Posted by Tony DeMott on 02/02/10
Last updated 02/02/10

I asked Alma Wheeler Smith why the state is involved in licensing massage therapists and asked if she would introduce legislation to do away with this state intervention into private business and confiscation of private money.

Tony DeMott

Massage Therapists and their associations across the state requested licensure to assure that only trained and certified therapists could hang a shingle and practice their trade thereby protecting their profession from fly-by-night practitioners and their clients from amateurs who could, unwittingly and unintentionally, do harm. Unless I hear a clamor from the therapists requesting a repeal I will not introduce legislation to do so.

Alma

Alma Wheeler Smith
Representative
54th MI House District
Lansing, MI 48909

Here is my Reply:

The claim that you are protecting anyone is a complete fallacy.  Have you rid the world of this scourge yet?  No, not even close.  I've employed the services of many a unlicensed massage therapist, as have countless others.  Like me, those countless others will not care one bit if they are licensed.  We will continue to rely on good recommendations and a good reputation.  Thanks to the states criminalization of the practice, there is a lot less information on these practitioners than would otherwise be available. 

As the economy worsens individuals seek to lower their costs.  This creates more of a demand for lower priced services and individuals seek out unlicensed practitioners because, since they are free of the heavy monetary burden demanded of them by the state, unlicensed practitioners can charge far less.

Since there is far less info on these practicioners who have been driven underground, these types of requirements actually increase the probablility that people will choose the wrong one.  So once again, the sate is protecting no one.  It is however, raking in a lot of money, which leads to the question of motive for supporting this type of law.

The bottom line is that this law protects no one and simply draws resources out of those that do pay for the license (usually out of fear of the state's threat of force for non-compliance) to their own financial detriment.

Tony DeMott

Posted 02/05/10 fred007 East Lansing, MI

Licensing Massage Therapists Comment by Fred L. Mitchell, Jr., D.O.. FA.A.O. I am in complete agreement with Tony DeMott on the issue of licensing massage therapists. The truth of his remarks extends to the licensing of any healthcare professional. Certainly, licensing massage therapists makes almost no sense. Some who will be driven underground by the nuissance and costs of licensing will doubtless continue helping people with manual therapy. I speak after fifty years practicing as an osteopathic physician. Now I am a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and certified in the specialty of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. I taught manipulation (manual therapy) in osteopathic colleges for thirty years. I have written test questions for state and national board examinations. These examinations are almost a farce! They do not measure or predict how physicians will perform in practice. The AMA and AOA have functioned like trade unions, limiting the growth of the skill/knowledge base of oseopathy as its founder, Andrew Taylor Still, MD, envisioned it. They have been as territorial as alpha dogs. There will never be enough people with the skills and knowledge to provide effective manual therapy to meet the health needs of people, including the many people who don’t even know they need it. This is why I have for years defied the American Osteopathic Association’s code of “ethics” and have accepted students in the Continuing Medical Education courses I have taught for the last forty years from allied health professions, including physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors (so far only 2 have taken a course from me), MDs, DOs, and dentists. I also trained my younger son, Kai, in all the variants of osteopathic manipulation, which he uses skillfully in his unlicensed practice of manual therapy. Can anyone cite a specific example of how a person, other than a government bureaucrat, has been benefitted by the licensing of health care professionals? Are patients really protected by the licensing laws? Recall that Michael Jackson was murdered by a licensed physician. This licensing issue needs to be pounded home until we have a rational health care system. It does appear that massage therapists need to be deprogrammed in order to understand the hazards of licensing.

Posted by Tony DeMott on 01/27/10

January 27, 2010

State Rep. Justin Amash today introduced legislation ending the forced unionization of private home-based day-care providers whose clients receive child care subsidies. Amash's measure clarifies the definition of 'state employee' and blocks unions from forcing membership upon individuals who are not genuine state employees.

"The Michigan Department of Human Services' current interpretation is not only unconstitutional but also redefines straightforward terms," said Amash, R-Cascade. "It is absurd to treat private employers and those they employ as state employees, and then force them into a union they do not want to join."

House Bill 5771 now heads to the House Labor Committee for consideration.

Find your Repsresentative Here.

Committee Members:
Steven Lindberg (D), Committee Chair, 109th District
Deb Kennedy (D), Majority Vice-Chair, 23rd District
Andrew J. Kandrevas (D), 13th District
Lesia Liss (D), 28th District
Bettie Cook Scott (D), 3rd District
Jim Slezak (D), 50th District
Coleman A. Young II (D), 4th District
Justin Amash (R), Minority Vice-Chair, 72nd District
Kevin Daley (R), 82nd District
Joseph Haveman (R), 90th District
Tom McMillin (R), 45th District Mary Lou Terrien, Committee Clerk
517-373-1260
mterrie@house.mi.gov

Posted by Tony DeMott on 01/18/10

SHINING A BRIGHT LIGHT ON AN UNDEMOCRATIC TACTIC

For 10 years, I've been watching a trend to manipulate elections through premature "call" of the race by a media outlet. See below for predictions on what may follow a media call for either candidate in Massachusetts. 

The media "call" can be manipulated because the public doesn't know that projected winners come from a system that is not even a governmental source! In fact, the media "calls" elections based on data from just one media outlet -- usually a quiet little division of the Associated Press that occupies a little corner somewhere and answers very few questions. Volunteers call in result reports to the corporation. The reports are often inaccurate (see below for examples). The names of these volunteers are not part of the public record. We will never get the list of names for those who will call in the 351 numbers which will result in "calling the election" for Tuesday's Massachusetts election. 

HOW THE MEDIA "CALL" MAY ULTIMATELY CONTROL POLICY

If Tuesday's Massachusetts special senate election is "called" for Democrat Martha Coakley, expect to see a rush to install her, copying a Republican tactic in 2006 whereby San Diego's Brian Bilbray was seated by the US House of Representatives before tens of thousands of votes were even counted. Yes, the Senate can override the actual election results, or pre-empt the real results, and pre-emptively install a candidate based on a media prediction, or a bunch of unofficial tallies, or whatever they want. It can be done. It has been done. And if the media calls the race for Coakley, expect to see it done again. 

If the race is "called" for Republican Scott Brown, expect to see a rush from Republican lawyers to claim that Brown has the right to vote immediately, instead of Paul Kirk who is current interim successor to Ted Kennedy. If that fails, look for an attempt to force abstention on the Massachusetts vote while stall tactics play out.

Sixty votes are needed. If Coakley is called and installed, they've got the 60. If Brown is called and stalled, they've got 59. Either way, the media "call" on Massachusetts is going to be under exceptional political pressure. 

No matter where you stand on the controversial healthcare bill, be aware that what you see reported on Election Night is not only not "official" or "final", but is not even real, and may not even be the numbers written down by poll workers or printed out by the voting machine. 

ISSUING FALSE NUMBERS TO THE MEDIA TO CREATE A FALSE "CALL"

In the recent controversial NY-23 race, volunteers in multiple wards called in zeroes instead of votes for Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman. There WERE votes, but they called in zero and later said oops. This was not a plausible oops, because the zeroes were not called in randomly for various races, nor did the zeroes spread themselves among different candidates. Doug Hoffman had false zeroes reported while votes were called in for the others. Incorrect figures provided to the media resulted in a margin which appeared thousands of votes larger than it actually was, goading Hoffman to concede prematurely.

In the Florida 2000 presidential election, impossible numbers were provided to the media producing exactly the margin needed to "call" the race for George W. Bush. Minus 16,000 votes were reported for Al Gore, and (not knowing the margin was false), Gore conceded privately to Bush and nearly conceded to the nation.

In New York City's 2008 presidential primary, more than 50 wards falsely reported "zero" votes for Obama (but not for Hillary), creating a superficially low result on Election Night.

In Maine's 2009 election, the media reported called-in results for Lewiston and Augusta, two of Maine's largest cities, for seven ballot questions each with two possible choices (7x2=14 results per city), a total of 28 vote results for the two cities. Not a single one of the 28 results was correct, and eight were off by large margins. 

In New England, even preliminary governmental results from each municipality are not compiled for a day or so. Results are typically sent by courier or brought by the police to the secretary of state. The results you see on the news are therefore not government results at all, but results generated by unnamed volunteers (or sometimes paid part timers) working for a corporation.

The media "call game" is a political game that can be played dirty, and in Massachusetts, the media "call" could ultimately control national healthcare policy. 

Usually, these premature calls can be unraveled if they are incorrect because elections aren't certified for several days and winning candidates aren't installed into office for a month or more. But in Massachusetts, because of the special situation with an imminent vote on a controversial bill combined with a temporary senator, the media call can create an undemocratic mess.

JOURNALISTIC MALPRACTICE

When the media calls an election based on non-governmental verbal information from unnamed volunteers, it displaces legitimate election procedures. Media volunteers can -- and HAVE -- issued false numbers in order to get the media to call an election for a candidate. The US Congress can -- and HAS -- installed new voting members of congress before the votes are counted or the contest is determined. 

If a media outlet calls the Massachusetts race based on verbal reports from names that are never disclosed, we need to call this what it is: Journalistic malpractice, and a danger to democracy.

If what you see Tuesday night ain't right, be prepared to speak up. Or shout loudly. It's our duty.

"It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams (1722-1803)

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Posted by Tony DeMott on 01/15/10
Last updated 01/15/10

In a recent statement he said:

"I will stand strong against illegal immigration by verifying a valid social security number before issuing anyone a driver's license, an issue Representative Dave Agema has been pushing for 3 years."

This reveals that he will implement a national ID by combining the drivers license with the social security number. Not all people have a social security number and we should not be required to have one. Republicans believe that they should have the individual liberty to opt out of the Ponzi scheme called social security, and it stands to reason that when some common sense is restored to our country, we will be able to ditch the social security number. What happens then? What happens is that the social security number will be revealed for exactly what it is, your database number, your tracking number.

"I will actively push to encrypt the traceable RFID chip in the enhanced driver's license."

At least he admits that the RFID that Terri Lynn Land has given us is endangering our safety due to the incredible lack of security included with the chip. But that bright spot fades before it's even really noticeable with the admission that he is completely in favor of chipping us with radio frequency tracking devices.

The RFID issue is one of only two issues that really matter in this race and he has proven that he is not qualified to hold this office.

By the way he fails on the other core issue because he never mentions dismantling the secret election system.

His full statement is below:

January 15, 2010

Friends:

From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. As we evolve out of the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler and battle a national high unemployment rate, this November we have the chance to start over. These challenges give us an historic opportunity to rebuild as a state, and restart as a party. We have the chance to elect a new set of leaders who will guide us into the next generation and set Michigan on a path to victory.

I have traveled the state over the past few months and talked with many of you about the issues we face and the lack of leadership in Lansing. I share your frustration. Our government lacks vision and direction.
The conversations I have had with Republican activists have convinced me that I have a role to play in 2010.

I was honored to have been urged to run by several grassroots GOP leaders at the Draft Root Beer Reception on Mackinac Island. Please click here to see the invitation. I was encouraged by the support of many grassroots activists by winning the Kent and Oakland County straw polls for Secretary of State toward the end of last year. I heard your voice and am ready to answer your call to duty.

I am excited to announce that I have filed to run for Secretary of State.

I will give our party the fresh start it needs -- someone who will continue to fight the Lansing establishment for what is right. Together we will make Michigan a better state.

We need a Secretary of State who will be fiscally responsible and can balance a budget in these tough times. In 2009 alone I voted "no" on over $300 million dollars in tax increases and helped pass a balanced budget without raising taxes. I proudly worked against and voted "no" on the State Police Headquarters, which was purchased on a $70 million dollar no-bid contract from Governor Granholm's donor and neighbor and will cost the state roughly $5 million per year over the next 20 years. One of my first bills was to phase out the toxic and job-killing Michigan Business Tax surcharge. Lansing just doesn't get it; raising taxes only increases unemployment.

As Secretary of State I will look to continue Secretary Land's policies that have saved valuable taxpayer dollars. I will also seek to better use the internet and online networking systems to reduce the need for citizens to leave their homes to do state business.

There are also policies that I will work to change:

· I will stand strong against illegal immigration by verifying a valid social security number before issuing anyone a driver's license, an issue Representative Dave Agema has been pushing for 3 years.

· I will actively push to encrypt the traceable RFID chip in the enhanced driver's license.

· I will make it a priority to ensure transgender individuals will not be allowed to change the sex on their driver's license in any circumstance.

· I will work tirelessly to repeal the over $100 million dollar tax increase on drivers in the form of driver responsibility fees.
After traveling around the State the past few months, I have not heard any of the other candidates for Secretary of State addressing the serious issues mentioned above.

I believe in order to rebuild Michigan we need a leader who is not afraid to take a stand on these tough issues. We can't continue electing the same people to different offices and expect different results.

Values are important to me. In the legislature I worked tirelessly across party lines to introduce HJR II which defines the right to life as starting at fertilization. This was the first time such a bill was ever introduced in Michigan. A lot of people talk about being pro-life; I take action.

The next Secretary of State must defend the integrity of the ballot, which is under constant attack from groups attempting to compromise the sanctity of our elections. Organizations such as ACORN do not have the right to steal elections and I will not be afraid to let them know it.

We need a Secretary of State who understands the laws that govern elections and the licensing of drivers. Holding a Master's in Public Policy and completing a Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School, my education uniquely prepares me to tackle the core duties of this office.

There is no policy without victory, however.

· I am the candidate who knows how to win in November.

· I am a proven vote-getter in southeast Michigan.

· I won my first term in the state house in the most Democratic year since the Watergate era in a Democratic County that voted over 65% for Barack Obama.

· I won that tough campaign by appealing to non-traditional voters with a conservative message.
For too long Republicans have let the Democrats divide us based on age, race, gender or socio-economic status. Enough is enough.

I stood up to the Democrats and called them out on their politics of division then - and I intend to do that again in 2010.

Join me in this quest to shake up Lansing and serve as your next Secretary of State.

I need your help and I ask for your endorsement. Please, join the movement. Together, we will restart our party and turn Michigan around.

Sincerely, Paul Scott

Candidate for Secretary of State

Paid for by Paul Scott for Secretary of State, PO Box 693, Grand Blanc, MI 48480

Posted by Tony DeMott on 01/13/10

As you no doubt are aware, 63% of Michigan voters - and at least 50% of voters in every Michigan county - approved the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MMMA) in 2008. That kind of resounding support should send a clear message to politicians in Lansing that the people of Michigan support compassionate care for those suffering from debilitating illnesses. We need to make sure Lansing got the message.

A package of bills have been introduced by Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-30), Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom, (R-34), and Sen. Roger Kahn (R-32) that could render the MMMA ineffective. The bills are scheduled for a hearing this Tuesday, January 19, at 1:00 p.m. before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Sen. Kuipers chairs.

(For members in Senate districts 30, 33, 1, 7, 36, 23, and 8: Your senator is a member of the Judiciary Committee. Please click here to contact him or her and ask them to oppose this legislation.)

If you live in the Lansing area, or are able to attend this hearing, please join fellow supporters of medical marijuana by showing up to express your support for the MMMA. Remember that committee hearings are formal proceedings, so please dress and conduct yourself accordingly.

What: Senate Judiciary Committee meeting to consider Senate bills 616-18.
When: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Room 210, Farnum Building, 125 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, MI 48933

So how does this legislation unravel the MMMA? At first glance, the idea seems innocent. The proposals, Senate Bills 616-18, would reclassify medical marijuana (not marijuana generally) as a "Schedule II" substance in Michigan and change the distribution system to require it to be dispensed through pharmacies. The problem is that under federal law doctors cannot prescribe and pharmacists cannot dispense marijuana. However, doctors do have a First Amendment right to recommend marijuana, which is how the MMMA works. If this bill passes, no doctor or pharmacist would risk losing their license - or worse, going to prison - by violating federal law. In other words, passage of this bill would mean patients would be denied the medicine their doctor has recommended. As if that weren't enough, the bills would prohibit home cultivation, preventing patients and their caregivers from growing their own medicine.

Don't let your vote be ignored. You passed this law just a little over a year ago, and we now need to defend it. Make your voice heard by showing your support for the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act you helped pass. And don't forget to forward this on to a friend!

Thank you,

Dan Riffle
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project