DISQUS

Leona McElevene · 1 year ago

Thank you for this very important information.

Bruce Fealk · 1 year ago

I have been trying to ask Terri Land about these and other issues in an interview, but she refuses to return my calls and e-mails. Makes me wonder what she's hiding.

Rayne1 · 1 year ago

More evidence of bad faith. Land's repeated avoidance of the public and its representatives does not give evidence of someone working in good faith to ensure the rights of voters are not abridged or abused.

Keep us posted if she changes her mind and talks with you, Bruce. We'd be interested in a follow with you.

Chetly Zarko · 1 year ago

I certainly wouldn't feel entitled to an interview with Governor Granholm, although if I had a story lead that justified asking I'd certainly not be afraid to ask for it or specific questions to be answered by e-mail (more realistic).

These are busy people. What are the specific questions you have for Ms. Land, Bruce? Exactly how did you approach their office for answers?

Rayne1 · 1 year ago

It's a pattern of behavior to which Mr. Fealk's comment merely adds data. Ms. Land and her department have regularly and systematically refused to meet with persons or groups who are working to ensure that voters are not disenfranchised. There is a point at which public servants do have an obligation to meet with the public, not just select constituents based on party affiliation or their donations. Ms. Land had plenty of time to spend in Minnesota this past week, for example, hobnobbing with her party's peeps, but she's had no time to meet with multiple organizations regarding the conduct of voting in this state?

Her department also doesn't do responses to queries by other methodologies well, either -- email, phone calls, you name it. But perhaps it depends on who's calling...?

kc · 1 year ago

is she trying to gain her rightful spot in the history books? in between maddox and wallace? Thank You for the report E., Good Work.......

Richard Sparks · 1 year ago

Terri Lynn just exerted her conservative power on our small city in Hamatramck.

THE EFFECTS ARE ALREADY BEING FELT!

Hamtramck City Council passed an ordinance, by a 6-1 coucil vote on June 10th, that provides protections against discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations.

The purpose of the ordinance is to provide a local means of addressing any type of discrimination in these areas. It extends protections that go beyond the state and federal protections of sex, race, national origin, etc. and provides protections for race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, height, weight, condition of pregnancy, marital status, physical or mental limitation, source of income, family responsibilities or status, educational association, sexual orientation, gender identify, gender expression, or handicap.

The ordinance was in effect until Gary Glenn from Midland Michigan called Father Andrew Wesley of St. Ladislaus Parish to sign a petition stating that our ordinance would force churches to perform gay weddings, other egregious claims, including..."our ordinance would allow bestiality to be legalized."

Ok,huh? I'm pretty sure our Mayor Majewski would never support something like that.

But nonetheless, Gary Glenn and Father Wesley spread their anti-semetic, anti-gay, anti-equality lies to our citizenry and forced the ordinance to be drawn up for a vote on the November ballot.

As of two days ago, the question Hamtramck citizens would be asked regarding the ordinance was this:

Should the City of Hamtramck ordinance 2008-009 be repealed?

YES or NO

Pretty straight forward, vague I agree, but straight forward.


So where does Terri Lynn come into play? Well, Gary Glenn is aligned with the Thomas More Law Center (attempted to ban affirmative action during its inception, rallied to ban Hamtramck's call to prayer ordinance - which contradictory to TMLC's ominous predictions, has worked fine for our diverse city for years now).

The Thomas More Law Center called Terri Lynn Land's office this past Thursday, September the 4th to demand the City Manager change the ballot language for the subject matter to become accepted by a YES vote, not a NO vote.

On Friday, our City Manager received an official notice from Terri Lynn Land's office stating that we had to change our ballot language to a YES vote according to Michigan Ballot Language Code; which is false to begin with when an ordinance or legislation is already in place.

#1 The fact is, the ordinance was in effect.

#2 Gary Glenn and Father Wesley wanted it repealed.

#3 They petitioned it and got it put on the ballot for November 4th, 2008

#4 Our City Attorney and City Manager crafted the language for the ballot

#5 Thomas More Law Center called Terri Lynn Land's office to force us to change our NO vote (which statistically gets about a 3-5% more response regardless) to a YES vote.

This is absolutely an abuse of power and nepotism.

It is unfortunate that far-right activists and partisan state elections officials get to decide the ballot language for Hamtramck’s elections.

I would definitely look for a lawsuit soon, of which I will most likely be filing.

These kinds of clandestine partisan "good ol' boys" are once again attempting to disenfranchise the vote, as well as using their power to help sway local issues in favor of their partisan agenda.

Michigan residents deserve better than this. We need true ethics reform in Michigan NOW before another election is mangled in litigation and squandered away to partisan politics.

Sincerely,
Richard Lee Sparks
Co-Chair
Hamtramck United

Bentrider · 1 year ago

Hey, the Radical Republicans [Terri L is a charter member of that club] love to use a recall to punish and control people whose votes and actions they don't agree with; why don't some Blue Tigers [Progressive Democrats] circulate a recall petition to recall Terri. It couldn't happen to a more deserving professional politician [she has held a series of elected offices since she graduated from Hope College in the early 70s]. She is another of the RRs who see term limits as just a way to trade jobs amongst themselves.