"It takes real guts to stare that sort of power in the face, and then put it in its rightful place."

And in this case it means putting an 84 year-old billionaire (and his chief lackey) into a cell at the Wayne  county jail for contempt. Even if it was for only a day. If you ignore the Detroit Metro-Times' Curt Guyette's  hyperbole and snark and just focus on the details you get a pretty good sense of why this Maroun guy is thought to be such an asshole from his article.

Well that ought to get his attention

Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Maroun was ordered to jail for contempt of court for failure to complete work as promised (but mainly for being a dick-head if the truth be known). Heh.

Weblog - Michigan edition

Redistricting could mean trouble for Michigan Democratic Rep.s Carl Levin, Gary Peters (Alec Jacobs, Daily Caller)
"Elections have consequences. Especially in a redistricting year. And Michigan Democrats are learning that the hard way." Too bad they can't get rid of John Conyers or John Dingell instead.

Ann Arbor voters need to decide what they want and what their willing to pay for (Tony Dearing, annarbor.com/)
A decent editorial as far as it goes. The thing is, times have changed. We can't afford as many cops, firefighters and high-end manager/bureaucrats at $100k or more plus benefits without a lot more tax dollars coming in. We can't even afford the ones we have now in fact, hence the layoffs. Just like with the industrial unions city employee's gains come at the expense of their jobs. Fewer but still gold-plated cops, firefighters and managers or more employees with less pay & benefits. That's what it comes down to in my opinion.

Quitting Borders: Staffers flee the bankrupt bookseller  (Eve Silberman, Ann Arbor Observer)
"The common sentiment ... was that 'if you weren't looking for another job, you were crazy.' Another refugee says the company is so short-staffed it recently called and asked him to come back (he refused)." Indeed. Why wait for the last life raft? Get out while the gettin's good.

Christian missionaries take on Muslims, Catholics at Arab International Festival in Dearborn (Niraj Warikoo, Det Free Press)
Hey folks, "infidels" (i.e., everybody but Muslims) have free speech rights too. Welcome to America.

Taking back the park (Dylan Lawrence, Det Metro-Times)
Local activists tear down developer's illegal fence at the foot of the Ambassador Bridge that cuts through a neighbor hood public park. A little direct action is good. More is better.

weblog

Lawyer Schlussel

Southfield-based attorney/activist/blogger and columnist Debbie Schlussel is doing legal battle with the American Muslim activist group CAIR in Detroit federal court over some trademark issues. Deb is a very unique piece of work and with whom I don't agree with very much but I do admire her sand.


What good is a tragedy if you can't exploit it?
It strikes me as sad but typical the way that the mainstream media types, and bloggers, pundits, chatterboxes and spinmeisters associated with the Democratic Party and its allies and cronies are already trying to use this latest tragedy for their political advantage. The person who shot U.S. Rep. Giffords and about two dozen other people last Saturday seems to be a nut-job loner without any coherent ideology. And the disappointed emotions expressed by some that a search of the shooter’s home found no books by Rush Limbaugh or a Tea Party membership card strikes me as crass and mercenary even for them.

Wayne county judge jails bridge company honcho for contempt 
"Wayne County Circuit Judge Prentis Edwards denied a request by bridge company attorneys to delay jailing Stamper until an appeal could be filed. Wayne County deputies immediately handcuffed Stamper and led him out of the courtroom. Stamper had no reaction as he was led away.
The jailing came as Edwards issued a contempt ruling against the bridge company for failing to comply with his Feb. 1, 2010, order to rebuild the approaches to the Ambassador Bridge as the Michigan Department of Transportation requires as part of the $230-million Gateway project."