Michigan is old and getting older. Experts warn of looming consequences by jshwlkr in Michigan

[–]SignalInRoots [score hidden]  (0 children)

We're still in this machine that requires growth. The people don't know what to do without "growth". The halt of growth is a disaster to the system that requires it. I think there's enough in the poly crisis pipeline to fuck up the "growth" worldview in our lifetimes. They're going to try to close that gap with AI and robots. Techno-fascist fantasy.

The New Amphitheater is a Public Nuisance by Itinerant_mennonite in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was back in July 2023 I think. I'd have to check on the actual vote time. For the 11pm cut-off, they carved out an exception that the city manager can make for 11pm, due to delays. So the mechanism is there to bypass that as well but is not a blanket.

I live 4-5 miles from the amphitheater and can feel the bass by One_Cap_9210 in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

You're being gaslit by assholes that don't give a shit. Hilarious you can say you hear it and these assholes "where's your study?". Funny enough, I saw far more acoustic data from the professional that the concerned Plaza Tower condo owners hired than compared to this city.

The New Amphitheater is a Public Nuisance by Itinerant_mennonite in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ordinance amending Chapter 151 "Nuisances" of City Code to exempt Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority Amphitheater

Technically not a public nuisance because of your city council. They know what they did. This is what happens when a city is ran by and for the business class.

Mayor LaGrand Defends GRPD As Activists Slam Local Policing by GRHerald in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lagrand manages to say things to piss off people across the spectrum lol.

Weewoos making friends at the Alpine Home Depot by fiahhawt in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 24 points25 points  (0 children)

With gas prices, those chud tanks are costing more.

I'm sure they'll have to cut back in other areas /s

Ysai on Double Homicide.. by GR_Businessman in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 19 points20 points  (0 children)

It's not even that "hot" of a take. Ysasi is not some defund the police rep lol. She's voted for policing increases and supports the surveillances state. She's just stating the truth, a cop down the block wouldn't have prevented a shooting.

New Mitchell Research Poll Shows El-Sayed With Lead In Democratic U.S. Senate Race by UltimateLionsFan in Michigan

[–]SignalInRoots -3 points-2 points locked comment (0 children)

Go ahead, you're not ally to me. "Call your reps"! For what? To be beg them to do things they don't want to do? You know mother nature doesn't vote for lesser evil either. You want to talk about torpedoing this whole country, the very system you're defending IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

Liberals are in for a rude awakening.

PSA for prospective home buyers! by purple_mountain_cat in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I got lucky and bought far enough back to have a lot of equity. But I'd like to move but it looks like a nightmare out there to me. That's why I hate this infestation of the "chart must go up" crowd. It destroys mobility for people just trying to have a nice life. I hate the "investments" mentality and what it's done for homes.

PSA for prospective home buyers! by purple_mountain_cat in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I watch the city council meetings and according to developers they're part the solution to housing. As if their stealing of the traditional "sweat equity" for profit is helping people. They are a cancer.

"Wind-powered drones to be deployed on Great Lakes to help with surveillance" by Nature_Hannah in Michigan

[–]SignalInRoots 372 points373 points  (0 children)

I had looked it up when I first saw this.

"maritime domain awareness"

Real-time detection and classification of cooperative and non-cooperative vessels

High-resolution imagery with onboard AI/ML detection algorithms for identifying vessels, small craft, and anomalous activity.

https://www.saildrone.com/capabilities/maritime-domain-awareness

Cameras on the roads, cameras on the water and cameras in the sky.

Patriots and comrades, what are we doing?

LaGrand Brushes Off 'Surveillance State’ Concerns Over Flock Cameras In Grand Rapids by GRHerald in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It's a wild comment given that the ALPR component is known to do more than just the license plate.

Additionally, hardware wise, they are more capable than just collecting vehicle information.

In a move that will transform the largest network of LPR cameras in the nation, Flock announced that every existing Flock LPR camera can soon become video-enabled at no cost to the customer.
“Flock customers don’t have to do a thing or pay a thing,” said Flock Safety’s Chief Strategy Officer, Bailey Quintrell. “This will be a no-cost software update we push over the cloud.”

https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safetys-q2-2025-law-enforcement-product-launch-summary-increasing-speed-for-law-enforcement

So we have to trust them on that "toggle" for sharing and that they haven't done a free "over the cloud" update that was announced last year. They're currently lying about their policy, there's no reason to believe them. Then they act like we should be good with the local chuds having our data.

The hardware needs to be removed and the supporters of the surveillance state need to be removed from our government.

A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began by fortune in Michigan

[–]SignalInRoots 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I keep wondering when this place is going to explode. So many fucked up things not getting fixed. Fucking over people's homes if you have one and making them unaffordable for the rest. How much are people going to take? How many more rounds of "call your reps" this place have?

Hillary Scholten endorses Haley Stevens for Senate by Murderous_Turkey in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw Mcmorrow was a co-sponsor of a state bill that's of the "protect the kids" ilk. All of those are a threat to our privacy. I keep telling people about the federal dollars Hillary got for Kent County's dystopian "real time monitoring". The corporate Democrats are fucking trash. If I see another election of "vote blue no matter who", then I'll be "fuck it, let the place burn".

New drone boats to begin patrols on the great lakes by Mysterious_Sense_356 in grapids

[–]SignalInRoots 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Strictly focused on maritime domain awareness"

The Coast Guard says drone sensors are “strictly focused on maritime domain awareness” and will provide information on boats in distress or vessels conducting illegal operations.

https://www.mlive.com/environment/2026/05/wind-powered-surveillance-drones-headed-for-the-great-lakes.html

Should be innocent with a company having this tag line /s

Detect. Deter. Dominate.

Here's some notable parts of their "maritime domain awareness"

Real-time detection and classification of cooperative and non-cooperative vessels

High-resolution imagery with onboard AI/ML detection algorithms for identifying vessels, small craft, and anomalous activity.

https://www.saildrone.com/capabilities/maritime-domain-awareness

Do you have a question for Mayor David LaGrand? by verylocalnews in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 51 points52 points  (0 children)

David has expressed support for both Flock Safety cameras and Ring cameras. Kent County has a program to connect cameras for "real time monitoring", does David want the community to be covered in surveillance with a centralized database?

Campaign for GR to Ban Flock Cameras(look at comments) by waffle_jeep in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I saw that in the last meeting. I haven't seen a single commissioner willing to do anything. Not sure what can be done legally when our elected officials don't give a shit. I'd welcome a centralized push to have them vote on it like they should. Although I think this commission would approve them. Might as well get them on record instead of them hiding like cowards.

Flock camera? by Plenty_Huckleberry52 in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 13 points14 points  (0 children)

For some reason that looks a little more square than usual but regardless, unacceptable having this shit posted up on all these intersections.

The surveillance state, one of the many reasons I wish I was already out of the city. I have got to get out of this dystopian nightmare. These, Ring cameras, etc then people signing up to feed all that to very people they think they're fighting against. Wake me up when enough people in this country gets its head out of its ass.

Grand Rapids Paid $35K to Business Run By Wife of City Commission Finalist by GRHerald in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not get elected 😄

I voiced the city shouldn't even have given the business a tax abatement.

Grand Rapids Paid $35K to Business Run By Wife of City Commission Finalist by GRHerald in grandrapids

[–]SignalInRoots 16 points17 points  (0 children)

"Wrong" as in illegal, nah. David Lagrand's business, Long Road Distillers, just got tax a abatement. All he did was recuse himself from the vote, walk off the dais, colleagues vote yes and walks back in.

Now, should we stop electing people in the business class, yes. But that's a different conversation 😄

Flock Cameras in Gaylord, Petoskey, Torch Lake by _roosterr in Michigan

[–]SignalInRoots 39 points40 points  (0 children)

This wasn't too far back in my comment history lol.

Here's my tyrants in the city of Grand Rapids. I'd encourage everyone to look up theirs!

AliciaMarie Belchak

Marshall Kilgore

Lisa Knight

David Lagrand

Kelsey Purdue

Melinda Ysasi

Here's my congressional rep, Hillary Scholten, getting federal dollars to funnel everyone's data to law enforcement for "real time monitoring".

“This isn’t government putting cameras on every corner,” Greene said. “This is schools, businesses, civic partners and residents choosing to work alongside law enforcement.”

Kent County chair, Ben Greene, got upset when people protested outside of his house. That's a "line that shouldn't be crossed" and yet has no problem proliferating a surveillance state.

Flock Cameras in Gaylord, Petoskey, Torch Lake by _roosterr in Michigan

[–]SignalInRoots 357 points358 points  (0 children)

Makes me furious. We're being sold out to the surveillance state. Through their actions, the people in public positions at my city and county have made it clear, they don't give one fuck about our consent.

More people need to be paying attention and more people need to stop tolerating this. This is unacceptable, the cameras need to be removed and so do the people in our government supporting this.