The Rochester Hills Public Library is proud to announce a new delivery service for residents of Rochester, Rochester Hills, and Oakland Township who are physically unable to come to the library because of a temporary or permanent disability. Books By Mail provides materials mailed directly to your home at no charge. Customers can request items which are sent in special canvas bags and include pre-paid return postage and a return label. Ann Kolon, a resident who uses this service, says “It is so exciting when I see the postman coming with my new materials from the library. I love to open my package and see what has been sent to me. My choices include everything from mysteries to historical novels to the latest bestsellers. This service is more than convenient – it’s a lifesaver.” This new service was made possible by the generosity of the family and friends of Ruth Biggs, a former home delivery customer.  [more]

Casandra Ulbrich, the Democratic candidate for the 12th Michigan Senate District, met with about a dozen women, most of them small-business owners, in Rochester Aug. 30. The event was hosted by Diane Young, president of The Athena Group.

Ulbrich, who lives in Rochester Hills, is completing a four-year term on the state Board of Education. The first person in her family to earn a college degree, she is currently working on a Ph. D. at Wayne State University, where she is employed as the director of corporate and foundation relations.

She is seeking to fill the seat that will be vacated by term-limited Sen. Mike Bishop (R-Rochester). Her opponent is Rep. Jim Marleau (R-Orion Township). Due to term limits, there is a possibility that as few as two women could be elected this fall to serve in the state senate, Ulbrich said.
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The Rochester African American Parent Network (RAAPN) held their first ever Fall Kick-off for the 2010-2011 school year Saturday morning at the Rochester Community Schools Administration Center.

The RAAPN is part of the African American Parent Networks across Oakland County working in partnership with Oakland Schools and the Rochester Community School District. The RAAPN was formed to help bridge the academic achievement gap by stimulating academic excellence and social development through strong networking.
More than 50 people gathered to hear an eclectic group of academic leaders addresses Academic Excellence, Social Success, Parental Involvement and Partnerships with Rochester Community Schools.

Mr. Dave Pruneau, Supererintendent RCS, opened the event with encouraging words and full support within his power. He said everyone in the room shares a common goal, “a 0% failure rate in the Rochester school district.” Jerrii Moore, Trustee RCS Board of Education, fully agreed. Moore said, “We don’t want the kids to meet the minimum requirements; we want them to surpass them.”
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Citizens groups shined a spotlight today on Rocky Raczkowski’s record on equal pay for women, an issue he has opposed even though it strengthens working families in these tough economic times.

The event comes on the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified on Aug. 26, 1920, that gave women the right to vote. The event also comes a month after a conservative speaker likened unmarried, single women to welfare recipients during a July fundraiser for Raczkowski’s congressional bid.

“First Rocky Raczkowski insults women, then he wants to cut our pay – that’s not a man Oakland County families want in Congress,” said AFL-CIO Senior Field Representative, Brenda Moon. “When women succeed, families become stronger, communities become stronger and our economy becomes stronger. Rocky Raczkowski clearly doesn’t get it, and for that, he doesn’t deserve the support of Oakland County families.”


As a Lansing politician in 2001, Raczkowski voted against a plan that would have established a state commission on pay equity that would help bring male and female workers’ wages in line. Senate Bill 234 amendment, 5/30/2001).
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Oakland County Executive, Brooks Patterson, Oakland County Prosecutor, Jessica Cooper, Oakland County Sheriff, Michael Bouchard and Oakland County Clerk, Ruth Johnson participated in a joint press conference in the Oakland County Executive Offices to announce that Patterson has directed his staff to prepare a petition asking the Circuit Court to impanel a one-man grand jury to investigate whether the former Political Director of the Oakland County Democratic Party, Jason Bauer, committed any crimes, including election fraud, misconduct in office, uttering and/or publishing and obstruction of justice.
Patterson expected the petition to be filed in Oakland County Circuit Court this week.

Patterson focused his statement on the allegedly forged signature on the Affidavit of Identity of Aaron Tyler. According to Ruth Johnson, the signature on the affidavit did not match the signature on Tyler’s voter registration record.
Patterson stated, “There are people who are attempting to subvert the political process for their own ends by engaging in apparent criminal activity to undermine the upcoming general election. What has occurred is nothing but a brutish attempt to confuse the voters and drain away potential Republican votes in races where Democrats are in danger of losing in the upcoming November election.”

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The following statement was made by chair Mike McGuinness at tonight’s regularly scheduled executive board meeting of the Oakland County Democratic Party:

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve as chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party and I’ve enjoyed my time in that role. Because of a new professional opportunity, effective tonight, I’m resigning my position as chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party. I want to thank everyone who I’ve had the chance to serve with and support in my time as chair.”
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Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson Alleges Second Fraudulent Affidavit

Yesterday in Lansing the Michigan Board of Canvassers confirmed that there are enough valid signatures for The Tea Party to appear on the Michigan ballot. When the board voted on a motion as to whether there were sufficient valid signatures and whether the petition was proper in its form, the board voted 2-2, therefore the motion failed to pass. The two Republicans on the board voted no and the two Democrats voted yes. The vote was met with cheers from those in the audience, which was almost exclusively made up of self-proclaimed tea party “members.”
According to Mark Steffek’s attorney, Michael Hodge of Miller Canfield, he will be in the Court of Appeals, probably on Wednesday, to appeal the board’s decision. Hodge told reporters outside the hearing room that the petition was validated by the Secretary’s of State’s office, “60,000 people in the state of Michigan signed that petition and the Secretary of State’s office just made the determination that the signatures are valid. There are sufficient valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.”
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In reaction to the allegations made by Oakland County Clerk, Ruth Johnson at a Friday press conference, The Oakland County Democratic Party held an emergency board meeting on Sunday night in a local restaurant. At the press conference Ruth Johnson announced that she was in possession of a letter from an Aaron Tyler, who had supposedly signed an Affidavit of Identity and Receipt of Filing to put his name on the November ballot as a Tea Party candidate for the Oakland County Commission. The form was notarized by Jason Bauer, political director for the Oakland County Democratic party. The allegation is that the candidate signature on the affidavit was forged and Bauer notarized the signature. Johnson has forwarded the information to the Oakland County Prosecutor, Jessica Cooper and Attorney General, Mike Cox for possible prosecution.

According to Michael McGuinness, Chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party, the Executive Board accepted the resignation of Jason Bauer, the party’s Director of Political Operations. Bauer’s resignation was effective immediately. In a statement issued by the OCDP, the OCDP Executive Board said, “We are saddened by this situation, but cannot condone his alleged actions. For the sake of the organization, we must part ways effective immediately.”
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The last American combat troops have left Iraq, but the legacy of the war has left many innocent victims, many of them women and children who have lost their husbands and fathers and their only means of financial support.

Deyar Nasiri was born in the United States, went to Baghdad, Iraq when she was two years old and returned to the United States in 1998. She and her family settled in Rochester Hills. Deyar has a Bachelor’s degree in physics. Her husband is a mechanical engineer who is currently unemployed due to the economic downturn. Nasiri’s father, sister and brother still live in Baghdad. While looking for a way to help support her family she came across a unique business, Prosperity Candles.

Prosperity Candles was started by Amber Chand of Boston. Chand is also a refugee from India, so helping the women of Iraq is very personal. The goal of the company is to provide an opportunity to women in distressed area of the world to start their own businesses in order to support their families. In most cases the women are widows due to the war in Iraq and their Prosperity Candle business is their sole means of financial support. The business model calls for expanding into other distressed countries in the world, such as Afghanistan, Haiti and Rawanda.
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Do tax Cuts Pay For Themselves? Should the Bush Tax Cuts Be Allowed to Expire?

In a recent conversation the question of whether tax cuts pay for themselves was first put to Congressional candidate Rocky Raczkowski, to which Raczkowski responded, “Ten-fold, yes, I do. Ten-fold is an exaggeration, but they do. They grow the economy and they spur the economy and you have residual effects, positive residual effects all the way down.” This is basically the Reagan era economic theory of trickle-down economics, or as author Jim Hightower refers to it, tinkle-down economics.

Dr. Ravi Batra, an economist at Southern Methodist University, said, “That statement is totally misleading and either the person knows that it’s misleading or he is totally ignorant of how the economy works. It’s laughable.” Batra is the author of several books on economic policy, the latest of which is The New Golden Age - The Coming Revolution Against Corruption and Economic Chaos.

Jobs and the economy seem to be the two big issues on everyone’s minds as we enter this election season. There is a lot of economic propaganda out there on television and on talk radio.

The Tea Party activists and Republicans are telling voters that spending is out of control and taxes are still too high. Democrats are saying things are getting better; the investments that have taken place saved jobs and kept the economy from falling into a great depression.
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