 House poised to cancel planned limits on overdraft fees
Last week U.S. Representative John Moolenaar held a Town Meeting via zoom fielding questions from constituents. Here are a couple of items that didn't come up during the meeting. Perhaps voters may want to call his office if these are of concern. Phone: (202) 225-3561. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized a rule in December that would limit overdraft charges at large banks and credit unions, a move that federal officials said could help save Americans billions in fees each year. The banking industry, of course, opposed it. The Senate voted last Thursday to strike down the rule that would cap most bank overdraft fees at $5. The vote went 52-48 along party lines with one Republican Senator voting against it. It will now move to the House. Senator Tim Scott was quoted as saying, ”Overturning the Biden CFPB’s overdraft fee structure is good for consumers.” Senator Scott, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, did not elaborate as to how taking the limit off overdraft fees would be helpful to consumers who pay them. Cuts at the USDA have stalled or cancelled 600,000 pounds of food going to Feeding America of West Michigan. The Emergency Food Assistance Program is on pause amid a federal review, and it’s unclear whether the canceled food shipments will be restored, according to media reports. FAWM is a large distributor of food to those in need in Newaygo County with deliveries at the White Cloud United Methodist Church on the 4th Tuesday of each month.
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 By Ken DeLaat Given that I have transitioned somewhat less than gracefully into old age, it seems an appropriate time to embrace the inner curmudgeon with more enthusiasm. When I wore a younger man's clothes (thanks Billy Joel) few changes created conflict with my view of the world. Perhaps I adjusted more smoothly or just didn’t care but as I advance in birthdays there is considerably less patience with what is adjudged to be, well, stupid I guess. I’ve never liked the media grabbing a coach at halftime to ask about the game, but we all know it’s about the money so while it was clear to me and anyone who has coached at any level what a pain in the ass this must be, I understood. But of course this wasn't enough. No, we had to hear from them during timeouts as well. You know, when coaches are giving instructions and making changes in the middle of a game? And why leave out the players? Snatching a player in a close game as they headed for the lockerroom with their teammates and coach to work out what has occurred and what the plans would be for the second half became standard. To me this adds little to the game. Coaches and players just deliver coach-speak. “We just need to stay focused, improve on defense and yada yada yada.” In baseball it started with miking up the manager. While it is now commonplace I recall a game in the early 80’s when Don (The Gerbil) Zimmer was managing Texas and in a nationally broadcast game they had him miked. At one point I believe something happened to his substitute catcher and he said “Now where’s my F–ing 3rd catcher when I need him?”, then stared at the camera on him with a look of horror. Maybe that killed the experiment for a while but of course it has long since returned. Then last Thursday during the Tiger Dodger game they were interviewing one of the LA outfielders in the field while the game was going on. Really? Is this a thing now? Sure, baseball is a different kind of sport where there is time for reflection but they were chatting with him about the recent trip to Japan and the look of his shoes. It made my ongoing disdain for Joe (makes me want to stick an icepick in my ear) Buck crater even further. What’s next? Mike up a lineman during a Lions game? Talk about adding color to the game. These shenanigans are why I’ve taken to watching games with the sound off. Try it. My hunch is you’ll find, like me, you really don’t miss a thing besides babbling broadcasters and obscure stats. Ok That’s all for now. And in the meantime… Get off my lawn!  To the Editor: I am deeply concerned about the growing threats to essential public services funded by our tax dollars. Many friends and neighbors fear potential disruptions to their Social Security benefits. Recent college graduates who had hoped to intern or work for NOAA, the National Park Service, Wildlife and Fisheries, or museums now face uncertainty. Dedicated federal employees who took pride in serving the Constitution have had their lives thrown into chaos. While these issues may not affect everyone directly, there is one service that touches all Americans—the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS is under threat of privatization, a move that will disproportionately harm rural communities. Changes have already begun beneath the surface—mail delivery has slowed, and like a frog in a slowly boiling pot, we may not realize the full impact until it’s too late. The USPS is a vital part of our ability to communicate and receive essential goods. This is especially true in rural communities, where unreliable internet access makes traditional mail a critical means of staying informed and connected. Privatization threatens to dismantle this lifeline, leaving rural residents further disconnected. Historically, rural areas faced significant delays in postal access due to poor road conditions and the unprofitability of long-distance deliveries. If privatized, mail service will be dictated by corporate profit rather than public need. Rural residents will likely pay more while receiving less frequent mail service simply because serving them won’t be lucrative enough. By law, the USPS was never intended to be a profit-making entity. It was established as a taxpayer-funded public service to ensure reliable and affordable mail delivery for all Americans. Privatization would turn mail delivery into a privilege rather than a right, leaving millions without reliable access to this fundamental service. We must take action now. Tell Congress: Hands off our Postal Service. Michelle Petz, LCSW  Did you Attend? Looking for feedback
On Thursday March 27th Congressman John Moolenaar presented a Town Hall Meeting via Zoom to constituents of the 2nd District. During the hour-long meeting he fielded questions on a number of subjects including Social Security, DOGE and Elon Musk, the recent group chat on Signal, and the shutdown of USAID. Did you attend? If so, we would appreciate hearing your feedback. Please send your thoughts via our comment section. Comments must be accompanied by an email address. Near North Now reserves the right to selectivity of comments with regard to appropriateness.  Photo by Lesly DeLaat On the anniversary of Jim Harrison’s passing March 26, 2016
Jim Harrison hooked me soon after a friend pressed a copy of Sundog in my hands and told me I’d like it. A lot. Having been told that before I was skeptical and it settled into my TBR pile for a time as I waded through a few others but then one night after finishing my latest read I picked it up and it vaulted me into Harrison fandom forever. Beyond his novels are his poetry, words woven together in a way that captures life (and death) in such an absorbing manner. Just before we began Near North Now back in 2016 Harrison passed. One of our earlier articles written by Gabe Konrad referenced Harrison along with a pair of his contemporaries, poets who also had Michigan roots. In doing so he introduced me and presumably others to their work and I have passed their names along to friends who also savor a good piece of poetry. This being the anniversary of Harrison’s passing we reached out to Gabe asking permission to reprise the piece he crafted back when NNN was an infant and he graciously agreed. Harrison Revenant By Gabe Konrad After the initial shock from the death of Jim Harrison—the prolific novelist and poet that we Near Northerners like to claim as our own—we can console ourselves that he left behind so many great books and what is really a family of great poets. Two of the well-established Michigan poets that Harrison fans will enjoy are Judith Minty and Dan Gerber. Gerber will sound familiar, of course. He is from the baby food family, but took a different path in life, pursuing passions as disparate as car racing and poetry. Gerber and Harrison co-edited the literary journal Sumac, which was based in Fremont, from 1969 to ’71, and ran the Sumac Press which specialized in local poets. While Gerber now resides in California, that Michigan feel lives in his words: Here like the tropics in summer in the forest, in the lake or where the forest ends a desert of dry grass and stones over dirt roads, the heat making you one with the air and thus not being one separate from that which surrounds you* Gerber has had several novels and collections of poetry published and his latest collection, Sailing through Cassiopeia (Copper Canyon Press, 2013), shows that he is stronger than ever. Another friend and compatriot of Harrison is Judith Minty. Born in Detroit, Minty’s first book of poetry won the United States Award of the International Poetry Forum, and she has gone on to publish several full-length books of poetry and chapbooks. Her essays, prose and poetry has appeared in over fifty anthologies and journals. Along the way she has been awarded the Villa Montalvo Award for Excellence in Poetry and the Eunice Tiestiens Award from Poetry magazine, among other honors. Minty has taught at several universities, including the University of California, University of Alaska, Grand Valley State, and a decade-long stint as director of the Creative Writing Program at Humboldt State University. Well travelled, Minty now resides in Muskegon, though Michigan never left her writing. No clouds for a week. May, yet this day belongs to summer. I have bolted my house to race north again to woods that lace the light with new leaves.** While throughout Minty’s work there is a strong sense of place, leaning heavily on the North Woods of Michigan, the Great Lakes, and California, it is Judith’s depiction of the reality of truth that has moved her well beyond the confines of a “regional poet” to the mantel of “Great Poet.” *From the poem “In Michigan” in The Revenant collection (Sumac Press, 1971). **From “Sprint, Part 1” in Yellow Dog Journal (Parallax Press, 1991) Editors Note: Judith Minty passed away in 2017 a year after this story was posted  By Ken DeLaat "Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too." - Yogi Berra Despite a severely bruised if not busted bracket at least the two in-state teams are in the Sweet Sixteen representing the Big 10 along with the Terps. Sparty made me a bit nervous with that win over the Lobos and the Wolves seemed to be on their way out, down by well into double digits before pulling off one of their patented comeback wins. On the pro side the Pistons have gone from awful to not that bad to playoff locks all in one season. The Wings? Well, another late season collapse via their March malaise has Detroit hockey aficionados gnashing their teeth. And now we are ready to see if the Tigers, a team that defied all odds to storm their way into the playoffs last season, are able to build on that improbable run. August 10th, a week and a half removed from sending Flaherty their only other healthy starter to the Dodgers, they sat 8 games under .500 and mired in 4th with only the sorrowful Sox farther down in the Central. The starting pitching consisted of Skubal and a cast of thousands. And they went 33-13 down the stretch including a pair of 6 game streaks and 2 of those losses were to the record setting (for losses) Sox after the Tigers clinched a playoff spot. It was nothing short of phenomenal. Now they’re back with an actual starting rotation and a couple of additions and tweaks to the lineup. Optimistic? You bet! But anyone who has known me at any time over my 60+ years as a loyal fan has likely been amused by my sanguine approach to each season. Some years not so much since a decade or so of lousy management tempered my positivity, however the hopefulness has grown since the current leadership from front office to dugout has been spot on with the rebuild. And truthfully, nailing down a playoff spot in the middle of a rebuild is nothing short of remarkable. What has intrigued me is the lack of respect the Tigers have gotten from most publications and prognosticators. Perhaps it was a fluke but they beat out some pretty fair teams to get to the postseason and they only added to the mix this year. Sure Bregman turned them down to go to the Red Sox but they got there without him last year then knocked he and his star studded team out in the first round. Years ago Bill James, who coined the term sabermetrics, referenced how teams that make a big jump generally fall back the following year. And of course he might be correct when it comes to this team. But man, they are scrappers. They’re fun to watch and their game is to play with reckless abandon. They have a wizard for a manager and all that youth is a year older. They may flounder out of the box, particularly having to begin the season playing the World Champs at Dodger Stadium when LA has already gotten their season underway, but I’m all in this season. If last year taught us anything it’s to not write them off until they hit the magic number in reverse and are eliminated. There is guarded hope for another successful year and a guarantee that the team they put on the field is going to be entertaining to say the least. And if Jackson Jobe is all he has been touted to be? If Tork finally hits like he is supposed to? If Greene and Carpenter stay healthy? If the bullpen sparkles like the second half of last year? And if Skubal continues like the Cy Young winner he is? Ok that’s a lot of ifs. But it’s time to play ball and to me there is nothing like a 6 month run of Tiger baseball to take me away from all the bullshit filling up the news cycle these days. Bless You Boys. “Whatever the pace of the particular baseball game we are watching, whatever its outcome, it holds us in its own continuum and mercifully releases us from our own.”- Roger Angell. The Summer Game  Dog and a beer. Playoff game last season,Tigers vs. Guardians with son Nck.  Photo by Izzabella DeLaat By Ken DeLaat “To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone This past week I lost a friend to the nasty, despicable bastard known as cancer, an enemy of the people that has claimed far too many of my friends in recent years. When one becomes a certain age there is always the inevitability of seeing people who have long been a part of your life pass. The deaths of musicians, actors, athletes and other public figures who were prominent and well known throughout your younger years find their way into the news usually resulting in a tinge of nostalgia and a soft sigh or two. And when seeing an old movie or hearing a song a conversation with someone in your age group might start with “Is (s)he still alive?” resulting in an online search for the answer to be shared. But, of course, it is different when someone you know makes that final journey. Creighton was someone I met when we both found ourselves living in Manistee after spending years in the larger cities we grew up in. I moved there with Lifetime Spousal Companion (LSC) Lil a little over a year after we married. It was my counseling job at the local agency that landed us there and Creighton arrived having taken a job with the local newspaper. A large contingency of young people had moved there around the same time, working at various professions, and we all seemed to find one another. They were good times. Times we believed might never end. But they did. Lil and I moved on as did many others including Creighton who found his way to other small towns where he took other news jobs. He had many of them over the years because he was at heart an excellant investigative reporter who always seemed to be able to ferret out a local scandal or two. Trouble was, in small towns when a newspaper is caught between printing stories that might upset advertisers, and the possibility of losing revenue...well…let’s say his resume continued to grow lengthier. Eventually Creighton decided to leave journalism behind and he took his computer skills to the private sector. But he never stopped investigating. He just turned it into a different type of inquiry. He explored a number of spiritual paths and on those far too rare occasions when he and I would get together he would share what he’d learned. There was always an air of excitement in his descriptions of the most recent path he had ventured on. Our conversations were rich in content and never, ever boring. This past year he postponed our get togethers due to a variety of illnesses he was dealing with, then called one day to tell me he had been diagnosed. I visited him at his home a couple of hours away where, as always, he lived alone. He wasn’t driving so I took him to the store where he bought the few foods he could tolerate. After that we spoke several times by phone as he told me of going through chemo and the subsequent struggles the treatment brings. After one hospitalization he was sent to a rehab facility and Lil and I visited him there. When he returned home I called to set up a time to visit and he told me it wasn’t a good time. That he would let me know when to come and promised to call. When we signed off I told him, as I always did when we parted, that I loved him and would wait for his call. It was our last conversation. I received a text from his sister that he was hospitalized again, not doing well and transferred to a facility. When I texted back to see where he was, she let me know he had passed. She also said there was to be no service. He had once told me this was his preference and knowing him as I did, I understood. Creighton was a brilliant journalist and forgot more about writing than I will ever know. He was a kind soul who loved nature, loved the dogs that came and went throughout his life and lived with a certainty that his death would be a transition. It would simply be his next journey and the culmination of a lifetime of searching for answers. Like the investigative reporter he had always been.  State Senator Rick Outman Webber, Outman renew push to protect patient rights, improve oversight for state psychiatric care
LANSING, Mich. — State Sens. Michael Webber and Rick Outman on Wednesday reintroduced their legislation to address growing concerns over patient rights and oversight at state-run psychiatric hospitals. “Tragic reports and avoidable events over the years have highlighted the need for improved oversight and increased transparency at these vital facilities,” said Webber, R-Rochester Hills. “This legislation is just the first step in addressing serious concerns and bringing peace of mind to families with loved ones being treated under the state’s care. These reforms would help strengthen the Office of Recipient Rights — the entity responsible for investigating patient treatment complaints — and protect it against pressures that could interfere with the impartial, even-handed and thorough performance of its functions currently outlined in state law.” Senate Bill 142, sponsored by Webber, would add representatives from Disability Rights Michigan, Mental Health Association in Michigan and Arc Michigan as permanent standing members to the Recipient Rights Advisory Committee within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and prohibit any MDHHS executive office staff from being appointed to or serving on the advisory committee. SB 143, introduced by Outman, would require hospitals to give voluntarily hospitalized psychiatric patients written notice of their rights. Hospitals are already required to give involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric patients written notice of their rights. However, the same is not true for patients who sign paperwork agreeing to formal, voluntary admission. “The decision to seek psychiatric hospitalization is one of the most serious health care choices a person can make for themselves or a loved one,” said Outman, R-Six Lakes. “State law should not treat voluntary and involuntary patients differently with regard to ensuring they know their rights. My bill simply fixes this issue.” SBs 142 and 143 have been referred to the Senate Committee on Housing and Human Services for further consideration. State Rep. Jamie Thompson, R-Brownstown, is also expected to introduce the legislation as House Bills 4218 and 4219 this week. Webber has previously pushed for legislative hearings and hosted a listening session with former patients and parents about concerns over care and safety at the facilities and questioned MDHHS leadership during Senate-hosted committee hearings that the senator requested. The state Office of the Auditor General has also begun its independent investigation into how the Office of Recipient Rights handles allegations at state-run psychiatric hospitals, following a request initiated by Webber. “From nutritional concerns, lawsuits, patients escaping, questions surrounding care, lack of transparency and recipient rights complaints going unanswered, it is clear that we must do more to drastically improve care and operations at our state and community mental health facilities, and we have a duty to do so,” Webber said. Mental health care providers have pushed back against attempts to implement changes to more fully support patient rights, with Community Mental Health Association CEO Robert Sheehan recently telling MLive that efforts to change the system “come up every five to 10 years” and that “it’s an amazing system.” Meanwhile, patient-focused advocacy groups have welcomed efforts to increase oversight and better support patient rights. “The Mental Health Association in Michigan is pleased to be included in this proposed recipient rights legislation and is grateful to Sen. Webber for his efforts to improve the rights of recipients of community mental health services in Michigan,” said Marianne Huff, president and CEO for the Mental Health Association in Michigan. “Advocacy organizations such as the Mental Health Association in Michigan, the Arc Michigan and Disability Rights Michigan should be given a seat on the state’s recipient rights advisory committee because of each of our organization’s history as being the voice of the voiceless.”  To the Editor: Grief awakens me. My room, still dark in the pre-dawn. Restless, I sift through a toxic stew of harsh realities conjuring in our nation. I don’t think I’m alone. I also know others see things very differently. Our president’s unprecedented 100 minute + speech Tuesday night showed just how he intends to move us into an authoritarian oligarchy. He avalanched the American people with lies, misinformation, exaggeration, glittering generalities and vague promises—A manipulative tactic known as gaslighting, all to benefit himself. The balance of Democracy as we know it now tilts off the beam away from respectful governance. My gut churned when he brought in average citizens, adults and youth who’d endured serious traumas. A disguised message of honor, that in reality furthers his power grabbing agenda. Our president denounces diversity, equity and inclusion. He makes English the official language. He continues villainization and criminalization of immigrants. He issues executive orders that stop or limit funding and services for veterans, people with disabilities, for affirmative action, the poor, the marginalized and senior citizens. Our President and V.P. aggressively bullied Ukrainian President Zelensky, accusing him of being a dictator and falsely claiming his country started the war with Russia. Even elementary children, who happened to watch the news, know that Russia invaded Ukraine. A Democracy recognizes the fundamental dignity and worth of every person. It respects equality of all persons. It’s founded on majority rule and minority rights. It accepts compromise as necessary and facilitates the widest possible freedom for individuals. The tenets of our constitution guarantee that these principles be upheld. Messy? Yes. Does Democracy require compromise? Yes. Have aspects of our government been fraught with corruption and waste? Yes. Do we need immigration reforms? Yes. But not through ‘slash and burn.’ Are some reforms needed? Yes. These problems are bigger than partisan politics. Our president has a different agenda. Winning business deals, colonizing and control, accelerating economic gain for himself and other wealthy businesses. He will do it on the backs of the American people by cutting social safety nets, blaming us for it, and continuing tax breaks for the wealthy. Under the guise of cleaning up waste and fraud, our president allows his billionaire benefactor, Musk, to run the show. Musk has no vested interest in the reasons for our social programs and supports for sectors of our society. He’s ready to colonize Mars and anywhere else he pleases. His statement that “Social Security is an existential threat to our country,” shows no understanding of our history or our culture. This new administration throws out the baby with the bathwater, instituting draconian policies that abuse power, support lawlessness, and have placed our nation in a Constitutional Coup. A Constitutional Coup equals loss of basic rights, support for dictators, extreme divisions, and a potential police state. I’m a white, middle class woman, now retired, living on Social Security and a modest pension. I’m fortunate to have advanced degrees which supported my 58 year career in education, social work and business. I’ve lived and worked in other countries. Today, having SS and a pension allows me, as a retired person, to contribute to the economy and be a productive senior citizen. Unfortunately, this is not the reality for many retired folks in our nation. We are all vulnerable here. My entire personal and professional life, I’ve advocated for educational programs and curriculum that supports diversity, that affirm differences and similarities, and that foster critical thinking skills. Better to give a person the resources to draw their own conclusions rather than telling them what to think. While living and working in Mexico with my husband, I learned Spanish. Doing so taught me how to better understand the richness of other cultures. It has helped me see through my stereotypes and biases about people. Living through the Civil Rights era of the 1960’s tied with my faith to teach me to help the poor and marginalized, to see our planet as a Global Village of interconnections, to stand for justice. This Global Village is our home. It remains fragile. It requires tending and conscious action to protect and sustain it. Belief systems set the stage for everything. We can hear what we want to hear and believe what we want, but if we don’t understand where our beliefs come from, and have good information, it’s impossible to draw appropriate conclusions. Bias comes with the territory of being human. We are fundamentally egocentric. With the right exposure to other points of view and ways of life, we can grow into empathic and compassionate humans. No one, me included, wants to acknowledge that we’re biased. What we do reflects what we believe. A look at our president’s own history reveals a lot about his beliefs. A historical dynamic that’s important to understand. As a young man, he was groomed by Attorney Roy Cohn, a former aide to Senator Joseph McCarthy. The lessons? Always attack, never admit mistakes or defeat, create loyalty through fear, use the law to intimidate, and aggressively discredit opponents. The shoe fits perfectly. Today, I stand with the principles of our Constitution. I stand with programs that support basic human rights for all people. I stand with the science of gender diversity. I stand with the science of climate change and protections for our natural resources. I stand with the principles of democracy that support inclusion, diversity and diplomacy. I stand with diplomacy actions that support the best interest of other nations as well as my own. I stand with just economic principles which provide opportunities for ALL people, not just billionaires and corporations. I stand with global groups which uphold International Laws, and global alliances that advocate for basic human needs and working together. Our Democracy demands it. Our Global Village demands it. Sally Cunningham Kane Newaygo, MI  One of our favorite contributions to our pages are the articles crafted by Stephen Smith who teaches and coaches at White Cloud. Mr. Smith mentors the vaunted WC Quiz Bowl team as well as their chess team. If you’ve not taken the time to read his recaps of the competitions I urge you to do so. Mr. Smith delivers portrayals of Quiz Bowl contests so rich in verbiage that one would think the atmosphere at these matches is akin to the chariot scene in Ben-Hur. Well done Mr. S. And keep them coming. It is always fun to hear about the accomplishments of the talented WC students. Having personally competed in QB scrimmages on the Times Indicator team years ago, I found it to be a most humbling experience being thrashed by a bevy of bright young people who showed little mercy in thumping our adult team. And it is nice to see Coach Emeritus Tony McHattie is still part of the team. His dedication to a prolific registry of young scholars dating back a few decades is admirable and he has had a profound effect on his alumni. The basketball tournaments are in full swing and for the first time in over 20 years I am not in the gym. On the disabled list until early May, activities have been curtailed considerably since my scooter doesn’t travel well and I’ve yet to make good friends with crutches. Thanks to Editor Mercer for picking up the slack and thanks to those who have contributed to our photos. Amanda Louck-Booth, Brent Foodle, and Matthew Zerfas have regularly sent us game images and we are grateful for their kind contributions. And while the starters get the accolades for their prowess on the court there are bench players who may not get many minutes but are crucial in helping their teams prepare for games. We salute them for putting in the same amount of time and effort as those who spend the bulk of their time on the floor. And one more thing. Due to the reaction on some recent posts we plan on discontinuing comments on our Letters to the Editor on local social-media (LSM) pages. Said commentary quickly becomes incendiary and we do not wish to add to the divisiveness these posts reveal. Going forward we will attempt to limit comments to those sent to us through our news site. We accept there are those who love a good LSM dust-up and revel in the opportunity to try and ‘win’ a squabble, but part of our mission is to encourage dialogue and these verbal altercations are not dialogue. They are simply the exchange of insults. Thanks for reading. Ken DeLaat Publisher |
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