Post did not intend ill will

This letter is in response tothe thank you letter from TeresaSmith, Ann Miller, and theDorothy Labens family pub-lished Dec 21, 2011 (“Truemeaning of Christmas exhibitedat Boomer’s”). First of all,Boomers was very gracious inhelping out the family andmade their Christmas party oneto remember. Just another rea-son Memphis is a great place tolive.

As an active member of theAmerican Legion Post in

Memphis I also was taken abackby the beginning of the letter.The post has procedures inplace for rentals of the hall and Iam confused on where thebreak down may have hap-pened. I have spoken with thehall manager, and he said he didhave a message on his answer-ing machine and did return thecall himself - having to leave amessage. Also that he has notreceived any more calls on thematter. He also stated that hehad no knowledge of a rental ofthe hall for a family Christmasparty on that day. Unfortunatelyin the past Legion membershave tried to do a rental on theirown and this has caused prob-lems with coordination, so it ishighly discouraged. The hallmanager is the only one author-ized to book/coordinate arental. Part of the procedure fora rental is for a contract to bewritten up and a deposit made.At this time a contract for the

supposed rental has not beenseen, also if a deposit wasplaced initially, a request forreimbursement of the deposithas not been made either.

Bottom line, this is a smallcommunity and The Voice is awidely read paper. This may nothave been the best forum inwhich to bring up the matter ofthe rental. The Post’s reputationhas been damaged, whetherintended or not, and I feel thismatter needs to be resolved.Please contact me at merrick-potterpost566@yahoo.com sothat we may do so.LAURA SNYDER, PostAdjutantMemphis

Jack topped the list

MIRS, the MichiganInformation and ResearchService that provides news andanalysis of state government inLansing, recently came out with

their annual ranking of “most-conservative” legislators. Theydo this by analyzing a samplingof a broad variety of votes andcalculating the results to deter-mine the legislator’s “conserva-tive rating.” As a constituentand aide of State Senator JackBrandenburg, I was extremelyproud to see that Jack wasnamed 2011’s most conservativesenator.

There are several importantreasons that this is somethingfor Senator Brandenburg andhis staff to be proud of. First,Senator Brandenburg cam-paigned as an “unapologeticconservative,” so not only didhe talk-the-talk on the cam-paign trail, he walked-the-walkafter he took office. SenatorBrandenburg can also be proudof the fact that his voting recordclosely reflects the views of hisdistrict.

Michigan’s credit rating hasalready been upgraded and it’s

economic and employment out-look have improved dramatical-ly after just one short year ofconservative budgeting and fis-cally-responsible spending, andSenator Brandenburg’s conser-vative leadership has con-tributed to that turnaround.BRIAN PANNEBECKER, districtrepresentative for Sen.BrandenburgShelby Township

Hold elected offi-cials accountable

People running for officemake all kinds of promises thendo a one-eighty after they areelected. After the election weare stuck with them for two,four or six years. We need amethod to punish them whilethey are in office.

Is there anyone out therewho is willing to begin dis-cussing the problem?DICK HARRISRichmond

Stop SeniorHungerCampaign asuccess

Comfort Keepers, StopSenior Hunger Campaignwas a HUGE success! Over1,100 pounds of non-per-ishable items were collect-ed and distributed to over60 seniors. We would liketo thank the followingbusinesses and organiza-tions: Comfort Keepers;Marwood Nursing andRehab; Regency on theLake; Seaway Bank;Beacon Home Care;Sanctuary at MercyVillage; Blue Water Lodge;Independent FloorCovering; Senior OutreachServices; St. ClairChamber; GirlfriendsNetworking Group; ArkAngles - Woman’s LifeInsurance; The TimesHerald; WGRT - 102.3; TheVoice; and About TownMagazine.

For additional informa-tion, go to comfortkeep-

ers.com. Thank you!LAURA CHRISTIANComfort Keepers,Business Development

Continue thevolunteerismbeyondMLK Day

I want to thank eachand every individual whohelped make the NewHaven/Lenox food pantryfood drive a success. Ourcommunity truly hashelped carry on the legacyof the late great Dr. MartinLuther King Jr. Do not letJan. 16 be the end of ourservice to our communitybut a beginning to making2012 the best year ourcommunity has seen. Wecan accomplish so muchwhen working together fora greater good. The lovefor brothers and sisters inthis community is un-measurable. We are familyconnected not by bloodbut by purpose as we con-tinue to turn a blind eyeto personal issues andthrive for a better com-munity.

“I have decided to love.If you are seeking thehighest good, I think youcan find it through love.And the beautiful thing isthat we are movingagainst wrong when wedo it, because John wasright, God is love. He who

hates does not know God,but he who has love hasthe key that unlocks thedoor to the meaning ofultimate reality.” WhereDo We Go from Here:Chaos or Community?1967 - Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr.JAMMIE L. KINCAID,Presidentvillage of New Haven

RiversideCinema willingto help others

I wanted to extend apublic thank you toMatthew Bieth ofRiverside Cinema. We area program for adults withdevelopmental disabili-ties. He works with ourgroup and allows ourfriends to see currentmovies and have a greatafternoon out. Thank you,Matt!

On behalf of BlueWater Choices:STARR CARUTHERSMarine City

Holidays areforever andthe thankyou’s continue

Another great holidayseason has come to anend.

The Pearl Beach Lions& Leo’s club would like tothank the community for

all their support with ourfirst annual Tree Lightingat the Clay TownshipWater Park on Dec. 16. Itwas a great night.

The High School Choir,led by Ms. Seely, did anoutstanding job singingChristmas carols. Mr.Grass led the band withtheir holiday performancethat was enjoyed by all.These teachers do a won-derful job with the stu-dents, and we were veryproud to have them there.Santa arrived at 6:45 in hissleigh towed by his newSanta Car. He greeted allthe kids with candy canesand a warm hello. Santa litthe tree at 7 p.m. and letthe kids take pictures withhim in front of the tree.Afterwards Santa andsome kids got in the sleighand led the crowd to theconcession stand for freehot chocolate and sleighrides around the park. Wealso had hot chestnutsand turkey bowling, hot-dogs and snacks.

Our 64th annual kidsChristmas Party on Dec.18 was also another greatsuccess. It started withSanta arriving by firetruck, then passing outtoys to every kid while sit-ting in his big rockingchair. Kids all got milk andcookies and a picture withSanta.

None of this would

have been possible with-out the support of the fol-lowing: Kroger, MargretJeans Restaurant, ColonyBowling, Jerry Gordontree service, Kurk Acatz,our Bingo Ladies, ClayTwp. Fire Dept., Joyce ourcookie lady, our secretSanta who supplied overhalf of the toys, and thejolly fellow himself -Santa.

Let the spirit of givingcontinue through thehearts of those whobelieve.

On behalf of the mem-bers of the Pearl BeachLions and Leo’s:DAVID HACKERClay Township

Algonac CubScouts showthanks

The Algonac CubScouts Pack 222 wouldlike to thank all partici-pants and those thatcame out to support themwith the third annualChili Cook-off: First placerestaurant, Snoopy’s DogHouse; second placerestaurant, Johnny Legas;Hottest Chili, KyleHolmberg; Algonac’s Best,Jim Harris; PeoplesChoice, Jim Harris; Best ofShow, Jennifer Fisher; andthe judges, Aaron O’Neil,Dave Cross and DennyRoland.

PAT PREVOST, AssistantCub MasterAlgonac Cub ScoutsPack 222

A Supreme Court rul-ing that was predicted toalter the mid-term elec-tions in 2010 has alreadybegun to rear its expen-sively ugly head in the2012 campaign season.

A 5-4 decision inJanuary 2010 by the courtin the case of CitizensUnited v. Federal ElectionCommission basicallyopened the floodgates toanyone and everyone whowants to either endorse orsmear the candidate oftheir choice. It will blurthe line between freespeech and political influ-ence.

Under the smokescreen of clarifying thefree speech portion of theFirst Amendment, thecourt struck down twoprior decisions imple-menting restrictions onelection spending andfunding.

The full weight of thisdecision will become evi-dent over the next 10months as moguls,investors, magnates, cor-porations and anybody

with money burning ahole in their pocket and acause to attack or endorsewill take to the newspa-pers and airwaves of thenation.

It is a phenomenonthat GOP candidates arealready acquainting them-selves with. So-calledSuper Political ActionCommittees (PAC’s) arespringing up like crab-grass supporting MittRomney (Restore OurFuture), Newt Gingrich(Winning Our Future) andRick Santorum (Red,White and Blue).

Karl Rove, a full-blowncampaign killing profes-sional, has fired upAmerican Crossroads, aSuper PAC aimed atdefeating Barack Obamain the November electionwhile the Democrats haveThe House Majority PACstanding behind them andtargeting Republicans.

These Super PAC’s arebasically hired hit menthat can and will do all thedirty work while the can-didate remains “clean”and does not have tospend a dime of his or herown money. And the wellis endless when it comesto money to be spent onads that will misinform,lie, skew and misquotewhoever they so choose.

Factor in that corpora-tions, foreign companiesand unions can getbehind candidates thatare friendly to their views

and pour money intoattack ads and you havethe recipe for mudslingingon a scale never beforeseen.

In his dissent JusticeJohn Paul Stevens wrotethat the decision, “threat-ens to undermine theintegrity of elected institu-tions around the nation.”

The effects on the locallevel may outdistancethose on the nationallevel. If a union, group orindividual does not likethe rulings of a judge run-ning for a seat on thebench, they can go outand spend as much asthey can to keep that per-son from the bench. Amining company in WestVirginia can spend hun-dreds of thousands of dol-lars to get a “swing judge”onto their state SupremeCourt to rule in their favoron strip mining bans oremissions laws.

In the 2008 electionthen Sen. Barack Obamaand his Congressionalpeer John McCain com-bined to spend about $1billion on their cam-paigns. Spending will beoutrageous for the rest ofthis campaign asDemocrats andRepublicans fight for con-trol of legislatures inWashington, D.C. andstate capitols around thenation.

The only state that hasstood up to the ruling isMontana. In December of

2011 their state SupremeCourt upheld a 1912 statelaw banning direct corpo-rate spending on electoralcampaigns in a rebuke tothe U.S. high court.Granted their reasoningmay fall under the catego-ry of “rural” based on thefact that total spending byall the candidates runningfor chief justice in 2008

was $60,000.But U.S. Chief Justice

John Roberts and his fourother consenters did leavea few requirements intact.Full disclosure of dona-tions is still required andevery ad must say who itssponsor was, but otherthan that the gloves are offand the checkbooks are atthe ready.

What this will do to thepolitical landscape is yetto be seen, but I canassure you it will get nasty,ideologies will be boughtand sold at the drop of ahat and voters will have towork twice as hard to siftthrough the piles of mis-information that will beheaped on them beforeNovember.

January 25, 2012

COMMENT OF THE WEEK“I find it hurmorous when people make state-ments such as ‘I’ve seen plenty of dead children’to whip the public up into a frenzy instead oftrusting professionals to use data and science todetermine rules and regulations.”

- “Matt Odlid” commenting on theelimination of the former speed limit

on Sass Road in Chesterfield Township.

PUT IT IN WRITINGThe Voice welcomes letters to the editor. Letters to the editor may be sent by e-mail,

fax or mail and MUST INCLUDE a name, home address and daytime phone numberto allow us to verify the identity of the writer. We reserve the right to edit letters forspace and clarity, especially those exceeding 300 words in length. Send letters to:

The VoiceLetters to the editor

51180 BedfordNew Baltimore, MI 48047

editor@voicenews.com (e-mail)(586) 716-8918 (fax)

To see more story comments, go to voicenews.com

The future is green... butnot that kind of green

Matthew FahrColumnist

A Journal Register Company Newspaper

The Bay Voice, published weekly byVoice Communications Corp. at our mainoffice, 51180 Bedford, New Baltimore,

MI 48047, is mailed periodicals (permit:ISSN 8750-7188) postage paid at NewBaltimore Post Office and additional

offices. Standard mail enclosed.Subscriptions: $30 a year. Advertisingand editorial deadlines: 5 p.m. Friday,except on weeks preceding a holiday.

Deadline for letters to the editor , 5 p.m.Thursday. The Voice is printed by TheMacomb Daily Press. Postmaster, send

address changes to 51180 Bedford, NewBaltimore, MI 48047.

Publisher: Kevin HaezebroeckGeneral Manager/Adv. Director:

Debbie Loggins Editor: Jeff Payne

Assistant Editor: Courtney FlynnOffice Manager: Dorothy Miok

Circulation Manager: René Allard

NEW BALTIMORE MAIN OFFICE51180 BEDFORD,

NEW BALTIMORE, MI 48047All correspondence to:

51180 BEDFORD, NEW BALTIMORE, MI 48047

The Voice Newspapers are publishedweekly by Voice Communications Corp.,including The Bay Voice, The Downriver

Voice, The North Macomb Voice,The Blue Water Voice and

The Macomb Township Voice.

New Baltimore (586) 716-8100 | (800) 561-2248

TM