Category Archives: Bad government

Cronyism

Posted on February 21, 2011 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell When our new Michigan governor, Rick Snyder, announced his support for a government bridge between the U.S. and Canada at Detroit, bucking many of his own Republican legislators and a powerful billionaire, I was hopeful. It was … Continue reading →

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Township gets ‘earful,’ cider man gets $1 fine

Posted on February 10, 2011 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell So there is justice, after all. An Oakland County judge today listened to a lawyer for Oakland Township argue for a $7,500 fine to teach Rochester Cider Mill owner Tom Barkham a lesson. The lesson? Don’t sell … Continue reading →

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Cider man

Posted on February 9, 2011 by hro50ta1

The bullies who run Michigan’s Oakland Township don’t want you to know that the man they’ve hectored and portrayed as a wily scofflaw is in fact an honest businessman filling several important roles in his community. Here, reprinted with permission … Continue reading →

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Hassling the cider man

Posted on February 9, 2011 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell It’s hard to imagine how a little cider mill operating in a rural setting in northern Oakland County, Michigan, could threaten the elected officials of Oakland Township. Yet the township board of Oakland Township has dragged Rochester … Continue reading →

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Hijacking a sewer

Posted on January 19, 2011 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Nepotism, cronyism, self-dealing, insider-trading. The every-day workings of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department? Surprise. Those pejorative adjectives were applied to a sewerage operation that was uniquely a suburban creation. I’m thinking of the Western Townships Utilities … Continue reading →

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Guns in Canada

Posted on January 15, 2011 by hro50ta1

Seems timely, with all the carnage in Arizona, to re-run my October 2, 2010 column about Canada’s firearms law: By Joel Thurtell Watch out, NRA. My PAL’s gonna get you. Before I tell you about my PAL, though, I’d like … Continue reading →

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Not so sure about you

Posted on January 7, 2011 by hro50ta1

By Ray Judicata JOTR Legal Expert This is a speech I gave to the Limpieza de Sangre Society at its national convention in Knownothing, Indiana. I gotta say, some of those Limpieza folks are real kooks. They’re so far to … Continue reading →

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The Rich Rod punt

Posted on November 6, 2010 by hro50ta1

“I am proud of how our coach has handled all of this, as well as his players.” —  University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, on the NCAA’s verdict that the UM football program committed five major rules violations By … Continue reading →

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Worse than dogs

Posted on November 5, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell A little question for the FBI. What legal people call a “hypothetical.” What if the FBI were raiding a warehouse with dozens of agents. What if some of the agents were human beings. And what if some … Continue reading →

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Allah she wrote!

Posted on November 3, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Ray Judicata JOTR Legal Expert Those FBI files about the feds bumping off an imam in Dearborn make the fibbies look kind of, well, bad. Some people might say the FBI acted like, you know, criminals. What really bugs … Continue reading →

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