Conversation with Campaign Volunteer

Last night I had the most delightful conversation with a young man who was out going door to door campaigning for Mary Valentine, Candidate for Michigan State Senate, 34th District. That would be my district.

It just happens that I have been acquainted with Mary before she entered politics. We attended the same church and I can say that Mary Valentine is a very nice, kind and caring person.

So my conversation with this young man went something like this.

I really like Mary as a person but I can't vote for her. The young man asked why. I told him that as a citizen/employer, it's my duty to look at each candidates resume, the literature he had just handed me, and if I found that what the candidate was promising violated the Michigan Constitution and Bill of Rights, (Job Description) then I could not vote (hire) that person.

He asked if I could point out for him where Mary Valentine in her literature did that. I said that Mary supports government union employees. Mary is a retired Speech Therapist and retired from Reeths-Puffer Schools in 2006. First and foremost, Mary is going to work for the Teachers Union.

Then I explained to this nice young man that we have always been self-employed. As the self-employed, we do not enjoy someone else paying for our healthcare benefits or contributing half of our retirement. The self-employed must pay 100% of their own PLUS pay for government employees. That is government taking my money and giving it to someone else and a violation of the Michigan Bill of Rights 1835. Article I Section 3 No exclusive privileges.

I told the young man that he should look up the Michigan Constitution and Bill of Rights 1963 and pay close attention to Article I Section 23, Enumeration of rights not to deny others.

Sec. 23.

The enumeration in this constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

This means that there are other RIGHTS that the people have retained but are not listed here in the 1963 Amended version of the Michigan Constitution so we must go back to the Original 1835 to see what other RIGHTS we have retained.

ARTICLE I

BILL OF RIGHTS

Political power.

First. All political power is inherent in the people.

Right of the people.

2. Government is instituted for the protection, security, and benefit of the people; and they have the right at all times to alter or reform the same, and to abolish one form of government and establish another, whenever the public good requires it.

No exclusive privileges.

3. No man or set of men are entitled to exclusive or separate privileges.

I did tell this young man who is also self-employed, that I'm sure Mary Valentine is unaware of the fact that she supports Un-Constitutional issues, but this is the reason why I can not support or vote for her.

“The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One's right to life, liberty, and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections. " (emphasis added)
West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette,319 U.S. 624, 638 (1943)(Opinion, J. Jackson)

There are other problems that I have with Mary Valentine's resume but this was a good example.

Mary says she is running to protect the Middle Class and Small Business by leading efforts to create jobs, Hire Michigan Workers first for "TAXPAYER-FUNDED JOBS".

What Mary doesn't understand is she isn't authorized by the Michigan Constitution to "CREAT JOBS" and any job creation Mary would support are "MORE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES" that you and I would have to support.

Muskegon County is now broke. The Muskegon County Employees and Retires eat up 85% of the Muskegon County Budget. The retires receive Dental Benefits for LIFE on top of Hospital and Pension.

Who are the "MIDDLE CLASS" today? The majority of what's left of our Middle Class are Township, City, County, State and Federal Employees. Federal Employees making up the majority of the upper Middle Class.

So when you are reading the CANDIDATE'S RESUME'S, keep this in mind, consult the Michigan Constitution to make sure their in line with Protecting EQUAL RIGHTS and not just supporting a special block of voters, because if elected, that's who they will represent and not YOU.