Gary Peters On Iraq

From the 9th District forum, Gary Peters responds to a question about what to do in Iraq. Interesting, Joe Knollenberg doesn't even think Iraq is an issue, since there is not one word about it on his web campaign web site.

Oakland Press publishes response to article

This morning's Oakland Press published my response to Saul Anuzis' press conference regarding Gary Peters' teaching position at Central Michigan University. If Saul's mouth is moving, he's lying.

Our next Congressman from the 9th District

This is Gary Peters' opening statement at the 9th District forum on February 13, 2008.


Gary Peters' closing statement at the 9th District forum on February 13, 2008.

Gary Peters, Joe Knollenberg and Nancy Skinner on Global Warming

Gary Peters on global warming

Here's Joe Knollenberg on the environment and global warming.


Here's Nancy Skinner on global warming.
(Just Kidding)

Gary Peters Showing some Courage on Health Care

Last night the 9th District Democratic Committee held a forum between Gary Peters and Nancy Skinner. In this video Gary Peters addresses health care in America, endorsing a Medicare for all plan. Since Joe won't come out in public and debate Gary Peters, here's the next best thing.



Here's what Joe has to say on health care


Here's Joe's Health Care Plan

Joe's not even good to animals

This guest opinion appeared in the Oakland Press today, addressing Joe Knollenberg's record on animal cruelty. I wonder if Joe has a dog and whether he kicks it for fun. Joe even wants to process sick cows for human consumption. Thanks, Joe, we appreciate your concern for our health. Maybe you want to revisit your health care plan.

GUEST OPINION
Knollenberg repeatedly fails to curb animal cruelty

By Michael Markarian

Special to The Oakland Press

Almost no one defends cruelty any longer, and it would be hard to understand the motivation of a lawmaker who voted against efforts to crack down on the inhumane treatment of animals.

After all, animal welfare is widely recognized as a social virtue. Oakland County readers may be surprised, then, that Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills, stubbornly refuses to let go of the ugly past. Sadly, he has amassed one of the worst records on animal cruelty issues in Congress. Throughout his career in Washington, he has opposed modest and common-sense animal welfare reforms.

He has time and again opposed efforts to halt the slaughtering of America's horses for export to Europe and Asia so the animals' meat could be consumed as a delicacy. His position is at odds with the important historical place horses have occupied in our culture. They helped Americans settle this country.

While horses are not food animals, even livestock deserve basic humane treatment -- but Knollenberg has voted to deny such protections and play Russian roulette with our food supply. He sought to continue processing "downer" cattle -- animals who are too sick or injured to walk to slaughter, and are often dragged with chains, ropes, bulldozers, and forklifts. These downer cows pose a greater threat of spreading "mad cow disease," or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), because they may go lame due to illness or neurological disease. Of the 15 known cases of BSE-infected animals discovered in North America, at least 12 involved downer animals.

Animals in the wild don't fare any better with Knollenberg. Last year, he voted to allow wealthy American trophy hunters to shoot polar bears in the Arctic -- where they face threats from global warming and vanishing ice floes -- and bring their heads and hides back across the border to America. It is already illegal to hunt these polar bears for sport in Alaska, so trophy hunters skirt the spirit of U.S. law by killing polar bears abroad.

The Safari Club International gives out a "Bears of the World" hunting achievement award to individuals who shoot four of the eight species of bears in the world, and that awards program drives competitive killing of polar bears.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has made a preliminary finding that polar bears should now be listed as "threatened" with extinction.

It wasn't the first time Knollenberg had taken aim at wildlife. He voted to allow the trophy shooting of bears over piles of grease and jelly doughnuts on national forests and other federal lands, and the use of steel-jawed leghold traps and wire neck snares on national wildlife refuges -- inhumane and unsporting practices opposed by responsible hunters. He even voted against two measures that would have protected dolphins from drowning in tuna nets.

Even with a ballooning deficit, and even though he says he's a fiscal conservative, Knollenberg believes in giving government hand-outs to industries that abuse animals. He voted to use your tax dollars to promote the trophy hunting of elephants in Africa, and to give a $2 million annual subsidy to the luxury mink coat industry.

Of all 15 Congressional districts in Michigan, the Ninth District has the most members of the Humane Society of the United States. Knollenberg's opposition to the most modest animal welfare reforms, especially in light of the humane-minded constituency he represents, is just perplexing.

Citizens of the Ninth District, and the nation's animals, deserve better treatment.

Michael Markarian is president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. He writes the blog "Animals & Politics" online at www.michaelmarkarian.org.

Will Joe Vote to Spy on Americans

Now that the Senate has approved the FISA bill that will give the telecom companies retroactive immunity to continue spying on American, it's up the the House to stand their ground to prevent this travesty of justice and clear breaking of the law by the Bush administration and the telecom companies.

I'm watching to see how Joe Knollenberg votes, whether he'll stand up for the Constitution or stand up for our criminal president and vice president. No one needs immunity if they didn't commit a crime. When will we hold Bush and Cheney accountable for their crimes against the country? We're watching, Joe.

Republicans Know No Shame

This article appeared in the Oakland Press this morning. Talk about making much ado about nothing. Republicans also plagiarized the John Ashcraft 2006 campaign, when John created a milk carton asking where Joe Knollenberg was. Knollenberg is rarely in the district and never conducts public town halls or forums where all 9th District residents are invited to ask Joe Knollenberg about his votes in Congress.

I personally called all of the members of the CMU Board of Trustees and not one had been made aware of even one complaint from a student that takes Gary Peters' class.

Also, it should be known, Dennis Lennox is not even in Gary Peters' class.

Let's focus on the real issues here. This issue is just a trumped up attempt to bring negative publicity to a public servant that has served Michigan residents honorably and capably and he is more than able to replace Joe Knollenberg in the U.S. Congress.

Will Joe endorse John (100 years in Iraq) McCain?

I just found this great video that speaks to a what John McCain would do if he were to be elected president. 100, 1000 more years in Iraq, who knows how many casualities and catastrophic injuries.

Following Joe's Money

I wonder if Joe's vote against the mine safety legislation has anything to do with where Joe Knollenberg is getting his campaign contrubutions from. What do you think?

Ms. Stephanie Salvagno COALPAC - National Mining Assoc. 101 Constitution Ave NW # 500 East Washington, DC 200012133		11/05/2007	500.00
			500.00
	Receipt
Ms. Stephanie Salvagno MINEPAC - National Mining Assoc. 101 Constitution Ave NW, #500 East Washington, DC 20001		11/05/2007	500.00
			500.00
	Receipt

Ms. Beverly Marshall Duke-Energy PAC 422 S. Church Street, PB05D Charlotte, North Carolina 282420001		10/27/2007	1000.00
	Treasurer		1000.00
	Receipt

Mr. Jeff Hogg RJ Reynolds PAC 1201 F Street, #1000 Washington, DC 20004		12/12/2007	1000.00
			2000.00
	Receipt

This is unconscionable. The S-Miner Act would:

* Help prevent disasters. It would add new safeguards for a dangerous practice called “retreat mining.” It would strengthen standards to contain explosions and fires inside mines. It strengthens the enforcement hand of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, in part by giving the agency subpoena authority. It increases certain penalties against mine operators that violate the law. And it creates a miner ombudsman’s office to handle safety complaints from miners.

* Improve emergency response in the event that a disaster does occur. The legislation more clearly defines MSHA’s responsibilities and authority at the scene of a disaster. It requires MSHA to develop a plan to better coordinate with state and local authorities. It establishes rules for independent investigations of mining disasters. And it would improve safety technology in the mines, including better tracking and communications equipment, more reliable air supplies, and the installation of refuge chambers where trapped miners can safely await rescue.

* Reduce long-term health risks facing miners. The legislation updates standards to combat black lung disease and to reduce miners’ exposure to other deadly health risks, such as asbestos. It also strengthens rules to better inform miners of the health risks they face.

Now we know why Joe voted no.