The WØRD – “Trifecta!” – Party on the Peninsulas

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Congratulations to Representatives-elect Mai Xiong and Peter Herzberg!

From chairperson Lavora Barnes –

It was a joy during the week for me to personally congratulate the two newest Democrats in the state House of Representatives: Mai Xiong in the Warren area’s 13th House District and Peter Herzberg in the Westland area’s 25th House District. Both were elected to fill vacancies created when their predecessors were elected mayor of their city.

Once the special elections are certified by the state Board of Canvassers, Democrats will once again have a 56-54 majority in the House to go with the 20-18 majority in the state Senate. It comes just in time for enactment of a state budget which continues investments into our state that will pay benefits for generations: support for education, infrastructure and economic development headlining the new budget.

The challenge now: maintaining that House majority in the November election. The newly adopted district maps, according to analysts, give either party a statistical chance of winning the majority. Using the current lines, 56 of the new districts were carried in 2020 by Donald Trump and 54 by President Biden. We can’t rest on our laurels. With these citizen-drawn maps, we can expand our majority or we can lose it. It is up to us.

Here are things you can do to help keep the House majority:

Reach out to your local candidate. You can help them with canvassing, fundraising, putting up a yard sign, hosting a home party, talking with your neighbors, writing a letter to the editor – they’ll let you know where you can help.
Stay active and stay positive on social media. It’s fun to get into viral arguments but usually non-productive. What can help are short, concise, fact-based comments on issues.
And, if you are able, donate – to your state representative, to the House Democratic Campaign Committee, to your county Democratic Party and, of course. To the Michigan Democratic Party. As one astute consultant told me, campaigns are about two things: raising money, and everything else!

We have resources for you on all of this on our MDP website. Just click here!

A new issue that is facing many communities: the mostly unregulated world of short-term rentals. The proliferation of companies like AirBNB and VRBO can be both a blessing and a curse. We are joined by state Representative Joey Andrews of St. Joseph who is sponsoring a package of bills to bring order to the Wild West of short-term rentals. With no regulatory framework in Michigan law, STRs have proliferated to a crisis point in many communities across the state. Representative Andrews is lead sponsor of a 10-bill package to bring order to where there is now chaos.

Representative Andrews is serving his first term representing the 38th House District, which covers parts of Allegan, Berrien and Van Buren counties. Born and raised in Southwestern Michigan, Representative Andrews knows and respects the unique issues facing lakeshore communities including the growing water issues of erosion, flooding, lead and aging infrastructure; and the short-term rental crisis gutting local communities.

Andrews was born and raised in St. Joseph. After graduating from high school he briefly left to attend college at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history and music and went to law school at Wayne State University, graduating in 2013 with his law degree and passing the Michigan bar exam a year later.

This week’s Trump outrage is on full display in New York right now.

It goes hand-in-hand with his trial which, as we record the podcast, is set to begin with opening arguments on Monday. Trump is continuing his years-long efforts to destroy America’s faith in our justice system. In between courtroom naps he continues to attack every aspect of his trial and blatantly ignores court orders to stop his most outrageous attacks. With the help of his right-wing media stooges he’s even working to intimidate the jury, a tactic usually associated with mob bosses.

He’s daring the judge to do exactly what would happen to any other criminal defendant whose behavior was so outrageous: lock him up for contempt. Trump wants to be locked up because it would contribute to his victimhood whines. The one thing he says that is true: he’s being treated differently than other criminals. He’s getting far better treatment. No other criminal defendant has ever received the kid-gloves treatment that’s being given him.

But now, his fate is in the hands of 12 regular citizens who have pledged to judge him based on the facts presented in court. And that’s why Donald Trump is very, very scared.

The WØRD – “Trifecta!”

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