Troy Announces Finalist Candidates for City Manager Position

The finalists are:
Steven S. Ault; Michigan
Jane Bais-DiSessa; Michigan
John M. Gabor; Michigan
Thomas R. Hoover; Michigan
James C. Payne; New Mexico

More information on the candidates and the selection process can be found at...
http://www.troymi.gov/CityManagerSearch.asp

South Oakland Area Republicans

Inaugural Meeting
July 1, 2009
7:00 pm
BERKLEY AMERICAN LEGION
Guest Speaker: L. BROOKS PATTERSON

O Lord, Look Down From Heaven

This is an old hymn written in 1524 by Martin Luther.  It's based on Psalm 12.  Thanks to the Brothers of John the Steadfast for sharing this powerful hymn. Verse 2 says:

With frauds which they themselves invent

Thy truth they have confounded;

Their hearts are not with one consent

On thy pure doctrine grounded;

And, whilst they gleam with outward show,

They lead thy people to and fro,

In error's maze astounded.

Note: The instrumental opening is long, about 2 minutes. The words are incredibly powerful and the singing with verses begins at 1:56.

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Happy Father's Day 2009

See the great message below from President Obama.

As the father of two young girls who have shown such poise, humor, and patience in the unconventional life into which they have been thrust, I mark this Father’s Day—our first in the White House—with a deep sense of gratitude. One of the greatest benefits of being President is that I now live right above the office. I see my girls off to school nearly every morning and have dinner with them nearly every night. It is a welcome change after so many years out on the campaign trail and commuting between Chicago and Capitol Hill. But I observe this Father’s Day not just as a father grateful to be present in my daughters’ lives but also as a son who grew up without a father in my own life. My father left my family when I was 2 years old, and I knew him mainly from the letters he wrote and the stories my family told. And while I was lucky to have two wonderful grandparents who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me, I still felt the weight of his absence throughout my childhood.

Read more at...
http://www.parade.com/export/sites/default/news/2009/06/barack-obama-we-need-fathers-to-step-up.html

Out and About With Rep. Marty Knollenberg

Troy Crime Alert for Period Ending June 12, 2009

Check it out at...
http://www.cityoftroypolice.com/alerts_tips/alerts/2009/June%2009/6-12-09.htm

Judge Bolle's Troy Drunk Driving Decision Reversed

An Oakland Circuit Court judge ruled that Troy District Judge William Bolle erred when he dismissed a drunken driving case because it was based on observations of another motorist, rather than a police officer. The suspected drunken driver in the Nov. 11 incident was found to have been intoxicated, with a .10 blood-alcohol level. A level of .08 is considered intoxicated in Michigan. Oakland Circuit Court Judge Colleen A. O'Brien heard a request by the Troy City Attorney Christopher J. Forsyth to reinstate the charge against a 38-year-old Sterling Heights man arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

A job well-done to the Troy City Attorney's office in appealing this case. I'm not sure what Judge Bolle was thinking when he made his decision.

Read the entire article in the June 18, 2009 Detroit News.

Futuristic High-Speed Rail Plan?

Michigan Chamber of Commerce CEO Richard Studley's Twitter post: "How ironic. Mi lawmakers reluctant to adequately fund todays buses & bridges hold a hearing on futuristic high-speed rail plan."

You can follow Rich at: http://twitter.com/rstudley

Troy BZA Approves Variance for Sonic

Had a lengthy Troy Board of Zoning Appeals meeting earlier tonight. The Board approved the variances to allow Sonic to build a restaurant on John R just north of 14 Mile Road.

City Charter Revisions

After the regularly scheduled 6/15/09 Troy City Council meeting, a study session was held to discuss changes to the City Charter. The most significant proposal is the elimination of direct election of the Mayor. Instead the Mayor would be elected by City Council.

What do you think?

For more background on this and other proposed charter revisions, go to...
http://tinyurl.com/kvatox

Troy Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting Agenda --- 6/16/09

The agenda can be found at...
http://www.troymi.gov/committees/Agendas/Zoning/Zoning20090616.pdf

Troy City Council Regular Meeting Agenda — 6/15/09

Links to individual agenda items can be found at…
http://www.troymi.gov/Council/Meetings/CurrentAgenda.aspx

The complete agenda can be downloaded by clicking the link below.
Current Agenda

Troy Hershey Track & Field Games 2009

Thank you to the City's Parks & Recreation Department for organizing the Hershey Track & Field Games today at Troy High School.

Here's Alex with the 3 ribbons he won.

Troy Crime Alert for Period Ending June 5, 2009

Check it out at...
http://www.cityoftroypolice.com/alerts_tips/alerts/2009/June%2009/6-5-09.htm

Input Wanted for Transit District

Troy and Birmingham city planners will want to gauge opinion and pick the brains of professionals in the community about plans for a multi-modal transit district that will span both cities. Architects, planners, designers and transportation specialists will descend on Birmingham June 15-16 for a two-day public design session, or “charrette,” in order to create a plan for what is now called the Transit-Oriented District. The district spans the area east of Adams, between Maple and Lincoln, in Birmingham; and south of Maple, north of the Oakland-Troy Airport, between Coolidge and Crooks, in Troy.

Read more at..
http://candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/2009/6-02-09/Input-transit-district.asp

Independence Day at the Troy Museum

Glad to see that the Troy Museum is celebrating Independence Day this year. While it would be nice if they actually held the event on July 4th, this is a step in the right direction.

For more information on the events and schedule, go to...
http://www.troymi.gov/CommunityAffairs/PressRelease/Patriotic%20Week.htm

Making Failure an Option

Too big to fail?  Is that how our government should regulate large financial institutions?

Here's a contrary viewpoint in today's Wall Street Journal...

One possible answer is a new mechanism for regulators to resolve -- that is, seize, then sell or recapitalize -- the biggest banks. But while we're waiting, one way to minimize the too-big-to-fail assumption is by showing that at least one big institution can fail. Last fall, at the height of the panic, regulators deemed this too dangerous. But this need not be an eternal truth.

Read the rest of the article at...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124451329364796775.html

Killing the Killer was a Blow to Pro-Lifers

Just read a thoughtful blog posting by Uwe Siemon-Netto on the murder of the Dr. George Tiller.

Here are a few excepts...

A man has taken the law in his hand because, like many of us, he believed that politics and the courts have warped The Law beyond recognition. Following the French Revolution, many Western democracies, including the United States, have turned against Natural Law, which God himself has written upon every human heart, and replaced it with man-made “positive law.” In this context it is well to remember Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s assessment that the French Revolution “was the laying bare of the emancipated man in his tremendous power and his most terrible perversity.” He was convinced that “the liberation of man as an absolute ideal leads only to man’s self-destruction.”

The abortion issue is a case in point. Natural law, the universal moral code, must surely tell us that sucking the brains out of a baby’s skull in his or her mother’s womb is wrong, regardless whether you are a Christian or not. Only “man in his most terrible perversity,” to cite Bonhoeffer, can conceive of such an act as a human right. To make this point, though, does not call for a killer’s gun. All that’s required is the voters’ soul-searching reflection about their duties as sovereigns of their own land.

Read the entire posting at...
http://concordia.typepad.com/vocation/2009/06/killing-the-killer-was-a-blow-to-prolifers.html

Troy Crime Alert for Period Ending May 29, 2009

Check it out at...
http://www.cityoftroypolice.com/alerts_tips/alerts/2009/May%2009/5-29-09.htm

Hey Google...Don't Forget About D-Day

When you go to the Google page today, you see a salute to "Tetris." No mention of the fact that it's the 65th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion.

Does that surprise anyone?

Pappageorge Perspective for the Week of 6/1/09

Received a very interesting email from State Senator John Pappageorge. The text is below.

Since taking office in 2007 my priority has been putting policies into action that will fix Michigan. The future success of our state lies in our ability to attract and retain job providers. With double-digit unemployment and no end in sight, there is plenty that needs to be done to put Michigan on the right path.

In recent testimony before Senate lawmakers, representatives of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) said states with low taxes and spending experience higher economic growth rates than states that tax and spend more.

Jonathan Williams, director of tax and fiscal policy for ALEC, presented the results of the group's "Rich States, Poor States" report. Williams told the Senate Finance Committee that Michigan ranks dead last in the nation for economic activity in 2009, and that the state was one of only three states to raise taxes last year.

Williams said the three most important steps for Michigan to take are:
• Making the budget more transparent on a free, searchable database online;
• Requiring a supermajority to pass broad-based tax increases; and
• Eliminating or reducing the state's income tax.

According to Williams, the nine states without a state income tax are doing much better economically than the nine states with the highest state income taxes.

It is time for us to seriously reconsider the government's approach to state budgeting. As Williams eloquently put it, "You cannot tax your way to prosperity. You can track the steady stream of jobs and talent from high-tax states to low-tax states."

If we want to turn the state around and change our economic outlook, then we must rein in spending and reduce taxes. These are the policies that will truly fix Michigan.

End of the Troy Eccentric

Last Sunday, May 31st was the last issue of the Troy Ecentric.  Unlike in Birmingham, there has been no effort made to save this newspaper.

Ronald Reagan Statue Makes Debut

A bronze statute of Ronald Reagan was unveiled today under the United States Capitol Rotunda. Another tribute to a great President.

Rainbow Over My Shoulder

When we were cruising along the southeastern coast of Alaska late one afternoon we watched a full rainbow arch across the sky.  I love this picture.  Brings to mind:

"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

Genesis 9:16

What’s Wrong With My Tree?

I couldn't figure out what was growing on my tree until I found this helpful information on the City of Troy's website.

"Calico scale, Eulecanium cerasorum is a pest of a variety of woody landscape plants and is currently infesting trees in the City. This scale is mainly covering branches of honeylocust and has been recently been found on many other species of hardwood trees in Troy. It does not usually kill its host plant, however, it can severely weaken the plant, making it more susceptible to woodborers, drought and other stresses."

Read more at...
http://www.troymi.gov/TreeInfo.pdf

2000 Years Old and New

We were pampered on the Westerdam as we cruised the southeastern coast of Alaska, but no Divine Service.