Listen to a video of our friend George discussing ways to restore the $1.2 billion in cuts to State Government. He has also declared his interest in running for State Senate District #4 in 2010. 
This show has Kathy Barks Hoffman, Jack Spencer, Stephanie Cepak and Mr. Skubic participating in a lively discussion.
The increasing number of patients and caregivers is creating the need for increased investment in technology and personnel management at the Departments of Community Health and Information Technology.
Because of the leadership of President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder will now lead his band of barristers to pursue other causes such as, violent crime in our schools, and executive fraud on Wall Street. This is an upheaval shift in federal policy from the Bush administration, whose policy was to promote violence and kill people like Tom Crosslin and Rollie Rohm at Rainbow Farms in Vandalia Michigan in September of 2001. 
Medical Marijuana Information Systems (MMIS) is a concept that will allow patients and caregivers to update and manage their information. Participants will be able to renew their applications, provide caregivers the ability to manage their patients and, update other information as needed.
The program has over 7000 applicants as of October 24, 2009 with %50 of them paying the full $100.00 registration fee. The remaining %50 is paying the $25.00 fee for being on SSI. Using simple math we calculate that the program has made over $437,500 in the period between April 4th, 2009 and September 30, 2009. If the current growth rate continues there will be over 14,000 applications in a one year period generating at least $875,000 in profit with the existing system. By placing the process online all of these numbers would increase by %15 to %30 allowing Michigan residents to register from all over the world.
Contact one of the members of the Commerce and Energy Committee Rep. Mike Rogers(R-08) to ask him to support the President on stimulating the economy of Michigan with hemp products.
Send an email to your State of Michigan House of Representative and State Senator too. And don’t forget to contact Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm because,
As Michigan citizens watch the budget drama from Lansing between the legislators and the Governor, there is one glimmer of success from the State of Michigan. The credit for this progress goes to the voters of the State of Michigan approving the Medical Marijuana law by a large %63 of the vote. The Medical Marijuana program is quickly becoming a victim of its own success. The entire process as approved by the voters was designed for a 20 day maximum turnaround procedure if there were no issues regarding the application. 
At the request of our friend George, T.F.O.C. blogger Richard Clement was in attendance at the 1st Michigan Medical Marijuana Symposium held at the Wayne State University Law School on October 3, 2009. The event was organized by retired Detroit Police Officer Daniel Solano of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (L.E.A.P.) and founder of Police Officers for Drug Law Reform. The people of the State of Michigan were represented well by Ms. Melanie Brimm Director of the State Health Professionals bureau at the Department of Community Health. She is responsible for licensing and regulation of all medical professionals in the State of Michigan and she gave a wonderful speech on guidelines, regulation and progress of the program.
Ms. Brimm gave detailed statistics on the progress of the program and where it stands as of Sept 30, 2009. The bureau is receiving an average of 58 applications per day and had 6998 applications. Of that number 6166 are card carrying participants and 4398 of those are patients. Regarding fees collected %50 of the participants paid the $100.00 regular fee and %50 paid the reduced $25.00 fee for persons who are on SSI. Given these numbers, the program will make well over 1 million dollars in a 12 month period. The leading conditions for Marijuana recommendation as of September 30, 2009 are nausea, pain, and muscle spasms. There is a projected increase in certifying medical professionals of %10 per month over the next 6-18 months.
To acquire approval, a person must provide actual research with studies and evidence to support their petition to add a qualifying medical condition. Witness with credentials such as medical professionals, research documents, and actual patients serve as excellent sources of evidence. This review panel has to follow the rules of Michigan Administrative Procedure and the board’s decision can be appealed to the Ingham County Circuit Court in Lansing Michigan. Meeting dates will be published and the public will be notified by law.
On the legal front, the magic word is affirmative defense. I asked attorney Cushingberry to tell me what does that mean? He told me that affirmative defense is providing law enforcement a valid reason for possessing up to 2.5 ounces of Marijuana so that you will be in compliance with State of Michigan Law. If you get arrested your attorney will provide the judge with an affirmative defense, your case will be dismissed, and you will be entitled to the return of your property (medicine). That’s how the law works Richard. Attorney Matt Abel, general counsel for MI-NORML confirmed what attorney Cushingberry had detailed to me and said that I had consulted an excellent legal mind in Mr. Cushingberry.
The last concern that Ms. Brimm talked about was the problems caused by the Department of Information Technology. Currently the data resides on a “restricted server” where only 5 people in the State of Michigan have access to it. Ms. Brimm assured some of the members in the audience regarding the confidentiality of their information. 1. What is the status of online verification of a valid Med. Marijuana Card by Law Enforcement? (US Customs, State Police, County Sherriff, Detroit Police, etc.)
2. Will the Department convert the existing process to an online registration and renewal procedure?
3. Will the Department provide a real time summary count of applications received, processed, dollars received, conditions applied for, conditions approved with all of this information displayed on the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program website? An average Information Technology professional would complete this job within 8 hours of it being assigned.
Our friend George is a big supporter of open government and if you have time feel free to contact him at his office in Lansing. He would love to hear from you! This is a request to his constituents in Detroit and other Michigan residents who have a concern for open and honest government to contact him when you get some time.
Listen to the Youth of the City of Detroit in a free musical contest sponsored by the Detroit Police Department and other community groups. This project is designed to improve the relationship between Detroit's youth and the law enforcement community.
There was an old saying around the City of Detroit where the citizens took an oath of responsibility to the community regarding giving back. They always told us younger ones that if you borrow something from a loved one, you want to return it in the same manner that you received it. This was ingrained in us from the time that we were born and when we raised children ourselves. To move the City in a positive direction, this motto must be sustained by the generations before and after us. The baby boomers are rapidly reaching retirement age, and the generation X and Y people will give way to the new millennium babies born in the 90s. Some of the children of 2000 will be changing the diapers of the baby boomers very soon!
A good program to use is Microsoft Excel and Quick Books that will allow you to use your downloaded statements from your financial institution and incorporate them into a personal financial plan.
We hope that some of these guidelines can be adopted by our children so that by the end of this next century, the world will be a better place that when we were here. If you would like to discuss this with our friend George, feel free to contact him at the office or schedule a town hall meeting with him so that we can all communicate to formulate a vision for the future. 
For contact information please contact Representative Cushingberry at the number or e-mail address below. If you would like to leave a written comment for the record please send your correspondence by October 5th @ 5:00pm to:
One of the primary objections to the new span is the increased traffic and health care concerns of the residents. This is a valid point and a concern to everyone concerned including our friend George. He is a big supporter of health care reform and the well being of his fellow citizens. And through the effort of friends and colleagues opportunity is at hand for health care reform through the expansion of the Ambassador Bridge.
While everyone is rioting at these town hall meetings about health care, our friend George is working to have free health clinics for the neighborhood surrounding the bridge. Rep. Cushingberry and Rep. Tliab do not like to hear about people getting sick and would like to do something about it. Most of the people who are really acting up at those meetings already have paid health care through the Government or their jobs. None of those people live in the affected communities that they are rioting against. A good example of the ethnic and economic differences can be reviewed by looking at this report filed by HBO Real Time with Bill Maher Reporter Dana Gould (Click Here to View Video of Health Care in America)
We the friends would like to have one of those free health care clinics on the Detroit Side of the bridge in the neighborhood that the bridge will affect. This will be a perfect statement to the commitment of equal opportunity health care for all citizens. And since the bridge company did not get permits in advance, let them build the bridge and fund the repair of Riverfront Park to the south of the bridge. This entire area is in need of investments and investors to restore the revenue and dignity to the neighborhood. 
This brings us to the US Coast Guard’s opposition of the new span based on questionable research and studies. Please review the imagery of the new bride by clicking this link to a video of the proposed span. (Click here to view a “fly over” of the new span) After reviewing this video you can clearly see that the Coast Guard doesn’t have a boat to float in with their lame excuse of a navigational hazard. And the trucks will not have to travel into neighborhoods because they will have direct access to Interstate 75. 
Rep. Cushingberry asked TFOC Investigator/blogger Richard Clement to ask the customers of Riverfront Park how they felt about it. The ones that Richard spoke to in the park vehemently agreed that changes need to be made and in a hurry. One gentleman said that his car was damaged from the neglect of the City to pave the lot. Another resident of the community told Richard that “Stevie Wonder with a blood alcohol count of 2.0 driving a freighter could get under that new bridge. They must have been under a PTSD attack when they came up with that one”. Richard reminded the commenter that driving drunk is not cool and, the Coast Guard needed some love and understanding before they get told off for trying pitch that sorry behind excuse. 
The DIBC would be willing to assist and develop the park for use in a partnership with the City of Detroit. As far as the bait shop on the American Side at 23rd street goes the settlement amount will vary between 1.7 million and 20 million. Both sides will have to work on that or a Judge will decide an amount that will please no one but the lawyers and the IRS with the bait shop owner getting the difference. The owner of the bait shop cannot logically conduct business at the present location and be serious about it. The bait shop needs to be closer to the bait and that can be done by relocating the bait shop to Riverfront Park where the fisher-persons are. (Women fish too!)
The old span will have to be retired soon and time waits on nobody. Our friend George is working with everyone concerned to solve the problem for everyone’s benefit. He would like to hear from you and discuss the bridge issues of trucking jobs, health care, and economic growth.
We the Friends of George Cushingberry Jr. support our friend George in his efforts to have Historic Fort Wayne declared a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Forrest Service. Fort Wayne in southwest Detroit has been a long neglected landmark in the City of Detroit. Its prominence in history is un-disputable and the impact upon the history of America has been undisputed. As far as getting the respect and funding it deserves, the effort has been an abysmal failure and a victim of benign neglect.
Fort Wayne is one of two facilities in the State of Michigan that played a significant role in the defense of America. The other fort is Fort Michilmacinac in located in Mackinaw City MI. The primary difference in the two facilities is that Fort Michilmacinac is recognized as a National Park by the US Forest Service in 1960. The entire facility has federal funding which supports the upkeep and maintenance of the facility and, pumps money into the local economy. State, County, and local entities are relieved by taking the burden of managing the park from their responsibility. The only thing any of these agencies have to provide is local police and fire protection.
On the other hand, the facilities at Historic Fort Wayne are crumbling and some of the historic buildings look like some of the abandoned homes in the city. The current residents of the property do a fine job with what they have to work with.
The management of the property belongs to a consortium of organizations with City of Detroit Recreation Department, Friends of Fort Wayne, Colonial Dames in the State of Michigan, the Detroit Historical Society, Tuskegee Airmen and other groups. While these group of organizations provide support and maintenance through volunteerism and pride, they have limited resources and can only do so much. 
Historic Fort Wayne should be elevated to a US National Park, just like Isle Royale and Fort Michimacinac. Federal recognition as a National Park will allow a conglomerate of Federal law enforcement agencies such as the US Border Patrol and Park Rangers to patrol the area. Fort Wayne is in a perfect position because of its closeness to Canada and the ability to house federal agencies at that location.
By January 1st 2010 Michigan residents will be able to register to vote using the Secretary of State’s website. House bill 4539 is a mandate to the Secretary of State and the Department of Information Technology to design, test, and implement this application. “You can do everything but vote with the internet and it is about time that Government agencies step up to the plate. This bill is a request for service to the Secretary of State and the Department of Information Technology to create this web page link to help Michigan citizens participate in their Government.”
“I have also discussed this with various school districts regarding the registration of high school students eligible to vote. They are required by law to register for Selective Service but, they are not required to register to vote. It should be a requirement to graduation and, any high school student that does not see the need would be required to take an additional course of history with a military veteran.”
“This change would take from 30 minutes to 1 hour to implement based on industry standards for website development and lack of complexity for this application. This is a small investment of time and labor from DIT personnel.”
“And before I have to get back to the House Floor, this is a precursor and a systems test for a same day voter registration law in the State of Michigan by 2011. We have the technology to do the job now and there is no need to let it go to waste. Hey Rich, I have to go now see you later.”
The Secretary of State and DIT must have all procedures in place to insure the integrity of the data being entered. Therefore if you do not have a driver’s license or a State of Michigan ID, you will be required to register in person. Given the tight parameters for this application, making this due date should not take much effort by Information Technology personnel. 
The construction of the Detroit River International Crossing Bridge(DRIC)has a hidden cost to the State of Michigan. With the support of former Governor James Blanchard lobbying on the behalf of the Canadian Government, the revenue from the trucking industry would be transferred out of the United States to Canada. 
Ending the Standoff at the Gateway Project: 
House Concurrent Resolution #11 was introduced by Representative Cushingberry this year to resolve the differences and encourage investment into the City of Detroit, State of Michigan and the United States of America. The completion of this bridge project would allow pedestrians, bike riders, and automotive traffic to cross the river fostering trade and revenue between the two cities of Windsor Canada and Detroit Michigan. It has been determined by independent studies from both countries that the project will create nearly 4,000 jobs during construction and support 20,000 jobs over the next 2 decades.
the completion of the project. We also encourage MDOT and Detroit International Bridge Company to resolve their differences by allowing for the $145 million oversight to be made up in 3 to 6 years with bonds, public stock offerings, and payment from tolls from the increased traffic. And if it gets too tight, we would support the DIBC holding a fish fry on both sides of the bridge every third Friday of the month until the debt is paid off. 
Marty Maroun is a brilliant person who likes to build bridges and spend his own money to do it with. With a short term loan from the Michigan Strategic Fund any additional work would be paid for and reimbursed back to the Fund within 5 years through duties and tariffs on products grown in America and Canada. Hemp from Canada instead of trash, exporting Detroit fertilizer from reprocessed solid waste as meloganite. The revenue generated from these and other sources would be invested into the DIBC project and others as needed. The entire region would prosper with investments from banks that are Michigan friendly and have a concern for the survival of the state.
Tearing out work that has already been done is a job killer and with Michigan’s unemployment rate at %15.0, this is an unwise request in these economic times. In summary the United States Coast Guard should come up with a better plan instead of excuses and work with DIBC. There is no excuse for stopping a job creating bridge project that will benefit everyone in the long run.
The needless standoff regarding funding is not creating any jobs but causing confusion and bad feelings among my constituents. In the interest of jobs and economic growth the differences must be resolved by all parties.
It was just a few weeks ago that MDOT Director Kirk Steudle went to the House appropriations committee to beg for additional funds. You could not tell the difference between him and Keith Sweat in the way he was asking for an increase in fuel taxes. He said that a half of pack of Gum increase in the fuel tax will allow MDOT to build and maintain new and existing bridges and roads. At the same time MDOT has $145 million dollars tied up in a legal squabble along the US / Canada border regarding the Ambassador Bridge and Federal Stimulus Funding.
nvestigate the situation on the river and report back to him. And on one bright and beautiful Saturday afternoon Richard went for a ride on the river. There was a duty free shop and a lot of dirt and, there was construction that stopped at the street. On the Canadian side, all of the homes in the path of the bridge are vacant and waiting to be removed. The Ambassador Bridge is a privately owned bridge and the owner wants a new span built. They have duty free shops that sell a pack of gum with no sales tax on them so that visitors can have something to take home.
his have to do with a half a pack of gum? How much is a half a pack of gum? How big is the pack in question? ($0.25 up to $1.00 for a pack of some real good Wrigley’s Spearmint. The math would be half of those amounts or $0.37 and $1.50 respectively. ) I ran into my old school neighbor from around the corner by the name of Richard Bennett. Mr. Bennett a prominent citizen of Detroit designed the African Mask Logo on the Charles H. Wright museum and he heard about the half a pack of gum increase in fuel.
cigarette MDOT could have enough money to fix roads, bridges, potholes, and still have money left over for employee out of state travel. The Duty Free shops on both ends of the bridge will be allowed to sell hemp products without fear from prosecution at the hands of US Customs Agents and the Drug Enforcement Agency. If you have a valid Michigan Medical Marijuana card with your passport, you can legally have 2.5 ounces of Marijuana in your possession at the border crossing.
What is wrong with TWO bridges? Michigan and Ontario have approved land for a brand new span about a mile away that will be built with public funds. Is there a plan for a pedestrian walkway with a bike path to Canada on the bridge? If the old span is kept then will it be converted to a pedestrian walkway? These questions must be answered for the good of all the Citizens of Detroit and Michigan in order to allow the owner to build this new bridge. The owner of the Ambassador Bridge is a very sharp person with a definite plan to get the job done. Everything else is an accounting matter that can be handled by an admission of guilt by all and a plan to pay for the overage over a period of time. Basically add up the extras, finish the job and go home.
We the Friends of Cushingberry are urging that every candidate running for office in the City of Detroit write a letter of concern to MDOT and Canadian officials seeking a settlement of this issue. We call on current Mayor Bing and the Detroit City Council to file a letter of protest with the Michigan House and Senate to have this project come to a completion. This is not the way President Obama wanted the stimulus funds to be spent as a reserve fund for attorney fees. While we know that the legal community needs employment but deep down inside, both sites must come to a conclusion to resolve these differences. SEC. 8309. (1) A CONSUMER MAY BRING AN ACTION IN THE DISTRICT COURT AGAINST A CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY FOR AN INCOMPLETE OR INACCURATE ITEM OF INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE CONSUMER'S FILE AT THE CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY. AN ACTION MAY NOT BE COMMENCED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION UNLESS THE PROCEDURE FOR RESOLVING DISPUTES CONCERNING THE COMPLETENESS OR ACCURACY OF SUCH ITEMS OF INFORMATION UNDER SECTION 611 OF THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT, 15 USC 1681I, HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
Now that the Obama Administration has decided to move this department to a Cabinet Level position, extra attention will be paid to processes that determine the “final” number count.
Pct. Population
0% 951,270
3% 979,808
4% 989,321
5% 998,834
6% 1,008,346
7% 1,017,859
8% 1,027,372
9% 1,036,884
10% 1,046,397
11% 1,055,910
12% 1,065,422
13% 1,074,935
14% 1,084,448
We at the Friends of Cushingberry are calling for total transparency of the Census process. This will include the fair processing of data using accountable and certified methods and procedures. The advance of technology and the improved processes from the 1900s makes the actual process of counting citizens obsolete. However, the process has a purpose because it can be used as a benchmark to determine the accuracy of collected data from 3rd party sources like moving companies, utility companies, and private businesses.