Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (WWJ) – A woman is dead and a man is critically injured after being shot while sitting in their car.

 

WWJ’s Ron Dewey reports from the scene that a boyfriend and girlfriend were ambushed around 3 a.m. Wednesday near McNichols and Greenfield Road area on Detroit’s west side.  The charred remains of the sedan were sitting along Oakfield near Santa Maria.

 

The gunman shot and killed the woman and shot the man in the face before pouring gasoline on the car and setting it on fire.

 

The man was able to get out of the car and make a run for it.  His assailant gave chase, and tried to set the man on fire, but was unsuccessful. The male victim managed to escape and was taken to an area hospital.  His condition is unknown at this time.

 

The motive remains unclear, and it’s not known if the victims knew the shooter, who escaped in a dark-colored SUV and remains at large.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/19/woman-shot-and-killed-man-injured-while-sitting-in-car/

Add new comment

Category: Breaking News Written by WWJ

 

LANSING (WWJ) – Michigan’s Secretary of State believes there may be thousands of registered voters who can not legally vote.

 

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced Tuesday that there may be as many as 4,000 registered voters who are not U.S. citizens according to new data.

 

Michigan Department of State staff verified that almost 1,000 people who are noncitizens are registered to vote, despite only having access to about 19 percent of complete citizenship data.

 

The new data comes on the heels of some push-back by area election officials in Michigan who are refusing Johnson’s call for them to put a question regarding U.S. citizenship on ballot applications.

 

The Michigan state legislature earlier this summer passed a bill to put the question on the ballot applications but Governor Rick Snyder vetoed it.

 

Johnson said she has asked federal officials for help identifying non-U.S. citizens on the state’s voter rolls but they have not come forward.

 

Noncitizens who inadvertently registered to vote because a government form was put in front of them who vote, can face felony criminal charges or even deportation, no matter how long they have worked toward becoming U.S. citizens, noted the Secretary of State’s office.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/18/secretary-of-state-4000-on-michigan-voter-rolls-may-be-illegal/

Add new comment

Category: Breaking News Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (WWJ) - “Offensive” and “insulting” and “stupid” are just three words Detroit City Council members used to describe Mayor Dave Bing and Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed agreement to turn Belle Isle into a state park.

 

Council has had nearly a week to read over and analyze the plan under which Detroit would maintain ownership with the state and Department of Natural Resources leasing the land under contract.

 

“What we have in front of us is a very flawed proposal. It is one that is rife with lack of detail,” said Councilman James Tate. “What we have in front of us is way beyond disrespect — it’s absolutely …. it’s stupid.”

 

Councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins agreed. ”That document talks about at least five exhibits, and the only exhibit that’s there is the legal description of Belle Isle,” she said. “Are you kidding me? That’s insulting.”

 

Council members said it’s disingenuous for Bing to call the proposed agreement a 30-year lease because the city would have to prove a material breach of contract to take back control of the island in less than 90 years.

 

Councilwoman JoAnn Watson said the agreement shouldn’t even be considered a lease, being that there is no money on the table.

 

All agreed they are in no rush to vote on the proposal.

 

Belle Isle, 985-acre island located midway between Detroit and Windsor, has been owned by the city since 1879. In recent years the island has suffered as Detroit can’t afford needed repairs.

 

Many Detroit residents have spoken out about any proposal to lease the island, some saying such a move would further undermine the rights of citizens who have already lost political clout under a consent agreement with the state.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/18/detroit-council-wont-vote-on-stupid-belle-isle-plan/

Add new comment

Category: Breaking News Written by kwtx.com

 

WASHINGTON (September 18, 2012)—The U.S. Department of Education is awarding $228 million in grants to historically black colleges and universities in 19 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

The schools can use the money to expand their campuses, acquire science equipment, develop counseling programs and train faculty.

 

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the grants will enable historically black colleges to help students who grapple with financial challenges as they pursue post-secondary education.

 

Most of the schools receiving grants are in the South.

 

The largest grants will go to Florida A&M University in Tallahassee; Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, La.; Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss.; and St. Philip's College in San Antonio, which will each receive more than $5 million.

 

http://www.kwtx.com/news/business/headlines/Government-Awards-228-Million-To-Black-Colleges-170252456.html

Add new comment

Category: Breaking News Written by Huffington Post

 

Just hours after Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign attempted an image reboot on Monday, it found itself under attack over a clandestinely recorded video of the candidate describing nearly half the electorate as "dependent on government" because they don't pay federal income taxes, remarks first reported by The Huffington Post and Mother Jones.

 

President Barack Obama's campaign immediately pounced on Romney's claim about "the 47 percent," with campaign manager Jim Messina saying the former Massachusetts governor had "disdainfully written off half the nation."

 

And with at least one pundit suggesting that Romney had just lost the election, the candidate himself hastily called an unscheduled press conference. The substance of his awkwardly delivered response was that his "off-the-cuff" remarks at a May fundraiser in Boca Raton, Fla. were “not elegantly stated,” but that he stood by them.

 

However, many were unimpressed with the Republican candidate's unapologetic stance.

 

"Romney's explanation of his comments may be worse than the comments," said Politico's Roger Simon.

 

"The sickest thing here is that Romney did not, and won't, apologize or say he was wrong in any way," said liberal columnist Michael Tomasky.

 

When Romney chose Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as his vice-presidential running mate, the press predicted a substantial policy debate would ensue. Instead, the Romney camp has attempted to wage what some see as a genuine class war, explicitly dividing society along specific class lines.

 

 

Romney did find some comfort from conservatives after the video was leaked. Erick Erickson, the blogger who created a meme about "the 47 percent" in response to Occupy Wall Street's description of a struggle against "the one percent," suggested that Romney "should double down" because "most Americans agree" with him.

 

But it was small comfort. Bill Kristol, the conservative pundit whose machinations were crucial in Sarah Palin's 2008 vice-presidential nomination, gently joked that Romney should consider stepping down. He took to the Weekly Standard's blog to denounce Romney's comments as "arrogant and stupid."

 

It's worth recalling that a good chunk of the 47 percent who don't pay income taxes are Romney supporters—especially of course seniors (who might well "believe they are entitled to heath care," a position Romney agrees with), as well as many lower-income Americans (including men and women serving in the military) who think conservative policies are better for the country even if they're not getting a tax cut under the Romney plan. So Romney seems to have contempt not just for the Democrats who oppose him, but for tens of millions who intend to vote for him.

It remains important for the country that Romney wins in November (unless he chooses to step down and we get the Ryan-Rubio ticket we deserve!). But that shouldn't blind us to the fact that Romney's comments, like those of Obama four years ago, are stupid and arrogant.

 

Indeed: Has there been a presidential race in modern times featuring two candidates who have done so little over their lifetimes for our country, and who have so little substance to say about the future of our country?

 

Romney's remarks are those rare ones in politics that are even more jarring upon reading the full comment. "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney says in one clip. "All right -- there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them. Who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing."

 

He goes on. "[M]y job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives," Romney adds.

 

If Romney continues to stand by that assertion -- that nearly half of the country is beyond his capacity to redeem -- he risks alienating wide swaths of the electorate: from senior citizens who don't pay federal income taxes because they're exempt (and who largely vote Republican), to the unemployed who don't pay those taxes because they can't.

 

But Romney's caricature of half the country also misunderstands the ebb and flow of most people's lives. Someone who is jobless today, for instance, could have worked for a company that paid into the unemployment insurance system yesterday, and will do so again once they're employed. Most people who rely on public assistance do so for brief amounts of time when misfortune strikes. And unemployment income is taxable. To paint all of those people as "dependent on government" and therefore glued to Democrats is to call into question their basic worth as people striving to make a good life for themselves, their family and their community. It's a strange posture for a candidate asking for their vote.

 

It's also a rather extreme stand, and one contravened by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to assert that people are not entitled to, say, "food." According to the United Nations declaration, to which the United States is a signatory, "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."

 

According to the Tax Policy Center, in 2011, 46 percent of households paid no federal income taxes. (According to Harry Reid, Mitt Romney has been among them in the past.) About half simply didn't make enough money to pay income tax. The other 38 million households are exempt from paying by a variety of specific tax deductions. Nearly half of that latter group, 44 percent, were the elderly eligible for tax breaks. Another 30.4 percent were exempt due to credits for children and the working poor -- breaks long championed by conservatives, most recently President George W. Bush.

 

Aside from the income tax issue, there are millions of Americans who use federal aid but don't see themselves as "dependent" on government. The active-duty soldiers and veterans who spent $100 million on military bases over the last year are just one example.

 

The perception that Romney's remarks showed a man out of touch with reality was worsened by the location of the closed-door fundraiser shown in the video: the private home of private equity manager Marc Leder. According to the New York Post, Leder once hosted a party at the Hamptons where "guests cavorted nude in the pool and performed sex acts, scantily dressed Russians danced on platforms and men twirled lit torches to a booming techno beat." A person with knowledge of Leder's parties confirmed the gist of them to The Huffington Post.

 

"Romney’s comment is a country-club fantasy," opined conservative columnist David Brooks of The New York Times. "It’s what self-satisfied millionaires say to each other. It reinforces every negative view people have about Romney."

 

New York Magazine's Jonathan Chait dubbed Romney a "sneering plutocrat" whose comments "disqualify his claim to the presidency." For TPM's Josh Marshall, it was a "fine distillation of the most rancid version of the libertarian conservative worldview." It was "absolutely devastating," Politico's Ben White concluded.

 

The mainstream media's most respected arbiters piled on. It was his "darkest hour as a candidate," said the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza.

 

For NBC's Chuck Todd, Romney has endured simply "a brutal last three weeks."

 

Clarification: Language has been amended to indicate that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while the basis of much international law, is a non-binding document, and that employees in most states do not directly pay into the unemployment benefits system, employers do.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/18/mitt-romney-video-offends_n_1893343.html?ir=Black%20Voices&utm_hp_ref=black-voices

Add new comment

Category: Breaking News Written by Michigan Chronicle

 

LANSING, Mich. ‒ Gov. Rick Snyder today released a series of YouTube videos and a blog post discussing the six pending ballot proposals that citizens will decide on during the Nov. 6 general election.

 

“I respect the initiative process as a fundamental democratic right, but the proposed constitutional amendments in November’s election have potentially dangerous long-term consequences for Michigan,” Snyder said. “Enshrining these seriously flawed proposals within our constitution would roll back positive reforms that are helping reinvent our state, and I encourage citizens to view them with skepticism.”

 

Snyder also praised the state’s emergency manager law, which faces repeal under Proposal 1, citing the great progress it has already made in turning around financially struggling cities and school districts.

 

“Public Act 4 helps financially struggling cities and school districts to get back on track,” Snyder said. “If the emergency manager law were to go away, debt in those local units of government would continue to pile up, bills would go unpaid, paychecks may not be sent, lights could be turned off, police and fire protection might not be provided, and students would be at risk of not having a school to attend. Michigan needs this law because it helps those communities to efficiently and effectively overcome financial problems and avoid painful long-term solutions, and that is good for all Michiganders.”

 

There are six proposals on the November 6 ballot.

 

·         Proposal 1 will decide whether or not to keep Public Act 4 – the emergency manger law, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Snyder to help financially struggling cities and schools efficiently and effectively get back on a solid financial footing.

 

·         Proposal 2 would put in the constitution the right to organize and bargain collectively through labor unions, eliminating hundreds of existing labor laws in the process. While benefitting only three percent of Michiganders if approved, it would roll back important reforms that help get control of deficits and out-of-control spending and that make sure schools can keep functioning, and that fire and police departments can keep protecting us.

 

·         Proposal 3 would force Michigan to have 25 percent of its electricity come from renewable energy sources by 2025, despite the state already having an unmet goal of generating 10 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2015. It would cost billions to implement, raise electric bills and make Michigan businesses less competitive.

 

·         Proposal 4 would undo a law signed by Gov. Snyder and force Michigan’s 60,000 home health care aides to join a labor union. Those workers would be forced to have union dues withheld on top of the $30 million that was already taken previously. Improving health care in Michigan is important but this is not the right way to improve health care and will be bad medicine for the people of Michigan.

 

·         Proposal 5 would require that any future increases of the tax rate or tax base be approved by either a two-thirds majority of the legislature or a statewide vote. The two-thirds amendment would be detrimental and could stand in the way of reforms that would help us reinvent Michigan. It would give special interests more power and influence and make it more difficult to fund schools, fix our roads, or make sure that our law enforcement officers have the tools they need to protect us. It would also negatively impact bond ratings agencies, which could raise Michigan’s interest costs and make the state look less attractive to job creators.

 

·         Proposal 6 would force a statewide vote for any bridge or tunnel project already under construction, not just the New International Trade Crossing, or any built thereafter. This proposal is really about protecting one billionaire and his special interest monopoly to the detriment of the rest of us, and the costs would be immense. We need the new bridge to Canada -- and a modern infrastructure -- if we want to reinvent Michigan and bring more and better jobs to our state. 

 

 

Add new comment

Category: News Briefs Written by WDIV

 

DEARBORN, Mich. -

Beginning in the fall 2013, students at University of Michigan-Dearborn will have a new option for housing - The Union at Dearborn.

 

The $30-million Urban Campus Communities (UCC) development located at 760 and 780 Town Center Drive, directly across Evergreen Road from the university campus, will include apartments for more than 500 students.

 

The 231,791 square-foot buildings that will be built on the property will be marketed to UM-Dearborn students and will feature space leased by the university for student life activities, including meeting rooms, student gathering spaces, group study rooms, offices for student organizations and a cabaret-style theater.

 

A public groundbreaking and community celebration will be held on site on Monday, Sept. 24, at 3 p.m.

 

“We are excited to be redeveloping this property in Dearborn, in collaboration with UM-Dearborn,” said Larry Winokur, managing member, UCC. “The Union at Dearborn is a great example of how successful public-private collaborations can work to enhance a community and bring new residents into the city. We are thrilled to be working with great Dearborn community institutions, like UM-Dearborn and Ford Land, to make this happen.”

 

“Our students have expressed an interest in housing for many years, so we are pleased that this development allows students the opportunity of adjacent housing to enhance their university experience,” said Daniel Little, chancellor, UM-Dearborn. “With the reduction of state funding and our commitment to minimizing tuition increases, this public-private collaboration will allow the university to continue to invest in its academic mission, while transforming the campus experience for all students. The Union at Dearborn also will provide greater access for students wishing to pursue a Michigan degree in southeastern Michigan.”

 

The Union at Dearborn also will bring a newly revived, 24/7 presence to the community, with economic growth expected for the surrounding businesses. “This is such an exciting development for the City of Dearborn,” said Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. “We are thrilled that UM-Dearborn students soon will be able to call Dearborn home throughout the year and we look forward to welcoming them to our community.”

 

Asset Campus Housing, a leader in the management of student housing facilities nationwide, will manage the property. Leasing is expected to begin in the coming weeks. Room styles will include fully furnished studios, two, three, and four-bedroom options. Final lease arrangements and rental rates will be available in the coming weeks. The facility will feature public laundry on each floor, as well as fitness and collaboration areas. Additional information is available at www.unionatdearborn.com.

 

UCC finalized the purchase of the property from Ford Land on Sept. 13, 2012. The development is privately owned and operated. It is not owned or operated by UM-Dearborn.

 

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/University-of-Michigan-Dearborn-unveils-plans-for-student-housing/-/1719418/16648358/-/ww8gf6z/-/index.html

Add new comment

Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

AUBURN HILLS (WWJ) - More than a month after an accident that left him hospitalized, Oakland County Executive Brooks Patterson has now been ticketed for failing to wear a seat belt.

 

Auburn Hills police officials said Patterson, 73, will have ten days to respond to the ticket which carries a fine of $65.

 

 

Patterson was a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident at Walton and Opdyke roads in August.

 

Patterson, who  suffered several broken bones and a gash to his scalp, was released from the hospital last week and is undergoing rehab.

 

His driver, retired Michigan State Trooper James Cram, has not been issued a ticket. Police said Cram suffered serious injuries and “is not in a position to handle a traffic citation at this time.”

 

The driver of a Volkswagen Passat that struck Patterson’s car has been charged in the crash.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/18/l-brooks-patterson-issued-seat-belt-citation/

Add new comment

Category: Breaking News Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (WWJ) - A federal judge in Detroit says she won’t delay proceeding in the corruption trial of ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and three others amid concerns they can’t get a fair trial.

 

Attorneys for Kilpatrick, his father Bernard, friend Bobby Ferguson and former Detroit water boss Victor Mercado say coverage has been so intense there is no way an impartial jury can be assembled.

 

Ferguson’s attorney on Tuesday brought up a newspaper article out this week that referenced a so-call hold-out juror in a separate case for his client that resulted in a mistrial.   He’s asking for a change of venue.

 

Judge Nancy Edmunds advised the attorneys to file the appropriate paperwork, but said she would not postpone or delay jury selection or the trial.

 

So far, 55 potential jurors have been chosen, including more than a dozen African-Americans and several minorities. Judge Nancy Edmunds wants a total of 66 jurors in the pool, from which 12 jurors and six alternates will be selected to hear the case.

 

Jury selection is expected to wrap up Tuesday.

 

The Kilpatricks, Ferguson and Mercado are accused of a sweeping corruption scheme at Detroit city hall. The government calls it the “Kilpatrick enterprise.”

 

All have pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, bribery and extortion. Kilpatrick was mayor until fall 2008 when he resigned amid what’s known as the text-messaging scandal.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/18/attorneys-want-corruption-case-moved-from-detroit/

 

 

2 comments

Category: Breaking News Written by WWJ

 

LANSING (WWJ) - Two more deaths have been linked to the West Nile Virus in Michigan.  The State Health Department reports an 87-year old man died from the virus in Macomb County and 65-year old man died in Ogemaw County in northern Michigan.

 

That brings Michigan to a total of eight deaths and 160 total cases this year — the highest since the virus first appeared in Michigan in 2002.

 

Angela Minicuci with the Michigan Department of Community Health attributes the spike, at least in part, to the hot, dry summer that created an ideal environment for mosquitoes, which transmit the virus.

 

Minicuci said symptoms of West Nile include high fever, dizziness and drowsiness.

 

More information on West Nile including the latest from state health officials can be found at this link. Go under the ‘testing tables and maps’ link on the left to find an updated map and table of human cases.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/18/michigan-west-nile-death-toll-rises-by-two/

Add new comment