The Positive Voices

  Welcome to the Employees Positive Voices, a monthly paper dedicated to promoting social justice, civility, debate and honest dialogue. We are adding Employees to our name because in one way or another that is what all of us are or have been. It speaks to our common ground. We will also be talking about the positive roles government and organized labor can play in our society. Believing that a mutual respect between labor and management is the only way to effectively advance economic prosperity and justice, we will honor the positive contributions made by union and non-union workers, big and small businesses and all individuals dedicated to building a better community, state, and nation. With June summer is officially here! Employees Positive Voices is part of WPRR Public Reality Radio and shares WPRR’s mission to bring to you intelligent and challenging features, articles and commentary from many diverse points of view on subjects ranging from philosophy and science to politics and religion. That is the vision of our owner Bob Goodrich and something we will attempt to achieve every month. We are not the only ones looking at name changes. Minuteman Media is now changed to OtherWords, but their bullpen of national columnists still deliver high quality and compelling writing. US Representative Raul M. Grijalva takes on the law passed by his own state as does local West Michigan advocate and immigration attorney Richard Kessler. Donald Kaul goes after hedge fund managers. Daphne Wysham explains how British Petroleum beats the system. Jim Hightower takes some pokes at Senator Mitch McConnell. Isn’t Rand Paul punishment enough? Nah! Meanwhile Michael Brune wants Congress and the EPA to clean up our water. Of course what would an edition of this paper be without a provocative article stirring the pot by Peter Carlberg! From WPRR your humble host of Tuesdays with Tormala wants to switch off the Grand Rapids City Manger’s proposed Street Light Tax while giving our leaders other options to consider. Jose Alejandro Amorós of Foreign Policy and You gives us another one of his insightful columns. We are also a forum and megaphone for non-profits, spotlighting this month the great work of Local First in creating jobs and promoting neighborhood businesses. Anna Gretz of Dégagé Ministries tells a tale of help, hope and inspiration. In a new series, Catherine’s Health Center provides our readers with helpful educational tips for staying healthy. The Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan stresses the need for caregivers to also take care of themselves. Mike Burri of our Vets Corner thanks the community for remembering our Vets! In our Art From The Heart segment we feature artist and poet Anthony Welsh. Witness for Peace International Team Member Dunya Cope challenges the US drug policy and its impact on Mexico. As always input letters, op-eds, and articles are welcome for submission. Employees Positive Voices wants to hear your voices. This is your paper and we want you to tell us what you want to hear about, especially since we are relying on you to tell us how to cover the Primary Election in our July issue. What races do you want covered and which candidates do you want to hear more about? Contact us at 616-656-2619, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Be the first to comment on stories or blog. I’m looking forward to hearing from you. Also check out my radio show, Tuesdays with Tormala. We are always looking for ways for you to interact with us. Please join us. Until July, Rick Tormala, Publisher  

Welcome to The Positive Voices, a monthly paper dedicated to promoting social justice, civility, debate and honest dialogue. We will also be talking about the positive roles government and organized labor can play in our society. Believing a mutual respect between labor and management is the only way to effectively advance economic prosperity and justice, we will honor the positive contributions made by union and non-union workers, big and small businesses and all individuals dedicated to building a better community, state, and nation. May is the last spark of Spring before the Summer. It’s the time for graduations and commencements, which actually mean beginnings not endings. Most of all it is one of the times of the year when we set aside a special day to remember our veterans. On Memorial Day in particular we remember and honor those who died fighting in wars on behalf of our country. Our Minuteman Media columnists offer a diverse assortment of important topics. Donald Kaul and William Collins address racism in different forms. The struggles of our nation’s dairy farmers are outlined by Gretchen Maine. Marian Wright Edelman joins the First Lady against childhood obesity. Mazher ali calls for regulatory fairness for consumers and Joe Volk wants to rein in the DOD Budget. Finally, Chicago Alderman Joe Moore calls for empowering people to make real decisions openly and transparently. Hmm sounds familiar. From WPRR this month yours truly of Tuesdays With Tormala brings you a special Memorial Day column, covers a visit to West Michigan by the Leader of Sikhs throughout the world, and comments on the new health care law and how it came to pass. We included a bullet point explanation of the act provided by the White House to help you understand it a bit. We are also a forum for non-profits with an article from Catherine’s Health Center, a vital community clinic with expansion plans. Bread for the World shows us the importance of federal tax credits in fighting hunger and poverty. The Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan gives some advice for seniors from Home Repair Services, a great agency we highlighted in The Positive Voices just last month. They also express the need for volunteers to help assist seniors and their families with Medicare/Medicaid issues. Probably the need is greater now more than ever. In honor of May we have info from the Veteran’s Administration on restoring historic monuments, while Mike Burri remembers our heroes in the Vets Corner. May’s Art from the Heart is a tribute to the late Vicki Hiar. Ace columnist and urban activist Peter Carlberg gives his take on the proposed Farmer’s Market for the downtown Heartside area. As always input letters, op-eds, and articles are welcome for submission. The Positive Voices wants to hear your voices. This is your paper and we want you to tell us what you want to hear about. What do you want to see more of or less of in The Positive Voices? Want more local writing, recipes, and special features, whatever, just let us know. Contact us at 616-656-2619, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Be the first to comment on stories or blog. We look forward to hearing from you. Also check out my radio show Tuesdays with Tormala at http://www.publicrealityradio.org/ programs/tuesdays-with-tormala/. We are always looking for ways for you to interact with us. Please join us. Until next month, Rick Tormala, Publisher

Welcome to The Positive Voices, a new monthly paper dedicated to promoting social justice, civility, debate and honest dialogue. We will also be talking about the positive roles government and organized labor can play in our society. Believing that a mutual respect between labor and management is the only way to effectively advance economic prosperity and justice, we will honor the positive contributions made by union and non-union workers, big and small businesses, and all individuals dedicated to building a better community, state, and nation. The Positive Voices is part of WPRR Public Reality Radio and shares WPRR’s mission to bring you intelligent and challenging features, articles and commentary from many diverse points of view on subjects ranging from philosophy and science to politics and religion. That is the vision of owner Bob Goodrich and something we will attempt to achieve every month. Bear in mind civility does not exclude the truth, which can often be brutal and unsettling. Nor will we shy from satire, sarcasm or provocative and frank debate. We will welcome response in kind. March is a time of change and action, from the seasons to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. This month’s issue stays in that spirit. Our bullpen of Minuteman Media national columnists opines on a number of vital issues. Katie Mounts reminds us we still live in a world of nuclear threat. Daphne Wysham, Michael B. Keegan and Ben Manski take on the US Supreme Court’s decision to treat corporations like persons. Jim Hightower waxes eloquently on the irony of a Chinese company being awarded the glass contract for the new tower going up on the site of the World Trade Towers. Mike Prokosch examines our banking system. Laura Rubin discusses the goal of ending childhood hunger in America. Donald Kaul explains how Wall Street wins no matter what! Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund, remembers Howard Zinn. We are also a forum for non-profits. This month’s Home section features Guiding Light Mission and Dégagé Ministries. Our Senior Section outlines the Nursing Facility Transition program assisting those who have been in nursing home transition back to the community. Michael Burri of our Vets Corner opposes budget cuts hitting our veterans. You see the relationship evident with WPRR as some of our writers will also be radio hosts. This month Foreign Policy and You host José Amorós covers the impact of foreign aid on the culture and citizens of Haiti. Marian Novak of West Michigan Labor Speaks and an organizer for Teamsters JC#43 portrays the changing face of the healthcare industry and its impact on workers. Yours truly of Tuesdays With Tormala looks at the tax proposals placed on the ballot by the cities of Kentwood,Wyoming, and Grand Rapids. Peter Carlberg offers keen insights into economic impacts in his column “Race to the Bottom.” We also hope you enjoy our crossword puzzle and March’s Art from the Heart artist Ann P. We hope you enjoy March’s issue and please let us know what you think. Input, letters, opeds, and articles are welcome for submission. The Positive Voices wants to hear your voices. This is your paper and we want you readers to tell us what you want to hear about. Contact us at 616-656-2619, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

  Welcome to our second edition of The Positive Voices, a new monthly paper dedicated to promoting social justice, civility, debate and honest di¬alogue. We are committed to discussing the positive roles government and organized labor can play in our society. Believing that a mutual respect between labor and management is the only way to effectively advance economic prosperity and justice, we will honor the positive contributions made by union and non-union workers, big and small businesses and all individuals dedicated to building a better community, state, and nation. The Positive Voices is part of WPRR Public Reality Radio and shares WPRR’s mission to bring to you intelligent and challenging features and commentary from many diverse points of view on subjects ranging from philosophy and science to politics and religion. That is the vision of our owner Bob Goodrich and something we will attempt to achieve every month. Bear in mind civility does not exclude the truth which can often be brutal and unsettling. Nor will we shy from satire, sarcasm or provoca¬tive and frank debate. We welcome response in kind. Our first edition suffered from some mistakes and we are grateful for the constructive criticism of our readers. We are working to make each issue better than the last. February is our smallest month, but there is no shortage of great mate¬rial in this month’s issue. We are pleased to have three Minuteman Media national columnists join us. Commentator Jim Hightower questions the viability and legiti¬macy of Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government. Former mayor of Norwalk, Connecticut William A. Collins examines the ethical conse¬quences of politicizing our prison policies. While columnist Sarah An¬derson defends our feline friends from comparisons to greedy Wall Street executives as described in this month’s political cartoon by Minuteman Media cartoonist Bendib. Grand Rapids Police Officers Association President David Leonard gives us a frank assessment of pressures placed on the men and women protecting and serving us daily by dysfunctional polticians looking for scapegoats. Senator Carl Levin delivers the real scoop on free credit re¬ports. Rev. Charlotte Ellison of Heartside Ministry shares a compelling interview with Sarah Scott, Arts Coordinator at Heartside Ministry and Gallery. This is a perfect lead-in to our new series Art From The Heart, where we feature a new artist and their work each month from the Heart-side Neighborhood. Our inuagaral artist is Mr. Joe Lewis Glover. Our Positive Voices staff looks at the entries in the 29th District State Senate Race. Frank Lynn discusses community organizing. Peter Carlberg com¬ments on proposals to consolidate local governments and change Michi¬gan’s Constitution. Buck Geno of West Michigan Labor Speaks presents reasons to support The Employees Free Choice Act. Yours truly of Tuesdays With Tormala takes on the Senate Health Care bill along with proposed GR water and sewer system rate increases and the process for filling the opening on the Grand Rapids City Commission. They raised us, passed on their values, built the foundations of our economy and society, while creating the greatest nation the world has ever seen. They bought our freedom with their service, courage, blood, and sometimes their lives. Every month we dedicate a portion of our paper to seniors and veterans, their issues, events, and services they might need. This month we touch on the topics of weatherization and free prescription discount cards in our Seniors Corner and profile our columnist Michael Burri in our Vets Corner along with suggestions for helping residents of our Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. We hope you enjoy February’s issue and please let us know what you think. Input, letters, op-eds, and articles are welcome for submission. The Positive Voices wants to hear your voices. This is your paper and we want you readers to tell us what you want to hear about. Contact us at 616-6562619, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Soon we will be on the net with a Web version of The Positives Voices, blogs, and other ways for you to interact with us. - Rick Tormala, Publisher