catch friends when they fall. True faith requires action, and that action must align with compassion. You cannot claim the mantle of hope while systematically destroying it for others.

 

Another horrific shooting

Alex Pretti was a veteran, an ICU nurse, had a permit to carry and was executed just like Renee Good. 

Let me say a few things. 

One, I know many of you reading this voted for this fascist regime. What these Nazi thugs are doing in Minnesota, they would do anywhere. Executing people in other states will easily translate to executing people here.

It is horrific to think people I know support the execution, the KILLING of people who are Democrats, work for Democrats, who show up to protest, to help neighbors, and demand the rule of law. 

Anyone who voted for and supports any of this bears the responsibility of these atrocities. 

These are our CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. It's sickening to think people I know - former colleagues, neighbors, and community members - support these kinds of atrocities. 

If you believe anyone deserves this, if I deserve it, Paul, who served our nation for 22 years, deserves it, a mom driving her van to help her neighbors deserves it, an ICU Nurse protesting deserves it, or a migrant family here deserves it, I want nothing to do with you. 

I will say this again: I want nothing to do with anyone who supports the execution, the vilification, and the character assassination of anyone standing up for our Civil Rights. 

Paul didn't serve and we didn't sacrifice to sit this one out.  

All of this sickens me. But I will not stop fighting, protesting, marching, and standing up. 

Fuck you, fascists.