Hoekstra votes against SCHIP....AGAIN!

Here's the headline to put out. Why does Pete Hoekstra hate American children? In a recent poll 81% favor expanding SCHIP. 74% say they would be willing to pay more taxes to expand SCHIP. Is everyone getting this?? Not Pete Hoekstra. Pete votes for what Pete believes in. Not you. Not children. Not the people of the United States of America. Who does Hoekstra represent? The insurance industry has given the Lying Dutchman $46,930 in his time in office. Can't afford to take your child to the doctor? Hoekstra says tough luck. Maybe we can do what the Huckster says and "unleash the free market". Michigan's 2nd Congressional District deserves better and should expect better.

The people of MI-2 tried to make their voice heard here and here.

Hoekstra's FISA amendment voted down

Ugghhh...OK so I was talking to somebody yesterday and said isn't it terrible that we judge these bills based on if they are not as bad as the previous. But fact is this bill isn't as bad as the temporary bill. It still has problems, like too much leverage for bushco. But a little ray of sunshine peeked through this week

The Committee rejected an amendment by Ranking Member Congressman Pete Hoekstra of Michigan to permanently extend the “Protect America Act,” the Administration’s surveillance bill that passed in August, and to grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies involved in the President’s warrantless surveillance programs.

Chairman Reyes explained that the rejection of this amendment is due to the failure of the White House to first provide documents that would reveal the nature and extent of the President’s warrantless surveillance programs. “Before you can forgive someone,” Chairman Reyes stated, “you need to know what you are forgiving.”

That and Pete Hoekstra says republicans were only given 24 hours on a Monday (Oh the Horror! Sounds like the Patriot Act!) to review the bill before the vote. Thank goodness for small miracles I say.

Hoekstra's worn out FISA talking point

Here we go again Pete says...

the flawed bill has no liability protections for patriotic companies that may have heeded the government’s request to help protect the nation at its time of greatest need.

Bush says:

that he will not sign the bill if it does not give retroactive immunity to U.S. telecommunications companies that helped conduct electronic surveillance without court orders.

Pete says:

“By not including retroactive liability protection,” said Representative Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, “Democrats are trying to resolve their differences with the administration on the backs of patriotic American companies that only wanted, and continue to want, to help keep our nation safe.”

From August of this year in an interview with Paul Gigot for Wall Street Journal's: Journal Editorial Report:

"These are companies who were doing the patriotic thing....They were helping the U.S. government, the American people, get the information that we believe we needed to keep us safe. They voluntarily participated, and now that the program is exposed, they've been open to all kinds of lawsuits."

They broke the law. Even though the clowns in power asked them to do it. That doesn't make it OK.

I did find this wonderful little snippet from his press release though:

"It could open a door for massive civil liberties violations by Congress.."

Pardon my language but since when has Pete Hoekstra even given a sh*t about our civil liberties??? Trick question...He doesn't. It's a classic political trick of attacking your opponent's strong suit. I'm not buying it, and I sure as hell hope you aren't either.

Links to other stories on the same thing:
Michael Roston at Huffington Post
Declan McCullagh at CNET News

Erik Prince and Blackwater and Hoekstra Oh My!

Congressman Pete Hoekstra is unusually silent on the issue that has been investigated the past few weeks. Namely Blackwater and it's run and gun security operations in Iraq and the lack of oversight or even rule of law. A memorandum to the Committee on Government Oversight and Reform on October 1st lists the following incidents as grounds for an investigation

* Blackwater has been involved in 195 "escalation of force" incidents since 2005, an average of 1.4 shooting incidents per week. From January 2005 to April 2007, Blackwater employees used their weapons 168 times, compared to 102 times for rival DynCorp and 36 for rival Triple Canopy during that same time frame.

According to the majority staff, Blackwater operatives fired the first shot in 80 percent of those cases, though its contract with the State Department only permits the use of "defensive" force.

* A single Blackwater security contractor costs the government $1,222 every day to guard U.S. civilian personnel, or $445,000 per year. That's six times the cost of getting a U.S. Army soldier to perform the same function. As P.W. Singer observed last week, private security companies increasingly exist to free up tasks for U.S. troops, ensuring a sort of dependence on contracting occurs for a military coping with the strain of deployments for two wars.

* The State Department's attitude to Blackwater shootings is most often a directive to compensate the victim's family, "rather than to insist upon accountability or to investigate Blackwater personnel for potential criminal liability."

* Blackwater's initial contract to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq, in 2003, was a no-bid contract. So was its 2004 successor. On that one, Blackwater stood to earn a maximum of $338 million, but actually received $488 million from State between June 2004 and June 2006. In total, Blackwater has earned upwards of $1 billion in government contracts since 2001.

Given these are only the documented misdeeds of Blackwater USA and more are sure to follow.

Today the House passed HR 2740, MEJA expansion and Enforcement Act, a bill that would make contractors in combat zones subject to prosecution in US courts. The bill passed overwhelmingly, damn near could have had a voice vote 389-30. Hoekstra voted NO. One of only 30 members of Congress to vote against the bill. Oh but there's more. Seems his buddy Erik Prince (of darkness) is also from Holland, MI. It also seems that he paid for his government cover up by putting the dough in the right coffers:

NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE (R) $20,000
primary 07/27/07
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE (R) $25,000
primary 08/05/05
HOEKSTRA, PETER (R)
House (MI 02)
PETER HOEKSTRA FOR CONGRESS $1,000
primary 03/31/05
HOEKSTRA, PETER (R)
House (MI 02)
PETER HOEKSTRA FOR CONGRESS $1,000
general 08/24/04
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE (R) $25,000
primary 07/14/04
HOEKSTRA, PETER (R)
House (MI 02)
PETER HOEKSTRA FOR CONGRESS $500
primary 09/21/99

What's wrong Pete? Contractor got your tongue?

As state shutdown looms Pete weighs in...sort of

Showing his solidarity to the republicans in the Michigan legislature Hoekstra issued this press release In which he states:

"..raising taxes in Michigan is the wrong solution for a state that leads the nation in unemployment and businesses and families are leaving for better economic environments in other parts of the country."

So what does Hoekstra think will fix the budget? What does he think will work? Ummmm, yeah that's the problem, he doesn't say anything. No ideas to help the state he represents. Just more posturing, and no real ideas. Pete is a reel that just plays over and over and over.

Meanwhile we face a state government shutdown. Here's what will happen (hat tip to LiberalLucy)

AGRICULTURE: All Department of Agriculture activities will stop during a government shutdown, except livestock vehicle inspections at the Mackinac Bridge, which are required to maintain the Upper Peninsula's Tuberculosis-free designation for cattle. During the shutdown, food safety inspections, recall effectiveness checks, gas pump inspections, animal disease monitoring, and migrant labor camp inspections will stop; agriculture export and cattle movement permits will not be issued; and horse racing will shutdown. Exports from Michigan to foreign countries would essentially cease should state government shut down. Commodities affected include dry beans, logs and lumber, nursery stock, grain, fruits, and vegetables.

THE COURTS: The Michigan Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals will continue to operate with a limited staff to handle emergency matters.

CIVIL RIGHTS: All Department of Civil Rights activities will stop during a government shutdown. Residents wishing to file a discrimination complaint will be able to leave a message at 1-800-482-3604 with the details of their complaint. For purposes of meeting the 180-day legal requirement, the message will constitute an official notice of the intention to file a complaint. Residents calling Civil Right's Crisis Response Hotline to report a hate crime or bias incident may also leave a message, although they are encouraged to contact local law enforcement for immediate assistance.

COMMUNITY HEALTH: A number of operations within the Department of Community Health will be maintained to ensure that the health of our citizens is protected. State mental health facilities will remain open with reduced staffing, though involuntary, non-court admissions will be suspended. Critical laboratory services will operate to ensure newborn screenings are completed in a timely manner, and threats of immediate harm can be addressed. Limited Medicaid support will be available to approve emergency medical prior-authorizations and review exception requests for medications and medical procedures. The DCH also will maintain the toll-free number to register nursing home complaints of a serious nature.

CORRECTIONS: Department of Corrections functions will continue as needed to protect the safety of Michigan citizens. The state's prisons, prison camps, and parole/probation monitoring will continue to operate, though at a reduced staffing level. Administrative operations outside of the prisons will shut down.

EDUCATION: All Department of Education operations will shut down, except for the Michigan School for the Deaf. If Department of Education employees have not returned to work by mid-October, the state school aid payment due on October 22 will not be made.

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY: The Department of Environmental Quality will maintain only limited staff during the shutdown period to meet U.S. Department of Homeland Security air- monitoring requirements and process critical drinking water samples to address the most immediate public health concerns. All other department functions will shut down. This means no permits (air quality, surface water discharge, wetlands, dredging, etc.) will be processed and no environmental complaints will be received or investigated. The Pollution Emergency Alerting System will be operational, but the department will have extremely limited ability to respond to emergencies reported through that system.

HISTORY, ARTS & LIBRARIES: All Department of History, Arts and Libraries operations will shut down except security and emergency monitoring services at the Mackinac Island Airport and public areas. The Library of Michigan, the Michigan Historical Museum, and historic sites around Michigan will be closed. Mackinac Island paid admission sites will close and garbage and manure pick-up and road maintenance will cease.

HUMAN SERVICES: Critical Department of Human Services' operations will be maintained to protect the safety of children, families, and vulnerable adults. Most local offices will remain open with a small percentage of field staff on the job to respond to child protective services and adult protective services emergencies; make emergency foster care placements; and process emergency payments for evictions, lack of utilities, lack of food, etc. Cash assistance, food assistance, child day care, adoption subsidies, and foster care payments will continue, but no new applications will be processed (except for emergencies as described above). Child support payments received from non-custodial parents will be sent to families; and the state's juvenile justice facilities will operate and will be staffed to protect the safety of residents.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: A limited number of Department of Information Technology personnel will be needed to maintain state operating systems and to provide technical support for those services that will continue.

LABOR & ECONOMIC GROWTH: The majority of Department of Labor & Economic Growth operations will be shut down. Most of the unemployment insurance agencies will be closed, however, unemployment checks will continue to be processed and new applications can be made over the phone or via the Internet. In addition, the Michigan Career & Technical Institute in Plainwell and the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training Center in Kalamazoo will continue to provide education and training for disabled individuals.

LOTTERY & GAMING: Lottery sales will end at the close of business on September 30, 2007. Players will not be able to purchase or redeem winning tickets. Minimal staff will maintain drawings due to the advance sale of tickets. State gaming inspectors will be idled as well, forcing the state-licensed casinos in Detroit to close.

MANAGEMENT & BUDGET: A limited number of Department of Management and Budget personnel will maintain state-owned buildings.

MICHIGAN STATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY: The Michigan State Housing Development Authority will be closed during shutdown and all operations will stop.

MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS: The MVA State Finance and State Human Resource offices will be closed. The state's two veterans' homes in Grand Rapids and Marquette will continue operating with reduced staffing but will maintain the minimum staffing as required by law. The Youth Challenge Program will also remain operational but with minimum staff. Feeding and education will be provided by the Battle Creek Public Schools, an established partner of the Challenge Program. The state's 44 National Guard armories, six National Guard training sites, and National Guard administrative offices are federally funded and will remain open.

NATURAL RESOURCES: All DNR operations will be shut down, except a minimal crew to maintain the state's six fish hatcheries and a small contingent of forest firefighters needed to continue containment operations at the Sleeper Lakes fire in the Upper Peninsula and to respond to other fire emergencies. Shutdown will require that all state parks, recreation areas, DNR visitor centers and state forest campgrounds be closed, including day use areas. Citizens with camping reservations at a state park or recreation area during the duration of the shutdown will be eligible for a refund. The sale of hunting and fishing licenses may be delayed if technical problems with the state server prevent processing, and gated boat access sites will not be accessible. In addition, timber will not be marked for sale or sold. The archery deer season set to open on October 1 will proceed, however, deer check stations will not be operating.

SECRETARY OF STATE: Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land has indicated that branch offices will be closed during the shutdown. Online or mail transactions will not be processed, as well.

STATE POLICE: The Michigan State Police will continue to protect Michigan citizens during shutdown. Though all MSP posts will be closed to the public, a limited number of troopers will be maintained to provide critical law enforcement services across the state. Administrative and specialized operations will be curtailed, resulting in the cessation of crime lab services, commercial vehicle enforcement, drug and criminal investigations, detective services, disaster assistance, and casino gaming oversight.

TRANSPORTATION: All road construction, routine maintenance, and administrative operations will stop. The state's rest areas will be closed. In addition, six of the state's lift bridges, in compliance with U.S. Coast Guard regulations, will be locked in the up position, allowing only water traffic to pass. Those bridges are located in Manistee, Bay City, St Joseph, Port Huron and Detroit. The Mackinac Bridge, the International Bridge, and Blue Water Bridge will remain operational.

TREASURY: Department of Treasury operations, including student loan disbursements and financial aid payments, the Michigan Education Trust, and the Michigan Education Savings Plan programs would cease during a shutdown. Revenue sharing payments to local units of government will be delayed if the shutdown continues through mid-October. A limited number of staff would be maintained to process critical payments, including cash assistance, unemployment benefits, and debt service.

Updates and FAQ can be found here.

This blog has always been about Pete Hoekstra, but this is of great importance to all of us in Michigan. If Pete doesn't have a reasonable solution to move this state forward, then he should worry about his busy schedule carrying the water for Bush in Washington.

Anti Union Hoekstra votes no on FAA Reauthorization Act

As I was reading the summary I was trying to figure out why Hoekstra voted against this bill, besides him voting against most funding bills. So I dug a little deeper...

The House-passed legislation includes binding arbitration language for contract disputes, providing for a fair collective bargaining process between the FAA and its unions. "The House was vigilant in its efforts to improve the negotiating process," said Brantley(The Professional Airways Systems Specialists,(AFL-CIO), President Tom Brantley). "By passing a bill that creates a fair collective bargaining process, House lawmakers have sent a clear message to the FAA that it cannot unilaterally impose working conditions on its employees."

and dug some more..

NATCA President Patrick Forrey said he views the bill's amendment as an important step toward putting fairness back into the collective bargaining process." "The FAA unilaterally imposed work and pay rules on controllers last Labor Day weekend, exacerbating a critical staffing shortage that even the Department of Transportation and Office Inspector General validated in a recent report," he said. "Morale has suffered; the mass exodus has left controllers working for longer periods of time, causing fatigue and loss of focus, which the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) has said is a major safety concern."

But the brunt of the bill is that it would provide for modernization of air traffic control systems and maintain airports without imposing user fees. Instead they will make a small increase in jet fuel tax (5 cents).

"The leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and aviation subcommittee refused to be bullied by the airlines or accept the FAA's claims of poverty," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "They took a reasoned, rational look at what needed to be done and how to pay for it, and delivered a solution that promotes the interests of all segments of aviation.

So....maybe, just maybe Pete voted no because the bill supports fair collective bargaining and unions. But that's just my guess.

Pete Hoekstra backs Bush in trip to Iraq

Surprise, surprise!

"I believe it is important to be successful in Iraq, and I believe that in Gen. Petraeus and the strategy he has outlined, we have the best chance we have for success,"

So he supports the plan of letting the troops that were added as the "surge" return, when the military knew that was the timeline they had planned all along. See... that's not a withdrawl.

I keep hearing and reading success but what is the main goal? Last month Hoekstra said he doesn't want democracy in Iraq but security and stability. But the way I see it, we took that away when we started dropping bombs. Don't get me wrong, Saddam Hussein wasn't a good man by any means, but the basis of this war was and still is a lie. If we went to Iraq to free the people, if that was the idea, then we should be in a lot of countries right now by this logic. It's all a sham. Don't buy it.

Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-Ohio is on the same trip, here's what he thinks:

"what he’s seen in Iraq this week reinforces his belief that President Bush’s troop surge isn’t working and the time has come for redeployment “in a big way.” “I don’t know that the surge has returned the dividend (expected).”

He advocates "not a quick withdrawal of troops,” but the creation of a plan to bring soldiers home as “quickly as possible.” He doesn’t think the situation in Iraq will further improve if U.S. troops remain there.

“The situation here is bleak,It’s actually scary.”

Oh yeah, Rock out to this great video.... moe. Tailspin very fitting...