Is Marco Rubio A Natural Born Citizen Eligible For President

While all the focus has been on whether or not Senator Ted Cruz is eligible to be president,

overlooked has been Marco Rubio who was born under similiar circumstances to Ted Cruz.

According to several reports, Senator Marco Rubio’s father was not a naturalized citizen when Marco was born in May 1971 per National Archives data. His father applied for naturalization in Sep 1975. Marco Rubio not constitutionally eligible to run for President or VP.

In the reports an investigator tried to learn more about Senator Marco Rubio’s exact birth citizenship status and a phone call was made to the National Archives (NARA) to learn the facts.

According to the information conveyed to the investigator during the phone calls to NARA about Senator Marco Rubio of FL, his father did not petition to become a naturalized citizen of the United States until Sep 1975, a full four years after Marco Rubio was born. 

Just like Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio had dual citizenship  American and Cuban.

If dual citizenship makes Ted Cruz ineligible wouldn't that also make Marco Rubio the same?

Did Ted Cruz Just Hand Iowa To Donald Trump?

The campaign for Cruz For President sent out a campaign mailer that may end up backfiring and easily hand Iowa to Donald Trump.  Many that have received the mailer are angry and insulted.  They are  embarassed that false information about their voting history is being viewed by their neighbors.  

The mailer was a large card printed to look like a manila envelope on one side and was labeled in all capital letters, “ELECTION ALERT,” “VOTER VIOLATION,” “PUBLIC RECORD,” and “FURTHER ACTION NEEDED.”

On the other side, the mailer said in red letters at the top, “VOTING VIOLATION.” The text then reads:

You are receiving this election notice because of low expected voter turnout in your area. Your individual voting history as well as your neighbors’ are public record. Their scores are published below, and many of them will see your score as well. CAUCUS ON MONDAY TO IMPROVE YOUR SCORE and please encourage your neighbors to caucus as well. A follow-up notice may be issued following Monday’s caucuses.

Today Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate issued a scathing notice on the  mailer from Cruz Campaign:

"Today I was shown a piece of literature from the Cruz for President campaign that misrepresents the role of my office, and worse, misrepresents Iowa election law. Accusing citizens of Iowa of a "voting violation" based on Iowa Caucus participation, or lack thereof, is false representation of an official act. 

There is no such thing as an election violation related to frequency of voting. Any insinuation or statement to the contrary is wrong and I believe it is not in keeping in the spirit of the Iowa Caucuses.

Additionally, the Iowa Secretary of State's Office never "grades" voters. Nor does the Secretary of State maintain records related to Iowa Caucus participation. Caucuses are organized and directed by the state political parties, not the Secretary of State, nor local elections officials. Also, the Iowa Secretary of State does not "distribute" voter records. They are available for purchase for political purposes only, under Iowa Code.”

Donald Trump's Epiphany From Pro-Choice To Pro-Life

As we age one's viewpoint can change based on life

experiences.  Up until about 15 years ago, Donald Trump was pro-choice but has always said that he hated the concept of abortion.  Donald Trump was even quoted saying this during a taping of NBC's Meet The Press with the late Tim Russert.

As medical technology improved many people started changing their views on abortion from pro-choice to pro-life as we were now able to clearly see the fetus in a mother's womb.  Statistics even show that more and more people are becoming pro-life.

Donald Trump's epiphany came with a friend of his.

One thing about me, I’m a very honorable guy. I’m pro-life, but I changed my view a number of years ago. One of the reasons I changed — one of the primary reasons — a friend of mine’s wife was pregnant, in this case married. She was pregnant and he didn’t really want the baby. And he was telling me the story.

He was crying as he was telling me the story. He ends up having the baby and the baby is the apple of his eye. It’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to him.

And you know here’s a baby that wasn’t going to be let into life. And I heard this, and some other stories, and I am pro-life.

Terror Attack In Calgary Canada - Ignored By Media

Mohamed Elmi, 31, and Mohamed Salad, 29, walked to the front door of the Ten X nightclub in Calgary Canada and opened fire on the crowd of patrons from the outside.

CALGARY – Police said they responded to a shooting at Ten X Nightclub at the 1100 Block of 10 Avenue southwest just before 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

A 38-year-old man was shot and taken to hospital in stable condition.

Two men are now facing charges after a gunman opened fired inside the Calgary nightclub.

Two of the club’s bouncers are being credited for saving more people from being shot, as they put their lives on the line to tackle the gunman.

Spencer Wallace considers himself lucky to be alive. The part-time nightclub bouncer narrowly missed being shot.

“I hear a gunshot and I see a guy get shot in the chest and I watch a door explode and watch a nightclub go from perfectly calm to sheer panic in about 10 seconds,” said Wallace.

At around 1:30 a.m., three men pulled up in front of the nightclub. Two waited in the car, while the other walked up to the front door and fired several shots inside, when one victim was shot, police said.

“One of our other staff (was) there and started to apply pressure right away to him. So for 10 seconds, he was unattended before one of our guys was on him trying to help,” said Wallace. “I watched people get glass showered over them. If I was doing a pat down at the time, I would have been in this guy’s line of fire and I could’ve been shot.”

Witnesses said the shooter was jumped by staff right away, with the loaded gun still in his hands.

“The camera footage shows other people, customers sprinting away. He tackled the guy right away. 

No hesitation. An average-sized guy, mid 30s, nice guy but no hesitation from him at all. He knew what he had to do and he put himself on the line to protect people that he didn’t know,” said Wallace. 

“So they were wrestling a guy with a cocked handgun, who had already opened fire on innocent people.”

“About five or 10 minutes later, I’m out front and the gun is laying on the sidewalk and the police officer tells me to move out of the way because the hammer is still cocked back and it could go off.”

The Calgary police gang suppression team happened to be on scene at the time. One passenger in the vehicle tried to help the shooter and got away. The third person in the car was arrested.

Those bouncers did exactly what real men do in that horrible situation. They fought back. 

Donald Trump Not New To Wounded Warriors Has Admiration For Veterans

The liberal media and  ill-informed are saying that Donald

Donald Trump With Country Superstar Trace Adkins

Trump skipping the  Fox debate and helping the Wounded Warrior Project charity a publicity stunt and that Trump is new to the Wounded Warrior Project.   

They could not be more wrong.  Donald Trump became aware of the Wounded Warrior Project charity thanks to one of the contestants, Trace Adkins, on his show "The Celebrity Apprentice".

Donald Trump has been active with the charity since become aware of them.

 In 2013, Donald Trump donated an undisclosed amount of money to the Wounded Warrior Project.

According to a 2013, Yahoo Finance article, Donald J. Trump has been a sponsor of the Wounded Warrior Project, which is an organization that works to help disabled veterans aid and assist each other, along with providing services to meet their needs.

Trump’s donations to the Wounded Warrior Project have not been reported by the media, and the actual amount that he donated has not been disclosed. The billionaire real-estate mogul did it discretely, not attracting attention to himself.

The media has been portraying Trump as being a Presidential candidate that has a disdain for our veterans, especially those who were prisoners of war. If we actually investigate the actions and statements long expressed by Trump, you will find that he is a man who has a great admiration for our vets.

In 2013, Trump also offered to personally pay for the burials of four fallen soldiers when the United States government temporary stated that they were not going to give any funding, due to the government shutdown.

Donald Trump Bows Out Of The Fox Republican Debate

Donald Trump bows out of the RNC Fox Debate for Thursday

January 28th.  Trump had asked Fox News to remove moderator Megyn Kelley as moderator.  Due to the friction between the two of them Trump did not feel Megyn Kelley would have been a neutral moderator. 

Leader of Oregon occupation Ammon Bundy arrested, one person dead in confrontation

Ammon Bundy, the leader of the armed occupation at Malheur Wildlife Refuge,  has been detained and one person is dead following a confrontation with law enforcement officials Tuesday night.

Officials said it all began with a traffic stop while Bundy and some of his followers were en route to a community meeting in John Day, about 70 miles away.

Shots were fired after FBI agents, Oregon State troopers and other law enforcement agencies made the stop. 

Details of the arrest and confrontation remain unknown, but charges are pending related to the group's 25-day takeover of the wildlife refuge.

Bundy and about three dozen of other individuals occupied the wildlife refuge earlier this month after two local ranchers, the Hammonds, were sent to prison for setting fires on federal land.

The Hammonds served no more than a year until an appeals court judge ruled that the terms fell short of minimum sentences requiring them to serve about four more years.

Ammon Bundy said he prayed about the matter and "clearly understood that the Lord was not pleased with what was happening to the Hammonds.

Bob Cushman: The Root Cause of the Flint Water Crisis

Bob Cushman

As I look at the whole Flint Water Crisis, I am struck by the disingenuous accusations that are flying. One side would have us believe that this is all Governor Snyder’s fault. The other side points to a Mayor of Flint and his staff that no longer are in office. There is no simple easy villain in all of this. It is in fact quite complicated.

This crisis began because the city of Flint was attempting to save money from the over-charging of another municipality, the city of Detroit. Flint believed that they could save money by partnering up with a company to pull their water directly from Lake Huron. As we now know, the problem lead did not come from the Flint River but rather the pipes and joints in this aging infrastructure. It was enabled by the PH (acid vs base) property of the water from the Flint River. This acidic chemical property enabled the protective coating on the

inside of these ancient water pipes to dissolve enough to allow some lead to “leach” into the water.

Whom do we blame; the Governor, the State run Department of Environmental Quality or the previous Mayor of Flint for trying to save money?

The art of problem solving requires that we analyze all contributing factors prior to attempting to propose an all-inclusive solution. Let us closely examine the root cause. The City of Detroit has run a Water Department for more than two centuries. During the course of this time, it has grown to be one of the largest Water Departments in the United Sates. The DWSD serves 4,000,000 people, 40% of the population of the entire state. It is a monopoly of gigantic proportions. Imagine having a business where 40% of the state population is forced to buy this product from you in order to survive.

One of the responsibilities of government is to protect its citizens from abusive monopolies. Many states protect their citizens from Utility Companies that need to be monopolies with Public Service Commissions that regulate pricing. Michigan does this with gas and electricity but not water. Why not? Representative Heise has a bill to correct this which the Governor refuses to allow a vote on.

Bob Cushman has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue and has worked in engineering, sales engineering and aviation for more than 40 years.

The Battle Cry to Allow National Committeewoman Kathleen Berden Into BatlleCry Michigan

This weekend a group of Michigan Conservatives are

Kathleen Berden with Paul Mitchell, Alan Sanborn
and Phil Pavlov at the Blue Water Tea Party
In St. Clair County This summer

spearheading an event called Battle Cry Michigan.

This group though is arbitrarily picking out who they want to attend to this event which will feature scheduled speakers such as Fox News contributor Steven Crowder, WAAM radio host Thayrone X, current State Representative Gary Glenn, former state Representative Tom McMillin and others.

One notable figure that has had her money returned and has been asked not to attend is newly elected and popular National Committeewoman Kathleen Berden.

Many have seen Kathleen as a hard worker and one that has made the effort to reach out to conservatives.   Kathleen over the last year has driven across the great state of Michigan attending Repubican and Tea Party events listening to the concerns of Republicans and Conservatives.

Gary Glenn, Rob Steele and Kathleen Berden

Being a National Committee person is not a paying job.  Kathleen could have easily coasted as her position of National Committeewoman but instead felt it was important to learn what could be improved upon with in the party, so she attended as many of the events across this state that she could.

Now to strike back at the "Establishment" Kathleen is the one that is foolishly being punished.  Why pick a fight with someone that is actually making the effort to have everyone's voice heard?

When you start excluding people does that not make you the same as the "establishment" you speak so ill of?  What is to say that if I agree with you today but not tomorrow, will you exclude me then to protect your power?  How is that a conservative principle?

 I have found Kathleen Offner Berden to be pretty conservative. Has she and I agreed on everything? No. But who agrees with each other 100% of the time?

If you want to build a coalition at the Republican National Committee, it doesn't help when you exclude one of your National Committee members, especially one from the same state.

 Dave Agema can't fix the problems himself, he needs a team.

 If those conservatives who are running BattleCry want to be different than the "establishment" you must act different and be inclusive. 

There is a saying don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and inadvertently that is what Battlecry is doing by being exclusive. There are good people working and have been working for years to make a difference for conservatism in the party.

 I understand there is a committee of 20 people that make this decision but I also know who the true leaders are and that their pull outweighs others. I am therefore kindly asking those leaders to come to reason and allow National Committeewoman Kathleen Offner Berden an opportunity to be at the event. I am also asking speakers to also ask the leaders of the event to allow Kathleen Offner Berden the opportunity to attend the event.

Donald Trump - Republican Since At Least 1980

Donald Trump’s official voting record has been released and it shows that he was a registered Republican since at least 1980.

This proves that Jeb Bush and the Establishment are not being truthful when they say Donald Trump was a Democrat and a recent convert to the Republican party. 

Is Bill Ballenger Right? Is Flint Water More Of A Hoax

Yesterday longtime political pundit and founder of Inside

Susan Dumas

Michigan Politics  Bill Ballenger was erroneously fired from the organization he founded by a left leaning reporter who may know how to "tell" a story but doesn't seem to not know a thing about class and free press she supposedly now runs.

Susan Dumas, whom many say slant's

Bill Ballenger

her stories to the left and took over Inside Michigan Politics over a year ago when Ballenger sold it, decided to fire Ballenger over statements he made on the Flint Water crisis, calling it perhaps a great hoax.  I thought we had freedom of speech which includes opinon under the first amendment.  Surely Ms. Dumas understands the first amendment which guarantees not only freedom of speech, but of press?

Well today, independent from Bill Ballenger, information has surfaced from Kettering University that may back up Ballenger's claim that this is actually a hoax because the media and the left are making this into a bigger story than what it actually is. 

Make no mistake, some have been poisoned by lead and we find any lead poisoning of innocent children and their families deplorable but it is time to look at the real facts.

According to Kettering University's President's findings that he put into a letter to students and faculty  he wrote with citations below:

Roughly 2% of all individuals tested in Flint have shown elevated blood lead levels.(1)

• Twenty-three {23} children younger than age six tested in Flint show elevated blood levels of lead.(2)

o Children under the age of 5-6 are the most vulnerable population with respect to the long-term health effects of lead; in the U.S., 535,000 children under the age of 5 have elevated blood lead levels high enough to damage their health.(3)

• A total of 43 of 2182 of people tested in Flint show elevated blood levels of lead.(4)

In a letter to Kettering Families the President of Kettering University, Robert K McMahan wrote the following excerpts:

 I also want to clarify that the water from the Flint River that was used as the city’s water source from April 2014 through October 2015 was not contaminated with lead. The contamination, where it occurred, was due primarily to interactions between treated river water and lead supply lines in the distribution system, particularly in lead lines connecting individual houses to local water mains. This is not a global problem with the water, but a problem with how that water - after treatment - interacted with some pipes and other elements of the city’s distribution system.

This interaction was often (considerably) different - even house-by-house on a single block.

I also think it important for us to recognize that this problem is widespread and in fact is not isolated to Flint. (5) For example, I am sad to report, drinking water supply contamination, in some cases at levels far worse than have been found in Flint, has been found in Washington D.C., Seattle, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles among other cities and areas of the country. (6) In Michigan, elevated blood-lead levels have been found in an even higher percentage of children.

Human skin does not absorb lead in water, so bathing, washing, or showering is safe even using water containing lead over the EPA’s action level. (7) (8) Adults may safely use unfiltered water for brushing their teeth.(9)

You may see pictures of bottles of rusty or cloudy water in articles on water safety; the same has been true of the reporting surrounding the water crisis in Flint.The presence of suspended rust in water can turn it orange, red, brown or yellow. The presence of rust in water is not an indication of the presence of lead or other contaminants in the water, nor does it necessarily indicate that the water is unsafe to drink (10) In water, lead is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, (11) and the presence of rust in water does not indicate the presence of lead, bacteria, or other substances.

Lead Is Colorless And Tasteless
The different colored water is from another problem not caused
by the Flint Water System.  Perhaps even
 altered by user for financial gain.

 Trapped air (in the form of small bubbles) in the water can also turn it cloudy or milky. Water pipelines are pressurized systems, so any air introduced into the system can remain trapped until the water leaves a faucet.

This cloudiness is not indicator of water quality.

**Clarification - Some have read that Kettering University is supporting Bill Ballenger's statement.  This writer is merely tying the facts on two stories together.   Kettering University is not coming to Bill Ballenger's defense however their letter to students and faculty add's creedence to Bill Ballenger's statement. 

This writer believes Bill Ballenger has the right under the 1st amendment to state what he believes whether it is opinon, theory or actual fact.

****Update: Bill Ballenger clarifies his statement in response to a reader on my Facebook Page- "The proposition that there is some contamination in Flint drinking water, including lead, is not a hoax, but the contention that this is the greatest man-made Michigan catastrophe of recent times, as portrayed in the MSM, IS a hoax ... Read the report of highly-regarded Kettering University, alma mater of GM CEO Mary Barra ......"

Quite frankly based on the information we have found, shared and cited, this writer couldn't agree more with Ballenger.

1 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/Flint_Blood_Testing_Report_December_23_509464_7.pdf

2 http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2016/01/43_flint_residents_identified.html

3 http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/infographic.htm

4 ibid.

5 http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/leadinwater/

6 ibid., http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5312a6.htm, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/

content/article/2009/08/03/AR2009080303003.html, and

http://www.yaleseas.com/watersymposium/pdfs/EdwardsLeadPaper.pdf

7 http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/water.htm

8 http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3313_3675_73946-372051--,00.html

9 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/2015-10-21_-_Lead_-_Flint_Water_FINAL_504265_7.pdf

10 http://www.quincyma.gov/CityOfQuincy_Content/documents/RustyWaterFactSheet.pdf

11 http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/water/drinking-water/water-testing/pollutants/lead-in-drinking-water

Detroit Public Schools - Where Did $500 Million Go?

With continued Detroit Public School teacher sick-outs where the teachers are supposedly striking for the only the conditions of the buildings and not for changes in their contract, one has to ask where did the money for Detroit Public Schools go?  

In November 2009, Detroit voters approved the Proposal S Bond Referendum which enabled the district to access $500.5 million dollars for school capital improvement projects.  This was the six largest allocation in the nation at the time.

Is there any excuse for Detroit schools to be in the condition they currently are in?

Here is a DPS press release from July 17th 2010:

Detroit-Detroit Public Schools has awarded $180.4 million in contracts for 10 construction projects in the district’s three-year capital improvement program being funded with $500.5 million dollars following voter approval in November of the Proposal S Bond Referendum.

DPS released a progress report on the bond program today that includes four new-build projects and six schools that will receive major renovations and additions. All combined, the 10 projects total $180.4 million in awarded prime contracts to Detroit-headquartered firms. Construction on the 10 sites is currently underway or is set to begin this summer. All 10 projects are scheduled to be completed by fall 2011 or earlier.

The 10 projects start seven months after voter approval of Proposal S, six months since the sale of the bonds, and five months after the initial selection of the program manager, Walbridge Joint Venture for Detroit Public Schools. Construction work includes nine high schools and PreK to 8 schools and the development of a new Office of Public Safety Headquarters and Operations Center, which broke ground today.

“Detroit-headquartered companies are leading construction on all 10 school projects awarded thus far,” said Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb. “That, along with the pace of contract awards and construction rivaling the highest-performing school districts, is testament that we are meeting commitments made to Detroit parents and voters just over seven months ago. We plan to have all projects awarded and underway before the end of this summer, with some completed facilities coming online by that time as well.”

Detroit voters approved the Proposal S Bond Referendum last November which enabled the district to access $500.5 million dollars for school capital improvement projects. DPS received the 6th largest allocation in the nation. The DPS School Construction Program will include a total of seven new schools and eleven renovations. The improvement program also includes district-wide technology upgrades and security initiatives being funded with the Proposal S dollars. To comply with federal guidelines, all bond dollars will be spent within three years and all 18 schools will be completed by September 2012.

DPS School Construction Program

Progress Report

July 16, 2010

Total Schools/Buildings Under Construction: 10

New Construction: 4

Major Renovations: 6

Total Project Value to date: $180.4 million

Project Contractor Amount Construction Start Completed

Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School

New Construction

Jenkins Granger LLC

50% Detroit-HQ $45.3 million Summer 2010 Fall 2011

PreK to 8 School at Clark Park

New Construction

Brinker Christman

50% Detroit-HQ $20.5 million Summer 2010 Fall 2011

Gompers PreK to 8 School in Brightmoor

New Construction

Brinker Christman

50% Detroit-HQ $20.5 million Summer 2010 Fall 2011

Office of Public Safety HQ and Operations Center

New Construction

O’Brien Edwards Construction Co.

100% Detroit-HQ $5.6 million Summer 2010 December 2010

John R. King PreK to 8

Major Renovation

White Construction

100% Detroit-HQ $10.7 million Summer 2010 Fall 2010

Marcus Garvey PreK to 8

Major Renovation

Dumas Concepts

100% Detroit-HQ $8.9 million Summer 2010 December 2010

Fitzgerald PreK to 8

Major Renovation Jenkins Construction

100% Detroit-HQ

$8.6 million Summer 2010 December 2010

Henry Ford High School

Major Renovation

KEO / McCarthy & Smith

50% Detroit-HQ $17 million Summer 2010 Fall 2011

Denby High School

Major Renovation

O’Brien Edwards Construction Co./ Turner

50% Detroit-HQ

$16.5 million Summer 2010 Fall 2011

Western High School

Major Renovation Colasanti/DCI Joint Venture

100% Detroit-HQ

$26.8 million Summer 2010 Fall 2011

Meekhof and Schmidt In Trouble Recall Language Approved

 It appears Michigan Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof and  Michigan Senator Wayne Schmidt are in for a fight.  The recall language against both of them was approved unanimously today. 

Both have passed legislation against the citizens of Michigan, most recently pushing through the gas tax that voters vehemently voted down last may by a margin of 80% .

Included with the gas tax grievance constituents also site that Schmidt also supported two new, unnecessary roundabouts in Grand Traverse County that cost taxpayers $10 million

The County then had to buy 2 special snowplows for those roundabouts at a value of $500,000 each.

His constituents also say that he lied about his education while campaigning for office.

Grievances for Meekhof beside the gas tax range from his stance on the expansion of Obamacare in this state to attempting to prevent the press from obtaining information through the Freedom Of Information Act.  

Ironically it was also Meekhof that worked to pass legislation to make it even more difficult to recall sitting legislators. 

Obama's EPA Causes 2nd Largest Coal Producer To Go Bankrupt

Just like in the movie Atlas Shrugs, the 2nd largest coal

producer in America files for bankruptcy.

U.S.-based Arch Coal is one of the world's largest coal producers and marketers, with 134 million tons of coal sold in 2014. Their core business is supplying cleaner-burning, low-sulfur thermal and metallurgical coal to power generators and steel manufacturers on five continents.

Arch is the most diversified American coal company with mining complexes across every major U.S. coal supply basin. In total, they represent over 13% of America’s coal supply from our active mining complexes in Wyoming, Colorado, Illinois, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland.

They control a vast domestic reserve base of more than 5 billion tons.

Thanks to the harsh regulations that Obama and his EPA have placed on the coal industry, on January 11, 2016, Arch Coal announced that it reached an agreement with the majority of its senior lenders on the terms of a financial restructuring that is expected to eliminate more than $4.5 billion in debt from Arch’s balance sheet and position the company for long-term financial success. To facilitate this financial restructuring, Arch elected to file for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.

They state their mining operations and customer shipments will continue in the ordinary course throughout this court-supervised process.

Arch says that they will continue to be one of the strongest competitors in the industry – supported by our large-scale and low-cost operations. The court-supervised process will allow them to continue to operate in the ordinary course. They fully expect to continue to pay their employees, suppliers and vendors and to deliver exceptional customer service, while they strengthen their position as a leading miner and marketer of coal.

Arch was also the third largest taxpayer, in primarily conservative, Wyoming during 2014 when the company paid $1.1 billion in taxes.

And it has $458 million in unsecured reclamation liabilities in the state.

Detroit Teacher Sick Out Closes 60 Schools

More than 60 public schools in the city of Detroit, which is

more than half the district are closed this morning, as rolling teacher sickouts continue to move through Michigan’s largest school district.

Teachers are upset by large class sizes, pay and benefit concessions, and a state plan to create a new, debt-free Detroit school district.

These actions by the Detroit teachers are actually illegal in the State of Michigan and could and should warrant legal action including the dismissal of these teachers and the revocation of all Michigan certificates.

Here is how such actions are defined by the relevant law, the Public Employment Relations Act:

(j) "Strike" means the concerted failure to report for duty, the willful absence from one's position, the stoppage of work, or the abstinence in whole or in part from the full, faithful, and proper performance of the duties of employment for the purpose of inducing, influencing, or coercing a change in employment conditions, compensation, or the rights, privileges, or obligations of employment.

The next paragraph of the statute does state it allows for a public employee to express a grievance or opinion as long as it "does not interfere with the full, faithful, and proper performance of the duties of employment."

However, the law also states that enforcement of the law requires the public employer ,  which in this case is the Detroit Public School System, to initiate proceedings with the state Michigan Employment Relations Commission.

The district has 46,325 students in its 107 school buildings.

Schools closed on Monday

1. Bagley

2. Bates

3. Blackwell

4. Bow

5. Burton International

6. Carleton

7. Carstens

8. Carver

9. Chrysler

10. Clarke Preparatory

11. Cody - APL

12. Cody - DIT

13. Cody - Medicine and Community Health

14. Coleman Young

15. Communication and Media Arts

16. Cooke

17. Davidson

18. DCP at Northwestern

19. Detroit International Academy

20. Detroit School of the Arts

21. Detroit Lions

22. Dixon

23. Dossin

24. Douglass Prep Academy

25. Earhart

26. Edison

27. Emerson

28. Fisher Lower

29. Fisher Upper

30. FLICS

31. Gardner

32. Gompers

33. Greenfield Union

34. Henderson

35. Hutchinson

36. Jerry L White

37. John R King

38. Ludington

39. MacKenzie

40. Marshall, Thurgood

41. Marquette

42. Mason

43. Maybury

44. Moses Field

45. Munger

46. Neinas

47. Nichols

48. Osborn College Prep

49. Osborn MST

50. Palmer Park

51. Pasteur

52. Pulaski

53. Randolph Center

54. Robeson

55. Sampson

56. Spain

57. Thirkell

58. Vernor

59. Wayne

60. West Side Academy

61. Wright, Charles