Keeping Your Children Safe The CSA Way: Pay No Attention to the Threat Behind the Curtain

Tuesday , 1, October 2019 Up North Progressive Section 16 Leave a comment

One of the unfortunate realities of attending school in the United States is putting the burden of protecting children from threats of violence while they attend school on everyone but the people responsible. Any instance of any person claiming they want to shoot up a school or bomb a school must be taken as a credible threat, even if they never intended to do so. Schools prepare for violent acts by holding lockdown drills, notifying the authorities of threats, and keeping parents informed of what’s happening. To not go through these steps anymore is criminal negligence.

But that’s not The CSA Way.

Since September 19, 2019, CSA students and teachers of Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy have been terrified as messages scratched into the walls of the bathrooms at the school appeared promising violence on October 2, 2019. The threats included statements that the school would be shot up on October 2nd and it would really happen. CSPA’s method of dealing with the threat was to paint over the scratched messages and keep quiet about it.

The physical messages may be blurred beyond recognition, but the school administrators were unable to erase the images from the minds of the students.

Once the information finally came to the attention of parents, they did what any parent would do in this situation: Took matters into their own hands and got to the bottom of it.

October 2, 2019, is “Count Day” in Michigan. This is one of two days during the school year no school administrator or their office staff wants students to be absent. The number of students in your school that day is how the state of Michigan allocates the funds you need to operate the school and educate students for the school year. Real public school districts are required to spend it all on educating students. For-profit charter schools can spend significantly less and still try to get away with calling themselves a public school.

What this means is for weeks someone has threatened CSA with violence on the day Michigan schools have the highest attendance of the year and the school refused to inform parents what was happening and covered up evidence of the threats so the police had nothing to assess the credibility of the threat.

Parents are furious, especially when they discovered CSPA tried to cover up the threats for weeks. Now Count Day is here, parents refuse to send their kids to school, and the Brighton Police Department only agreed to have police on campus on Wednesday after the uproar from parents would not be silenced.

And parents should never be silenced when it comes to the safety of their children or kept in the dark on any aspect of Charyl Stockwell Academy. Informing parents of threats made to the school is not the only thing CSA likes to keep the public in the dark about.

October 2, 2019, is the last day in Michigan you can enroll your children into a school that will treat shooting threats to your school seriously as a credible threat and keeps you informed of what is happening. Also, Chuck Stockwell won’t get your children’s per-pupil tuition grant.

Extorting Money The CSA Way: New Middle School Bait and Switch

Saturday , 28, September 2019 Up North Progressive Section 16 3 Comments

For-profit Charyl Stockwell Academy likes to call itself a school district even though they don’t have boundaries, an elected school board, nor can they hold elections to approve bonds or millages. Those are methods of funding reserved for real public school districts that have real boundaries and real elected school boards. Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy plans to expand their business to a third building just for the middle school aged customers in 2020.

When for-profit charter schools want to expand, they have to either take out a loan or ask for donations. Sometimes, they even embezzle money from one for-profit charter school to pay for another, and then ask the non-elected board of the first for-profit charter school to call the stolen taxpayer’s school funding a loan so they can avoid paying taxes on the money they embezzled.

Last spring Chuck Stockwell, founder of Charyl Stockwell Academy, decided to show parents of children attending the middle school in 2020 designs for a brand new building at their big fundraiser event, the Beluga Ball. Parents were impressed with the plans for the new school Stockwell promised to break ground that spring, and would be completed in time for fall of 2020. The location for this project was “Brighton Interior Drive just around the corner from the present CSPA campus.” Plans shown to the parents with images and a video consisted of a new, breathtaking modern school with enough land to provide adequate outdoor space for students.

The catch of course was in order to begin construction this new building for the CSA franchise Chuck needed money to fund the project. Parents believing they were getting a brand new school building dug deep and donated funds to CSA.

In August of 2019 while CSA students and parents were conveniently out of sight the local news ran a story that CSA had purchased an office building across the street from the current middle/high school located at 1032 Karl Greimel Drive. Snugly nestled in a developing industrial center, the building is one of those multiple office buildings with all of the surrounding property paved for parking. Behind the office building is a large German-owned factory where they build automobile exhaust systems. On either side of the office building CSA purchased for their new middle school are even more office buildings. The location of this existing structure doesn’t have enough room for any outdoor space for students as described in the plans presented to parents at the Beluga Ball. Chuck didn’t even bother to inform parents of the switch until the story hit the news.

Real estate is one way the for-profit charter school industry turns operating schools into a profitable business. So much taxpayer money now goes into purchasing property for charter schools there are entire real estate firms in the United States dealing exclusively with charter school-related property purchases. Real estate is the new niche investment scheme people use to enrich themselves and buying up property to be converted into for-profit schools is part of the investment plan for many. Don’t forget, Chuck Stockwell’s first charter school partner, Dr. Steve Ingersoll, bought up blocks of Bay City, Michigan, to create his own company town fiefdom using embezzled taxpayer dollars meant to fund his for-profit charter schools. Charter school real estate is so hot there is concern it may be the next real estate bubble to burst.

To the parents of Charyl Stockwell for-profit Charter School: The last day to register your children at a real public school and have the per-pupil tuition grant go to the new school is Wednesday, October 2, 2019. After that day, Chuck Stockwell will get that money no matter where you children attend school for the 2019 – 2020 school year.

Frontline Documentary “Flint’s Deadly Water” Airs Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Monday , 9, September 2019 Up North Progressive Flint Water Leave a comment

In this clip medical team leader, Dr. Shawn McElmurry, describes how the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services chair Nick Lyon responded when a member of the team told him people were going to die if they didn’t have the resources from the state they needed to find the source of the deadly Legionnaire’s disease outbreak .

The Snyder administration needs to answer for this disaster they needlessly created in Flint and tried to cover up.

Michigan’s County Boards of Commissioners Collectively Pass Resolutions Supporting Enbridge Line 5 ALEC-Style

Saturday , 7, September 2019 Up North Progressive Enbridge Line 5 Leave a comment

Michigan Campaign Finance Network published an article about the recent activity with County Boards of Commissioners passing resolutions in favor of building a tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac for housing Enbridge Line 5. Why are these local governments doing this? Because Enbridge wants to build the tunnel, the previous state administration signed a lame-duck session law that said they could, but the new state government that Enbridge worked very hard to make sure didn’t get elected wants to decommission the 65-year-old pipeline that threatens the Straits. So now Enbridge looks to county-level government to give them the support they want.

So far in 2019, eight County Boards of Commissioners have passed a resolution expressing support for the Enbridge Line 5 Tunnel and that without gas from the pipeline, the Upper Peninsula wouldn’t have natural gas for heating. The resolutions are all similar in language and that is because Dickinson County, the first to pass a pro-Enbridge resolution, shared theirs with other counties in the UP. Enbridge claims they did not provide any language for the resolutions passed. During the 2019 Michigan Association of Counties, Enbridge was a major sponsor of the conference. So far this year Enbridge has spent over $100,000 in lobbying fees.

Unfortunately, the slick full page ads insisting Enbridge Line 5 has never had a spill in 65 years and that they provide propane for 65 percent of UP homes for heating are simply not true. The number for how much gas they provide the UP has come down from the 85 percent they used to claim to 65 percent. The reality is Enbridge Line 5 only supplies about 12,000 homes in the central part of the UP. The rest comes from Wisconsin or from Canada via the Soo. As for spills, Enbridge Line 5 has a long history of spills throughout its 65-year history, the only section of pipeline that hasn’t had a spill yet is under the Mackinac Bridge. And let’s not forget the 2010 spill in the Kalamazoo River when a million gallons of oil spilled when Enbridge Line 6B ruptured. Enbridge’s fix for that problem was put in a new pipe with double the capacity of the old pipe.

Options to Enbridge Line 5 supplying the middle section of the UP with natural gas exist and are viable. Insisting that Enbridge must be allowed to put the Great Lakes at risk by providing two rail tanker cars of natural gas per day to 12,000 homes in the UP is the pinnacle of corporate greed and irresponsibility. Families in the UP don’t have to freeze for Enbridge profits if people are willing to look at the options.

Instead, Enbridge funnels money into the state with full-page ads and circumvents the will of Michigan voters who elected people who would work to shut down Line 5 by convincing county-level government, some of which receive no tangible benefit from Line 5 existing (hello, Grand Traverse County?) that supporting Enbridge is in their best interest. They even have Oakland County considering supporting Enbridge Line 5’s plans to dig under the Straits of Mackinac.

It’s time to stop Enbridge’s subterfuge in Michigan and shut down Line 5 for good.

Do You Support Recreational Marijuana Sold in Cadillac? Let the City Council Know Today at 6 PM

Tuesday , 3, September 2019 Up North Progressive Community, Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana Leave a comment

Cadillac City Council will consider an ordinance to allow recreational marijuana businesses to hang their shingle in the city tonight at Cadillac City Hall.

Recreational marijuana became legal in Michigan after a citizens ballot referendum was approved overwhelmingly by the voters of Michigan in the 2018 election. Provided local cities and townships approve recreational marijuana sales in their districts, the state Marijuana Regulatory Agency will begin accepting applications on November 1, 2019.

Some northern Michigan townships, villages and cities have already banned commercial marijuana businesses from opening in their communities. Overall, 506 Michigan communities have said no to recreational marijuana establishments.

The types of businesses that could open include planners for marijuana-themed events, social clubs, and marijuana events. Marijuana retail establishments will be able to make deliveries to homes and clubs.

Medical marijuana will still follow the same rules established after the 2008 medical marijuana law passed. These dispensaries will have a process to follow to convert to recreational businesses.

Your chance to let the Cadillac City Council know if recreational marijuana would be good or bad for the city happens today at 6 PM at the Cadillac City Hall on North Lake Street.

“To Honor the Dignity of Work”

Monday , 2, September 2019 Up North Progressive Community Leave a comment

Todd “Fivehead” Courser Pleads No Contest for Being a Really Crappy Public Servant

Wednesday , 28, August 2019 Up North Progressive Michigan Republicans, Tea Party 2 Comments

Attorney General Dana Nessel announced today in Lansing that former Michigan State House Rep Todd Courser (R – Probably still grousing about the seats) finally plead no contest to Willful Neglect of Duty by a Public Officer. He now faces sentencing on September 16, 2019, where he could receive a fine of $1000 and up to a year in prison. There isn’t a more deserving jerk than good ole “Let them eat Hamburger Helper” Todd.

Todd Courser’s ability to fictionalize his political career began during his campaign in 2014 when he fabricated a story that “somebody” posted fliers all over Lapeer that he was a child molester. Claiming a phantom police report and the authorities would soon get to the bottom of it, Courser defeated his Democratic opponent by 300 votes. Todd Courser and tea party cohort Cindy Gamrat (R-Cutco knives made me the person I am today) wasted no time once they were sworn into the State Legislature with their Contract for Liberty promoting things like freedom to worship (Christian only), all taxes are theft, Life begins as soon as a gleam appears in daddy’s eye, and Common Core will make our children gay.

By the summer of 2015, strange text messages appeared threatening to expose Courser and Gamrat because they were more than just Knights of Christ United in Faith fighting liberalism on the floor of the Michigan State House, they were lovers united by the true love of freedom and lunchtime foot rubs between scarfing McDonald’s french fries.

Suddenly, Todd had to do something to save his job legislating freedom and forcing staff to keep weird hours that made no sense except for spending after hours with Cindy working for Michigan’s 82nd State House District. His mind churned turgidly fabricating something so crazy nobody would believe it, well, some would believe it, yes, of course, they will, maybe, it would distract everyone from the truth. Courser decided to make up an elaborate lie about himself that would prove he wasn’t having an affair with Gamrat because he was too busy being addicted to porn, a flaming homosexual, hired male prostitutes and had sex with them in filthy alleyways behind bars in Lansing, and why not, throw child molester back into the pile as well.

And then we all remember what happened after that.

Today Todd finally did the right thing for once in his ridiculous life and now faces the punishment he deserves.

“Today’s decision by Todd Courser to plead no contest to a one-year misdemeanor may be the wisest decision he has made in years. This case has had a long, torturous history and his decision to acknowledge responsibility for his actions is long overdue.”

Our Attorney General is right, but what most normal people don’t realize is for people like Todd Courser it’s perfectly fine for Christians like him to lie, cheat, have affairs, and insist he needs to stay in office as God intended. Fundamentalist religious fanatics like Courser and Gamrat believe they’re serving a higher purpose for God, therefore they can break as many of God’s commandments as they want as long as there are no more homosexuals, all pregnancies come to full term no matter what, and everyone is just as zealous as they are.

Good riddance, Todd. If there is a merciful God, may this be the last time anyone in Michigan ever has to hear your name mentioned ever again.

Voters Not Politicians Files Motion to Intervene in Response to Republican Lawsuit Designed to Undermine the Will of the People of Michigan

Monday , 12, August 2019 Up North Progressive Elections Leave a comment

Republicans made another last-ditch effort to override the will of Michigan voters on July 30, 2019, when they filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission based on the claim the law infringed on their 1st and 14th constitutional rights. On Monday, August 13, 2019, Voters Not Politicians, the non-profit organization responsible for successfully bringing the state constitutional amendment to a vote giving voters the power to elect the person they wanted to represent them instead of politicians choosing who gets to vote for them, filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit, reaffirming their position the purpose of the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is to provide a nonpartisan process to redraw the state’s congressional districts.

The language for the amendment was the result of 33 town halls held throughout the state to ensure Michigan voters’ voices were heard on how they wanted redistricting to be handled. Thousands of volunteers collected the needed signatures months ahead of schedule despite every roadblock Republicans tried to put in the way. 61 percent of Michigan voters voted yes on Proposal 2 in the 2018 election. VNP Executive Director Nancy Wang stated the overwhelming support showed Michigan wanted a nonpartisan, transparent process to redraw the state’s voting districts.

“Voters made it loud and clear that they support a fair, impartial and transparent redistricting process to ensure that voters choose their politicians – not the other way around. This lawsuit is the latest attempt by the same politicians and special interests who tried to keep the redistricting reform amendment off the ballot, to undermine the voice of voters.”

It’s public knowledge that Republicans in Michigan deliberately redrew districts in 2011 to create an unnatural majority for their party no matter how the people of Michigan voted. Republicans celebrated their backroom secret meetings where politicians had direct input on where the lines to their districts would be drawn to ensure they would get re-elected regardless of the will of voters Michigan.

Article IV, section 6, of the Michigan Constitution, only bars a small group of politicians, staff, immediate family members, and lobbyists from serving on the Citizens Redistricting Commission for six years after their last term of office. They can still participate in public hearings required by the new law and had the opportunity recently to provide feedback to the Secretary of State on the language used in the application for commission members. There are still plenty of opportunities for everyone regardless of party or family affiliation to participate in the process. The ban for serving on the commission is temporary, so it would be possible for elected officials and their family members to apply for a seat on the commission in the future.

It’s clear Daunt v. Benson is an excuse for Republicans to stall the execution of the law that the majority of the people of Michigan overwhelmingly favor, with the usual deep pockets spearheading the effort.

Secretary of State Benson’s work to maintain the required timeline for establishing the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission continues. Voters Not Politicians continue to defend the will of Michigan voters who voted to make the commission a permanent process in the state’s elections. VNP appreciates any support in their efforts to keep the power of elections in the hands of voters where it belongs.

Today is the LAST DAY to Offer Feedback on Language and Guidelines for the Citizens Redistricting Commission

Friday , 9, August 2019 Up North Progressive Elections, Gerrymandering The Vote, Michigan Republicans Leave a comment

The Citizens Redistricting Commission is all about putting the power of elections in Michigan back into the hands of the people where it belongs. The period for providing feedback on language and guidelines ends today, August 9, 2019. You can read a draft of the proposed application here and offer feedback by emailing the Secretary of State at Redistricting@Michigan.gov

A group of 15 Republicans filed suit against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in Lansing On Tuesday, July 30, 2019, claiming their constitutional rights are being violated by the new Citizens Redistricting Commission. Their suit claims that the new law violates their first and fourteenth amendment rights for free speech because they are not currently eligible to serve on the commission.

Barely a month has gone by since Justice Roberts handed down the 5 to 4 majority decision that disputes over partisan gerrymandering are not for the courts to decide, but a problem solved through the political process. On November of 2018, Voters Not Politicians used the political process to bring a ballot initiative to the voters of Michigan, and through that political process, the independent citizens redistricting commission became enshrined in the state of Michigan Constitution.

Voters Not Politicians director of campaigns and programs made the following statement in response to the GOP’s frivolous lawsuit:

“It’s no surprise that politicians – who directly benefit from drawing their own election maps and choosing their own voters – want to undermine the voice of voters again. Now that citizens are in charge of a fair, impartial redistricting process, we know that some politicians who will lose power to draw maps in secret for their own benefit will make a last-ditch effort to hold on to it. Michigan is one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation, but voters pushed back by overwhelmingly supporting the new redistricting amendment so voters choose their politicians – not the other way around. We’re confident that the proposal will survive any and all legal challenges, just as it did from many of these same politicians on the way to the ballot.”

The case is frivolous as the Citizens Redistricting Commission is now part of the state of Michigan Constitution. It cannot be struck down even if the court decides the rule about elected officials, lobbyists, and family members having too much influence is unconstitutional.

If you have time today before the feedback period ends, please take a look at the draft proposal for the application and let the Secretary of State know what you think.

49 out of 83 Counties Are Holding Off-Election Year Votes on August 6, 2019: Yours Could Be One of Them!

Saturday , 27, July 2019 Up North Progressive Elections Leave a comment

It’s the summer of 2019 and the last thing you’re thinking about is heading to the polls in a little over a week to vote. Guess again! There are numerous townships, school districts, libraries, cities, and other important local elections coming up and you need to go vote if you live in one of these districts. Click on the happy voter over in the upper right-hand corner and you will be taken to the Secretary of State’s list of counties holding elections on August 6, 2019.

Elections in Michigan are much different than they used to be. Michigan voters wanted voting to be easier, and now you can vote using an absentee ballot for the rest of your life for no other reason than the convenience of voting by mail. Not registered to vote? You can do that on August 6, 2019, if you need to. No picture ID? No problem! You can sign an affidavit and vote with a provisional ballot. It will be counted because it’s the law.

So check the list of counties holding elections this August 6, 2019, and get out there and vote!