FYI - Reactions to Granholm's Veto Against Homeowners

A public note to our Congressmen and women - especially Congressman Moolenaar, who introduced the Homeowners' Rights Bill. Thank you so much for all you are trying to do for Michigan homeowners. Let us pray the tyrannical behavior of Ms. Granholm will soon be over. Even people who voted for her are unhappy. We can DO it people!!! It's not over.

"Mackinac Center Environmental Analyst Russ Harding Urges Reform of State Dioxin Policy Following Governor's Veto of Dioxin Testing Bill
State's dioxin approach disregards sound science and property rights. Dec. 28, 2005

Our View: Granholm should rein in DEQ, wait for results of U-M study
Midland Daily News - 12/30/2005

Glad I Don't Live in a Bubble...

Have you ever noticed how you can tell an extremist environmentalist by that ever-present look of anger? A friend forwarded the following to me this morning. Now, more than ever, I'm convinced it's because of that darned BUBBLE they insist on living in. The tough part is - they want US to join them in that bubble!!!

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONEactually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chatrooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were nolawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And if YOU are one of us, CONGRATULATIONS!

You and I have had the luck to grow up as kids before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good, and if you are one of our kids, now you know how brave your parents really were.

My momma used to say I'd eat a bushel of dirt before I die. Thank God, my mom, and a strong sense of independence, I do not live in the prison of a bubble!

Yesterday's News: In case you want to read all this stuff (I did):
Lansing State Journal: Granholm vetoes environmental cleanup legislation

Cleanup bill nixed
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
JEREMIAH STETTLER
THE SAGINAW NEWS

It's politics now, lawmakers say
Kathie Marchlewski, Midland Daily News 12/28/2005

Granholm vetoes facility proposal
Kathie Marchlewski, Midland Daily News 12/28/2005

Good morning Michigan!!!

King Steve is on the loose now!!!

She has pushed away our jobs... Michigan is now third only to the other most devastated States, Missouri and Louisiana. The difference is - Mother Nature did the dastardly deed to them. Ms. Granholm did it to Michigan!!!

She's running around spending our money like it grew on grapevines...

• traveling to Japan to give more business to foreign car makers.
• dumping money off in depressed areas, calling them 'cool cities' as though free money will motivate the gang elements and hard core unemployed - yeah right, guv!
• 'creating jobs' by taking more of our money to hire out government-paid construction projects.

Who is 'she?' Oh! Jennifer Granholm, Michigan's failed attempt at letting this woman run the state.

Looks like jenny granholm done joined up with the econutz!

Too bad.... so sad..... She's worried about our health? She hasn't met any of us. How can she have any idea about our health? She's only met up with the greedy!

I just today read an article: Green Tea Polyphenol EGCG Affects Gene Expression of Breast Cancer Cells Transformed By the Carcinogen 7,12- Dimethylbenz[a]Anthracene1-3 about green tea as a new and wondrous thing! I already had heard from national news sources that green tea is 'good for you' and was drinking one cup per day for several months when I heard a new bit of news. That was the study that showed green tea can reduce the amount of iron in your blood.

Because my doctor had been treating me for low hemoglobin by prescribing massive doses of iron (with nasty side effects I might add) - I decided to stop my one cup per day green tea habit. I've not yet had my blood checked since the change but notice my skin no longer gets the little 'explosions of blood' under the surface that no doctor was able to explain. Coincidence? I think not. Bottom line = Green tea is good for rats.

This is the way of so many things - healthy or unhealthy? Rats are not human and that's a fact! Remember the big bad Dow Corning people making those nasty artificial breasts that were 'making people sick?' Well - after Corning went bankrupt somebody decided silicon doesn't make people sick so now that Dow Corning paid out all that money to the greedy they can make artificial breasts again. Jenny is over there glad-handing Dow Corning and little girls are getting new boobs for Christmas presents.

Cross out the word silicon - insert the word dioxin - same story. The greedy ones want to hurry up and get their money through their lawsuit (currently on hold again) before tests on people come out with what all of us long term residents of the Tittabawassee River floodplain know... the dioxin in this floodplain doesn't kill people!

Ain't life grand?

Merry Christmas from the Tittabawassee River floodplain.

'Rivers know this: there is no hurry, we shall get there some day.'

A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh)

A few days ago I posted my plea for Michigan residents to tell Governor Granholm to sign the Homeowners' Fairness bill - HB-4617S-4. I actually did this on several web sites. I think she is getting our message. I'm not sure if she will pass or veto the bill, but I'm convinced she knows the previously silent majority is speaking out through the Tittabawassee River Voice and our friends at Midland Matters.

Last week Len and I had radio spots running on WSGW, a local radio station, all week long. The clincher was Wednesday, when Len had an interview session on the Art Lewis show on WSGW. Len's amazing when it comes to explaining such matters. I think he really got our message across because Thursday and Friday Art Lewis had call-in's all in support of the legislation. Folks this is democracy at work!!!


When you have some time I suggest you read The puzzle of environment and cancer By Gina Kolata of The New York Times. It was published in the International Herald Tribune: Health/Science on December 14, 2005.

She begins by telling us about Dr. Michael Gallo who, after working with dioxin for three decades, found out he has cancer. Unlike the uninformed, he knows the dioxin didn't cause it. He knows the components in his blood and dioxin is not prominent. Dr. Gallo says 'If I were to take that tumor that came out of me and grind it up and run it through a mass spectrometer, I could find every persistent organic chemical I've ever been exposed to. Is that cause and effect? No, it's an association.'

Then you will want to read Chemicals! In Our Blood!! - written by Dr. Joe Schwarcz (December 16, 2005) Dr. Schwarcz talks to us about all of the chemicals we are now able to detect in our bodies. As the old saying goes, 'A little knowledge can be dangerous,' and so it is when the uninformed get this kind of information, don't understand it, and panic. Dr. Schwarcz discusses the various chemicals in our blood in minute quantities that until recently were undetected.


Finding balance in dioxin 'zone' - published editorial in The Saginaw News on Sunday, December 18, 2005. Read it if you missed it on Sunday. It's encouraging to know the local newspaper with the biggest distribution in our area supports the homeowners. This is a big ol' thank you to the editors!!!


Dow could help curb future pandemic - an article by Kathie Marchlewski in the Midland Daily News Sunday issue - another 'must read' because here is another good reason why the old-fashioned environmentalists should join the 21st century environmentalists and work with 'the polluters' and not against them!!!


I need to take this time to extend my gratitude to Mike Underwood and Gary McLaughlin. These two men were the emergency response team when I phoned 911 on August 29. They arrived within minutes after I called! I need to thank the emergency response team from Thomas Township for their prompt arrival. I know you all did everything possible to get my husband's tired heart to beat again. Thanks to my neighbor, Jacquie Leaman, for driving me to the hospital after Mike and Gary determined I should not go along in the emergency vehicle. They were concerned that my hysterical reaction could interfere with the technicians' concentration on trying to revive my husband, Frank.

Mike, I especially want to thank you for stopping by again to see if I was okay. Thank you for your explanations. Your tenderness during such a devastating moment in my life meant a great deal to me. You are a living angel.

I will be sharing time with my family during the Christmas and New Year holidays. If something really new happens during this time, I will tell you about it here. If not, Merry Christmas to my Christian friends and Happy Holidays to everybody!

'Environmentalism has turned into anti-globalization and anti-industry. Activists have abandoned science in favor of sensationalism.'...Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace

Democracy is working in Iraq...

..Will it work in Michigan, U.S.A.? Residents are vocalizing our wishes to Governor Granholm. We want her to sign and pass the Homeowners' Rights bill - HB-4617S-4. A bunch of special interest lobbying groups are encouraging her to veto it. Although those groups say they represent citizens, they represent their own special interests! Be careful where you donate your money folks. You may think you are supporting the environment.... but, are you? The only environmental organization I've seen worth supporting is NewEnvironmentalism.org There may be others but... well, Frank & I have actually supported some of the 22 organizations the Lonetree gang joined up with so they could gang up on Governor Granholm... and I'm really sorry we did!

• The Governor's opinion webpage is back up.
• If you haven't already, tell Governor Granholm to pass HB-4617S-4 using contact information on our right panel - printed in alert red.
• Our co-founder, Len Heinzman, was a guest of Art Lewis on WSGW yesterday, along with a representative from the lonetree gang. If I'm lucky I'll get a copy of that broadcast to share with you.
• Today Art Lewis received many phone calls from residents affirming their agreement with Len's viewpoint, which is of course, the viewpoint of Tittabawassee River Voice.
• If you have a moment, read Midland Daily News' Our View: Granholm needs to protect homeowners. I've been so busy responding to the reader opinions there that I think I forgot to link this December 12 article here for you to read! If you want to see how some people are misinformed and my responses to them, be sure to read all six of the reader opinions.

Keep on truckin' folks!!! If Ms. Granholm doesn't want to listen to real residents, well... onward to Lansing and Plan B!!! As Tiny Tim said, 'God bless us one and all!'

Contact Governor Granholm

I've just been informed the link to the governor's contact form doesn't work. I checked by going through the several pages directly from the governor's webpage and couldn't get there that way either. Well I guess I need to share this email address: boyde@michigan.gov - an assistant who will surely see that the governor gets the message.

Love and good cheer to all. Keep praying and remember, God helps him/her who helps himself/herself!
I guess I'm feeling a bit tonight! Keep the faith friends; we'll get there.

Granholm Doesn't Care About, or Listen to, Residents...

...READ IT in The Saginaw News. The Governor doesn't listen to the whole story and she doesn't care! While running around the world on taxpayer dollars under the guise of creating jobs, and declaring 'cool cities' so she can give away more of the taxpayers' hard-earned money, she loves to smile for the camera along with a few residents (usually children) but certainly is NOT listening to the residents!

Governor, you may think you're 'winning battles' through your power of veto but you may very well be 'losing the war' for attaining a second term! President Bush recently said 'Government doesn't make jobs, people do.' ...and he's right, even if he is a Republican!

What do you think you will attain by bringing Japanese car building to Michigan? I'll tell you - You are doing the competition a favor while demolishing local industry! Isn't that happening already with Delphi and General Motors?

What do you think you will attain if you veto HB-4617S-4?

• You might satisfy a few 'old-style' environmental extremists for another day. Do you realize the new environmentalist style is to work WITH the polluter, just as Jim Sygo and Lt. Governor Cherry have been doing? This action does NOT satisfy your old-style environmental friends. Your old environmental friends are never satisfied.
• You will allow MDEQ to continue to devalue residential property with their dictatorial, non-scientific practices. Do you realize that the Michigan Department of Public Health study published last summer showed that fully 34% of the residential properties that MDEQ declared 'facilities' in that study did NOT contain dioxin? Read my commentary about it here.
• You will continue to drive jobs OUT of Michigan.

Governor Granholm, don't you realize that we ALL care about our environment? We just don't think you should allow the MDEQ to denigrate tax-paying property owners in the State of Michigan by saying we live in toxic waste dumps without proving it. Pass the Homeowners' Rights legislation and make MDEQ admit we still live in the United States of America and we are actually innocent until proven guilty!

Residents: Don't let her threat to veto HB-4617S-4 discourage you! Let her know how you feel.

• The phone number is 517-335-7858
• Fax: 517-335-6863
• email: go to http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21995-65331--,00.html and fill in the form. It will be tallied.
• It's a bit late for snail mail but send it anyway! Constituent Services Division, 111 S. Capitol Ave., Lansing, MI 48909

Tell Governor Granholm to Sign Homeowners Rights Bill Today

How to contact Governor Granholm - below and in right panel.
What does Len have to say about the bill? - Listen to Len
What does Shirley have to say? - Listen to Shirley
... read this article if you are still not convinced..
...or read Our View: Granholm needs to protect homeowners in today's Midland Daily News.
... then go here and tell the governor to sign HB-4617S-4
or tell her by phone at 517-335-7858

HB-4617 was passed by our ELECTED representatives

A small special interest group wants to stop it in it's tracks! We can't let that happen. Local environmental extremists want to keep the dioxin scare-factor going along the Tittabawassee River floodplain and on into the Saginaw Bay. They do NOT believe in sound science. They're trying to scare us by pulling out the old 'babies & pregnant women' card. They neglect the fact that thousands of babies were born to pregnant women along the Tittabawassee during the past century with no defects or diseases caused by dioxin in the soil. Please contact Governor Granholm now and tell her you support the Homeowners' Rights legislation House Bill 4617. Tell her to sign the bill and show her support for Michigan homeowners.

• Contact Governor Granholm via email: Governor Jennifer Granholm
• Fill in the online Opinion Form and tell Governor Granholm to sign HB-4617 : Governor Granholm's Opinion Form
• Phone the Governor at (517) 335-7858 - Constituent Services
• Fax Governor Granholm at: (517) 335-6863
• Write to Governor Granholm confirming your support for the Homeowners' Rights legislation, HB-4617, as amended by the Senate: Constituent Services Division, 111 S. Capitol Ave., Lansing, MI 48909

Grassroots Action Needed...

...to protect our backyards from government invasion! Our legislators got it going. HB-4617 passed in the House of Representatives; the Senate reviewed it and made a few changes, so now it's back to the House for approval of the changes... then off to Governor Granholm. If you want to read it, here is the document:

• HB-4617, As Passed Senate, December 7, 2005

The Lone Tree Gang is running scared now! I don't know why they want DEQ vilifying us with their assumptions about contamination in our residences... I don't know why they want non-elected bureaucrats from DEQ running our State... I don't know why they don't believe in sound science... but now Lone Tree is once again twisting words around to make their little group's goals sound like truth! They have launched a last desperate attempt to get Governor Granholm to veto the bill!

We the people have spoken. Our elected legislators heard us and responded with legislation to keep the Department of Environmental Quality from making assumptions about our residential properties without ever seeing any samples of our property. Now the few 1970's-based environutz want the Governor of Michigan to go against our desires. We need to contact her and let her know that our elected representatives actually represent us! We need to tell Governor Granholm that we want the Homeowners' Rights bill (HB-4617 as amended by the Senate) passed.

Contact Governor Granholm. Tell her we feel it is imperative to get this legislation passed, not just to protect the homeowners but to protect our jobs here in Michigan!

• Phone Governor Granholm: (517) 373-3400 or (517) 335-7858 - Constituent Services
• Send Governor Granholm an email sharing your opinion or you can go to: http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21995-65331--,00.html and fill in the opinion form provided. It will go via email to the governor's office.
• Fax Governor Granholm at: (517) 335-6863
• and then write to Governor Granholm confirming your support for the Homeowners' Rights legislation, HB-4617, as amended by the Senate: Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, P.O. Box 30013, Lansing, Michigan 48909
• Send me a copy of your letter, email or fax so I can compile our efforts. Our email address is tittabawasseeriver@yahoo.com .

Here's what the form looks like. Click on it and see what I sent via that form today. You don't have to say much. She just wants to know what WE want! Just tell her how you feel about the issue.

Maybe then we can truly relax and enjoy the good life here along the Tittabawassee River floodplain! ...and let us not forget, people - the Lone Tree Gang are the people who believe in freedom of speech, as long as they are the ones speaking!!!! The Lone Tree Gang is the gang who told ME to shut up at a public meeting! Let's show them that the majority still rules. Let's encourage the governor to pass this legislation.

FYI - Re: Senate Bill 390...

SB 390, known as the Homeowners' Rights bill, just today passed in the Senate! Chalk another one up for the good guys! Don't know all the details yet but

• I DO know there were some changes made. The changes were made to clarify things.
• I DO know that the polluter doesn't 'get out of' anything.
• The bill now goes back to the House because of the changes, of course.

Will keep you posted as things progress...

While I'm here, in case you haven't read it yet, I think you should read what Russ Harding had to say in this article - A Taking by Any Other Name. Harding, as always, tells it like it is. We are all aware of the DEQ involvement in all aspects of just about every homeowner in Michigan... from the wetlands to the sand dunes, from our underground water to our riverside and lakeside properties, and even in the cities. Read what he has to say about it.

Meanwhile, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas (if I don't get back here before then)

I continue chugging along and doing alright, healthy, comfortable and contented to be living here along the Tittabawassee River floodplain.

more on the 'homeowner's rights' bill...

I read this in The Saginaw News earlier today and just found it online: Goschka bill angers activists. Golly gee... now is that news or what? There isn't much that doesn't anger them, is there? I don't think I've ever seen a member of the Lonetree gang smile, actually.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Why do I not blog as often as I did before, you ask? A word to my female friends - Appreciate your husband. You will not realize how much he does around the house until he is gone!

Today I had to bring in the trash can & recycling box - yes it was garbage day & who do you think takes it out? Yesterday my mom & I took one of my sisters out for her birthday dinner. Tomorrow, as usual, I am grandma so of course, this is where we have Thanksgiving dinner. Today my turkey is partially thawed... My house is partially cleaned...

..and today my boat was partially uncovered (thanks to the abnormally constant winds this year). #1 son-in-law had covered it but the twine was no match for Mother Nature's wrath! I planned to wait for the sons-in-law to cover it tomorrow but today the snow began... again. Don't want to cover a snow-filled boat so I covered it. The guys can fine tune it tomorrow.

I should be preparing for tomorrow's big dinner but first... You know how the environutz rely on rodent tests to 'prove' they are right whenever they want to get in the news? I quote Bruce Ames, Ph.D. and Lois Swirsky Gold, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley - "No human diet can be free of naturally occurring chemicals that are rodent carcinogens. Of the chemicals that people eat, 99.99% are natural."

Last year the American Council on Science and Health provided us with an analysis of our all-American Thanksgiving dinner! Here for your reading pleasure is... ACSH Holiday Dinner Menu. Thank you Dr. Neill! I really haven't had time to read all my favorite webs as often as I did in the past... and ACHS Health is one of my favorites!

Today I am for my wonderful family and friends!

The solution to pollution is dilution...

While the Class action dioxin case heads to higher court one more time, as reported in the Midland Daily News 11/15/2005, our friend Bill ponders the deeper problem of actually cleaning up dioxin from the river. Here for our reading pleasure is, once again, guest blogger, Bill Egerer.


***************

RIVER CLEANUP - Alternatives

by Bill Egerer, Midland Matters

Representatives of environmental groups keep beating the drums for river dredging as the solution to the dioxin issue. They point out human health and $800 million of economic benefits are compelling reasons to dredge. They highlight EPA dredging of Fox River, WI as the model Saginaw Valley should follow. Yet, growing coalitions of people think 'leave it alone' is the best solution. Eventually, this wide gap in approaches must be reconciled and hopefully science will be the determinate in any public policy decisions.

Until the science studies are complete, our region should consider economic development approaches to solve this issue. Science is great, but money is the bigger magnet to bring people together. Two alternatives to dredging are proposed in a quest to solve the dioxin issue. As additional benefits, these plans bring the Tri-Cities together in economic development harmony and put our region on the world map in a positive light.

We need to get our heads out of the sand and think creatively to replace dredging with draining and flooding.

IDEA #1 - DRAIN THE WATERSHED
If the area's rivers were drained and left free of water, we could have shore to shore testing and dirt scooping going on for years and overcome any unemployment in the region. THEN, we encapsulate the entire dry bed areas; must be over 500 miles of winding troughs, channels and wide bank ditches. This guarantees the nasty dioxin molecules are sealed forever (or at least until concrete resealing job is needed). The exact volume of concrete required is unknown, but local excavation companies would smile.

THEN, and this is the real exciting part, the whole river system area becomes a world class Olympic training ground for luge and bobsledding sports in the winter. Consider the economic windfall for the region!! The straight away along the downtown Saginaw area would be a wild ride if we left the Genesee and other bridge supports in place.

A champion could run the luge from Midland Tridge (where entrances fees are collected of course) all the way to the Saginaw Bay and even across over into Thumb area via the ice.

During the summers, it would be converted to the world's largest skateboard park system and be an intra-city transportation system for bikers and roller blade babes.

Plenty of riverbank areas for event viewing. It would make the fantastic Bay City fireworks event look like a opening prayer compared to this Vatican Council of economic transformation. I think the Governor could campaign on this one.

IDEA #2 - FLOODING
The solution to pollution is dilution. We should buy land in the surrounding high elevation areas so we could cash in when we flood the Saginaw Valley area creating a sixth Great Lake. People love lakes and want to protect them. Everyone is chasing manufacturing and research; but few states can draw a foot from their other lakes to create a great lake like we can. Again, the Governor could wear her bikini and the Lt. Governor a Speedo as part of their "wet and wild" re-election tour. Four Winns and others water sports manufacturers could get behind this one.

BOTTOM LINE ........ the Environmentalists harping for dredging are operating in the stone age. Plans to DREDGE pale to DRAINING or FLOODING. The Green Party needs to get with the times and start turning environmental messes into REAL Greenbacks.

MDEQ and Dow held a meeting Wednesday...

..and I was there. They spoke to a crowded room... even had to bring in more chairs and folks stood around in the back. Great cookies! Thanks, Dow. Since both sides held true to the agenda, you can read the agenda and other information here.

The meeting was informative although, true to form, MDEQ took up more time than necessary to get their point across. They proudly showed us how they use modern technology in the form of Google Earth. Good job, guys! Now if you could just get your boss, King Steve, to use sound science in your analyses...!!! Where was Steve Chester, anyway? Is he afraid he might develop a case of chloracne from visiting along the Tittabawassee River floodplain? Oh, that's right... those of us who actually LIVE here don't have any adverse symptoms, do we?

Dow brought us up to speed on progress... with the near-completion of Festival Park and placing of new signs. The park looks great... a wonderful ramp for the handicapped and fishing docks... a winding path throughout the park. Even the cobblestone wall is pretty but my personal opinion says walls do not have a place in parks! All I know is that when a guy on our lake up north put up a fence, he rerouted the turkey and deer from their normal pathways.

Apparently they are getting rid of the ugly yellow signs I've complained about in the past... replacing them with more permanent ones. Don't you think the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality should wait until we find out if there is any relationship between dioxin in the soil and dioxin in people who actually live here before putting up signs? As I've said before, those signs seem to be placed with the intention of scaring people away from the parks!

The litigious environutz sure seem anxious to get lots of things done before the U of M study results are complete!!! Is there something they know... or suspect..... that they don't like? Anyway, the City of Midland has the right idea. Don't put up signs warning against something until we know there is something the public needs to be warned about! Read New warning signs at local launch, by Kathie Marchlewski, published in the Midland Daily News yesterday.

Speaking of litigious environutz, they sure seemed even angrier than usual Wednesday. Why... I can't figure. Apparently even they are getting tired of all the bureacratic hoopla about nothing. Now that they have their class action status...Oh! I get it... they want money... NOW! You don't suppose Mrs. Henry wants to take down that scarey sign she has right next to the road so she can actually dump that little house of hers, do you?

You know, most of us are conscientous about our environment. We care. We want to keep it clean. People like the Lone Tree gang give the word 'environmentalist' a bad name. I've begun to feel that my condemnation of those out-of-date 1970's fanatics spreads an impression that I am anti-environment. This is not true. For that reason I've done a great deal of reading lately. Imagine my delight upon learning about the 21st century environmentalism. Here, for your reading pleasure I recommend... in the order listed:

1. The Toxicity of Environmentalism Written in 1990, it was just republished in October 2005.
2. The New Environmentalism I quote from this website: 'A project of Reason Foundation that identifies and promotes innovative approaches to addressing serious environmental challenges and creating a society of self-motivated environmental stewards'
3. Ten Principles of the New Environmentalism - just because I found this first and thought it made sense.

There are many things to read about the new (or I might say real environmentalism) but so as not to overwhelm you, I'll share more later! Meanwhile, here I am in the Tittabawassee River floodplain... happy and healthy... speaking out for the rest of my neighbors who just keep encouraging me to continue! By the way, here's my personal opinion about parks in general... they should be natural, not concrete, stone and tarvey top! I like Festival Park and the improvements but really! I hope DEQ doesn't force Dow to improve all of our parks because too much concrete can not possibly be good for the environment. If it scares away the wildlife it's not my idea of a park.

As they say in the movies, 'Pick your poison.'

This woman could just as well be standing by the Tittabawassee River, don't ya think? It's just something I dug out of my personal archives... a friend sent it to me a while back.

Don't forget the DEQ/Dow 'townhall' meeting in Saginaw at the Horizon's Conference Center this evening. It's from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. with a chance to talk with Dow and DEQ personnel a half hour before and a half hour after the meeting.

Michigan State University have reported back to participants in a study they recently completed. Quoting this report, 'The goal... was to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of using citizen issue forums to engage local citizens in an exploration of contamination cases such as the Tittabawassee dioxin issue.' MSU is currently completing the technical report which is expected to be issued by EPA early next year.

Although researchers originally knocked on 1,042 doors, 378 answered the survey. If they were not involved in groups already involved in the dioxin issue (like Tittabawassee River Voice or Lonetree), they were invited to be in the forum. 348 were invited to participate; 145 agreed to attend forums; and only 53 actually participated!

I mentioned this study last week and now I'm here to tell you it's really not all that bad! First of all, it would appear the small neighborhood forum type of meeting works pretty well. These people had some pretty good ideas! More later...

Quicky Update...

Homeowner Fairness Act moving through Senate

'The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed Bill 390, deemed the "Homeowner Fairness Act," with a bipartisan vote of 11-2.
If the bill makes it through the entire Senate, it would amend Part 201 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, which designates properties having hazardous substances as "facilities."'

Class-action waters muddy

'Even as attorneys prepare a mass mailing, Dow officials have vowed to challenge Borrello's decision before the Michigan Court of Appeals. Spokesman Scot Wheeler said attorneys will file an appeal sometime this month.'

Dow asks judge to stop class-action


Preparations needed against avian flu outbreak, Sunday, November 06, 2005, NEILL D. VARNER

I'll be back!

It's not about dioxin... again...

Giant zebra mussels? I had to share this photo of the lower walkway at the new Festival Park. I think it's SO cool the way the fence shadows show up on the rocks!

This morning, the newsfeed with my morning coffee announced: Dioxin survey tests public input - an article in today's Saginaw News.

Aha! At that point I recalled something litigant Gary Henry said during his comments at the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners meeting last week! He mentioned tests (plural) proving 'most people are afraid of dioxin in their yards.' He also mentioned EPA and MSU as though they were among several organizations doing such testing...obviously using the environmentalist extremists' favorite tactic of muddying the facts with fiction based on truth. Read the article and know a bit more of the truth.

A few points I gleaned from the article:

• The study, sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was actually done by Michigan State University. (Based on environmental extremist 'logic' this means the MSU study must be biased in favor of the EPA's point of view (FYI - environmental extremists' just love EPA!)
• Purpose of the study was not to solve the dioxin problem but to discover the best way to talk about it.
• The most effective meeting format was an "issue forum" (round table).
• These forums took place July and August 2004.
• Nine neighborhoods were involved. (The article doesn't say where.)

• Researchers knocked on more than 1000 doors.

  378 people answered survey.

  145 residents said they would participate in a forum.

  Only 53 people out of those +1,000 people from nine neighborhoods actually attended the meetings.

As far as I can tell, the only thing that this study proved is that most people do not know or care about the dioxin issue. Participants already have copies of the report and the report will be submitted to EPA later this week. Well! The litigious few (the Henry's) get their information before the EPA? How skewed do you think this 'study' is, anyway? Folks, this is typical of the pseudo-science those people like to use to scare the general public into believing in their goals. They use environutty-logic to tell their environutty-truth!

If I hadn't delved deep into the center of all that pile of newspaper this afternoon I wouldn't have found the Agenda for the MDEQ/Dow meeting scheduled for November 6 November 9. It was hidden on the left-hand bottom of The Saginaw News Section E, page 5 - next to a couple of big ads and below a small article about fixing toilets. In case you missed it, or can't find it, I wrote about the meeting yesterday right here.

When in doubt, check us out! I remain, vibrantly healthy and vocal, your best source of facts vs. environutty-facts along the Tittabawassee River floodplain!

Dioxin Along the Tittabawassee River - Weekend Wrap-up

Actual residents along the Tittabawassee River floodplain won one this week when the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution to formally support House Bill 4617 and Senate Bill 390 - commonly referred to as the homeowners' rights bills. HB4617 was passed in Michigan's House of Representatives by a strong bi-partisan vote of 77-29 on June 29 this year.

We, the people, were represented by an array of long-term residents from all walks of life at the Board's meeting Tuesday, October 25. We have one thing in common. We step across political and socio-economic lines to support legislation that will keep government officials from labeling our homes and property without actually testing it.

Barrie Barber wrote a good account of the meeting, published in the Saginaw News, Thursday October 27. Commissioners give dioxin measure a boost

Remember that August 24 Townhall Meeting (MDEQ and Dow sponsored)? I had questions and with all that DEQ power attending, they couldn't answer my simple questions at that time. They had to take them back to the office to ponder. Here are the answers as I received them via email Tuesday October 25 - two months after I handed my list of questions over to them!!!

MDEQ announced the first quarterly Community Meeting addressing the challenges related to the mid-Michigan dioxin and furan situation. Open to the public, the meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 9, 2005, at the Horizons Conference Center, 6200 State Street, Saginaw from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

• Read the complete MDEQ press release here.
• Find the Agenda and related materials here.

I remain yours truly, comfortable, healthy, and enjoying my backyard along the Tittabawassee River floodplain. Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour tonight and Happy Halloween!

FYI - Something to think about. Assorted 'defenders of the people's rights' are getting rid of Christ and all things Christian in public places. Don't y'all think it's about time to make Halloween illegal? I believe it has something to do with witches and their kind. Seems to me Wikka is a 'religion' - ??? Hey! ACLU!!! Go for it!!!