MICHIGAN FIRST? NOT ON MACKINAC ISLAND

Mackinaw Island sits in the Straits of Mackinaw between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas with a rich history. The island was long ago a home to a Native American settlement before European exploration began in the 17th century, (they still constitute 23.7% of the island's population.) Later, Fort Mackinac was built on the island by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812. Now the descendants of those same Native American tribes fight over jobs with people brought in from not only outside of Michigan, but from outside of the U.S.. The Governor's summer mansion sits on the island as does the Grand Hotel and the Mission Point Hotel. Both hotels are visited regularly by our top representatives here in Michigan and are host to many political functions. On Saturday, Sept. 26th of this year for example, the Republican party held it's gubernatorial debates on the island. The main subject; jobs. But even as they argued over how to fix Michigan's highest-in-the-nation unemployment, the island's hotels bristled with employment not for Michiganders, but for foreigners, brought in by using political connections.

When Michigan's U.S. Senator Carl Levin visits the Grand Hotel for lunch or dinner, as he often does, he is waited on not by fellow Michiganders, but by Jamaicans brought in through U.S. temporary work visas. As Governor Jennifer Granholm vacations at her summer mansion and dines at the Mission Point Hotel she is waited on not by fellow Michiganders, but by employees brought in from Asia or one of a dozens other countries. She even appointed the Grand Hotel's Kenneth Hayward to Michigan's Travel Commission.

All of this happens while they tell you they are fighting for Michigan jobs, for Michigan residents.

Ben, A close friend of mine, (name changed to protect him from retaliation) was a procurement agent for a company on Mackinac Island. He had this to say about the hiring of non-Michigan residents."The companies are using the nationals to hold their wages down instead of using Michigan residents who would cost them more. They also don't have to worry about paying them unemployment and can send them right back to their country of origin if they don't do as they are told."

With the money they deduct for housing and food, that's getting damn close to slave labor.

So how do the hotels get away with this in the face of the highest unemployment Michigan has seen in the past nearly 80 years? By greasing the palm of politicians of course. A quick check of political contribution records brought up several things of interest. For example; R. Musser, President/Owner of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island gave $14,500 to various politicians. Most of that money went to none other than Senator Carl Levin.

To say that this is hypocrisy would be to understate the problem. I would equate it to having slaves serve your lunch while your promoting abolition. How can we take Governor Jennifer Granholm at her word, or Senator Carl Levin, or any of the Michigan representatives for that matter, Democrat and Republican alike, when they say they are trying to bring jobs to Michigan? Our Governor is served dinner by foreigners brought in under U.S. work VISA's while Michiganders lose their jobs. These are jobs that could go to residents. Maybe they just thought that no one would notice, or care. Well, they were wrong. I think every single unemployed person in Michigan should write a letter to our Governor, our Senators and all our Representatives and tell them that we don't think they should be padding their pockets with contributions from people that don't put Michigan first. That they shouldn't be dining at establishments that don't put Michigan workers first. And they damn sure shouldn't be helping people put Michiganders out of a job while collecting a salary paid for by us, the Michigan taxpayers. H.C.