no third solution

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Category Archives: Michigan

Where’s Kevorkian When You Need Him?

September 12th, 2007

Wouldn’t it be nice, assuming you want to end your own life, if you could do so with at least a modicum of dignity? You know, like leaving an intact body for the funeral? Like, allowing your family and friends to know that you didn’t suffer?

Well, Kevorkian has been out of the picture for a while, which leaves the suicidal few options: the ever popular drug overdose is probably the cleanest way to go, but close behind is the self-inflicted GSW to the back of the mouth. Not content with either of these attractive options, a Melvindale (MI) man painstakingly constructed a guillotine (presumably a rather crude one), which he then used to separate his head from the rest of his body, in the woods near his house.

This is not particularly newsworthy, or opinion-worthy. Or anything-worthy, for that matter. I just though it was remarkably odd news. You’ll probably never hear of another suicide-by-guillotine, if you live to be a hundred.

On Not Living the High Life…

September 12th, 2007

The headline reads: “Mortgages Eating Up Incomes,” so I expected to find another article about how rising rates on ARMs were consuming more and more of borrowers’ incomes.

According to the article, over a quarter of Michigan residents spend more than 35% of their income on servicing their mortgage debt. I see nothing intrinsically wrong with a mortgage being a substantial portion of your month-to-month expenses. After all, a home is probably the single largest purchase any of us will ever make – until we sell it and move in to a bigger one.

Unfortunately, the Free Press article jumps on the crisis-du-jour, and blames mortgage debt for peoples’ predicaments, but it does so by spotlighting the plight of an early retiree who has a house, and a vacation home:

When Chris Gowman’s employer was sold in 2001, he was offered a $4,000-a-month pension.

The former ANR Pipeline worker took it, but ever since, he’s had to spend half of it to cover the mortgages on his homes in Roseville and Harbor Springs.

“I’m not living the high life by any stretch,” said Gowman, 58, who drives a 1991 Oldsmobile 88.

I’m certain they could’ve found a more sympathetic story than Mr. Gowman, who was able to retire early on a modest pension, and owns two fucking houses. Not living the high life? He hasn’t worked in six years, during which he’s collected close to $300,000. There is probably a genuine crisis brewing out there these days – has been for quite a while, but Mr. Gowman is not a representative case and is deserving of no sympathy.

The article also notes that many people are likely

to have at least one credit card and a car note, householders’ total debt could eat much more of their incomes. That leaves the most cash-strapped at risk of losing their homes, said Pava Leyrer, president of the Lansing-based Michigan Mortgage Brokers Association.

…which, is a lesson to its own: All the consumption spending we’ve been doing for decades, to “stimulate” the economy, has actually put us in the hole? Ever since Keynes, we’ve been told to spend! spend! spend! in order to facilitate the flow of money according to some circular diagram, and that the inevitable multiplier effect of consumption spending will enrichen us all.

Not true, huh?

Cop Acquitted of Theft

September 8th, 2007

Despite video evidence, and what can only be described as an admission of guilt from the officer’s attorney:

“The card didn’t have someone’s name on it or an amount on it,” said Rickel. “He wasn’t trying to deprive anyone of anything. He picked it up, and when he went to the store he used it. The jury agreed that intent to steal from the homeowner was never established.”

So, if I “find” money in your house – I can take it and use it, because it doesn’t have “someone’s name on it”? Despite the fact that the card was “found” during a drug raid, constructive ownership requires that we identify the card as the property of the homeowner on whom the raid was served. It may or may not have been stolen property – it may or may not have rightly belonged to the homeowner or tenant – but bad title to property does not become good title simply by conveyance or acquisition.

He can claim that he didn’t “intend” to steal from anyone, but on every principle of law and reason, the card (and any value it contained) was stolen the second he put it in his pocket, the use, or attempted use of the card is entirely irrelevant. If he did not “intend” to steal it, he shouldn’t have taken it. If he took it by accident, he shouldn’t have “went to the store and used it,” but rather returned it.

The officer is now suing to get his job back. Charming.

I’m not sure how I missed this story, considering it was noted in the Detroit Free Press, and the Home Depot where the transaction occurred is likely the same Home Depot that is only a few blocks from my house. Thanks to Radley Balko for the tip. To protect and serve, indeed.

no third solution

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