Auchtoon!

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
June 22, 2014

After Michiganders have clearly and repeatedly made it known that getting a long-term solution in place to fix our roads is our number one priority, the legislature managed to adjourn for summer vacation without actually doing it. A pox of mosquitos upon them.

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
June 15, 2014

General Motors CEO Mary Barra goes back to Washington DC this week to testify before Congress. She is to deliver a more detailed explanation of what went wrong with the faulty ignition switches that has been attributed to a dozen deaths in the United States. Of course there will be some grandstanding and some faux righteous indignation from members of Congress, but by and large the process works the way it should work: the American public has a vested interest in the reasonably safe operation of motor vehicles and over the past few decades our government has acted accordingly — passing laws, enforcing laws, and when necessary asking some deeper questions. The result? Driving is much, much safer than it was 50 years ago. Sure, a good deal of this was private market innovation. But let’s not kid ourselves, especially those of us from Michigan. We know how hard the industry fought seat belts and air bags. In the end, though, seat belts and air bags have become selling features.

Americans have a similar vested interest in gun safety and the prevention of gun violence. And yet, we cannot seem to get our crap together on this one — the American public or our government. Sure, other countries deal with high rates of weapons-related deaths and injuries, but those situations are called “civil wars.” Here, it’s just a macabrely acceptable status quo. “Well, that’s just America. We’re unique.” That’s true, we are unique. We grew up from a vast and open land; we have a fierce independence; we have a constitutional amendment about militias and bearing arms. I get all that. (Please, please don’t feel the need to explain.) But we as a Americans also have this amazing ability to get results from our sometimes frustrating system. It’s working for highway safety, why not gun safety?

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
June 8, 2014

Recently the Michigan legislature had a sudden burst of civility and compromised on legislation to increase the minimum wage and to fund a large portion of the grand compromise to protect Detroit pensioners. It looked like that might carry over to getting a real solution to fixing the roads, but as of now the Republicans and Democrats are back at each other’s throats. It reminded me a bit of the old “Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog” Warner Brothers cartoons. You guys remember those?

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
June 1, 2014

I don’t often do a cartoon that is a variation on the same theme. But there is lots of material to work with here. (And I can’t promise that I won’t do it again….)

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
May 25, 2014

In Michigan, our legislature is finally, finally putting together a serious long term plan to fix our awful roads. I have harped on this for many years and pleased that we are all finally taking a mature approach. After starving funding for road repairs for more than a decade, it only makes sense that an increase will be needed. And it only makes sense for at least part of that funding to come through higher gas taxes. Well… up until the point when I have to buy gas.

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
May 18, 2014

So after running for Congress 20+ times, apparently John Conyers is still not clear on the rules. But he shouldn’t feel too bad. Four years ago congressman Thaddeus McCotter filed fraudulent signatures and failed to get on the ballot. Then last year current Detroit mayor Mike Duggan had to run as a write-in on the primary ballot because he missed a deadline. Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, does it?

Meanwhile, in the West Michigan, the congressional district that includes Grand Rapids has a battle for the Republican nomination — incumbent and tea-party favorite Justin Amash verses businessperson and traditional GOP backed Brain Ellis. This is actually a game that is playing out in several races across the country but is something of tradition here in West Michigan — who can appear more conservative. My original inspiration for this cartoon was to  have an increasingly ridiculous hypothetical argument between Amash and Ellis. For example:

Amash: “I’m so conservative, I would have a baby with Ayn Rand and name it “Ronald Reagan”! Even if it was a girl!”

Ellis: “I’m so conservative, I would shame Ayn Rand for having an illegitimate baby, and then I’d cut off healthcare funding so baby Ronald would get whooping cough!”

…and so on. For me and about a dozen other readers, it would have been worth reading all of the dialogue. So instead I went with the more straightforward irony of candidates who profess to hate government wanting to be in government. Funny, but not hilarious like a good Ayn Rand joke….

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
May 11, 2014

I don’t remember if there was a specific story that got me started on this. I think it was just an amalgamation of various unhappy incidents of lawmakers preventing people who wouldn’t vote for them from having full rights as citizens and supposedly open-minded folks saying hateful things about people with faith they don’t understand . But then on Sunday, the day the cartoon hit the newspapers, a single illustrative story was provided in my very own town on Grandville: Slushie Thrown at Anti-Gay Demonstrator

Cue the Elvis Costello: http://vimeo.com/43308455

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
May 4, 2014

This one is deeply into Michigan politics. And if you don’t already recognize what’s going on, you aren’t going to be entertained a bit by me explaining it. Suffice to say, I managed to insult two generally opposing political factions by comparing them to each other. A good day for me.

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
April 27, 2014

As the cartoon implies, we Americans are often torn in our views on racism. Simple solutions are elusive and ignoring it doesn’t seem to work. It’s ongoing and evolving, deeply historic and persistent. It can be shockingly obvious (like that rancher guy in Nevada or the LA Clippers owner) or blatantly misunderstood (like the woman who brought the suit against the University of Michigan or the young lady from Detroit who felt she is owed admittance).

I didn’t see last week’s Supreme Court ruling as a victory or a defeat. I just see it as part of the ongoing process of answering a very difficult question:

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
April 20, 2014

Last week on MLive there was a guest article, “Why this young, college educated couple is leaving Michigan after graduation,” which was trending big. The author, a young man who had moved to Michigan so his wife could attend grad school at MSU, ticks off a list of reasons why they did not stick around after she graduated, but generalized as “the state’s political system is out of control.” Go ahead and read the article yourself; he has some decent points. But for me, the guy comes off as presenting himself and his generation on some higher moral plane. I’ve certainly made fun of baby boomers enough for this, so I had no problem calling BS on millennials.

And the BS is this: yes, it would be nice to have a cleaner, more forward-thinking political culture. But 9 out of 10 young people are going to base their choice of where to live not on political culture but on a decent job and weather conditions. Which is why I drew Mr. High and Mighty selling out at his first opportunity to live in South Carolina. Why South Carolina? Well, I lived there once, so I felt I had the right. But also because it can be counted on for being politically stuck in the past. And then yesterday, as if on cue: “SC GOP Snubs Desegregation Judge.“