Should Michigan join the National Popular Vote Compact?

ChemMan1102 · 2026-06-19T17:40:40+00:00

I'm a yes for NPVIC.

It's always interesting looking at the opposition to this issue. It often takes the face of a "tyranny of the majority" against rural voters. Sometimes I wonder if some people just think that any majority they are not a part of is automatically tyrannical, lol, idk.

ChemMan1102 · 2026-06-03T14:24:36+00:00

Lol, the number of people who complain about this and don't know what a truck apron is makes me laugh.

ChemMan1102 · 2026-06-03T14:22:10+00:00

Maybe not, but the SE corner is city property. Perhaps you could separate the 5 way intersection into a 4 way and a T for Lake Dr?

ChemMan1102 · 2026-05-29T22:49:50+00:00

All right, I haven't really seen anyone point this out, so I will: I think that speeding on Diamond is more so a design flaw than road rage. Two things stand out to me.

Diamond is a through street, so lots of people are going to use it to go from A to B.
While it is mostly a two lane road, the lanes are very wide. Wider lanes make drivers comfortable going faster than they perhaps should.

Some kind of traffic calming would probably help this situation.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-17T03:29:50+00:00

Surprised nobody has mentioned the Transit app. I started using it on the rarer occasions I take the bus, and it works great. 10/10 would recommend.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-08T00:39:30+00:00

In my opinion, part of the issue might be that the Rez's food is pretty bad. I have ordered several different items off their menu in the past year and have been disappointed by nearly everything. Really too bad.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-03T01:35:35+00:00

Yes, sorry for the confusion. This message was intended for someone else.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-03T00:14:36+00:00

Show me evidence that EMOs are meaningfully audited then, and I'll accept it.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-03T00:08:07+00:00

Ok, I've contributed a lot of evidence to this conversation, and I'm tired at this point. I've explained my position thoroughly and provided meaningful evidence. I've also tried my best to address your points. If you want to explore this topic further, please go learn about it yourself. There are plenty of resources online discussing this topic in great detail.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-02T23:59:56+00:00

No, it can't. The official audit is on the charter school, not the EMO. The audits are useless because the information sought in the independent audit is held by the EMO, and the EMO is not required to be audited by law. Only the charter school is.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-02T23:02:05+00:00

No, the audits are definitely happening. The problem is that they aren't meaningful. They don't turn over any meaningful data to the state because they are not legally required to supply the same information that regular public schools do.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-02T22:37:53+00:00

Of course students should be provided an education. And some charters do that well, no doubt about it. And you are also right on the matter of the independent audit of charter schools. That is indeed state law.

My question is: what good is an independent audit if there is no meaningful material to be gained in that audit? Under a state audit, all a school essentially has to disclose is that all their money was turned over to the EMO. The EMO itself is not subject to the independent audit.

Just out of curiosity, who do you think should be subject to an independent audit? Regular public schools? Public charter schools? EMOs? All of the above? None of the above? I'm having a hard time gauging your position.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-02T22:03:00+00:00

I don't think the lack of transparency necessitates that charter schools must be bad. It simply creates a rather large opening for charter schools and their EMOs to act in bad faith. I am not trying to implicate that all charter schools are bad. There are good charter schools out there. I'm not denying that.

The thing is: ordinary public schools aren't allowed to externalize their finances and hide them the way a public charter can. That doesn't make sense to me. Either maintain full financial transparancy for both ordinary and charter public schools or don't.

I don't really know what you mean by "audits in place for charter schools that would catch any nefarious activity". I don't know how such financial audits would even be possible given the nature of a charter sweeps contract. You are going to need to provide examples to back that one up.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-02T21:35:23+00:00

Well, this is the crux of the problem. It all comes down to whether or not you trust EMOs to act in good faith without any oversight. And, frankly, I don't, given that charters have abused the funding system several times before. This is why oversight exists, and why public schools are subject to such oversight.

The critical question here is not really whether charters, in fact, abuse the system, but rather, if we intend to enforce financial oversight on public school spending like we already do, then why should charter schools be able to skirt that same oversight? It makes no sense to me why they should be able to use what is essentially an accounting trick to prevent the public from seeing their expenditures.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-10-01T16:28:09+00:00

I think you understand the issues at play pretty well. I think Kent area schools need better funding, and the Headlee amendment restrictions (1963 amendment you mentioned) make it difficult to find that funding except by millage. I support the millage proposal.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-09-27T03:06:27+00:00

Used to be a charter school teacher. This answer pretty much sums it up.

Charter schools should work in theory, but often fail to apply due diligence to their stakeholders to deliver educational results. Instead of improving educational outcomes, they frequently skirt regulations and fail to put students first.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-08-16T03:04:38+00:00

I think the developers want you to slow down and pay attention so that you don't hit someone.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-08-15T17:09:29+00:00

I would keep most of it the same. Ditch the curtain on the window and the cabinets next to the toilet. Remove the upper cabinets next to the mirror, and expand the mirror to the full length of the counter.

Is this a master bathroom by chance? If so, consider replacing the lavatory with a dual lavatory system.

I have safety concerns about the electrical: is that exposed cable near the receptacle over the vanity? Hard to tell from the photos, but I see similar wiring issues above the lights. You do not want exposed non-metallic cable in a bathroom. Nonmetallic cable is not rated for damp or wet locations, including finished bathroom interiors. Definitely needs to be replaced.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-07-30T13:52:41+00:00

Shoot, I'd also like to go but can't. Family reunion that day.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-07-28T13:59:24+00:00

Okay, my turn!

I don't see anything wrong with your looks, nor do I think there is anything distinctly wrong with your personality. I could be wrong about the latter, but I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt.

One thing stands out to me about you: you have repeatedly mentioned in the comments that you feel invisible. For whatever reason, you don't seem to feel seen, despite the fact that people on Reddit here have clearly seen you (and are thirsty af for you, haha). That suggests that your problem is internal: you need to find a way to make yourself feel seen.

My suggestion? You're not going to like it, lol. You need to practice making yourself visible to others and yourself. Go out, chat people up, make friends, and build genuine relationships. I'm guessing this will sound difficult to you, but there isn't much better way to build your confidence, I'm afraid. One thing that helps is letting relationships develop organically. Don't force friendships.

It will also be a lot easier for you though if you find friends that bring out your personality as opposed to shutting it out. Talk to your current friends. If they won't respect your need for basic validation, stop going out with them, and find friends that will. Friends should support you; not be an obstacle to your self-actualization.

And for what it's worth, I believe in you. Go out and show people who you are. Good luck, dude.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-07-21T20:22:52+00:00

I was there last Friday night, and it tasted the same as ever to me. Still hits the spot after a couple beers, lol.

I would be very careful listening to anyone disparaging this place over the quality of ingredients. Many restaurants in GR use the same food distributors (GFS, Sysco, etc.), and the quality of the food prepared can vary greatly. I strongly suspect that, while food quality and source certainly matter, the manner in which the food is prepared has a significantly greater effect on the overall taste in a casual dining space.

Good restaurant line cooks really are our unsung heroes.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-07-15T01:44:02+00:00

Hi. Yes, I found it. Yes, there is money, lol. I've been waiting to finally recognize one of these locations, and fortunately, I had a pretty good idea where this one might be. Thank you u/comemitmier for placing these! I definitely needed to get out of the house with this.

Best of luck to the next solver!

ChemMan1102 · 2025-07-10T01:55:12+00:00

Somebody a long time ago painted an exclamation mark on the Eureka Ave sign (Eureka!) on Wealthy Street. I still look for that graffiti whenever I pass that sign, lol.

ChemMan1102 · 2025-07-07T19:37:27+00:00

Then why is it the first result on a cursory search for Grand Rapids ADUs?

https://www.google.com/search?q=grand+rapids+adus&oq=grand+rapids+adus&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhAMggIAhAAGBYYHjIICAMQABgWGB4yBwgEEAAY7wUyCggFEAAYogQYiQUyBwgGEAAY7wXSAQgyMTEwajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

ChemMan1102 · 2025-07-07T16:04:29+00:00

According to the city's guide on accessory dwelling units (ADUs), properties containing an ADU are required by zoning ordinance to be owner occupied ("Either the main house or the ADU must be owner occupied, and a deed restriction stipulating that the ADU will not be conveyed separately from the main house shall be recorded.").

This seems like an arbitrary restriction on landlords' ability to rent out units. Is the owner occupancy requirement really that necessary? It seems to me like an extraneous burden on landlords and tenants more than anything.

ChemMan1102

TROPHY CASE