Say No to Goya

Recently, the CEO of Goya Foods announced he supported President Trump at a press conference. (1)

This caught my attention.

It also caught the attention of those that do not support Trump with calls for a boycott of all Goya products.

On Facebook, I posted “Say No to Goya.”

Some people posted in support, but a friend asked why we should boycott a company that is a good company?

I did not answer my friend on the post.  He is a good friend and we have done business together. (2)  

So, here is my answer.

I do not know if boycotts really work.

In the short run, I do not believe they do because companies just need to wait out the energy in the market for the boycott.

Most of the time, the companies do not have to wait long.

This is partly due to the energy running out for support of the boycott, as expected.  Also, because those that agree with the company’s position will, in some cases, increase their purchases. (3)

Only boycotts that manage to keep the attention on the issue alive over a long period of time achieve their goal. (4)

For me, it is more of a personal choice.

If a company does not take sides in the political arena, or at least one that I am aware of, the company’s political position is only marginally important to me. 

But it the company attempts to use their position and power to forward a political agenda or candidate and I become aware of it; I now am given a choice. 

The question I ask is, “Should I do business with a company that works against my political agenda, thereby making my goal harder to attain, or do I do business with someone that is at the very least neutral as far as politics are concerned?”

I do support every person, and I mean a living, talking, thinking, real honest to goodness person… not a company, the right to speak their minds and support whoever they want. I do not support free speech for a company. (5) (6)

My position on free speech also applies to me.  I have the right to free speech.    

When I exercise that right, it can be spoken, written or in action. 

In conclusion, I exercise my right of free speech by not doing business with a company that supports goals that are not aligned with mine.

The CEO of Goya Foods expressed a political position that is held by the corporation and is not in sync with my political position. (7)

Therefore, when I am making purchases for products that Goya makes, I will choose another product, or I will do without.

(1) The press conference was for another reason other than expressing support for the President, so I also do not think it was appropriate for the CEO of Goya Foods to express his support at the event.

(2) Besides being sensitive to my friend in public, Facebook is a bad place to express thoughts that take more than 4 words.

(3)  https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-boycotts-history-20180228-htmlstory.html

(4) https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/boycotts/history-successful-boycotts

(5) The term “free speech” here is used in a common usage of the word.  This is not be confused with the Constitutional meaning of “Free Speech” which prohibits the Government from restricting personal expression.

(6) Company here is used as an incorporated entity.  As a fabricated entity of law, they are not a person.

(7) According to Goods Unite Us, Goya Foods donate exclusively to the Republican Party.

Covid-19 Steps to Protect People

What the Federal, State and Local governments should do to protect people from the Covid-19 virus.

Wear Face masks

Social distance at least 6 feet

Stay away from crowed places

Test everyone, over and over

Isolate those that test positive

     Pay the wages for those isolated

     Pay the health insurance of those isolated

     House those that do not stay isolated

Contact trace using interviews and technology

Close establishments that do not protect their employees

Provide protective gear to all employees

     Interview about symptoms

     Mandatory periodic testing for all employees

Make establishments responsible to protect the public

     Limit capacity

    Provide for social distancing

    Mandatory masks for all customers

Close establishments that do not take the protective measures

These suggestions are a work in progress.

I Support Governor Whitmer (Michigan) in Fighting the Covid-19 Breakout

Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan,

I want you to know that I strongly support your actions to protect all of us from the covid-19 outbreak.

There will likely be a second and maybe even a third wave to this pandemic.  We can reduce the likelihood of a second and third wave by keeping in place your executive orders until we are past the apex and have medical measures in place that will quickly identify outbreaks.

This will be a long road to recovery for ourselves and our state, but with you on at the helm, I feel we are in good hands.

Don't Be Fooled In This Time of Crisis

In this time of crisis, we may become confused about what is happening and what caused it.  We may begin to believe the leaders when they blame it on someone else.

But, don’t be fooled.

It is not the Church that has failed us in this time of crisis, it is the church leaders.

It is not our Government Institutions that have failed us, it is the leaders of those institutions.

It is not the health care system, or the business systems that have failed us, it is the leaders.

We intended by our naive nature, that all of the systems and institutions were designed to work together and build a society that protected everyone.

But, the leaders have hijacked those systems for profit, power and fame.

They all took risks with our health and safety by gambling that something like this wouldn't happen. 

The leaders thought, well if it does happen, we the leaders would be protected.

To make profit, to gain power, to attain fame, they took risks with our health and safety by reducing to the smallest possible size the safety net that should be there.

Listen, the smaller the safety net, the less leaders need to spend on the net itself, which means more profit for them.

In balance, that means when people fall and need the safety net to catch them, they will more than likely fall to their death.

The leaders are willing to accept the loss if they can make the profit they want.

The leaders did this while collecting our taxes, demanding their over payment for sub-par goods and services and accepting the adulation of their blind and adoring supporters.

In this time of crisis, rethink everything you have been told by the leaders. 

In this time of crisis, don’t accept the blame placed far and wide to all others but not on them, the leaders.

And, for us, don’t do the same thing our leaders are doing, don’t blame someone else.

Accept responsibility and change the leaders.

Covid-19 Infection Rates for Southeast Michigan

Here is how the individual communities breakout on the number of confirmed cases with Covid-19.

Numbers from the reporting sites change daily.  They correct the past numbers.

First graph is number of confirmed cases.

Next, is the daily increase.

Finally, days to double.  An important number to watch.  The best case is to have the days to double increase everyday. 


Here are the graphs for Wayne County, not including Detroit.  The county has only been report since late March.

Here is the graph for the City of Detroit

Here is the graph for Oakland County.

Here are the graphs for Macomb County

Here are the graphs that combines all the data from above.

All sources are the individual counties or city own website.The data points will follow in a day or two.

Count Prisoners Where They Can Vote

I am in support of HR 3645 and S 3481, Correct the Census and count prisoners where they can vote.

Since the first U.S. census in 1790, the federal government has included incarcerated people in the population counts of where they're imprisoned.

The policy of counting prisoners were they are housed is outdated.

The census is designed to provide fair and equitable representation.

Prison is to be for the temporary incarceration and then returned to their home district.

If a person is counted for a district that he can not vote in, he has no representation.

Prisoners should be counted where their home is or their last address.

Morris Hagerman

Democratic Delegate for Royal Oak, Michigan's 21st District

Of Note:

Andy Lenin

Debbie Stabenow

Gary Peters

The Lincoln Project Response to DOJ Involvement in Roger Stone Sentencing

A post from the Lincoln Project:

WASHINGTON, DC US, February 12, 2020 – Today, The Lincoln Project released the following statement:

Yesterday’s decision by the Justice Department to overrule the prosecutor’s sentencing recommendation on convicted felon Roger Stone, is a blatant example of political interference, retaliation, and coercion by an emboldened, unbowed President.

“Attorney General Barr’s subservience to Trump is both cowardly and damaging to the country,” said Jennifer Horn, spokesperson for The Lincoln Project. “It is obvious that Barr is overriding the best judgment of Justice Department professionals to appease an angry, vindictive president. Clearly, the President feels emboldened by his acquittal in the Senate and is now set on expanding his criminal enterprise approach to the Presidency and Attorney General Barr is aiding and abetting him in that effort.

The Department of Justice is intended to be an independent, neutral agency of justice in this country, free of political influence, assuring that all are treated equally under the law, not used as an enforcer for a wannabe strongman president. Barr’s actions, in this case, set a dangerous precedent and should alarm all Americans.”

Source:

https://lincolnproject.us/news/doj-roger-stone/