Ask any Michigander. The biggest controversy to hit the state of Michigan since the Model T is unfolding in Detroit as the mayor, charged with official misconduct and perjury, refuses to resign his post. While the mayor’s text message scandal might be the biggest controversy, the most important controversy in Michigan today involves the man you see pictured here — a man who now has earned himself the most prestigious award on the internet: The Stephen Colbert Personal Hero Award.
Ian Douglass, friend of the blog and Deputy Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Michigan House, has been all over the internet in recent days. Why?
It all started when Michigan’s economy started tanking. As a result of the recession, the state hasn’t brought in enough revenue to keep the schools, police, and other necessary services running. Governor Jennifer Granholm and other Democratic leaders brought Michigan out of its serious budget crisis through a combination of targeted belt-tightening and revenue increases. Yes, a small tax increase was needed, but this means that Michigan has avoided laying off thousands of teachers. The impressive leadership through this crisis earned Michigan’s government one of the highest ratings in the United States in the 2008 Pew Government Performance Project.
Unfortunately, some right wing extremists see things differently. The Michigan Taxpayers Association has been livid about the tax increase. This Association apparently believes that everyone should build their own roads, police their own neighborhoods, and have an extra fire extinguisher rather than pay any taxes at all. Because none of these services — roads, police, fire department — are important enough to justify any government revenue as far as the Taxpayers Association is concerned. They’re so mad about the tiny tax increase that they’ve begun a well-funded, ridiculous operation to recall the Speaker of the House.
To recall the Speaker, the Taxpayers Association has to collect several thousand signatures of voters in the Detroit area. They’re paying upwards of $10 per signature in a desperate attempt to recall the Speaker. There’s no reason for this — recalling the Speaker wouldn’t lower taxes, in fact, it would require a special election which costs millions in taxpayer dollars.
The Speaker’s supporters aren’t taking this sitting down. Several volunteers, including Ian Douglass, have gone out to help inform voters in the Detroit area about the situation before they sign the recall petition. Ian and other volunteers have been very successful, because just about no one will sign the petition after they’ve heard both sides of the story. The voters recognize that recalling the Speaker would be a waste of time and money.
Ian’s work to inform the voters has frustrated the Taxpayers Association so much that they’ve basically given up on the recall, and now they’re trying to just win some cheap points in the media. They’ve taken to calling Ian a “thug” and plastering his photo on a smear website. And then they called in the true guardians of the public trust, local TV news.
In a story that was somehow overlooked for a Peabody, WDIV-TV swallowed the Taxpayer Association’s bait by running a piece that made it look like Ian was doing something wrong. Rather than focus on the trumped-up “issues” in the recall campaign, WDIV chose to talk about Ian as though he was possibly breaking the law. In fact, Ian did nothing wrong, he spent no taxpayer dollars in his work to educate the public, and he’s certainly not a “thug.” In fact, he has degrees from both the University of Michigan and Northwestern University, and he was also recently accepted to the Brown University Writers’ Symposium - a competitive-entry professional program. Still, something more has to be done to restore Ian’s dignity in the public eye.
After being the target of a right-wing smear campaign while standing up for the democratic process, it is indeed not only a pleasure but a responsibility for me to bestow Mr. Ian Douglass, M.S., with the Most Important Award on the internet.
Ian, congratulations, you’re the first recipient of the Stephen Colbert Hero Award in 2008.
The Taxpayers Association will continue to be attention whores for a long time, but they will not succeed in doing anything destructive thanks to the tireless work of Heroes like Ian.
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44 responses so far ↓
1 George Blaha // Apr 11, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Thugs?! This is the land of Laimbeer, Mahorn, and yes - Rodman. They may call us thugs, but in the end they will call us Champions.
2 tom shea // Apr 12, 2008 at 10:28 pm
how can i get in on some of this reward money for identifying that incredibly good looking Bahamian? what a crock. thanks, carmen.
3 Maria // Apr 27, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Wow. Yet another reason why our Detroit media so often sucks the big one. They have their moments, but this whole Kwame thing has been ridiculous.
I’m so proud of Ian! WOO HOO! He’s the best looking ‘thug’ I’ve seen in a while!
Erik, thanks for keeping the Most Important Things on the Internet in perspective. You da man.
4 Tsk Tsk // Apr 29, 2008 at 9:03 am
Ian is a voter educator, he has every right to educate voters on the recall.
It’s his first amendment right.
Yet, what him and others are doing with their first amendment right is lying, calling the recall a gay marriage amendment.
Other times they mention the circulators are getting paid, no actual education on the recall.
Seems like your hero as suddenly turned into a dud.
See it for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/user/BlockersRUS
5 Dillons Thugs // Apr 29, 2008 at 9:35 am
“Rather than focus on the trumped-up ‘issues’ in the recall campaign, WDIV chose to talk about Ian as though he was possibly breaking the law. In fact, Ian did nothing wrong, he spent no taxpayer dollars in his work to educate the public, and he’s certainly not a ‘thug.’”
If Mr. Douglass didn’t break the law, why won’t the House of Representatives release his time card records for the dates he was intimidating voters?
The Michigan legislature conveniently exempted themselves from the Freedom of Information Act.
Another blog writer asked the WDIV reporter in question if Mr. Douglass had replied to her repeated request for a on camera interview and his time card records. She said that Douglass had failed to respond to both requests.
If he did nothing wrong, why not come forward? What is Mr. Douglass hiding from the public?
Perhaps Mr. Douglass should receive the “Dan Rostenkowski Breach of Public Trust Award”
6 Dillons Thugs // Apr 29, 2008 at 9:53 am
By the way - since when does the “Deputy Press Secretary” to any government official avoid the press? He must not be very good at his job.
He should stick to being a thug - The University of Michigan and Northwestern University apparently prepared him for that job function.
A press secretary avoiding the press is like a doctor avoiding patients.
7 Melissa // Apr 29, 2008 at 11:11 am
I find it rather funny that all these recall people who want to call Ian and others like him “thugs” are avoiding the topic of the recall all together. You are so afraid that Ian may be spending tax payers’ dollars on fighting your recall attempts, yet you’re more than willing to waste ridiculous amounts of money to recall Andy Dillon himself. As Erik said, recalling the speaker won’t lower taxes. I’d much rather have the extra fraction of a percentage point from my paycheck going to help the suffering economy in Michigan than to go to you guys to recall the speaker. Ian is still my hero.
8 Dillons Thugs // Apr 29, 2008 at 11:23 am
“Ian is still my hero.”
He is an anti-hero. He worked as a bully. When he was caught, he ran and hid from the public eye.
His behavior and unaccountability is the issue. A reasonable person can disagree with the recall. How does one justify political thug tactics on the taxpayer’s dime?
9 Melissa // Apr 29, 2008 at 11:36 am
And if the time cards are released and they show that Ian and his colleagues were in fact acting on their own time, what then? I think that this would portray a new story: the Michigan Taxpayer Association working hard and spending time and money to exploit Ian for doing nothing wrong. Perhaps he is not coming forward to contend these ridiculous accusations because he and others in Andy Dillon’s office are focusing on real issues.
Thanks again for avoiding the fact that recalling Andy Dillon will do nothing to the taxes, but just waste more time and money.
10 Dillons Thugs // Apr 29, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Perhaps reading is new to you so I forgive your overlooking my statement about reasonable people being able to disagree about the recall.
“If” they release his time card doesn’t mean much. If thug Douglass seeks exoneration, he may come forward with the time card and an on camera interview.
11 Melissa // Apr 29, 2008 at 12:11 pm
“His behavior and unaccountability is the issue. A reasonable person can disagree with the recall. How does one justify political thug tactics on the taxpayer’s dime?”
Again I am simply pointing out that your only argument is that he may be working on the taxpayers’ dime. My “If” was to suggest that when the question of Dillon’s employees spending taxpayers money to defend him is removed, you aren’t left with much. I think his move to avoid bad press (which would equal good press for your purposes) is quite wise. Ian doesn’t seem so thuggish when he is out working to inform voters on HIS OWN time. A reasonable person may or may not choose to support the recall, but having the opposing view point at the scene is not bully- or thuggish to me at all. A reasonable person would want to hear both sides of the story.
12 Dillons Thugs // Apr 29, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Employing this faulty logic, Mayor Kilpatrick was wise to secretly settle the whistle blower lawsuit as public disclosure of those emails would involve “bad press”.
How do you know he was on his own time?
Where are the time cards?
13 Bob // Apr 29, 2008 at 2:34 pm
this is exactly what erik is talking about. rather than trying to reasonably convince voters of their side, it seems that the pro-recall people are simply attacking the character of someone (and i might add doing so in a very racist way). the idea that the time cards are some kind of smoking gun that will prove ian to be a “thug” is ridiculous.
put it this way, it’s highly likely that the pro-recall are enlisting the help of elected officials, who no doubt have delegated some of the work for this campaign to staffers. where are their time cards? i’m sure someone will rebut “we’re doing this all on our own,” which i obviously will call bs on.
we can argue the legal merits of the stop the recall movement, but what this comes down to is the arguments espoused by Dillon are simply desperate tactics of a movement that was without merit in the first place. in other words, sour grapes.
14 Dillons Thugs // Apr 29, 2008 at 3:14 pm
“the pro-recall people are simply attacking the character of someone (and i might add doing so in a very racist way).”
I defy Bob , or anyone else, to provide an example of race being a factor. Mr Douglass is being assailed based on the content of his character and not the color of his skin.
Desperate? Stay tuned on Thursday, May 1st and see who is desperate. There are so many signatures that Andy Dillon should just hang it up.
Where will thug Douglass find a new job as a press secretary unwilling to talk to the press?
15 Tim // Apr 29, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Hold on, how does the recall not waste money?
16 Dillons Thugs // Apr 29, 2008 at 3:44 pm
The recall election will be held on the same date as the August, 2008 primary election ballot.
There are NO additional costs to conduct an already scheduled election.
I’m sure some of you will argue the incremental cost of the ink needed to add the recall line to the ballot will increase the overall cost of the election.
17 Tim // Apr 29, 2008 at 3:59 pm
OK, but I’m still unsure how the recall helps Michigan.
And what about the $103,191.76 spent on the recall so far?
And why did so much of that money come from outside Michigan? Only $5 of that $100,000 come from the place where the speaker of the house is from?
http://www.michigandems.com/042808prs.html
18 Dillons Thugs // Apr 29, 2008 at 4:15 pm
The recaller group must raise money from many sources to counter the massive Dillon thug tactics.
Combating Ian Douglass isn’t cheap!
19 Taxpayer // Apr 29, 2008 at 9:45 pm
A recal sends a message to control spending instead of raising taxes. Raising taxes in a bad economy just makes the situation worse for all the taxpayers. The politicians are the ones who benefit by not having to make any hard choices or cut out any waste.
Intimidating those who want to sign a petition is not voter education. It is thuggery. If he was not working on his own time, he was being paid by the taxpayer. In many states this is illegal and is called Election Interference. If Michigan does not have Election Inteference laws it should. Spending taxpayer money to fight against it’s citizens in wrong.
20 theRadical // Apr 29, 2008 at 10:27 pm
If Ian, or any other government employee, worked in the campaign while on the clock on either side they should be fired and forced to return whatever money they were paid for the time in question. Douglass does draw suspicion to himself for avoiding the cameras and refusing to explain himself to the people of Michigan.
As for the recall, it is a written into the state constitution that citizens have the right to recall politicians. It seems like a pretty good part of checks and balances to me; keeps them on their toes. If people want to spend their own money they are free to, no matter where they live.
I did a little more research into this and found out that while Douglass may not be all that thuggish (just anti-free speech?) some of the other people hired by the Speaker and the Democrats are. Apparently Dillon backers hired a multiple felon as part of their anti-recall efforts. The “voter educator” has been convicted 8 times for armed robbery and other gun crimes, he is currently on parole for armed robbery. Legally he can’t even vote!
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/NEWS06/804250408#pluckcomments
21 hillary_b // Apr 30, 2008 at 2:11 am
according to my research, because of this comment thread, this blog has become 46% more important.
22 Dillons Thugs // Apr 30, 2008 at 6:55 am
And our research shows a 32% increase of suspicion about Mr. Ian Douglass not providing his time cards.
How easy is it to falsify those records?
23 bob // Apr 30, 2008 at 12:42 pm
as easy as it is for pro-recall politician’s staffer’s to fake their own time cards to make it look like they didn’t do any work on the recall campaign. have you checked their time cards? oh you don’t care if public funds are illegally spent as long as you get your way.
and if i have to explain to you why the characterization of probably the whitest black guy i semi-know as a “thug” is racist, well i doubt you would understand anyway.
24 Dillons Thugs // Apr 30, 2008 at 1:08 pm
“the whitest black guy i semi-know”
Nothing racist in that statement.
I’m sure some of your best friends are black.
Have there been allegations of government employees doing pro-recall activity on taxpayer time? If so, I would object just as strongly.
We do know, however, that Mr. Douglass is a government employee who refuses to provide any evidence that he was doing his thug duties on his own time.
Can you understand that?
25 bob // Apr 30, 2008 at 5:10 pm
this is like shooting fish in a barrel…
“Have there been allegations of government employees doing pro-recall activity on taxpayer time? If so, I would object just as strongly.” I’m making those allegations. Send me a link to whichever blog you comment on where you object to it. I suspect, you won’t be able to because you won’t lodge any complaint with anyone who is on your side. because you don’t really care about the whole gov’t workers thing, you actually just don’t want to pay taxes which is why you want to recall someone. it’s people like you that make the political process a joke, which in turn oppresses people, especially people of color. what a racist! this recall is so obviously sour grapes and then compound it with a smear campaign, well that makes you double suck.
oh by the way, the whole “nothing racist…”…i rest my case. and “thug duties”…yeah voter education is sooooo thug man. i heard that ian was also making comments on dailykos…that man is a straightup GANGSTA!
26 Dillons Thugs // Apr 30, 2008 at 7:49 pm
If you allege that a pro-recall person is /was working on the government dime, please provide the following:
Name?
Place?
Date and time?
Can’t do it, can you?
Your “logical” reasoning:
“it’s people like you that make the political process a joke, which in turn oppresses people, especially people of color. what a racist!”
Let’s see here, let me try using your reasoning system:
God is love
Love is blind
Stevie Wonder is blind
Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God
Are we on the same page, cowboy?
Calling someone a racist using “logic” like yours is just embarrassing.
By the way - has Ian Douglass supplied the documentation needed to exonerate him from all this “oppression”?
27 Dillons Thugs // Apr 30, 2008 at 7:57 pm
“it’s people like you that make the political process a joke, which in turn oppresses people, especially people of color. what a racist!”
Great reasoning! Don’t stop there. Wait, I’ll use some of your “logic”:
God is love
Love is blind
Stevie Wonder is blind
Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God
Calling somebody racist might be your way to end an argument you can’t win, but it isn’t a good way.
If you are alleging that a pro-recall individual did work on government time, please provide a name, place, date, and time. Like we did for Ian Douglass.
28 Bob // Apr 30, 2008 at 10:06 pm
“Calling somebody racist might be your way to end an argument you can’t win, but it isn’t a good way.”
you mean like calling someone a thug?
fish in a barrel.
29 Andrea // Apr 30, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Let’s check out your “evidence” of Ian’s thuggery:
1. Two still photos of Ian standing in the parking lot of the Redford Township Library on a Saturday - when NO ONE is on state time. The photos are courtesy of Joe Munem.
Follow the link below to see what Joe Munem does when he’s not stalking Ian.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0c7jwBlqkNE
2. A few seconds of video from Joe Munem’s camera as he and Leon Drolet follow (read: “stalk”) Ian Douglass as he’s driving (on his VACATION no less! I know Ian is sexy, but give the dude a break!).
Click below to see why it’s so hazardous to be followed by Leon Drolet. The man has a dangerous obsession with penises of all kinds.
http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2008/4/29/152431/353
Man! There’s just something about a penis that makes Leon salivate. In light of this, you’d be wise to run from Leon, too, if you were Ian. There’s no telling WHAT Leon is liable to do with that footage in the privacy of his bedroom.
Where was I? Ah, yes…
3. A few seconds of video of Ian’s car… sitting in a parking lot… doing nothing…
Nice evidence. Meanwhile, Ian was at Cinco de Mayo having salmon quesadillas. He was there half an hour before WDIV was even rumored to be arriving on the scene.
Mara MacDonald tried SO HARD to question “this (large, sexy, virile, studly) man” that she somehow managed to miss him in THE SMALLEST POLICE STATION LOBBY IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. Seriously, it consists of a two couches and the front desk.
Great reporting. Of course, Mara doesn’t suck that badly as a reporter, does she?
Why don’t you FOIA Ian’s timecard yourself if it concerns you so much? Or, do you have it already and you’ve got nothing better to talk about? Well, HERE’S something to talk about…
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080430/NEWS06/80430079
*whistles* Fraud, eh? Sounds tough. And thuggish. AND FELONIOUS.
Well, look on the bright side - Leon may finally get all the penises he can handle. Maybe it will mellow him out.
I doubt it, though.
Incidentally, the mere mention of Ian’s name has resulted in a huge leap in activity on this site. What a stud that guy is! He’s singlehandedly made this blog both more attractive AND more important!
30 Free Speech Blockers // May 1, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Couple thoughts.
First, you assert that because people are being taxed out of their businesses and are pissed about it that they are “right wing extremists”. I would be curious to hear your opinion on the rebellion against the king of England back in the 1700’s when the exact same thing was happening.
You also use the typical “we’ll lose our cops, our fire department, fire hydrants, medical care, blah blah blah” BS rant when attacking regular citizens for using their right to petition government.
Has it ever crossed your simplistic mind that maybe, just maybe the government is WASTING the majority of the money it is granted by the citizens? Perhaps, and I know this might be hard for you to fathom, but perhaps it’s not that the government is short of money; Rather, perhaps it’s that the government can’t stop wasting it on corrupt projects and bloated bureaucracies.
But then again, this is not something you would understand. At least, reading your post leads many to believe that you might be fairly shortsighted and quite naive on the way your public servants act when they are not held accountable.
And in regards to your hero, I find it ironic that you bless this individual as a hero and a great voter educator, when he cannot even legally vote to begin with!
The brilliance of your post is almost blinding!
“The Most Important Blog… Ever” tells me everything I need to know about you.
Keep doing what you do… it makes things easier for those of us who wish to think logically and expose those who do not.
31 Bob // May 1, 2008 at 12:29 pm
taxed out of existence…remember when clinton was in office and we had higher tax rates and how businesses were failing left and right? oh wait…turns out THE OPPOSITE happened. hell, let’s just get rid of taxes all together and just buy everyone a shotgun, a fire hydrant, a set of ecyclopedias, and a first aid kit.
it turns out that most wasteful government spending is spent on subsidizing BUSINESSES, so you should go after that, not after a tax increase designed to provide basic services.
32 Free Speech Blockers // May 1, 2008 at 12:54 pm
@ Bob.
Are you suggesting that a tax increase “designed to provide basic services” cannot be exploited and wasted by corrupt politicians?
Please tell me you aren’t that naive.
33 Dillons Thugs // May 2, 2008 at 11:41 am
“1. Two still photos of Ian standing in the parking lot of the Redford Township Library on a Saturday - when NO ONE is on state time. The photos are courtesy of Joe Munem.
Follow the link below to see what Joe Munem does when he’s not stalking Ian.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0c7jwBlqkNE”
Where was Joe Munem in that video. I did see several chairs in a reception area. Was Munem one of the chairs?
“Joe Munem’s camera as he and Leon Drolet follow (read: “stalk”) Ian Douglass as he’s driving (on his VACATION no less! I know Ian is sexy, but give the dude a break!).”
But we don’t KNOW he was on vacation because he won’t talk to the press or provide his vacation records / time cards. You may find him attractive, but that doesn’t make him honest.
“Well, look on the bright side - Leon may finally get all the penises he can handle. Maybe it will mellow him out.”
We do so love you hypocritical liberals. You always profess to support gays, but when one strays from the liberal reservation you guys pounce with such venom and hatred it would make the NASCAR crowd blush.
I’m now worried that the recliner in my living room might actually be Joe Munem.
34 Dillons Thugs // May 2, 2008 at 5:54 pm
If we are linking to images, we should link the entire image.
35 The Most Important Blog… Ever - The Right Wing’s Latest Triumph // May 5, 2008 at 8:39 am
[...] Michigan Taxpayers Alliance, a right wing group which has been busy running a smear campaign all the way to the comments section of your Important Blog, finally has a giant triumph to show off. [...]
36 Dillon's Thugs // May 5, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Giant triumph?
I’d settle for a minor triumph. How about the release of Ian Douglass’ vacation records and time card?
Alas, that will never happen . . .
37 Dillon's Thugs // May 5, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I keep posting here because I truly enjoy your photographs.
No kidding, Eric. You have a pretty good eye.
(Free the Douglass time card)
38 EQ Kimball // May 11, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Ian Douglass is great at his job, he should not be punished for this. He got the results that were needed. Even if it was a little underhanded, which it was NOT, who has never heard of a little political manipulation? Douglass is a great press secretary, and any politician would be lucky to have him on their staff.
39 Dillon's Thugs // May 16, 2008 at 3:19 pm
“He got the results that were needed. Even if it was a little underhanded…”
So, the ends justify the means?
By the outcome of the petition drive, Douglass must of wanted Dillon’s recall to reach the ballot.
A great press secretary? Bird is the guy in print on mic, not Douglass.
Where are those time cards?
40 The Most Important Blog… Ever - Breaking News: Michigan Right Wing Commits Massive Fraud // May 23, 2008 at 4:44 pm
[...] Andy Dillon’s career, Drolet also had his minions blanket the internet with smears against honest, hardworking, heroic Americans like Ian Douglass. Why? Loser Leon saw that he was going to lose the stupid recall, so he figured it wouldn’t [...]
41 Dillon's Thugs // Jun 1, 2008 at 10:18 am
Ian Douglass got the fraud band wagon rolling by doing politics during state business hours and then refuse to provide evidence that he wasn’t on the taxpayers dime.
When will the Michigan State Police start an investigation?
42 bob // Jun 2, 2008 at 12:12 pm
when you stop being a douchebag. you know why the michigan state police isn’t investigating? because nobody wants them to, except for you.
43 The Most Important Blog… Ever - The Hero Award // Jun 3, 2008 at 12:58 am
[...] Hero Award honoree Ian Douglass, though, has raised the bar in more ways than one. Not only did he change the face of Michigan [...]
44 VegasConnection // Jun 3, 2008 at 4:05 am
WOW! looks like you’re all alone on yet another topic ‘DillonsThugs’ you MUST be a republican- you never can admit your mistakes(unless you’re too damn ignorant to realize it)
THE BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON THE STATE!
Thats why they will not waste anymore time and taxpayer money to fabricate this B.S. story you people are reaching for because your back is to the wall!
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