Monthly Archives: May 2018

Secretary Johnson on Driver Responsibility Fee Elimination

Secretary Johnson: Driver Responsibility Fee elimination great day for drivers

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson issued the following statement about Gov. Snyder signing legislation to fully eliminate Driver Responsibility Fees:

“What a great day for Michigan drivers,” Johnson said. “I want to thank Gov. Snyder, all the lawmakers who voted for this and all the work my staff has put in over the years to get rid of this automatic double-penalty that was hurting hard-working Michigan families. Too many Michigan drivers lost their license because of Driver Responsibility Fees that didn’t promote public safety but did make it harder for people to pick up their kids from school or get to work.”

As a state representative in 2003, Johnson voted against Driver Responsibility Fees. As secretary of state, she has pushed for repealing the Driver Responsibility Fee law, successfully advocating that lawmakers eliminate the most common fees in 2011, create a community service option for certain fees in 2015 and begin phasing out all fees.

Driver Responsibility Fees are an additional fee automatically charged for various traffic violations, including non-moving violations, on top of regular traffic citation fines and court costs. Unlike traditional court fines and fees in which a judge can take into consideration a driver’s ability to pay and order alternatives, such as payment plans or community service in lieu of payment, the automatically assessed Driver Responsibility Fees cannot be waived or reduced by a judge.

Hawaii Ignores Abuses in Drive to Legalize Doctor-Prescribed Suicide

On Thursday, April 5, 2018, Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a bill legalizing doctor-prescribed suicide (DPS) in the state in 2019. Hawaii has joined four other states in passing legislation to allow doctors to give lethal drugs to patients.

Personal autonomy is quickly becoming the sole lodestar of society. Euthanasia and suicide advocates sell these legal efforts as the ultimate in personal autonomy: controlling your own death. Despite this seemingly natural fit of idea to ideology, DPS activists continue to face an uphill climb. Past legalization efforts in Hawaii failed, year after year, and current efforts continue to fail in other states, including Michigan.

This resistance is because even people who might otherwise support DPS understand that there are grave dangers to handing out poison to people. Many doctors and medical institutions who might otherwise embrace suicide as another step in consumer medicine share these grave concerns.

DPS advocates go to great pains to stress that “safeguards” exist to prevent potential abuses. Too often these “safeguards” are taken at face value, or aren’t thoroughly explained. Coverage of Hawaii’s bill in The Hill provides an excellent example. In an article Friday, reporter Reid Wilson puts it this way: “There are several provisions built into the law as safeguards to mollify those who worried that the system could be abused.”

What abuses? Who are the people who will be mollified by the law? We aren’t provided with those details.

The article describes these several provisions, implying all those concerned will be mollified by them. One safeguard is described this way: “Two doctors must confirm that the patient is terminally ill with less than six months to live.”

What goes unmentioned is that an easily treatable condition like diabetes qualifies as a terminal disease, under these laws, because patients who go without insulin for six months may die within six months.

Before passage several amendments were added to Hawaii’s law based on other concerns, but significant abuses remain unaddressed. Here’s a big one: when health insurance companies are faced with choosing between covering a patient’s expensive medical treatment and paying for a dose of relatively cheap barbiturates, what will they offer the patient? That isn’t just a potential concern; it has happened in Oregon, the pioneer of doctor-prescribed suicide.

Examples of unavoidable abuses involved with doctor-prescribed suicide are legion, both in America and especially overseas. These concerns go unheeded, however, when they are downplayed or ignored.

Ask Dr. Universe – Personality

Dr. Universe: How do we get our personality? – Jamie, 11

Dear Jamie,

Everyone is different. Maybe you are adventurous, shy, outgoing, funny, or kind. Before you were even born, your unique personality was beginning to take shape.

Part of the answer to your question is that some of your personality comes from your parents. Just as parents pass down physical traits like hair and eye color to their offspring, they can also give them different personality traits. They’re in your genes, the information passed throughout generations.

But your personality isn’t set in stone from the beginning. There are a few other things that go into it.

That’s what I found out from my friend Chris Barry, a psychologist at Washington State University. He studies personality in young people, including how people express themselves on social media. He was really excited to hear about your question.

Even as little babies, people start to express their own personalities, he said. Maybe you were a really fussy infant. Maybe you laughed or smiled a lot. As you grew up and learned how to communicate, your personality started to grow, too.

You’ve had a lot of different life experiences and those play into your personality, too. Barry reminded me that humans are social animals. He explained that as the brain develops, you become much more aware of the world around you.

For example, when you were little, you could run around with spaghetti all over your face and no one would think much about it. But now that you are an 11-year-old, running around with spaghetti on your face could be a little embarrassing.

Perhaps your family and friends would suggest you find a napkin. Barry explained that as you get older you are not only more aware of different social situations, but also your own personality.

Humans are often looking for information from other humans to figure out how to navigate the world. Meanwhile, an almond-shaped brain structure called the amygdala is especially helpful as you figure out these new situations and emotions.

You may notice that your family, friends, or others may react to the way you behave. You might learn to change your behavior depending on their reactions. While everyone has their own personality, in a way, other people are helping shape it, too.

Humans have all kinds of words to describe each other’s personality traits. In fact, some researchers have come up with a list of more than 600 characteristics.

Barry explained that we still have a lot of unanswered questions to explore when it comes to understanding personality. He said that while your personality develops a lot as you grow from a baby into a kid, it probably won’t change too much once you become a grown-up.

Based on your question, it appears that you are very curious. That can be a great personality trait. Have you ever thought about become a scientist or researcher one day? Keep asking great questions and you’ll be well on your way.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

Summer Shows at the Muskegon Museum of Art Offer Eclectic Trip Through American History and Culture

Overview
The Muskegon Museum of Art offers exhibitions rooted in American history and culture this summer, starting with a selection of 150 photogravures from The North American Indian by Edward Curtis, and moving to more recent times with vintage motorcycles from area bike collectors, 1951 stock car race photos, contemporary hyper-realistic sculptures of people, and a circus peanut and honey bear installation created from wax.

Exhibition Schedule
May 17 through August 12, 2018
•  Up Close and Personal: The Ultra-Realistic Sculpture of Marc Sijan
•  American Icon: The Art of the Motorcycle and Whiskey Ridge: The Summer of ‘51

May 24 through September 9, 2018
•  The 150th Anniversary of Edward Curtis: 150 Masterpieces from The North American Indian

June 21 through September 16, 2018
•  Perchance to Dream: The Art of Michael Peoples

Additional exhibitions on display throughout the summer:
•  Pictures of the Best Kind: Treasures from the Permanent Collection
•  Picasso in Print: 20th Century European Masters

Opening Receptions
Special events and programs will accompany the exhibitions, starting with free public receptions to open the shows:
Thursday, May 17, 5:30-8:00 pm
•  Up Close and Personal: The Ultra-Realistic Sculpture of Marc Sijan
•  American Icon: The Art of the Motorcycle and Whiskey Ridge: The Summer of ‘51

Thursday, May 24, 5:30-8:00 pm
•  The 150th Anniversary of Edward Curtis: 150 Masterpieces from The North American Indian

Thursday, June 21, 5:30-8:00 pm
•  Perchance to Dream: The Art of Michael Peoples

Become a Muskegon STAR

filecabMuskegon County Certified Community Information Specialist

What office item was invented in Muskegon?
And the answer…the Steel File Cabinet!

Yes, Muskegon is beautiful but it is much more than that! Become Muskegon STAR! certified and get knowledge on how unique Muskegon County really is.

This class will help you:

• Attract new talent
• Improve the visitor’s experience
• Enhance your customer’s experience

You will receive an official STAR! pin, certificate of completion and free admission to several area attractions! This class is taught by community experts: Pat Shafer and Linden Peterson.

Event Details:
(email: mlcc@muskegon.org)
Thursday, May 17
1:00 – 5:00 pm
West Michigan Works! Office
316 Morris Ave, Muskegon, MI 49440
$25 per person

Executive Travel – Airbnb Warning

Companies that allow travelers to use Airbnb could be open to lawsuits
contributed by Executive Travel (executivetravel.com)

Many companies today have put their heads in the sand and are ignoring how the sharing economy in the form of Airbnb has been creeping steadily into the corporate travel management world. At first blush, many people would casually ask, “What’s the big deal? Many vacation travelers love Airbnb so why not use it for business travelers? Are you crazy! Companies by law are responsible for the safety and security of their travelers when they are traveling for business. Think of the dozens of ways that using Airbnb could compromise the safety of corporate travelers. In a recent article by Asher and Lyric titled, “Is Airbnb Safe?” they reviewed 1021 horror stories to identify some of the major problems with renting Airbnb. The first thing they listed sent a shiver up my spine. Do you realize that “Airbnb doesn’t require any ID other than an email address and phone number? Basically, anyone could be your host. They don’t even require real names or profile photos.” This means your company travelers could end up staying with a convicted felon, a registered sex offender, a thief, or a conniving scam artist. WOW! Can you imagine the liability a company has if they allow their travelers to be exposed to this possible danger? CLICK HERE to read more about the Airbnb horror stories. I am not a lawyer, and can’t give you legal advice, but common sense says if you are responsible for the safety and security of your employees while they travel you should consider prohibiting them from using Airbnb for any company travel.

2nd Annual Port City Criterium Slated for May 6 in Downtown Muskegon

(Muskegon, MI) – Downtown Muskegon will host the 2nd Annual Port City Criterium on Sunday, May 6. The .8 mile, closed-circuit course is starting and finishing on Western Avenue in the heart of downtown. The races are shorter than traditional road races. A CRIT offers higher-than-average speeds and much more intensity, making it a fan favorite to watch. The counter-clockwise course has a short kicker and fast finishing stretch. Races are timed for 30, 45 or 60 minutes depending on the category.

NEW to the CRIT is a free women’s pre-race clinic with Pro Cyclist and Olympic Gold Medalist, Mackenzie Woodring at 830 am. Raffle prizes and free race entry will be awarded to juniors (ages 10-17), Ladies Cat 5, and Ladies Masters 45+ who attend.

Registration is now open with over $4,000 in cash prizes and medals being offered for many categories and experience levels. There is a limit of 100 riders in most races/categories. USA Cycling rules apply and any unlicensed riders can purchase a one-day Category 5 license to compete.

Categories include:
• Junior Men & Women
• Women (Cat. 3,4,5)
• Men (Cat. 4,5)
• Masters 40+/50+ (Cat. 1-4)
• Kids Races
• Masters 30+ (Cat. 1-4)
• Women (Cat. 1,2,3)
• Men (Cat. 3,4)
• Pro (Cat. 1,2,3)

Whether an experienced competitor or new to racing, the course provides the best of both worlds. Downtown businesses are partnering to create an exciting atmosphere for both spectators and competitors. Viewers will be able to walk along the boundaries of the race track as the cyclists race by on the course. A Cinco de Mayo “race packet pickup” party is planned on May 5 for racers and fans featuring pizza from Top Shelf, award-winning craft beer from Pigeon Hill Brewing, and raffle prizes.

Registration/Pricing:
• Kids Races – Free
• Women (Cat. 3,4,5) – $25
• Men (Cat. 4,5) – $25
• All other categories – $35
• Second Race – $15
• $20 late fee day of registration

Location:
Muskegon Convention & Visitors Bureau
610 W. Western Avenue
Muskegon, MI 49440

Start Times Range:
• 8:40 am – 3:30 pm

For more information or volunteer details, visit www.portcitycrit.com. Major sponsors include Staples, Core Realty Partners, Nichols, Ignite, Velocity, Michelob Ultra, The Mart Dock, Meijer, Pro Med, Tyler Sales, Pigeon Hill Brewing, City Hub Cyclery, and Rock-n-Road Cycle.