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
September 23, 2012

When I was at the editorial cartoonist convention last week, one of the events was a reception at the US Capitol, specifically the House Committee on Agriculture’s Hearing Room. I’m not really sure what the exact connection to agriculture was, but it was a big room with comfy seats and a pleasant place for House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Jim McGovern to talk with us. After the formal niceties, we were able to ask the congressmen a few questions. Rep. McCarthy had brought up immigration and voting rights, and things go very testy very quickly. Rep. McCarthy extolled the virtues of voter integrity; the cartoonists challenged him on ulterior motives. Rep. McCarthy strained smiles and explained in a patronizing way the big picture; the cartoonists disassembled the big picture and questioned his logic. Soon aides stepped in and whisked Rep. Kevin McCarthy to his next appointment (whether he actually had one or not). Rep. McGovern stuck to stories about how his father was a liquor store owner. Things went better for him.

This cartoon has been kicking around my head since the primary vote in August. Our Secretary of State in Michigan, Ruth Johnson, decided (despite Governor Snyder’s opposition) to have this question on the ballot: Are you a United States citizen? A valid question for a voter, sure, but one that had never been on a ballot before. It caused a lot of confusion. At first, you had to check Yes to vote. But then during the election day a clarification was sent that voters could opt out of answering the question. Now it is supposed to be on the November ballot. Ms. Johnson thinks it’s “a helpful reminder.” But decisions were not made in time for it to be on absentee ballots. Messy to say the least. If we could just get Ms. Johnson to address a room full of cartoonists, I’m sure we could get this straightened out.

Cool NPR story on the cartoonist convention last weekend: http://www.npr.org/2012/09/16/161241554/another-convention-this-for-political-cartoonists

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
September 16, 2012

Our Governor Snyder this past week floated the idea of updating our state’s relationship with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM). Currently by law, BCBSM is the insurer of last resort. That is, they cannot reject you even if all other insurers have. In exchange for this, BCBSM gets certain tax advantages. Now if the Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare) actually goes into practice (and even Romney has hinted that he would keep popular reforms like no rejecting for pre-existing conditions), there is no reason for BCBSM to have this special relationship with the state. So Governor Snyder is simply saying, “let’s start planning for this.”

But if we have learned anything these past few years it’s that good intentions for reforming health care will soon be met with hysteria. Reform will inevitably make somebody’s life worse — if even ever so slightly — and that will not go well. Let the hysteria begin!

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
September 9, 2012

There are few emotions that rival the intensity of the hatred car owners can carry for manufacturers who sold them a lemon. And let’s face it, automobile manufacturers built a lot of lemons over the years. So I can understand lingering animosity toward General Motors and the 2008/9 bailout. They screwed up. They built some lousy cars. They made a lot of people angry. (At one point, General Motors controlled 50% of the American market, so there is a pretty good chance you are one of those people.) But I do think the bailout was the right thing to save our whole manufacturing sector from sucking down a sinkhole, and it has on the whole helped revitalize the auto industry here in the US. (It does, however, make me wince when the Democrats trumpet the success. Don’t they realize how volatile the automobile market is? Don’t they realize how quickly fortunes change? Toyota anyone? They are just asking for a karma smackdown, and we don’t need that in Michigan.)

Speaking of karma, I really shouldn’t disparage the mighty Vega without this full disclosure: on Spring Break of my senior year of high school, my friend Dominic’s Vega took me, him, and friends Lewis and Joe from Michigan to Pennsylvania to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and back home without any problems. I remember it not being too happy climbing mountains and my head still has dents from hitting the stylish hatchback roofline on every bump, but credit where credit is due. It may have turned into a pile of dust once it reached Dominic’s driveway, but it got the job done.

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
September 2, 2012

Ballot proposals are not my favorite. Under the guise of “let the people decide,” they are almost always an end-run around the actual legislative process (you know, the system where laws are supposed to come from). This November, we have potential for several stinkers, pretty much all led by moneyed self-interest groups trying to make laws and alter the constitution to meet their very narrow view of what Michigan should be. So this cartoon is my solution. (Actually, my other suggestion is to vote on making the day after Labor Day “Not Quite Ready for School to Start Day.” Everybody would get the day off, but you would have to play outside.)