Public Statements by CRAG members

Michigan Tech Board of Trustees, 2025-10-10

Violet Schroeder

"Hello, my name is Violet Schroeder, I am an undergraduate student here at Tech, and I am coming to you to discuss your hesitation to protect the students who are the pillars of academia, community, and research at this university.

It has recently come to my attention that when asked if ICE agents would be allowed to enter and search the private areas, such as residential areas, classrooms, labs, and faculty offices, of Michigan Tech's campus without a warrant, a representative of the University answered, 'it depends on the context'.

This response leads me and the Tech community to believe that the board is willing to give ICE permission to enter and search the campus without a warrant. as a University that claims to value their students and their right to education, community, and free speech, this cannot be allowed.

Regardless of legal status or political affiliation, all students should be able to exist freely on campus. Knowing the cruelty, brutality, and often illegal activity that characterizes ICE, the board of trustees should be aware of the importance of keeping ICE without a warrant out of our campus.

Muhmoud Khalil, a student at Columbia University, was taken from his Columbia apartment on March 8th, 2025. The ICE agents did not have a warrant. Despite being a legal resident, Khalil was detained, and his legal status was revoked unlawfully, because he exercised his right to free speech.

Complying with ICE will only increase the occurrence of unlawful and cruel arrests such as these.

As the the proudly repeated #1 free speech university in the United States, the board of trustees should handle the presence of ICE agents with the utmost concern.

To claim to protect and value your students is not enough; you must act in accordance with your words. Join the University of Michigan in clearly stating your refusal to allow ICE to enter the Michigan Tech campus without a warrant.

Your silence, your compliance, your cowardice - will not protect you. Your previous cooperation with this administration has gotten you nothing but loss. They have stripped us of funding before and they will strip us of funding again - regardless of your choices. I say again: your silence, your compliance, your cowardice - will not protect you. So put your students before your fear. Choose to stand with those that who make Michigan Tech, Michigan Tech, and say no to ICE agents without a warrant.

Thank you."

Sarah Green

Hello, members of the board, president Koubek, students, faculty and staff. Thank you for this chance to speech.

I am here to reiterate and amplify my comments earlier this year about the accelerating authoritarian actions of our federal government.

You are no doubt aware that nine universities recently received a letter entitled a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”; it’s a sort of ransom letter untethered to any statute or congressional authority.

As it happens, I have affiliations with three of the nine campuses that are being extorted: MIT is my alma mater, I spent two years as a post-doc at UT Austin, and I currently have a collaborative NSF project with Vanderbilt. I found all three campuses to be incredible, diverse, vibrant, and intellectually stimulating environments striving to open minds and advance human knowledge.

These institutions are now being asked to sell their souls in a sort of protection racket based solely on the ideological whims of an unhinged president. Among the multiple demands in this contract (and I urge you to read it yourself) are special protection for “conservative ideas” and allowing the government to monitor and enforce its definition of “viewpoint diversity”. These are clear violations of the First Amendment and of academic freedom. David Ramadan, who served as a republican representative to the Virginia House and now teaches at George Mason University, called the compact a “federally imposed ideological checklist.”

Suppose Michigan Tech were to sign such a compact. Then if my statements here today were deemed “belittling” to someone’s definition of “conservative” ideas, federal funding to the university could be slashed as retaliation.

These threats are not hypothetical.
Irony is turning into absurdity when some 40 academics have been fired for using their free speech rights to comment on the death of a champion of free speech on campuses.

[Skipped to stay within time limit: Incidentally, I find it quite ironic that the compact prohibits universities from money laundering, which I assume Michigan Tech has not engaged in since the Ventures catastrophe in the 1990’s. But that prohibition is rather bizarre given the documented links between the president’s family Liberty Financial crypto project and known criminal enterprises (including North Korea, Iran, Russia, and Tornado Cash).]

The second topic I’d like to raise is the vulnerability of international students, staff, and faculty in the face of threats and intimidation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As you know, ICE has been engaging in dragnet tactics, with masked agents detaining legal immigrants, vulnerable refugees and children, including US citizens and green-card holders. Michigan Tech has a responsibility both to individuals here under university auspices, and to publicly and visibly stand up for principles of equal protection under the law.

I urge you to join with other universities to stand up against government bullying.
Courage is essential.

Marquette Country, 2025-10-07

Thanks for this opportunity to speak with you. You know better than me all the amazing things local people are doing, with 4H and other important programs.

It's been a turbulent summer with an onslaught of outrageous attacks on people, institutions, government, and the fundamental ideas of democracy, freedom, and human rights. Anyone who is paying attention is terrified by the prospect of an autocratic takeover of the wealthiest country in the world, a country that has long been a beacon of freedom and justice, and is home to so many people who are committed to overcoming past injustices and making the world better for everyone.

Unfortunately, many people are not paying attention as many impacts are distant or delayed. ICE raids and domestic military deployments are occurring in far-away cities. Medicaid and SNAP cuts and insurance rate hikes are coming, but haven't hit yet.

Likewise, the folly of undermining of our public health system and FEMA won't be evident until we personally need those services. Diversion of law enforcement to detaining immigrants replaces actual crime-fighting with indiscriminate and discriminatory "shows of force," often only noticed by victims and their families. Climate impacts, increased pollution, and loss of our public lands will slowly become apparent over time, long after the vandals have made off with the spoils.

The loss of American influence and prestige on the global stage is hard to see from inside the U.S. bubble, though surely the pathetic performance at the UN this week convinced many that the emperor has no clothes.

The July announcement that 14 million people, most will likely die from cuts to USAID has already fallen off our radar. Meanwhile, the incredible, accelerating worldwide transition to clean, low-cost energy is being led by China, and will soon leave us in the dust (or smog), dependent on foul fossil fuels instead of free wind and sunlight.

Please pay attention. Ask:
Why is our congressional representative promoting policies designed to further enrich the 1% while cutting health care from his own constituents?

Why is wealth of the president and his family growing exponentially with crypto grifts, special business deals, and cozy relationships with oppressive leaders in the middle east, while everyday people suffer economic insecurity?

Why do citizens of other countries have guaranteed family leave, universal health care, longer life spans, robust internet privacy laws, and paid vacations?

The stakes are high:
When government workers are loyal only to the dictator, corruption flourishes. Deprived of impartial justice, businesses and citizens learn to pay bribes and stay quiet to stay off enemies lists. Public trust dissolves and freedom of speech, action, and imagination is repressed.

I urge you as public officials to stand up against this insanity.
Thank you

Calumet Township, 2025-09-26

Hello, it's me again, coming back to warn you again about the accelerating authoritarian take-over of our federal government.

Some impacts are being felt locally. Inflation is driven by absurd tariffs; attacks on immigrants are leading to business and job stagnation; Canadian tourists are staying away–crossings from The Soo are down 25% this year. Meanwhile, the Michigan House is trying to imitate congress by passing a deeply unpopular budget that cuts everything from school funding to wildlife management.

Please pay attention. Ask:
Why is our congressional representative promoting policies designed to further enrich the 1% while cutting health care from his own constituents?

Why do citizens of other countries have guaranteed family leave, universal health care, longer life spans, robust internet privacy laws, and paid vacations?

Houghton County, 2025-09-09

I am commenting on agenda item 7: Changing Location & Time for Monthly Regular Meetings

I urge the commission to set their meetings for a time when the most citizens have a chance to provide input.

Citizen participation in government is critical in a time when our federal government is working against us, and the president is engaged in unprecedented professional and personal criminal activity.

• The president is undermining the rule of law through attacks on lawyers and judges, and just ignoring judgements he doesn't like.
• He has escalated attacks on perceived enemies: people, corporations, universities, blue states and cities, federal employees, opposition politicians, and media critics.
• Several high profile investigations are clearly retaliatory, while wrongdoing by administration allies is ignored.
• With his enablers, such as our own Representative Bergman, he is undermining the fundamentals of fact-based governing by firing people who deliver unfavorable economic data and handing our public health system to quacks.
• He has declared absurd "emergencies" to impose tariffs, deport immigrants, deploy the National Guard domestically, and force a decrepit Michigan coal plant to remain open.
• This week the president murdered 11 people in a boat in international waters, in clear violation of international law.

These are all egregious actions aimed at undermining our democracy and shifting power and wealth to a small gang of global plutocrats.

Given these attacks at the federal level, it is essential that local bodies such as this one provide the opportunity for citizens to participate in their government.

Calumet Township, 2025-08-29

I am here to raise the alarm about the rapid descent of our democracy into autocracy. We have witnessed many worrying signs in recents weeks, including:

Deployment of US military on US soil. In Washington DC, masked men are demanding the people commuting home from work "Show their papers". This is not something we permit in America.
The president is threatening domestic political opponents with arest for speaking against his abuses of power.
The government is interfering with private enterprise, seizing shares of Intel, and requiring a Michigan power company, DTE, continue operating an obsolete coal plant that is neither needed nor economic.
Government employees who try to follow the law are being purged, including the decimation this week of the world's most respected public health agency. (You have only to visit the local cemetery to see what the pre-vaccine world looked like. Dead kids don't have autism.)
I've heard many people explain how the second amendment will protect us from tyranny; where are those people today?

Calumet Township, 2025-04-25

4/25/2025

Sarah Green, resident of Calumet Township
I'm here to again remind the board that the chaos in Washington is having local impacts.

Funding for Head Start is threatened
Narcan training and support is being defunded.
Tariffs could increase construction costs by 10-20%.
Tourism could drop by 20% as Canadian and other international visitors stay away.
We are seeing attacks on the rule of law with threats against law firms and the arrest of a judge in Wisconsin.
The checks and balances of our constitution are being undermined.

And also, when will the trash cans be put out in the park for the summer? People are already having picnics there.

Michigan Tech Board of Trustees, 2025-04-25

4/25/2025

Michigan Tech Board of Trustees
Sarah Green, Calumet Township
2025-04-24I am Sarah Green, professor emerita and former chair of chemistry. Although I am still involved in several research grants here, today I speak as a concerned and outraged citizen.

Graduation is always an exciting time as newly minted alumni are launched into the world. However, this year they are heading into a profoundly uncertain future.

Graduates who aspired to careers of public service have been discarded as expendable, being fired from agencies that protect our health, improve our environment, design our infrastructure, manage our financial system, and conduct fundamental research.
Future graduates are having opportunities yanked from under them as visas are revoked with no explanation or research grants are canceled.

But this threat is far greater than the loss of a few jobs or grants.

Our democratic institutions are under attack. Historians, political scientists, economists, journalists, and leaders from across the political spectrum are raising the alarm that we are seeing a rapid authoritarian take-over of our system of government.

This is an emergency. I feel like I’m watching coyote suspended in the air after running off the cliff.

We are seeing ruthless and unprincipled attacks on research institutions, the press, and universities, in short any place that encourages critical thinking.

The easy response to this chaos for board members like yourselves is to make a few concessions, then a few more. But that’s a dangerous slope; with each capitulation the bullies return to demand more.

The only way to stop bullies and mobsters is to band together and fight back.

As of this morning, 443 university presidents have signed a letter “speak[ing] with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.”

President Koubek’s name was not on this letter.

I urge the university to be fully transparent about government pressures, including the number of revoked visas, impacted grants and other impacts.
, I urge you to join and support efforts to oppose the illegal attacks on universities.

I’ll finish with a few words from journalist Adrienne LaFrance who interviewed numerous people who have lived under dictators and autocrats:

Today, right now—and I mean right this second--you have the most power you’ll ever have in the current fight against authoritarianism in America. Authoritarian leaders topple democracy faster than you can imagine. If you wait to speak out against them, you have already lost.

Statement, HoCo 2025-04-08

4/8/2025

I am Sarah Green of Calumet Township.
I am here to again express alarm at the ongoing federal chaos and draw your attention to local impacts.
I have three short points today: Tariffs, Head Start, Meals on Wheels1. Tariffs
We have just seen the imposition of hugely irresponsible tariffs, widely condemned by business people, are likely to increase costs for all construction projects, including the jail currently being discussed.

2. The Head Start regional office serving Michigan shut without notice this week.
Head Start is federally funded and operated locally. These regional offices help match the funding to local needs and provide training and oversight.

In Houghton County 293 kids are enrolled in Head Start programs, which include special education.

As Commissioner Roy Britz mentioned earlier, these modest investments in children have huge returns in the long term.

For perspective, in 2024 the entire federal budget for the Child Care and Development Fund, which includes Head Start, was $12.3B, which is about 0.03 ElonUnit, (3% of Elon Musk’s wealth).

Cutting programs for children does nothing to improve our economy.

3. As we have just heard, Meal on Wheels and other food programs receive federal funds, which also help our local small farmers.

Meals on Wheels is requesting that local taxpayers help support the program, already inadequately funded before current cuts.

We can clearly see that when federal funding goes away, the needs don’t. Nor do we see federal tax breaks to compensate for the loss of services because the federal tax cuts enacted in 2017, and scheduled to be renewed, are overwhelmingly skewed toward extremely rich people.

I urge the commission to communicate our concerns to state and federal representatives and to take steps to protect your constituents.

Portage Lake District Library, Joan C.

3/26/2025

Comments to Portage Lake District Library
(3/26/25 from Joan Chadde, retired educator)
Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight.

Students, families, and communities gain numerous benefits from museums and libraries. Unfortunately, the Executive Branch has just cut federal funding for the Institute for Museum and Library Services that provides financial support to a wide array of cultural and educational institutions, including art, science and history museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens and historic sites. Libraries of all types – public, academic, school and research – also benefit from the agency’s funding. Through grants, research and policy initiatives, the Institute helps these institutions better serve their communities.

For libraries, the Institute has funded technology upgrades, such as virtual reality learning stations, AI-assisted research aids or digitization of rare books. They also pay for community programs that take place in libraries, from early childhood reading initiatives to workshops on tax preparation.

We depend on Congress and the Executive Branch to make wise decisions on spending our tax dollars. I am very concerned about the random way that decisions are being made to cut federal spending on so many programs. It is very concerning that a private citizen has been appointed by the Executive Branch to make these cuts and fire thousands of federal employees without due process, in spite of his conflict of interest and lack of knowledge of what these agencies do. We have lost valuable programs that benefit US citizens.

Please communicate the many benefits provided by the Portage Lake District Library to our state and federal representatives. Your immediate attention to this very serious concern is greatly appreciated. A list of addresses is shown below.

REPRESENTATIVES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Senator: GARY PETERS (D) 1/2027*
724 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-6221 • U.P. Office: 906-226-4554
E-Mail: peters.senate.gov
www.peters.senate.gov

Senator: ELISSA SLOTKIN (D) 1/2031*
SH-825B/C Hart Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-4822 • U.P. Office: not yet set
www.slotkin.senate.gov

Representative, 1st District - JACK BERGMAN (R) 1/2027*
566 Cannon House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
(202) 225-4735 • U.P. Office: 906-273-2227
E-Mail: bergman.constituent@mail.house.gov
www.bergman.house.gov
*Date Term Expires

REPRESENTATIVES IN LANSING
State Senator, 38th District:
ED MCBROOM (R) 1/2027*
201 Townsend St, Suite 6200 • PO Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909
(855) 347-8038
Email: SenEMcBroom@senate.michigan.gov

State Representative, 110th District:
GREG MARKKANEN (R) 1/2027*
S-1489 House Office Building • PO Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 373-0850
Email: GregMarkkanen@house.mi.gov

Statements at the Bergman(less) Town Hall, JS, VT, SG

3/18/2025

Statements shared from the Houghton Bergman(less) Town Hall on March 18th.

Jenn S.
Representative Bergman: My name is Jennifer Slack. I am a constituent.

I have called your office, talked with your aides, and received several letters back from you. I thank you for that. However, the contents of the letters, in response to my questions and concerns, are deeply disturbing.

One of those letters was in response to a question I asked, and will ask again, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE? I asked your aide specifically for a yes or no answer. You responded with this:

“I contend that President Zelenskyy, and other leaders must earnestly engage in peace negotiations and demonstrate transparency in how foreign aid is utilized.”

So, instead of an answer, you chose to challenge Zelenskyy’s integrity? It doesn’t matter that Russia invaded Ukraine? Or are you afraid to speak the simple truth because Donald Trump doesn’t want you to? I remind you, you represent US, you answer to US, not Donald Trump.

So why does your non-answer matter? Because Ukraine is not, as you say in the letter, “taking us for granted.” Ukrainians remember the dark days under the terror of the Soviet Union. Ukraine is fighting valiantly to hold back Russian aggression against the free world: against Eastern Europe, against Europe, even against US! Why wouldn’t we support that unless we have decided to join Putin and Russia to destroy the free world?

So, I ask again, did Russia invade Ukraine?
You sent another letter in response to my concerns about Elon Musk and DOGE illegally firing government employees, eliminating life-saving programs and agencies, dismantling the VA, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.

Remember, according to Article I of the Constitution, it is YOUR responsibility, as a member of the People’s House, along with the Senate, to make these decisions, not to turn these crucial decisions over to the president and his unelected, unvetted, out of control Elon Musk with his adolescent computer hackers, where decisions are made in secrecy without debate and transparency.

The separation of powers specified in the Constitution is clear. That separation is crucial to prevent a president from becoming a dictator or a king, from taking over our government and violating our constitutional rights.

Your response was this:
“I will continue to work with President Trump and all of his appointees.” But you are supposed to work FOR US, not Donald TRUMP, not his “appointees.” You work FOR US, the PEOPLE, from the PEOPLE’s HOUSE. Simply put, you are not doing your job.

I can only conclude that you are complicit with Trump and Musk’s actions to destroy our democracy. In doing so you are violating your oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and you must resign. With that, I call for your resignation.

Valorie:
Mr. Bergman,
My name is Valorie and I live in Dollar Bay.

I originally planned to speak about Social Security. And, although that is of great importance to me, there is a far greater threat to our democracy that is playing out as I speak. For weeks, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have taken actions to dismantle our federal government. They have claimed the power to overturn laws and budgets passed by Congress. They have fired thousands of federal workers. They have shuttered agencies. Courageous attorneys have filed close to 100 lawsuits in federal court to temporarily or permanently enjoin these actions with near 100% success. The question that has loomed over these past weeks, however, is whether or not the Trump administration would obey court orders. Until last week, the DOJ took a variety of actions to skirt or delay compliance – appeals, coming to court unprepared to get more time, claiming ignorance, etc. But we had so far avoided the constitutional crisis that would be posed by the President refusing outright to obey court orders.

All that changed over this past weekend. The President invoked the Alien Enemies Act and then detained and deported hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a concentration camp in El Salvador. Sometime during that process, a federal judge issued a TRO to stop the deportations and ordered the return of the planes to the United States. In defiance of the court order, Trump made a decision for the planes to keep going.

The administration is portraying those who oppose the deportation of people without due process and in violation of court orders as support for illegal immigrants. Mr. Bergman, this is not an immigration issue. This is a question about whether the United States is a nation governed by laws or by an autocrat. Those who have spoken throughout our history about the fragility of democracy understood that democracy is entirely dependent on the willingness of the governed and the governing to abide by the rule of law. When that stops, democracy is in crisis. That is where we are today.

Donald Trump is claiming that he has the right to defy court orders. The courts right now are our only guardrail against his tyranny. If the President of the United States does not have to obey court orders, then the entire rule of law becomes meaningless. Think about the implications. Why should anyone anywhere ever obey a court order again that they don’t like? Why should someone pay court-ordered child support, for example? Where does it end? And, if courts cannot enforce orders holding violators in contempt, then what is to prevent our complete descent into anarchy? This is where we are headed.

Mr. Bergman, it is up to you, as a member of Congress and the President’s own party, to speak up and tell him to obey the law.

Sarah:
The United States of America is the richest country in the history of the world.
Our wealth was produced through the hard work and ingenuity of millions of Americans: natives, immigrants, and those, like me, whose ancestors immigrated to this land of liberty.
All of us have benefited from the visible and invisible hands of a government that makes our freedom possible. And, until today, that government has been the envy of the world.
Just to mention a few elements:

Universal free education.
Clean water and air, safe food, and access to nature maintained for us all.
Support for neighbors in need.
A robust universal retirement program.
Federally funded research that has given us improved cancer treatments, amazing energy technologies, the internet, and so much more.
And which supports innumerable private enterprises.

Finally, and critically,

Intolerance of corruption and adherence to the rule of law, without which government and business is impossible

We are the richest nation on Earth.
Don't you dare tell us that our collective wealth should be diverted to billionaires instead of sustaining the systems that make our freedom possible.

Baraga County 2025-03-10

3/10/2025

Baraga County
Sarah Green, Calumet Township Resident
2025-03-10

Thank you for your attention and for your efforts to improve lives of Upper Peninsula residents. In such a big region with low population we all benefit from the success of neighboring communities. I love exploring Point Abbay and local forests, as well as your beautiful lakeshore.

I’m here today to address a threat to our democratic institutions. As Americans, whatever our political leanings, we have an intense loathing of tyranny. Although we may have honest disagreements, I am certain that nobody here voted for Elon Musk.
I have come to you for two reasons. First, because actions at the federal level have direct consequences for the Upper Peninsula residents whom you represent; and second, because you are our local face of democracy, and you have taken an oath to uphold the constitution.

Today the checks and balances embedded in our constitution are under attack.

1. The president is claiming the power to overturn the wishes of congress by freezing funds that have already been approved. The funding freeze aimed to block thousands of programs across the country from Meal-on-Wheels to Cancer Research. Billions of dollars in federal funding flows to counties and townships, often through state programs, including Community block grants, infrastructure programs, school lunch programs, and health insurance.
In 2023 Baraga County received $1,184,312 in federal grants, for health care, public safety, roads, among others.

These are your taxes, and mine, that congress is sending back to support citizens and programs for their benefit. The president does not have the right to block these appropriated funds.

2. A private citizen and his unvetted associates have gained access to the Social Security system, the IRS, and Treasury, exposing your social security data, tax information, and personal data.

There is no provision under any of the three branches for a private businessman to have access to the nation’s checkbook. And Elon Musk not only has billions of dollars in contracts with the government through his various companies, but also has undisclosed relationships with Russia, China, and other U.S. adversaries.

3. Elon Musk is further threatening the more than 9000 federal workers employed in MI-01 (1st congressional district). An unknown number of local people have already been illegally fired.
The VA system is already being disrupted because 2400 people were fired last month; and there are plans to cut 83,000 employees from the system. As you know, some 22,000 veterans in the UP rely on those services.

These are your friends and neighbors who are being fired. And they work for us, the American people, not for Elon Musk.

All these actions are being challenged in the courts; some have been temporarily blocked.

These actions have profound local implications.
Undermining the constitution reverberate to all levels of government.

If justice is decided based on political patronage and friends in high places, laws become irrelevant. If private-sector billionaires can decide how and where government money is spent, congress becomes irrelevant, and so do you.

My right to “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” has no meaning if government is beholden to private interests.

Can we count on you to tell officials in Lansing and Washington that Yoopers want to be governed according the checks and balances inscribed in the U.S. Constitution, and not by a king?

I urge you put political differences aside and work together to address this constitutional threat.
————————-
Data:
Federal employees make up 2.6% of the workforce in our area. About 40% of them work for the VA; about 30% are veterans themselves.

Salaries and benefits for federal employees is about 9% of the federal budget. And nearly 70% of that is for the Department of Defense.

Calumet Township 2025-02-28

2/28/2025

Calumet Township
Sarah Green, Calumet Township Resident
2025-02-28

Thank you for your attention and for your efforts to improve lives of Calumet residents. I have even seen Tim putting boots on the ground to cut trees blocking trails at Waterworks Park. Calumet Township is a great place to live.
I’m here today to address a threat to our democratic institutions. As Americans, whatever our political leanings, we have an intense loathing of tyranny. Although we may have honest disagreements about what that means, I am certain that nobody here voted for Elon Musk.

I have come to you for two reasons. First, because actions at the federal level have direct consequences for the Copper Country residents whom you represent; and second, because you are our local face of democracy, and you have taken an oath to uphold the constitution.

The checks and balances embedded in the constitution are under attack.

1. The president is claiming the power to overturn the wishes of congress by freezing funds that have already been approved. The funding freeze aimed to block thousands of programs across the country from Meal-on-Wheels to Cancer Research. Billions of dollars in federal funding flows to counties and townships, often through state programs, including Community block grants, infrastructure programs, school lunch programs, and health insurance.
In 2023 Calumet Township received $1,574,678 in federal grants, mainly for housing and community development.

These are your taxes, and mine, that congress is sending back to support citizens and programs for their benefit. The president does not have the right to block these appropriated funds.

A judge has agreed, and has since ordered that the freeze be lifted while this action is challenged in the courts.

2. A private citizen and his unvetted associates have gained access to the Social Security system, the IRS, and Treasury, exposing your social security data, tax information, and personal data. This is the “most consequential security breach in US history.”

There is no provision under any of the three branches for a private businessman to have access to the nation’s checkbook. And Elon Musk not only has billions of dollars in contracts with the government through his various companies, but also has undisclosed relationships with Russia, China, and other U.S. adversaries.

Again, judges are moving to block this access. However, it’s impossible to recover data once it’s been exposed.

3. Elon Musk is further threatening the more than 9000 federal workers employed in MI-01 (1st congressional district). An unknown number of local people have already been illegally fired. Federal employees make up 2.6% of the workforce in our area. About 40% of them work for the VA; about 30% are veterans themselves. These are your friends and neighbors who are being fired. And they work for us, the American people, not for Elon Musk.

These actions have profound local implications, as explained by previous speakers today. Your constituents will suffer severely if federal funding and employment actions are allowed to proceed. I have many questions about why my federal taxes that were intended to fund local programs are being snatched by businessmen in Washington.

Even more critically, undermining the checks and balances of our system reverberate to all levels of government.

If justice is decided based on political patronage and friends in high places, laws become irrelevant.

If the highest government officials ignore the rule of law, how can you govern locally? If private-sector billionaires can decide how and where government money is spent, congress becomes irrelevant, and so do you.

My right to “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” has no meaning if government is beholden to private interests.

Do you have a plan to support your constituents if this federal government take-over succeeds?

Can we count on you to tell officials in Lansing and Washington how important federal services are to Calumet Township?

I urge you put political differences aside and work together to address this constitutional threat.

Carol P statement, Calumet, 2-28-2025

2/28/2025

February 28, 2025
Hello, my name is Carol Pfeﬀerkorn, and I live in Calumet Township.
In the 15 years that I have lived here, I have witnessed the transformation of a Township and Village in decline become a lovely tourist area - summer, fall and winter. You know better than I regarding which of our Township projects require federal dollars.Paul Lehto took great advantage of federal monies by befriending and working with then-Senator Carl Levin, and at one point, Jesse Jackson, Senator Levin's good friend (who helped finance the Calumet Township water pumping facility at Bucky's Beach via federal dollars). Because of the leadership eﬀorts of Paul - and now Timothy Gasperich - Calumet is a very functional town.

Recent changes with the new Administration have reduced or completely done away with federal dollars and their impact on our communities and parks (such as the Keweenaw National Historic Parks); and Calumet's economy may suffer, as a result.

This issue is about more than your personal beliefs - whether you are a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent makes little diﬀerence. What is important is that your/ our community could lose needed funding for our sewer system, water system, snow removal system, and tourism. And again, you know better than I where federal dollars will at least work to great advantage.
If you want to take action, please contact your state oﬃcials: Rep. Jack Bergman (202) 225-4735; Senator Elissa Slotkin (202) 224-4822; and Senator Gary Peters (202) 224-6221. Ask them to keep federal money flowing toward Calumet, Michigan.
Thank you very much.

Michigan Technological University Board of Trustees 2025-02-21

2/21/2025

Michigan Tech Board of Trustees
Sarah Green, Calumet Township
2025-02-21I am Sarah Green, professor emerita and former chair of chemistry. Although I am still involved in several research grants here, today I speak as a concerned citizen.

Thank you for your attention and for your dedicated service to Michigan Tech. It’s exciting to see Tech achieve R1 status after many years of research growth.

I’m here today to address a threat to our democratic institutions, for which universities serve a vital role.
The checks and balances embedded in the constitution are under attack.

The president is claiming the power to overturn the wishes of congress by freezing funds that have already been appropriated.
A private businessman and his unvetted associates have gained access to computer systems of the IRS, Social Security, and Treasury in what experts are calling “most consequential security breach in US history.”
The more than 9000 federal workers employed in Michigan’s 1st congressional district are being threatened, an unknown number have been illegally fired. Many are Michigan Tech graduates; about 30% are veterans

You are already aware that recent capricious, malicious, and ill-conceived policy reversals and executive orders are causing chaos and uncertainty for students, staff, and faculty. Research grants, student scholarships and stipends, internships, and job prospects have become precarious and unpredictable. Long standing relationships with federal agencies, such as the Forest Service are being abruptly severed, leaving students in the lurch.
I know you are grappling with this unstable situation, which is unambiguously designed to through you off-balance.

As you juggle the day to day management of this crisis, I urge you to keep the bigger picture in mind. We are not witnessing the normal push and pull of citizens in a democracy. This attack on government institutions fits the definition of an administrative coup. Very similar scenarios have played out in both left and right-leaning regimes, such as Venezuela, Turkey, and others. The results have been hollowed out democracies, where “elected” autocrats rig the system against opposition parties, and become despots.

Under these regimes, universities, as beacons of critical inquiry, become targets. Funding is allocated not by merit but by patronage, and schools are coerced into toeing a political line in research, teaching, and cultural activities.

In doing what seems best for the institution, university boards and presidents may acquiesce to escalating political demands or self-censor just at the moment they are most needed as leaders of freedom.

Institutions have values, but they do not have courage. People do. I implore you to use yours.

Hancock City Council, 2025-02-19

2/19/2025

I'm Sarah Green from Calumet Township.
Thank you for your attention and for your efforts to improve lives of Copper Country citizens. Although I live in Calumet, I benefit from numerous amenities in the city and really appreciate seeing all the recent improvements downtown.
I have spoken to many groups about climate change, environmental topics, and other issues. I’m here today to address a threat to our democratic institutions.

I have come to you for two reasons. First, because actions at the federal level have direct consequences for the Copper Country residents whom you represent; and second, because our congressman, Jack Bergman, is unwilling to hold public events in this district.

Article 1 of the US constitution is about congress: “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”

According to the constitution:
Congress is given the power to pass laws and enact the budget.
The President is commander in chief and has certain international roles, but his main responsibility is to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed” (Article II).
The Judicial branch can enforce the laws and overturn laws that are unconstitutional.

The checks and balances embedded in the constitution are under attack.

1. The president is claiming the power to overturn the wishes of congress by freezing funds that have already been approved. The funding freeze aimed to block thousands of programs across the country from Meal-on-Wheels to Cancer Research. Billions of dollars in federal funding flows to counties and townships, often through state programs, including Community block grants, infrastructure programs, student loans, school lunch programs, and health insurance. Michigan Tech received $82M of federal funding to support last year.

These are your taxes that congress is sending back to support citizens and programs for their benefit. The president does not have the right to block it.

A judge has agreed, and has since ordered that the freeze be lifted and then held the administration in contempt when money continued to be blocked.

2. A private citizen and his unvetted associates have gained access to the Social Security system, the IRS, and Treasury, exposing your social security data, tax information, and personal data on every person who has ever conducted business with the federal government.

There is no provision under any of the three branches for a private businessman to have access to the nation’s checkbook. And Elon Musk not only has billions of dollars in contracts with the government through his various companies, but also has undisclosed relationships with Russia, China, and other U.S. adversaries.

Security experts have raised the alarm about this breach of the firewall that protects the personal information of millions of citizens. Noted computer security researcher Bruce Schneier calls this the “most consequential security breach in US history.”

Again, judges are moving to block this access. However, it’s impossible to recover data once it’s been exposes..

3. Elon Musk is further threatening the more than 9000 federal workers employed in MI-01 (1st congressional district). An unknown number of local people have already been illegally fired. Federal employees make up 2.6% of the workforce in our area. About 40% of them work for the VA; about 30% are veterans themselves. These are your friends and neighbors who are being fired. And they work for us, the American people, not for Elon Musk.

This action is continuing, despite multiple lawsuits.

These actions have profound local implications. Your constituents will suffer severely if federal funding and employment actions are allowed to proceed. I have many questions about why my federal taxes that were intended to fund local programs are being snatched by businessmen in Washington.

Even more critically, undermining the checks and balances of our system reverberate to all levels of government.

If justice is decided based on political patronage and friends in high places, laws become irrelevant.

If the highest government officials ignore the rule of law, how can you govern locally? If private-sector billionaires can decide how and where government money is spent, congress becomes irrelevant, and so do you.

My right to “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” has no meaning if government is beholden to private interests.

Do you have a plan to support your constituents if this federal government take-over succeeds?

Can we count on you to tell officials in Washington how important federal services are to Hancock?

I urge you put political differences aside and work together to address this constitutional threat.

Houghton City Council

Sarah Green, Calumet Township
2025-02-12

Thank you for your attention and for your efforts to improve lives of Houghton citizens. Although I live in Calumet, I benefit from numerous amenities in the city and have appreciated all the improvements of the past 30 years.

I have spoken to many groups about climate change, environmental topics, and other issues. I’m here today to address a threat to our democratic institutions.

Article 1 of the US constitution is about congress: “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”

According to the constitution:
Congress is given the power to pass laws and enact the budget.
The President is commander in chief and has certain international roles, but his main responsibility is to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed” (Article II).
The Judicial branch can enforce the laws and overturn laws that are unconstitutional.

This balance of powers is under attack.

The president is claiming the power to overturn the wishes of congress by freezing funds that have already been approved. The funding freeze aimed to block thousands of programs across the country from Meal-on-Wheels to Cancer Research. Billions of dollars in federal funding flows to counties and townships, often through state programs, including Community block grants, infrastructure programs, student loans, school lunch programs, and health insurance. Here in Houghton, $82M of federal funding supported research at Michigan Tech last year.

These are your taxes that congress is sending back to support citizens and programs for their benefit. The president does not have the right to block it.

A judge agreed, and has since ordered that the freeze be lifted and then held the administration in contempt when money continued to be blocked.

A private citizen and his unvetted associates have gained access to personnel records of federal employees, and to the Treasury, which houses your social security data, tax information, and personal data on every person who has conducted business with the federal government.
There is no provision under any of the three branches for a private businessman to have access to the nation’s checkbook. And Elon Musk not only has billions of dollars in contracts with the government through his various companies, but also has undisclosed relationships with Russia, China, and other U.S. adversaries.

Security experts have raised the alarm about this breach of the firewall that protects the personal information of millions of citizens.

Again, a judge has moved to block this access. However, we don’t know how much of your data was taken before the order.

Elon Musk is further threatening the more than 9000 federal workers employed in MI-01 (1st congressional district). These employees make up 2.6% of the workforce. About 40% of them work for the VA; about 30% are veterans themselves. These are your friends and neighbors who may be abruptly fired next week.

Yet again, this action has been temporarily blocked by the courts.

These actions have profound local implications. Obviously, your constituents will suffer severely if federal funding and employment actions are allowed to proceed.

However, if the administration defies the laws, as they are threatening to do, the resulting constitutional crises would reverberate to all levels of government. If the highest government officials ignore the rule of law, how can you govern locally? If private-sector billionaires can decide how and where government money is spent, congress becomes irrelevant, and so do you.

My right to “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” has no meaning if government is beholden to private interests.

Do you have a plan to support your constituents if this federal government take-over succeeds?

Can we count on you to tell officials in Washington how important federal jobs and funding are to Houghton?

I urge you put political differences aside and work together to address this constitutional threat.

Houghton County Commissioners’ meeting, 2025-02-11

Sarah Green, Calumet Township

Thanks for listening; I don’t often attend these meetings, but I truly appreciate the efforts you make in improving the lives of Houghton County citizens.
I support childcare and small businesses; both are essential for our community. I therefore approve of the county moving ahead with the Gabby’s Guppies application.
As I’m sure you are aware, the Community Revolving Loan Fund (CRLF) for the Gabby’s Guppies come from the federal HUD Community Block Grant Program, funded by our federal taxes.
You may also know that the Community Block Grant Program had its funds frozen last week after an illegal incursion of the US Treasury by a private citizen and his unvetted associates. A judge has since ordered that the freeze be lifted (and held them in contempt today when it wasn’t).
Many other programs that your constituents depend on are threatened by these illegal actions: social security, housing assistance, medicare, veterans’ programs, mental health support.
Elon Musk is further threatening the more than 9000 federal workers employed in MI-01 (1st congressional district). These employees make up 2.6% of the workforce.* About 40% of them work for the VA; about 30% are veterans themselves. These are your friends and neighbors who may be abruptly fired next week.
Do you have a plan to support Gabby’s Guppies and the rest of your constituents if this federal government take-over succeeds?
Can we count on you to tell officials in Washington how important federal jobs and funding are to Houghton County?

Congressional Research Service, https://crsreports.congress.gov, R47716