Save Our State took Arbor Brewery and Corner Brewery owners Matt and Rene Greff to task for hiring illegal aliens and working double-time for the illegal alien boycott. This is the original Ann Arbor News article where Rene Greff supports her employees who march for Amnesty in Detroit:
Matt and Rene Greff
Rene Greff came to the attention of Save Our State after a May 2, 2006 Ann Arbor News article quoted her supporting the illegal immigrant boycott. Here is the article:
Rene Greff
Ann Arbor News, May 2, 2006
Little local impact seen from immigrant boycott
Immigrant workers mostly went to work
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
By Khalil E. Hachem
News Staff Reporter
A few local residents stayed away from work and a couple of restaurants closed to support the protest, but the nationwide economic boycott to show immigrants' power had little impact in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Monday.
A check of local businesses showed that apparently only a few immigrants stayed home as a result of the boycott. Most businesses contacted by The News said immigrant workers reported to their jobs early in the day.
"It is the busiest season of the year,'' said Stewart Beal, co-owner of Burns Lawncare and Landscaping in Ypsilanti, which employs five immigrant workers. "They are here to work and they really value their jobs. They are very good workers.''
Immigrant workers and their supporters called for a national day of economic protest Monday, boycotting work, schools and shops to show immigrants' importance to the country. They are protesting legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would make it a felony to be an illegal immigrant.
No marches or demonstrations took place in Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti, but some restaurants closed, including La Fiesta Mexicana in Ypsilanti and La Fiesta Taqueria in Pittsfield Township.
The restaurants closed in support of immigrant rights, said Estella Cardenas, an employee whose sister, Michelle Roman, owns both restaurants. Cardenas said while she and her sister don't support illegal immigrants, they're originally from Mexico and understand the hardships involved in moving to this country from another nation and becoming successful.
Roman attended the rally in Detroit on Monday and has been an activist in support of immigrants for many years, her sister said. Both restaurants were to reopen today.
"We want all immigrants, regardless of nationality, to know we support them,'' Cardenas said. "It's especially important to let people know that (immigrants) are not criminals, they are here to work.
"It's not right to cross the border undocumented, but I do think that (immigrants) have contributed to the economy of this country.''
Non-immigrant workers at the Arbor Brewing Company in Ann Arbor decided to work double shifts Monday to allow their eight immigrant co-workers to stay home and participate in the boycott, said owner Rene Greff.
Tom Rousher, general manager at the Ypsilanti Marriott at Eagle Crest, said he offered 12 immigrant workers the day off to participate in the boycott, but they declined.
Area school districts contacted by The News did not report any absent students as a result of the boycott.
Cheryl Call, a Spanish teacher in Manchester and migrant coordinator, said all four migrant students were in school Monday. She said the boycott may send the wrong message about migrant workers.
"I believe something has to be done,'' Call said. "Perhaps this boycott might not be the voice the dominant culture wants to hear.''
News Staff Reporter Stefanie Murray contributed to this report. Khalil E. Hachem can be reached at
khachem@annarbornews.com or 734-482-3225.
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More information was posted at Save Our State on May 26, 2006 about Rene Greff and her husband Matt Greff:
Arbor Brewing Company owners admit to hiring illegal aliens and many of their employees speak spanish and no english. Arbor Brewing Company not only hires illegal aliens instead of Americans, but publicly supported the May 1, 2006 illegal immigrant boycott. An article in the May 6, 2006 Ann Arbor News stated that "Non-immigrant workers at the Arbor Brewing Company in Ann Arbor decided to work double shifts Monday to allow their eight immigrant co-workers to stay home and participate in the May 1, 2006 boycott to support illegal immigration, said owner Rene Greff." The Arbor Brewing Company is a small brewery located in the heart of Ann Arbor's Main Street Area. Their address is:
Arbor Brewing Company
114 E. Washington St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 213-1393
http://www.arborbrewing.com/front-pagehttp://arborbrewing.blogspot.com/http://www.blogger.com/profile/17420322The owners are Matt and Rene Greff (residents of Ypsilanti) and are very active in the area's Democratic Party. Matt and Rene Greff also own the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti Michigan. Scheduled to open in May, the Corner Brewery will be a microbrewery and beer garden, and will allow Matt and Rene Greff to expand their brewing activity to retailable volumes.
Corner Brewery
Ypsilanti, MI
http://www.cornerbrewery.blogspot.co...8B190DD3BD61=0
http://www.cornerbrewery.com/This is information from their Corner Brewery web site:
We opened Arbor Brewing Company in July of '95 as a couple of starry eyed, twenty-something beer lovers with dreams of making good beer, new friends, and a positive impact on our community. The experience continues to exceed our wildest expectations.
Ten years later, we're just as excited to be opening a new brewery and beer garden in Ypsilanti, MI. This project will enable us to realize two more dreams: offering our award-winning beers to a wider audience through state-wide distribution, and creating a European-style beer garden in our own home town. We believe that craft beer is, perhaps more than anything else, a social icon. It represents family, friends, camaraderie, and community. And nowhere is this more true than at the local beer garden - an evening and weekend resort laid out amidst shady trees and sprawling lawns.
We chose the name Corner Brewery because our vision for the brewery comes from the pre-prohibition American beer scene when there were tiny neighborhood or corner breweries in every city tucked into residential areas just like we are. And like those neighborhood breweries of old, we hope to become a comfortable community gathering place.
That is also why we decided to create the Ground Breakers Club as a way for our neighbors and friends to participate in the creation the first brewery to make beer in Ypsilanti since WWII (without a $25,000 equity investment!).
We think of it as a fun investment with dividends paid in beer and V.I.P. treatment! We look forward to you joining the club.
Matt and Rene Greff
Here is an article on Matt and Rene Greff from ecurrent.com.
http://www.ecurrent.com/ag/2005/rest/arbor05.php\
Arbor Brewing Company
Local Brews and Responsible Dining
by Nora Flaherty
Rene and Matt Greff aren't lifetime restaurateurs -- in fact, until the mid-'90s, she was a corporate trainer and he was a database analyst. Then Rene says, "Matt discovered brewing and decided it was his calling in life."
The Greffs answered Matt's calling by opening the Arbor Brewing Company in 1995. When they opened the restaurant, they were looking to create a neighborhood place that would recall classic European neighborhood pubs. "We envisioned someplace that was the center of the community, that was family-friendly but not like a Bennigan's -- a nice mix of where you go to watch sports, where you go to talk politics -- kind of just where people in the community go to just get together and participate in life."
Today, ABC is that kind of place -- its clientele is a nice mix of students, professionals and townies, and although it gets kind of rowdy at night it's never overwhelming. You can watch sports there, but you can also play pool or just sit around. And of course beer is a focus at Arbor Brew -- they keep a number of house-brewed beers on draft, and you can now take home bottled beer. Some of what's available are a couple of stouts, a couple of wheat beers, a few lagers and ales and some beer-geek-friendly brews that are a little less mainstream.
Although the food at ABC is more or less what you can expect to get at any "nice" bar and grill, the Greffs have been working to make their kitchen a place that's both more environmentally responsible and more vegetarian-friendly than those of many other restaurants. The Greffs themselves became vegetarians a few years ago, and since they take most of their meals at the restaurant, they decided that the menu needed to change. And for those who do enjoy a burger, it's worth knowing that ABC uses only local, grass fed, hormone-free beef and that most of their vegetables are organic.
Arbor Brewing Company, located at 114 E. Washington Street, is open Monday-Saturday 11:30am-1am, Sunday 1pm-1am. Call (734) 213-1393 or visit
www.arborbrewing.com.
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Then "Rene" logged onto Save Our State and left this post:
(stopracism @ May 25 2006, 05:36 PM) is wrong. Arbor Brewing has never knowingly hired an illegal alien. We do hire fully documented immigrant workers and have several such staff members who are taking English classes and working hard to achieve the American dream. Every single person on our staff has the proper documentation and pays into the Social Security system.
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Joe Turner gave a rebuttal:
Rene:
I cannot speak to this specific situation, but to be honest, your rebuttal is not as convincing to many of us as it may be to you. For all I know, you are telling the truth.
However, for too long, employers have hid behind the "knowingly hired an illegal alien" line. Just because some illegal alien who can't speak english shows you papers indicating he is an American look real, that is not plausible deniability. And you are not off the hook, in my eyes.
"Fully [fake] documented immigrant workers" are going to pay into Social Security, that is a given. They are also going to claim zero exemptions, pay minimal state and federal income taxes on their low wages and then collect huge earned income credit refunds after they file their fake tax returns.
I will say once again, I do not know you or your business personally. But, on their face, your rebuttal means nothing. In fact, if you are truly believing that you are in the right, I challenge you to tell us what, if any, background checks you did to verify these documents/statements on applications and would you be willing to do a rigorous check today to verify work authorization status of your current employees?
In the end, when you tell me that you have several employees taking English classes, I am automatically skeptical of your claims.
++
In addition, Drumsme7 also gave an excellent rebuttal:
Rene,
What was your reason for supporting the "boycott"? You know & I know this "boycott" was nothing but an excuse for illegal aliens & their cheerleaders to pressure our government into accepting lawlessness. You know damn well that this has NOTHING to do with LEGAL immigrants & EVERYTHING to do with ILLEGAL ALIENS
So again I ask you, why support it?
And I'd also like to ask you what the unemployment rate is in your town for native born Americans? It seems you seek out "immigrants"
And how many college kids are struggling & would love to find some work? Remember them Renee? Remember when you were in college & AMERICANS looked out for one another & helped our young adults out? Remember that? This was before the current class of "Americans" allowed themselves to become brainwashed by radical leftist professors & actually cared about their own people. This was before greed, under the guise of "compassion", worked it's way into the minds of American business
I'm not convicting you, since I have no idea if it's true, & I truly hope it's not. But if it is true, you can just continue to kid yourself that you're doing this out of "compassion" & that you believe invaders from a foreign country have more of a right to jobs than our own citizens. How "progressive" of you. My, my, a democrat who uses the old "workers rights" rhetoric to harm her own country for profit. Will wonders never cease?
Again, I have no idea what your business dealings are & if I'm wrong I apologize for thinking the worst, but all of us are all too familiar with the lies & excuses certain "Americans" use in order to increase their profit margins
If you are hiring illegals, & I'm not saying you are, but if you are, I'd suggest taking a long look in the mirror & think about what you're doing. Is it really worth destroying your country for momentary gain? Will you be able to look your children in the eye & tell them that mommy took part in the destruction of their country & their futures simply for profit?
The invasion & colonization of our country is tearing this Nation apart & destroying the American dream. Is being able to afford a new car or putting a pool in really worth that?
Drumsme7 also said:
I thought I'd make this a little more realistic......
""Fifteen-year residents of Ypsilanti, Detroit kid Matt traces his Polish/German/French lineage back to a Greff Brewery in Nancy, France. "Treason is in my genes," he says. Do you really think I'd allow my phony ideology to interfere with my profit margin? Hey, why should I hire an American citizen at a living wage when I can hire an illegal foreign national for less than half of what I'd have to pay an American? Yeah, yeah, I know it's wrong, but I'll just donate a few bucks to some democrat cause & that will ease my mind about screwing over my country & my own children for profit.
You see, I'm a phony. I act as if I care about people & I get involved with phony causes that actually do nothing to help anyone. But it alleviates my guilt about screwing over the American worker & destroying my country for profit, But hey, I get to play the game with the local media, who act as if I'm an up & coming young professional, & they gush about me & my "business sense" & my "compassion" for my fellow man. How cool is that?
You see how it works? I just tell the leftist braindead media that I worship Howard Dean & they in turn make me out to be some hero for the left, when in reality, I'm totally screwing the American worker. You see, like all leftist phonies, I worship money & I'm the biggest capitalist out there. Money means everything to me. Yeah, so the Americans in my town are out of work, so what? I feel good that I can put these poor illegal aliens to work & hey, my bank account is growing. And as soon as we can get more illegals here I'm going to open up even more businesses
So you see, it's a great deal really. I just continue to spew lies about how I work for "justice", & all the while I grow rich by destroying my own people. Ain't America great?
Another post by stopracism:
Is this "Rene" of:
Matt and Rene Greff (owners)
Arbor Brewing Company
114 East Washington Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
telephone: (734) 213-1393
fax: (734) 213-2835
info@arborbrewing.comElizabeth Cain - Arbor Brewing Company Manager
beth@arborbrewing.comhttp://www.arborbrewing.com/front-pagehttp://arborbrewing.blogspot.com/http://www.blogger.com/profile/17420322Matt and Rene Greff (owners)
Corner Brewery
720 Norris Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198-2825
(734) 480-BREW, (734) 480-2739
http://www.cornerbrewery.blogspot.co...8B190DD3BD61=0
http://www.cornerbrewery.com/Can you provide more information regarding your post Rene? Did you call the Basic Pilot Program at 1 (888) 464-4218 and do verifications for your new employees? Written complaints regarding your business practices have been made to local agencies and taxing authorities. In addition, please try to be neutral and objective and avoid the language used in your first post. You have started an argument and we request that dissenters use the Dissenters Paradise thread.
Additionally, Save Our State has visited Arbor Brewing Company several times over the past few months in addition to your newly opened Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Many spanish-speaking employees work in your kitchen and many whites work in more visible positions. No blacks were seen working anywhere. Southeast Michigan is an economically depressed area with many Americans willing to work low paying jobs. It is difficult for Americans to find even restaurant work in this area and you are not making it easier.
Here is an excerpt from an Arbor Brewing Company Application for Employment (grammatical error included):
"I CERTIFY THAT THAT FACTS CONTAINED IN THIS APPLICATION ARE TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND THAT, IF EMPLOYED, FALSIFIED STATEMENTS MAY RESULT IN IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL. I AUTHORIZE INVESTIGATION OF ALL STATEMENTS CONTAINED HEREIN AND ALL EMPLOYERS LISTED TO GIVE ANY PERTINENT INFORMATION AND RELEASE THE COMPANY FROM ALL LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION. I ALSO UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMPANY HAS ANY AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO ANY AGREEMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT FOR ANY SPECIFIED PERIOD OF TIME OR TO MAKE ANY AGREEMENT CONTRARY TO THE FOREGOING UNLESS IT IS IN WRITING AND SIGNED BY ONE OF THE COMPANY MANAGING MEMBERS.
No where does the 'Arbor Brewing Company Application For Employment' ask about eligibility to work in the United States or criminal history. Matt and Rene Greff are making it easy for felons and fugitives from other countries to live in the United States and commit crime. This is ironic given Matt and Rene Greff's political activism, especially in a city committed to women's protection.
We are also wondering if Arbor Brewing Company and Corner Brewery have their kitchen employees tested for tuberculosis or other infectious diseases.
++
Here is an article dated January 15, 2004 from the Ypsilanti Courier in which Matt and Rene Greff give reasons for working for candidate Howard Dean in Iowa.
http://www.ypsilanticourier.com/2004/comment/040115.htmPolitical truths
What Rene Greff talks about when she talks about Howard Dean, who she wants to see win the Democratic primary, actually is a condemnation of both the national Democratic and Republican parties.
Greff and her husband, Matt, of Ypsilanti, have gone from politically uninvolved to activists who will spend the weekend in Iowa working for their candidate, Howard Dean.
What led the Greffs to Dean was a process that began with disillusionment and ended with Dean, who she describes as passionate about what he is telling voters.
It is no secret that fewer and fewer people are interested in politics and that the level of cynicism about politics – especially politics as practiced at the national level - - continues to grow.
What is the source of that cynicism? Well, one major source is the fact that no one really believes the people who run for president actually believe what they are saying.
It’s become a marketing game; no one talks about issues or what candidates think about those issues. They talk about how the candidate is coming across, whether he or she is an effective pitchman, whether his or her handlers are playing the right political cards.
Some national pundits have gone so far as to echo Dean’ political critics by saying they believe his forthrightness will prove a liability.
Put another way, what those pundits, who supposedly are enlightened observers of our national political scene, are actually saying is Dean would be better off if he attempted to mislead voters more, disguised his beliefs more, spoke less from the heart more.
We’re not endorsing Dean here, we’re condemning a system that has become so dishonest that even the news media, which are supposed to provide us with the information we need to make enlightened decisions, are more concerned with image than substance.
At the national level, not telling the truth has become an asset and telling the truth has become a liability, and the people who espouse that philosophy tell us that we are cynical for becoming ever more reluctant to participate in or get excited about national leaders who don’t have enough respect for us to even see a problem with telling us the rules dictate that they attempt to mislead us about what they really believe in or want to do.
If people want to know why Dean has the following he does, they need to listen to what the Rene and Matt Greffs of the world are saying: They were tired of people not being straight with them, and then a guy came along who they believe is telling them what he believes and is passionate about what he believes.
That is a damning statement about the state of our political system and the news media that says it is covering that system but doesn’t ever confront the issues or the candidatesÂ’ dissembling about those issues.
++
Here is a snippet from the Depot Town Rag, a publication of the:
Depot Town Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 970235
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
(Depot Town is a part of Ypsilanti Michigan):
"Fifteen-year residents of Ypsilanti, Detroit kid Matt Greff met Rene at Kalamazoo College and traces his Polish/German/French lineage back to a Greff Brewery in Nancy, France. "Brewing is in my genes," he says. Their Corner Brewery on E. Forrest Avenue at Norris Street opened in May, and plans to be fully operational by this month. In addition to a serving area and small food service, an old fashioned outdoor beer garden is planned for the future."
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Cherokee Girl also wrote:
Figures there would be no response from this Rene.
Did I read correctly when I heard a teacher say she only had 4 immigrant children in her class. If this is the case WOW!!!!!
You don't hear something like that to often these days.
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More about Matt and Rene:
Arbor Brewery currently (August 4, 2006) have several signs on their front window which read:
"Arbor Brewing Company is
Now Hiring
Waitstaff and Hosts!!!!!
Must have previous experience,
a good attitude and love beer.
If you previously applied
please reapply and ask to speak
with a manager"
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Arbor Brewery also has a myspace web site:
http://www.myspace.com/arborbrewingcompany++
Here's an Ypsilanti Courier article from August 2003 in which Matt and Rene Greff hosted Howard Dean in their new home in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Presidential Hopeful Coming to Ypsilanti
By Judy Busack
Courier Staff
Democrat presidential hopeful Howard Dean will be in Ypsilanti Saturday for a fundraiser brunch at the Ypsilanti home of Rene and Matt Greff.
The Greffs, who have been residents for 12 years and are the owners of Arbor Brewing in Ann Arbor, were approached about hosting the fundraiser in their home, and Rene said they jumped at the opportunity.
"We have been Dean supporters since he first arrived on the political landscape," said Rene Greff.
This will be the Greffs first opportunity to meet the former Vermont governor, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election.
Dean, a medical doctor, was the lieutenant governor and a practicing physician at the time, when Vermont Gov. Richard Snelling died in 1991, which put Dean in the governor’s office. He was governor until 2002.
Greff said what draws her to Dean is his political courage.
"That is the big one. I think a lot of Democrats felt like our voices have not been heard during the Bush administration. It isn’t just about the war. It’s the tax policy and more. (We feel) the other candidates’ records have let Democrats down. He (Dean) came out and said things I would say if I had been in Washington," she said.
The 54-year-old Dean received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and was elected lieutenant governor of Vermont in 1986. He is the longest serving governor in the state’s history with the exception of the first governor, Thomas Chittenden.
Dean was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1983 to 1986 and in private practice specializing in internal medicine from 1978 to 1982.
Evie Lichter of Ann Arbor, who will be attending the brunch, said, "I’m passionate about Dean," when asked why she is attending the fundraiser. "I appreciate how outspoken he is. I think he brings a new fresh perspective to Washington.
Sidetrack owner Linda French, who is one of the hosts for the brunch, said she is a Democrat and supports Dean.
"I like his views. I think he has a chance of taking Bush. I think he is the only one who can take Bush," said French. "He voices my views more than anyone, and I’m glad he’s coming to Ypsilanti. There are a tremendous amount of people behind him."
Greff said she and her husband had just moved into their home three weeks ago.
"We have redone the house, going crazy to get ready for this. The day we were asked (to host the event), we had just ripped out the carpeting. This is a great way to christen the place," she said.
The minimum cost for the bunch is $100.
For more information, call Greff at Arbor Brewing at 213-1393.
++
Here are two Ypsilanti addresses listed for Matt and Rene Greff:
Matthew and Rene Beth Greff
1305 Grant Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Matthew and Rene Beth Greff
711 Oak Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
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Here is information about Rene Greff from Zoominfo.com, the search engine for discovering people, companies, and relationships:
http://www.zoominfo.com/directory/Gr...e_75333857.htmCurrently, Rene Greff is a chairperson of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, President of the Main Street Area Merchant Association, Vice-Chair of the Advisory Council for the Downtown Center for the Homeless, and Chair of the Mayor's Downtown Street Outreach Taskforce. She is a founding board member for the Oasis Cafe for the Homeless in Ypsilanti and the Michigan Brewers' Guild, and a former board member and Campaign Chairperson for the Performance Network Professional Theatre.
Rene has a BA in Philosophy from Kalamazoo College. Prior to opening Arbor Brewing Company, Rene Greff worked in the fields of graphic design and technical writing. In her personal life, Rene Greff is married with no kids, and one rescued Greyhound. She is a twelve year resident of Ypsilanti.
Kalamazoo College
1200 Academy Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49006-3295
(269) 337-7000
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Here is information from the Michigan Brewers' Guild and their emails:
http://www.michiganbrewersguild.org/Fred Bueltmann
(President)
president@michiganbrewersguild.orgScott King
(Vice President Membership)
vicepresident@michiganbrewersguild.orgRene Greff
(Special Events)
specialevents@michiganbrewersguild.orgMike Stevens
(Treasurer)
treasurer@michiganbrewersguild.orgEric Briggeman
(Secretary)
secretary@michiganbrewersguild.orgBrett Vander Kamp
(Government Affairs)
gac@michiganbrewersguild.orgKatie Poindexter
(Membership Administration)
info@michiganbrewersguild.orgpresident@michiganbrewersguild.org,vicepresident@michiganbrewersguild.org,
specialevents@michiganbrewersguild.org,
treasurer@michiganbrewersguild.org,
secretary@michiganbrewersguild.org,gac@michiganbrewersguild.org,
info@michiganbrewersguild.org++
Here is information from the Performance Network Theatre and their emails. Rene Greff is a former board member and Campaign Chairperson for the Performance Network Theatre:
https://secure.performancenetwork.or...i?tmindex.html
Carla Milarch (Executive Artistic Director)
carla@performancenetwork.org David Wolber (Marketing Director)
david@performancenetwork.org Emilie Litzell (Development Associate)
emilie@performancenetwork.org Gordon White (Volunteer Coordinator)
gordon@performancenetwork.org Becky Fox (Children's Theatre Director)
becky@performancenetwork.org Box Office
boxoffice@performancenetwork.orgcarla@performancenetwork.org,david@performancenetw ork.org,
emilie@performancenetwork.org,gordon@performancene twork.org,
becky@performancenetwork.org,boxoffice@performance network.org
Performance Network Theatre
120 East Huron Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1437
Business Line: (734) 663-0696
Box Office: (734) 663-0681
Fax: (734) 663-7367
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Here is information from the Downtown Development Authority website. Rene Greff is a voluntary board member. Here is her profile.
http://www.ci.ann-arbor.mi.us/DDA/http://www.ci.ann-arbor.mi.us/DDA/boardbios.pdfRene Greff - Secretary
Rene Greff has served on the Downtown Development Authority board since 2000, with terms as Secretary in 2001 and Vice Chair of the Board in 2002. She is the Chair of the Living Economy Network, served as Chair of the Main Street Area Association from 2001-2004, is on the boards of Recycle Ann Arbor and Ozone House, and is currently serving on the steering committees of the Environmental Justice Campaign and Democracy for America. Ms Greff has received numerous business recognitions for Arbor Brewing Company, including the Washtenaw County Environmental Excellence Award for Waste Reduction and Recycling (2000) and the Michigan Restaurant Association's Restaurant Neighbor Award for Community Service (2000).
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The City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County received a complaint about Rene Greff in addition to Joe Turner's San Bernardino initiative. This is the complaint:
We are making a complaint against Rene Greff of Arbor Brewing Company. Rene Greff is a local businessperson and a member of several organizations in Ann Arbor Michigan . Rene Greff tries hard to promote herself as a benefactor, despite her engaging in wrong-doing and almost certainly committing crime by hiring illegal aliens. Hiring illegal aliens is not only reckless and irresponsible, but is in violation of state and federal law. Southeast Michigan is an economically depressed area and Rene Greff should have no problem finding Americans to fill her positions.
Rene Greff is certainly aware that America endures large costs on account of illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is part of a huge human and drug smuggling network that not only includes child prostitution and illegal identification fraud, but litters our borders with garbage and provides an easy entrance for terrorists to enter our country. There are so many illegal aliens using fake identification that vendors sell them in broad daylight on American street corners. Illegal aliens use these fake identifications to find work and apply for government services. Employers who hire illegals know it is wrong, but have little fear of reprisal and openly flaunt their indiscretions, as Rene Greff did in her recent comments to the Ann Arbor News.
Employers maximize their profits by hiring illegal aliens, even though working class Americans lose their jobs and have their wages undercut, in addition to sharing the costs as taxpayers. Government services for illegal aliens includes everything from health care, welfare, education, prison and parole, ad infinitum. Many illegal aliens are paid by their employers “under-the-table” and pay nothing in taxes while getting these government benefits. Rene Greff is aware that Ann Arbor makes women's protection a priority, yet she puts Ann Arbor at risk by making it easier for fugitives and felons from other countries to live here and commit crime.
We urge the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County to investigate Arbor Brewery. If their employees are illegal, Rene Greff should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We urge the same action be taken against anyone who aids and abets illegals. We also urge Rene Greff to voluntarily have her employees engage in thorough background checks and report her findings to local authorities. The City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County should protect the rights of Americans first, not the rights of illegal aliens and the criminals who employ them.
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Rene Greff won the Washtenaw County Environmental Excellence Award for Waste Reduction and Recycling in 2000. Here is the web site and the article about that award:
http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government...g_environment/environmental_issues/envex00.html
As a Charter Member of the Washtenaw County Waste Knot Award Program, the Arbor Brewing Company boasts a truly commendable waste reduction and recycling program. This downtown Ann Arbor restaurant has 45 employees, all of whom are expected to follow the company's mandatory recycling policy. In January of this year, a new waste reduction incentive program was implemented for management and staff, which gives employees the opportunity to win fun and creative prizes for coming up with innovative waste reduction ideas.
The Arbor Brewing Company goes to great lengths to avoid excessive paper use. Laminated menus have been replaced with slipcover menus, which allow the restaurant to remove pages when they are outdated, instead of reprinting completely new menus. The outdated menu pages are then used as scratch paper for the wait staff, as is the backside of all printed and promotional material. The company even provides its menu on its website, and encourages customers to look there before requesting a paper version. By setting up a computer to receive fax messages, the office staff avoids printing out unnecessary documents.
Restaurant wait staff recently started using recycled-content coasters, which can be reused several times before being recycled instead of being disposed of after one use. The brewpub also bought additional cups, plates, and silverware, so that paper products would no longer be necessary at any of the company's catering events. And when the restaurant does host special events, party planners look first to community organizations like the Scrap Box for decoration materials, instead of purchasing new paper products. The Scrap Box collects odds and ends, which are sold to people of all ages for arts and crafts projects.
Employees collect several materials for recycling, including white and mixed paper, cardboard, cans, glass, and plastic. Spent grains from the beer brewing process are sent to a local farmer to be used as cattle feed, while lost clothing that is unclaimed for 30 days is distributed to guests at the brewpub's monthly homeless breakfasts.
Looking towards the future, this environmentally minded brewpub plans to increase the amount of recycled-content supplies it purchases through some basic research and support from helpful vendors.
++
The Arizona Daily Star has an article about waste left by illegal aliens who cross the Mexican Border:
http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/metro/140004Crossers burying border in garbage
Despite cleanups, trash along smuggling routes piles up faster than ever
By Tony Davis
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.30.2006
After three years of cleanups, the federal government has achieved no better than a 1 percent solution for the problem of trash left in Southern Arizona by illegal border-crossers.
Cleanup crews from various agencies, volunteer groups and the Tohono O'odham Nation hauled about 250,000 pounds of trash from thousands of acres of federal, state and private land across Southern Arizona in 2002 to 2005, says the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
But that's only a fraction of the nearly 25 million pounds of trash thought to be out there.
Authorities estimate the 3.2 million-plus entrants caught by the Border Patrol dropped that much garbage in the Southern Arizona desert from July 1999 through June 2005. The figure assumes that each illegal entrant discards 8 pounds of trash, the weight of some abandoned backpacks found in the desert.
The trash is piling up faster than it can be cleaned up. Considering that the Border Patrol apprehended more than 577,000 entrants in 2004-05 alone, the BLM figures that those people left almost 4 million pounds of trash in that same year.
That's 16 times what was picked up in three years. And that doesn't include the unknown amounts of garbage left by border-crossers who don't get caught.
Diverse trash found all over
"We're keeping up with the trash only in certain locations, in areas that we've hit as many as three times," said Shela McFarlin, BLM's special assistant for international programs.
The trash includes water bottles, sweaters, jeans, razors, soap, medications, food, ropes, batteries, cell phones, radios, homemade weapons and human waste.
It has been found in large quantities as high as Miller Peak, towering more than 9,400 feet in the Huachuca Mountains, as well as in low desert such as Organ Pipe National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.
It's even started turning up in smaller amounts in hiking areas closer to Tucson, such as Josephine Saddle in the Santa Rita Mountains on the route to Mount Wrightson, says the Southern Arizona Hiking Club.
"In the Huachucas, you are almost wading through empty gallon water jugs," said Steve Singkofer, the Hiking Club's president. "There's literally thousands of water jugs, clothes, shoes. You could send 1,000 people out there and they could each pick up a dozen water jugs, and they couldn't get it all."
Cleanup not cheap, easy
While nobody has an exact cost estimate for removing all the garbage, it's clearly not cheap. But McFarlin agrees with several advocacy groups that without a tightening of controls on illegal immigration, a guest-worker program or other reform of federal border policy, the trash will just keep coming regardless of what's spent.
The financial details:
In 2002, the U.S. estimated that removing all litter from lands just in Southeast Arizona east of the Tohono Reservation would cost about $4.5 million over five years. This count didn't include such trash hotbeds as Ironwood Forest National Monument, the Altar Valley, Organ Pipe and Cabeza Prieta.
Since then, Congress appropriated about $3.4 million for a wide range of environmental remediation measures in all of Southern Arizona. This includes repairing roads, building fences and removing abandoned cars.
The five-year tab is $62.9 million for all forms of environmental remediation for immigration-related damage across Southeast Arizona, including $23 million for the first year.
Waste unhealthy, unsightly
Most of the garbage is left at areas where entrants wait to be picked up by smugglers. The accumulation of disintegrating toilet paper, human feces and rotting food is a health and safety issue for residents of these areas and visitors to public lands, a new BLM report says.
"It's particularly serious in areas where there are livestock," said Robin Hoover, pastor of the First Christian Church in Tucson and president of Humane Borders, a group that puts water tanks in the desert for the entrants and coordinates monthly cleanups of Ironwood Monument and other sites.
"I've even found injectable drugs in the desert," he said. "It's rare when we find that kind of stuff, but there's tons of over-the-counter medication out there. If some cow comes along and eats a bunch of pills, that would be a real sick cow."
The trash also isn't good for wildlife, said Arizona Game and Fish spokesman Dana Yost. Birds and mammals can get tangled up in it or eat it, causing digestive problems, Yost said. It's not at all uncommon to find the trash in bears' stomachs, he said. Plastic bags, foil wrappers and certain foods are all problems.
Remote areas need more help
But clear inroads are being made into the trash problem, said BLM's McFarlin. Using the U.S. money, various local and federal agencies, the Tohono O'odham Tribe, the conservationist Malpais Borderlands Group and student youth corps remove trash from the most obvious and accessible areas, she said.
What needs tackling now are more remote areas such as wilderness, mountains and deserts far from major roads, she said. A couple of times, authorities have had to use helicopters or mules to haul stuff out of such areas.
This summer, with Border Patrol apprehensions of entrants down, the Tohono O'odham Tribe is seeing less trash on the ground than usual, said Gary Olson, the tribe's solid-waste administrator.
"I don't know whether they're hiding their trash or whether they are just not coming," Olson said.
But only six weeks ago, No More Deaths, an advocacy group that looks for injured, sick and lost entrants, came across a 10,000-square-foot area five miles west of Arivaca littered with hundreds and hundreds of backpacks.
"I've never seen anything that size. It's unbelievable," said Steve Johnston, who coordinates the group's camp near Arivaca.
Other activists from Derechos Humanos, Defenders of Wildlife and No More Deaths say the trash piles show what happens when the feds deliberately drive the entrants into the desert, by sealing the borders in cities.
"If you were going to cities, you wouldn't need to carry three days' worth of food," said Kat Rodriguez, a coordinator-organizer for Derechos.
But a Cochise County activist who has been photographing garbage and other signs of damage from illegal immigration for five years said she is appalled the federal government is spending tax dollars to pick this garbage up.
Illegal entrants should pick up the trash themselves, said Cindy Kolb, who helped found the group Civil Homeland Defense.
"Our mothers did not pay someone to pick up our trash," Kolb said. "We were taught to pick it up ourselves and to practice civic pride as law-abiding citizens.
Stephanie Lynn Freemont defended Rene Greff by writing this:
“Or perhaps written by someone who doesnt really understand that not all brown spanish speaking immigrants are illegal.”
This is the link:
http://www.ypsidixit.com/blog/archiv...lanti_res.html
Richard James Murphy defended Rene Greff by writing this:
“I think the origins of this are an article about local responses to the immigration marches last May. Rene Greff was quoted as saying that the rest of the staff at ABC did extra shifts so that the staff members who were "immigrants" could go to the march in Detroit.
Somebody looking to throw a fit decided that "immigrants" of course meant "ILLEGAL immigrants" (because, of course, a legal immigrant would never ever want to go to a march to support legalizing more immigration, so they must have been illegal, so ABC must have been supporting illegal immigration), and added that damning adjective into the discussion.
I did a little googling after first seeing this accusation, and I don't think the Greffs will have any luck getting this website to retract the false accusation. One message board that google provided me actually had comments from Rene explaining that, no, they carefully check to ensure they're only hiring properly papered employees, immigrant or otherwise, and that they help their employees who want to find and take English lessons, in order to help them have an opportunity at success, and so forth.
This just provided further ammunition for the hooligans. Why would their employees need language lessons if they weren't illegal immigrants? Rene's claim that they check papers isn't enough - unless she can document to these anonymous message board accusers that she went above and beyond, she's guilty until proving innocent. And, by the way, her tone (which was in my opinion supernaturally calm and polite, given the treatment she'd already gotten) was inappropriate for the forum, said people who proceeded to heap further accusations.
Just ignore 'em. They're twisting reality to show what they want. The best way to deal with these trolls is to not waste any time engaging their spiteful rhetoric, but to meet a friend at the CB and hoist a pint in the name of friendship.”
Richard James Murphy
20437 Sager Road
Chelsea, MI 48118
(734) 475-8255
http://www.commonmonkeyflower.net/murph@commonmonkeyflower.netRichard James Murphy appears to be born in 1951. He appears to have an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan. Common Monkeyflower is the website of Murph, aka Richard James Murphy III, currently of Ypsilanti, Michigan, formerly of Hightstown, New Jersey and Chelsea, Michigan.
Tressel made this post on September 9, 2008:
Arbor Brewery Owner Rene Greff’s Criminal Record
Behavior doesn't change that much. There are exceptions, but personality is mostly formatted by early adulthood and people use the same playbook as they go through life, often repeating the same mistakes.
Save Our State has identified several people hiring illegal aliens, only to discover they have committed other crimes too. This was the case of Benjamin Colarossi, who we discovered has committed many crimes in addition to hiring illegal aliens. This demonstrates that people who hire illegals are not acting out of good conscience, which is their excuse; but they are repeat offenders who violate people's rights in other ways too. This was also the case with Baldwin Park Councilman William Van Cleave, who vehemently condemned Save Our State, yet has many convictions and proved himself unworthy of office.
Arbor Brewery owners Rene and Matt Greff are another example. Rene and Matt Greff have so many traffic violations that they appear to be in a drunken haze; oblivious to the rules of the road, they received tickets for speeding, expired plates, defective equipment, and no proof of insurance. Rene Greff, in fact, committed a violent and destructive act, ramming another vehicle with her car, and then speeding away to avoid being caught, only to find herself facing a litany of criminal charges, being convicted, and then court ordered into anger management therapy. Her unmitigated arrogance didn't end there, She was also sued by her attorney, David Goldstein, for not paying her attorney fees. All this from a prominent and well-to-do business woman who vigorously promotes a positive self-image and is a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Rene Greff's aggressive, holier-than-thou attitude reared itself when Save Our State confronted her about hiring illegal aliens. Rene Greff viciously lashed out, called Save Our State "Racists" and accused Save Our State of immorality. The following documents some of the crime that Rene Greff engaged in, in addition to her hiring practices. Let this be another character study of those who promote illegal immigration, which is just one part of their depraved personalities.
These are public documents from Rene Greff's warrant, arrest, and convictions, in which she was charged with Malicious Destruction of Personal Property, Reckless Driving, and Failure to Stop After a Collision:
++
Complaint
Complaint - Misdemeanor
P. A. 1998004188
Police: YPD-98-11472
People of the State of Michigan vs. Rene Beth Greff
The complaining witness, Lynwood Cain, says that on or about June 25, 1998, at Washtenaw and North Hamilton, Ypsilanti City, Washtenaw County, Michigan
the defendant contrary to law:
Count 1 Malicious Destruction of. Personal Property. - $100 or less
did willfully and maliciously destroy or injure certain personal property, to-wit: an automobile, belonging to or possessed by Angela Johnson, resulting in damage thereto in an amount of $100 or less; contrary to MCL 750.377a; MSA 28.609(1). (750.377A-B)
Misdemeanor: 90 days and/or $100.00
Count 2 Driving - Reckless
did drive a vehicle upon a highway or a frozen public lake, stream, or pond, or other place open to the general public, including any area designated for the parking of motor vehicles, to-wit: Washtenaw Avenue within the State of Michigan in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property; contrary to MCL 257.626; MSA 9.2326. (257.626)
Count 3 Failure To Stop After Collision
did drive a vehicle, to-wit: a Toyota Camry, upon public or private property, to-wit: Washtenaw Avenue which collided with another vehicle, to-wit: a Toyota Tercel which was attended or unattended, and did fail to immediately stop said vehicle and then and there either locate and notify the operator or owner or such vehicle of his/her name and address, or report the collision forthwith to the nearest or most convenient police officer when such owner could not be located; contrary to MCL. 257.620: MSA 9.2320. (257.620)
Misdemeanor: 90 Days and/or $100.00
OIC: Lynwood Cain
The complaining witness asks that the defendant be apprehended and dealt with according to law.
(Peace Officers only) I declare that the statements above are true to the best of my information, knowledge and belief.
Warrant authorized on July 6, 1998
Konrad Siller, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
++
State Of Michigan
Notice To Appear
Case Number: DR-2-98-001537 AM
14A-2 District Court - Ypsilanti
415 West Michigan Avenue
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
(734) 484-6690
Defendant: Rene Beth Greff
711 Oak Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Rene Greff's attorney:
David Goldsmith
2004 Hogback Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105-9738
(734) 971-0110
Prosecutor:
Brian Mackie
Washtenaw County Courthouse
P.O. Box 8645
Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645
Officer Cain
Ypsilanti Police Department
505 West Michigan Avenue
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
You are directed to appear at:
14A-2 District Court
415 West Michigan Avenue
Ypsilanti, MI
on: Friday December 18, 1998
at: 9:00 A.M.
For: Sentence
Hon: Honorable Kirk W Tabbey
Chg: Malicious Destruction of Personal Property, Reckless Driving, Failure to Stop after a Collision
Offense Date: June 25, 2006
I hereby certify that on this date, this notice was served upon all parties in this case by ordinary mail addressed to the last known address unless otherwise indicated hereon.
Colleen M. Mallory
Deputy Court Clerk (00418624)
++
Misdemeanor Register of Actions, Case No. DR-2-98-0001537
Arraignment - October 1, 1998 - Guilty: Failure to Stop After Collision
Sentencing - December 18, 1998 - $300 court costs and complete Aggression Management Program within ninety days.
++
The Wolatkota Experience
The Aggression Management Course
Client Progress Report
May 1, 1999
Lindi Lupi - Referral Source
Client: Rene Greff
Current Status: 4/1 Fully Complete, Final Report
3/1 - A full participant in the program. Due to graduate later this month.
2/1 - Moving through the course in good shape, making contributions all along the way. Thank you for the referral.
1/11 - Enrolled and set to start in the January program.
Pre-Course Interview: A situation arose in which she was blocked in moving ahead. She closed in on the vehicle that was blocking her. The guys had already flipped her off. She was arrested and charged.
First Session: This is a very bright woman. This is also a woman with an extremely strong will. For the most part, she manages these aspects of herself brilliantly. She's a definite asset to the course, but won't make my work any easier.
Second Session: Terrific arguer. Very logical; deeply and well informed. I will say this: she stays right in the conversation, her arguments, while very challenging, are respectful and move the work forward.
Third Session: Strongly contesting a variety of session elements. Theres a quality of just needing to be dominant. That she does not see.
Fourth Session: Still combative in a civil way, and making contributions to the unfolding of the conversation.
Fifth Session: Very active and appropriately critical.
Sixth Session: Still participates full out. Really quite an asset, even with her confrontive approach.
Seventh Session: I think there was a small mellowing. Still as stong as ever, and now more sensitive. Very good.
Eighth Session: In good shape as she goes out on break.
Post Course Interview:
Recommendations:
Referrals:
Other notes or suggestions;
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Rudy, CSW
++
This is the invoice from David Goldstein to Rene Greff:
David I. Goldstein Attorney at Law
2010 Hogback Road, Suite 2 Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 974-0110
Invoice submitted to: Ms. Renee Greff
711 Oak Street Ypsilanti, MI 48198
November 22, 1999
In Reference To:
Criminal Defense Invoice # 10088
For professional services rendered
Amount $1,000.00
Balance due $1,000.00
Thank you for your prompt attention.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Cricket A. Miller
Paralegal for David I. Goldstein
State of Michigan Judicial District 14A-1
++
This is the Small Claims Affidavit and Claim:
Affidavit And Claim Small Claims
Case No. DC 100 0293 SC
Plaintiff's name: David I. Goldstein
2010 Hogback Road, Suite 2
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 971-0110
Defendent's name Renee Greff
711 Oak Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
Notice of Hearing Plaintiff and defendent must be in court on Monday March 27, 2000 at 10:30 a.m. at the court address above
Amount of money claimed $1,000.00
Reasons for claim: Legal Services
++
This is the Proof of Service:
To Process Server: You are to serve this affidavit and claim no later than seven days before the hearing date. You must make and file your return with the court clerk. If you are unable to complete service, you must return this original and all copies to the court clerk.
Certificate/Affidavit Of Service/Non-Service
Affidavit Of Process Server - Being first duly sworn, I state that I am a legally competent adult who is not a party or an officer of a corporate party, and that I served personally a copu of the affidavit and claim:
Rene Greff
711 Oak Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
Tuesday February 22, 2000, 1:40 pm.
++
This is the Small Claims Judgement:
State of Michigan
14A -1 District Court-Service
4133 Washtenaw
P.O. Box 8645
Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645
(734) 971-6050
DC-1-00-0000293
Plaintiff Name and Address:
David I. Goldstein
2010 Hogback Road #2
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Defendent Name And Address:
Rene Greff
711 Oak Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
Dismissal Without Prejudice
This Judgement Will Earn Interest At Current Statutory Rates.
An attorney magistrate's judgment is final unless appealed within 7 days notice:
if this judgment is not paid within 21 days, you may be ordered into court for questioning regarding your assets, your property may be seized, or garnishment may issue after 21 days. When judgement is paid in full, plaintiff should file a signed satisfaction judgment with the clerk, or defendant may file a motion for entry of an order of satisfaction.
***Certificate of Mailing***
I certify that on this date a copy of this judgment was served on the parties indicated above by ordinary mail.
March 28, 2000 Deputy Clerk
Civil Register of Actions
State of Michigan 14A-1
Judicial Court Case No. DC-1-00-0000293-SC
Small Claims Case assigned to Thomas Truesdel
Fees $32.00
Plaintiff name and address:
David I. Goldstein
2010 Hogback Road #2 Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 971-0110
Defendent name and address:
Rene Greff
711 Oak Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
Disposition: Dismissed Without Prejudice 3/27/2000
Personal Service Made 2-22-00
February 17, 2000 Hearing - Small Claims Secheduled for February 17, 2000 at 10:30 A.M.
Initials CAE1 Closed
++
stopracism made this post on October 29, 2008:
Rene Greff
Here are emails for the City of Ypsilanti Mayor and Ypsilanti City Council.
Paul Schreiber
mayor@cityofypsilanti.comTrudy Swanson
satswanson@hotmail.comLois Richardson
loiserich@hotmail.comJohn Gawlas
jgawlas@cityofypsilanti.comWilliam Nickles
kbnickels@aol.comBrian Filipak
bfilipiak@cityofypsilanti.comBrian Robb
brobb@cityofypsilanti.comThis email is the Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce:
trish@ypsichamber.orgThis email is the Downtown Association of Ypsilanti:
admin@daypsi.comHere are emails for the Ypsilanti Convention and Visitors Bureau
Debbie Locke-Daniel
dlocke@ypsilanti.orgMary Zucchero
mzucchero@ypsilanti.orgMitzi McMahon
mmcmahon@ypsilanti.orgMary Decker
mdecker@ypsilanti.orgThis is the Washtenaw County Homeland Security Task Force
wirtzd@ewashtenaw.orgWashtenaw County Board of Commissioners
1-boc@listserver.ewashtenaw.orgMandy Grewal
grewalm@ewashtenaw.orgRonnie Peterson
petersor@ewashtenaw.orgKen Schwartz
schwartzk@ewashtenaw.orgJeff Irwin
irwinj@ewashtenaw.orgRolland Sizemore
sizemore@ewashtenaw.orgJessica Ping
pingj@ewashtenaw.orgKaren Lovejoy Roe
lovejoyroek@ewashtenaw.orgConan Smith
smithco@ewashtenaw.orgBarbara Bergman
bergmanb@ewashtenaw.orgMark Ouimet
ouimetm@ewashtenaw.orgLeah Gunn
gunnl@ewashtenaw.orgmayor@cityofypsilanti.com,
satswanson@hotmail.com,
loiserich@hotmail.com,
jgawlas@cityofypsilanti.com,
kbnickels@aol.com,
bfilipiak@cityofypsilanti.com,
brobb@cityofypsilanti.com,
trish@ypsichamber.org,
admin@dayypsi.com,
dlocke@ypsilanti.org,
mzucchero@ypsilanti.org,
mmcmahon@ypsilanti.org,
mdecker@ypsilanti.org,
wirtzd@ewashtenaw.org,1-boc@listserver.ewashtenaw.org,grewalm@ewashtenaw.o rg,
petersor@ewashtenaw.org,<font color=...naw.org</font>,
irwinj@ewashtenaw.org,
sizemore@ewashtenaw.org,pingj@ewashtenaw.org,lovej
oyroek@ewashtenaw.org,
smithco@ewashtenaw.org,
bergmanb@ewashtenaw.org,ouimetm@ewashtenaw.org,
gunnl@ewashtenaw.orgHere is a letter of complaint sent to those emails:
We are making a complaint against Rene Greff of Corner Brewery. Rene Greff is a Ypsilanti resident and local business person and a member of several community organizations. Rene Greff promotes herself as a benefactor, despite her engaging in wrong-doing and almost certainly committing crime by hiring illegal aliens. Hiring illegal aliens is not only reckless and irresponsible, but is in violation of state and federal law. Southeast Michigan is an economically depressed area and Rene Greff should have no problem finding Americans to fill her positions.
Rene Greff is certainly aware that America endures large costs on account of illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is part of a huge human and drug smuggling network that not only includes child prostitution and illegal identification fraud, but litters our borders with garbage and provides an entrance for terrorists to our country. Millions of illegal aliens use fake identification and vendors sell them in broad daylight on American street corners. Illegal aliens use these fake identifications to find work and apply for government services. Employers who hire illegals openly flaunt their indiscretions, as Rene Greff did in her comments to the Ann Arbor News.
Employers maximize their profits by hiring illegal aliens, even though working class Americans lose their jobs and have their wages undercut, in addition to sharing the costs as taxpayers. Government services for illegal aliens includes everything from health care, welfare, education, prison, ad infinitum. Many illegal aliens are paid by their employers “under-the-table” and pay nothing in taxes, even though they receive government benefits. Rene Greff is aware that Washtenaw County makes women's protection a priority, yet she puts women at risk by helping fugitives and felons live here and commit crime.
We urge the City of Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County to investigate Corner Brewery. If their employees are illegal, Rene Greff should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We urge the same action be taken against anyone who aids and abets illegals. We also urge Rene Greff to do thorough background checks for her employees and report her findings to local authorities. The City of Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County should protect the rights of Americans first, not the rights of illegal aliens and the criminals who employ them. Marvin Bass
++
Betrayed made this post on October 29, 2008:
A couple of replies from above links;
Hi Brian,
Someone else sent the exact same form-letter email to the Women's Council of
Washtenaw County, and the MI Brewers Guild. It is an organized smear
campaign orchestrated by a rabid anti-immigration group called Save our
State. I think they are trying to whip people into a lather before the
election.
The funny thing is that at the moment my staff is sorely lacking in
diversity (not for lack of trying). I currently have 8 employees at the
Corner Brewery - Ryan, Monica, Logan, Danny, Jeff, Danielle, Jarret, and
Joanna - all white Midwestern twenty-somethings. Plus we have two older
(white) special needs workers Cheryl and Bob from the Fresh Start Clubhouse
in Ann Arbor who help with the cleaning.
Unfortunately once you get targeted on one of these nut-job sites there is
not way to get off of it. I have contacted the organization to set the
record straight but they seem uninterested in the truth.
Could you please be so kind as to forward this to the rest of the recipients
who received false and irresponsible accusations?
Thanks!
Rene
Rene Greff
Corner Brewery
720 Norris St
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
734-480-2739
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Filipiak [mailto:bfilipiak@cityofypsilanti.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 11:59 AM
Subject: Re: Rene Greff, illegal activity
Mr. .........,
Thank you for your e-mail.
Unless you have some proof, and unless you live in Ypsilanti, I am
unwilling to give your claims any of my time.
Ms. Greff is a respected member of the Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, and
Michigan business communities, and I fear you may have fallen victim
to a rumour that showed up on a web site some time ago.
Ms. Greff has never denied providing opportunities for documented
workers. Unfortunately, some assume any non-english speaking employee
to be "illegal", and will stir-the-pot to try to draw negative
attention to a business establishment.
Sincerely,
Brian Filipiak
**************************
Brian Filipiak
City Council, Ward 3
City of Ypsilanti
<http://www.cityofypsilanti.com>
bfilipiak@cityofypsilanti.com++
Patriotic Dream made this post on October 29, 2008:
Oh this is what her email was all about. She emailed SOS today and I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.
Nonetheless I emailed her back and copied a couple key witnesses as her email tone was a bit threatening. I will forward to Joe as well.
++
AyatollahGondola made this post on October 29, 2008:
This looks a little strange. How in the hell is she coming up with the "orchestrated by SOS" part? And Rabid Anti immigration group? Sounds a little like OBL lingo.
++
JB_Parrothead made this post on October 29, 2008:
Sound like La Raza has been spitting in her cerveza and she has been drinking it anyway.
ReneGreff made this post on mlive.com on December 10, 2008:
http://www.mlive.com/annarbornews/news/index.ssf/2008/12/judge_denies_mistrial_in_murde.htmlBoy, this is becoming tiresome. If you actually look at the article, my staff generously gave their time to cover for their IMMIGRANT co-workers on the day of the strike. And while this may come as a shock to you there are actually millions of LEGAL immigrants (also known as legal aliens) LEGALLY working in the United States.
As I have previously stated, Arbor Brewing Company will never discriminate on the basis of race, but we do participate in the voluntary e-verify program to match all new hires against the government database to confirm employment eligibility.
So for the record – we carefully screen all new hires for eligibility, we do not hire illegal aliens, and we have never been raided. And unless you are printing them, there are certainly no flyers in my community urging people to boycott my business.
I’m not sure who you are or if you are doing this out of ignorance or malice but I do know that your accusations are false and slanderous. Fortunately I also know that we have deep enough roots in the community to withstand your sniping and that no one who patronizes the Arbor Brewing Company is going to believe any of your false accusations.
REWHBLCAIN made this post on December 22, 2008:
"She looks like a liberal pinko wack job."
She looks like a left wing tree hugging llegal immigratnt open borders NUT!!
These posts from another site aren’t about illegal immigration. But Rene Greff uses the same playbook: accusing others of a “smear,” and accusing others of distorting “the truth.”
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:46fknmxfh5cJ:arborupdate.com/article/1351/local-campaign-roundup+last+May.+Rene+Greff+was+quoted+as&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us
An email from Rene and Matt Greff of Arbor Brewing Company that is going around:
“Hi everyone,
In case you ran across a mean-spirited and deceptive lit piece going around town, I thought I’d provide a little background information. The piece was authored by Doug Cowherd and is sadly being distributed in the 5th ward by people Matt and I thought were our friends from the old Dean for America now Democracy for America group. And I am sure that many of you who were founding members of DFA are going to be as saddened as I am to have our organization connected to this kind of activity.
The gist of the piece is that incumbent 5th ward councilman Chris Easthope is in the pocket of downtown developers and the evidence for that is that he lined his pockets at a big fundraising event held by downtown property owners and developers who don’t even live in the city.
So in case you were scratching you head trying to figure out which big, evil, most likely right-wing out-of-town developer it was that raised $8,000 for Chris’ campaign – it was me and Matt.
Now first of all, I wish we were property owners in Ann Arbor (if we were maybe we’d have a car with air conditioning). And second, while it is true that we don’t live in the city, we live within easy biking distance (9 miles) and have certainly spent more time and money in Ann Arbor over the past 11 years than anywhere else. It’s not like we live in Santa Barbara and collect rent checks from the Arbor Brewing Company. We’re committed owner-operator-renters who are very involved with our business and our community.
To imply that we are carpet-bagging developers only interested in maximizing our own profits at the expense of the city is unfair and, frankly depressing. Ours is a great community of activists and I certainly don’t mean to imply that our efforts are greater than anyone else’s, but like many local progressive business owners, we have spent many tens of thousands of dollars and hours using our business to support progressive causes and candidates like Michigan Peaceworks, Planned Parenthood, Ecology Center, Sierra Club, Alma Wheeler Smith, Liz Brater, Lynn Rivers, and of course Howard Dean to name but a few. We have always tried to give more back to Ann Arbor than we have taken, have readily agreed to serve on boards and task forces, have worked to expand commercial recycling and composting downtown, and have fought against spending tax dollars to support developers. And have hosted and supported DFA for over three years.
Now since the smear flyer doesn’t mention us by name, this really isn’t about us, of course. To me, however, it is a frightening harbinger of things to come. I don’t know Chris’ opponent Sonia Schmerle personally but I have to assume she is a good and decent person who truly wants what’s best for her ward. But unfortunately, she was either unwilling or unable to stand up to Doug Cowherd and refuse to distribute his divisive and misleading message. It is so ironic to engage in republican-style dirty tricks to try and convince voters that you are the more progressive candidate. And I should also say that I was appalled to hear that the person distributing the flyers was also taking down Chris’ lit pieces. If this isn’t illegal, it is certainly not a shining example of our democratic process.
The reason I supported Chris Easthope strongly enough to hold a fundraiser for him – even though he opposed the parking structure I fought for – is that he is a true progressive in the best sense of the word. True progressives are not knee-jerk ideologues doing the bidding of any group that we might label pro or anti-development or anything else. And true progressives don’t use republican style black and white rhetoric to bully voters. (That’s probably why we lose so often – we feel compelled to acknowledge that the issues are complicated and not easily encapsulated in 30 second sound bites.) Chris is smart, creative, compassionate, and honest. He is a strong leader and I have seen him stand up to the mayor and his colleagues on council many times. He has fought for affordable housing, living wage, and the rights of the disenfranchised in our community. He has also listened to the concerns of independent owner-operators like us and understands the careful balance between encouraging urban growth and protecting the charm and character that makes ours one of the best downtowns in the state. He is not afraid to be the lone voice –but he also doesn’t relish it. He has tremendous leadership and a depth and breadth of knowledge that the city needs now more than ever as it faces tough contract negotiations and difficult decisions about the future of our downtown.
Just wanted to make sure that the truth isn’t the big loser in tomorrow’s election.
Thanks for your time
p.s. come celebrate our democracy at the Rebekah Warren election night party at Arbor Brewing or the Paul Schreiber election night party at the Corner Brewery.
Cheers! Rene and Matt Greff”
And these would be reasons #174 and #175 why I don’t like Rene and Matt Greff (never really heard Matt speak so I can’t say anything about him).
Now first of all, I wish we were property owners in Ann Arbor (if we were maybe we’d have a car with air conditioning).
That particular line pisses me off to no end. Come on, they bought a house for $250,000 in Ypsi (3 years ago) and you can easily find one under that price in Ann Arbor now (and most people do), even right downtown. So acting like everyone in Ann Arbor is rich and she and Matt are these poor people who can’t even afford air conditioning in their car is more offensive to me than any perceived political highjinks.
I don’t know Chris’ opponent Sonia Schmerle personally but I have to assume she is a good and decent person who truly wants what’s best for her ward.
Um Rene, that would be SCHMERL, not Schmerle. At least you could get her name right if you are going to hold a fundraiser for her opponent. Juliew
(Like the Todd Leopold thread, a comment was deleted here. Assume that the same comment, if continually reposted, will continue to be removed. Sorry.) Murph
you can easily find one under that price in Ann Arbor now (and most people do), even right downtown
False. The median home sale price in Ann Arbor for the last few years is over $250k, according to the Observer. Therefore, “most” people are not buying houses for less than that. Not even half are. Murph Aug. 7 '06
Sorry, Murph, cut-and-paste error on my part. I originally had “most of my neighbors and friends have bought under $250,000” and then changed it around. Nonetheless, there are many, many houses available under $250,000 in Ann Arbor and they aren’t all crappy. I just looked at realtor.com and 541 of the 1,979 total properties currently listed in Ann Arbor are under $250,000 (I put $100,000 as the minimum just to keep out anything that might be a lease rather than buy). Of those, 213 are single family. Plus add in the FSBOs, which tend toward the lower price-range. So not the majority, but certainly quite a few to choose from. Juliew
Just got caught up on this amazingly long election thread. I have learned a lot from some of the smart people here about local politics. And I admire the passion. But I have to say—this Greff thing in post number 35 is pathetic. I mean, cry me a river Rene! Okay, you contribute to a lot of good causes. I’ve noticed it when I see stuff from groups I support. I admire you for this. I even go to your restaurant—a good one—more because of it. Tie goes to the good guy. But is this supposed to earn you a free pass so you don’t get criticized when you help a politician get a lot of money from people—like you!—who will make a whole lot of money if downtown gets a lot more parking garages and big buildings? Guess what. It’s a democracy. You can do what you want within legal limits to finance your favorite politician who will help you make a lot of money. But the public gets to criticize you for this, even if you do other very fine things. THis reminds me of the Clintons. And Kerry. Sure, they did a lot of good things that progressive-liberal-left people liked. A lot more than the other guys. But when they do bad things, especially ones that favor the corporations that pay them off with cash, anyone who called them on it was labelled disloyal to the cause by some with blinders on. Democracy doesn’t work well with this kind of bliinders.
So Rene, love your place. Love your generosity when it comes to peace, green, social justice, etc. But I don’t love it when really big money (for a local campaign) gets dumped in the lap of a politician – any politician, even one I like – who is in a position to do favors for them that make their businesses more profitable. No ‘person of the left’ should look the other way when even someone with laudable credentials does this kind of slimy business. We certainly should call a spade a spade when they try to excuse it by basically saying ‘but I’m your friend!’ Sure – and friends who do something wrong, or just entirely selfish – don’t deserve that we all look the other way. And I agree with Julie’s comments too. Cry me another river on how you can’t afford Ann Arbor or air conditioning in your car Rene. Way to destroy your own credibility further. Should we take up a collection for your air conditioning fund? Love your bar, love your causes. But really, you’re not doing the rest of us a favor. You’re trying to make money, and express your social beliefs. Go for it. But don’t whine,and don’t hide behind your nice causes to try to make your part in the sleazy campaign finance game go away. AK
This is the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce:
Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce
115 West Huron Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
phone (734) 665-4433
fax (734) 665-4191
http://www.annarborchamber.org/Here are emails for the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce:
Jesse Bernstein (President and CEO)
jesse@annarborchamber.orgBarbara Davenport (VP Programs and Events)
barbara@annarborchamber.orgGeoff Crosbie (Controller/Operations Manager)
geoff@annarborchamber.orgKristie Martin (VP Governmental Affairs)
kristie@annarborchamber.orgLindsay McCarthy (Director of Programs and Events)
lindsay@annarborchamber.orgMegan Turnbow (Marketing Director)
megan@annarborchamber.orgCheryl O’Brien (Membership Director)
cheryl@annarborchamber.orgJennifer Coleman (Member Benefits Director)
jennifer@annarborchamber.orgGail Contrucci (Sales Representative)
gail@annarborchamber.orgRobin Lawrence (Accountant)
robin@annarborchamber.orgNancy Shore (getDowntown Program Director)
nancy@annarborchamber.orgThernesa Rankin (Executive Assistant)
thernesa@annarborchamber.orgMary Crawford (Customer Service Representative)
mary@annarborchamber.orgTamara Real (Director of Arts Alliance)
artsalliance@annarborchamber.orgMegan Crosbie (Membership Sales and Marketing Coordinator)
mcrosbie@annarborchamber.orgKyle Mazurek (V.P. of Government Affairs)
kyle@annarborchamber.orgjesse@annarborchamber.org,
barbara@annarborchamber.org,
geoff@annarborchamber.org,
kristie@annarborchamber.orglindsay@annarborchamber.org,kristie@annarborchamber.org,
megan@annarborchamber.org,
jennifer@annarborchamber.orggail@annarborchamber.org,
robin@annarborchamber.org,
nancy@annarborchamber.org,
thernesa@annarborchamber.orgmary@annarborchamber.org,
artsalliance@annarborchamber.orgmcrosbie@annarborchamber.org,
kyle@annarborchamber.org++
Here is a letter of complaint sent to those emails:
To Whom It May Concern,
We are making a complaint against Rene Greff of Arbor Brewery. Rene Greff is a local business person and a member of several community organizations. Rene Greff promotes herself as a benefactor, despite her engaging in wrong-doing and almost certainly committing crime by hiring illegal aliens. Hiring illegal aliens is not only reckless and irresponsible, but is in violation of state and federal law. Southeast Michigan is an economically depressed area and Rene Greff should have no problem finding Americans to fill her positions.
Rene Greff is certainly aware that America endures large costs on account of illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is part of a huge human and drug smuggling network that not only includes child prostitution and illegal identification fraud, but litters our borders with garbage and provides an entrance for terrorists to our country. Millions of illegal aliens use fake identification and vendors sell them in broad daylight on American street corners. Illegal aliens use these fake identifications to find work and apply for government services. Employers who hire illegals openly flaunt their indiscretions, as Rene Greff did in her comments to the Ann Arbor News.
Employers maximize their profits by hiring illegal aliens, even though working class Americans lose their jobs and have their wages undercut, in addition to sharing the costs as taxpayers. Government services for illegal aliens includes everything from health care, welfare, education, prison, ad infinitum. Many illegal aliens are paid by their employers “under-the-table” and pay nothing in taxes, even though they receive government benefits. Rene Greff is aware that Washtenaw County makes women's protection a priority, yet she puts women at risk by helping fugitives and felons live here and commit crime.
On account of our activism, “Rene” posted on saveourstate.org in 2006 and said she never “knowingly” hired an illegal alien. In 2008, “ReneGreff” posted on mlive.com and stated her “new employees” participate in E-Verify. However, she said nothing about her “eight” immigrant workers who she supported when they marched for Amnesty in 2006. These employees are still at Arbor Brewery. We are citizens of the Ann Arbor community who urge the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce to take a position of upholding US Law, and urge law enforcement to investigate Arbor Brewery. If their employees are illegal, Rene Greff should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We urge the same action be taken against anyone who aids and abets illegals. We also urge Rene Greff to do thorough background checks for her employees and report her findings to local authorities. The City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County should protect the rights of Americans first, not the rights of illegal aliens and the criminals who employ them.
Here are names and emails for Ann Arbor City Government:
Jacqueline Beaudry
Ann Arbor City Clerk
jbeaudry@a2gov.orgLisa Wondrash
Ann Arbor Unit Manager
Communications Office
lwondrash@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Customer Service Center
customerservice@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Police Department
police@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Mayor’s Office
jhieftje@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Parks and Recreation
parks&rec@a2gov.org
Ann Arbor Planning & Development
building@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor City Treasurer
mhorning@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Sabra Briere
1418 Broadway
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 995-3518
sbriere@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Sandi Smith
515 North Ashley
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 302-3011
ssmith@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Stephen Rapundalo
3106 Bluett
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 476-0648
srapundalo@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Troy Derezinski
1345 Glenaloch Circle
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 995-2686
tderezinski@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Christopher Taylor
1505 Brooklin Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
(734) 604-8770
ctaylor@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Leigh Gredsen
2860 Gladstone
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 975-0840
lgreden@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Marcia Higgins
1512 Marian Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 662-0487
mhiggins@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Margie Teall
1208 Brooklyn Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 213-5811
mteall@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Carsten Hohnke
1714 Abbott Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 369-4464
chohnke@a2gov.orgAnn Arbor Council Member
Mike Anglin
549 South First Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 741-9786
manglin@a2gov.org++
Here is a letter of complaint sent to those emails:
To Whom It May Concern,
We are making a complaint against Rene Greff of Arbor Brewery. Rene Greff is a local business person and a member of several community organizations. Rene Greff promotes herself as a benefactor, despite her engaging in wrong-doing and almost certainly committing crime by hiring illegal aliens. Hiring illegal aliens is not only reckless and irresponsible, but is in violation of state and federal law. Southeast Michigan is an economically depressed area and Rene Greff should have no problem finding Americans to fill her positions.
Rene Greff is certainly aware that America endures large costs on account of illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is part of a huge human and drug smuggling network that not only includes child prostitution and illegal identification fraud, but litters our borders with garbage and provides an entrance for terrorists to our country. Millions of illegal aliens use fake identification and vendors sell them in broad daylight on American street corners. Illegal aliens use these fake identifications to find work and apply for government services. Employers who hire illegals openly flaunt their indiscretions, as Rene Greff did in her comments to the Ann Arbor News.
Employers maximize their profits by hiring illegal aliens, even though working class Americans lose their jobs and have their wages undercut, in addition to sharing the costs as taxpayers. Government services for illegal aliens includes everything from health care, welfare, education, prison, ad infinitum. Many illegal aliens are paid by their employers “under-the-table” and pay nothing in taxes, even though they receive government benefits. Rene Greff is aware that Washtenaw County makes women's protection a priority, yet she puts women at risk by helping fugitives and felons live here and commit crime.
On account of our activism, “Rene” posted on saveourstate.org in 2006 and said she never “knowingly” hired an illegal alien. In 2008, “ReneGreff” posted on mlive.com and stated her “new employees” participate in E-Verify. However, she said nothing about her “eight” immigrant workers who she supported when they marched for Amnesty in 2006. These employees are still at Arbor Brewery. We are citizens of the Ann Arbor community who urge the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce to take a position of upholding US Law, and urge law enforcement to investigate Arbor Brewery. If their employees are illegal, Rene Greff should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We urge the same action be taken against anyone who aids and abets illegals. We also urge Rene Greff to do thorough background checks for her employees and report her findings to local authorities. The City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County should protect the rights of Americans first, not the rights of illegal aliens and the criminals who employ them.
Rene Greff’s Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti Hosts Illegal Immigration Event
http://www.icpj.net/events-calendar/”Terrorists in Washtenaw County?”
Wednesday, January 28, 2010
7:00 PM
Since March of 2008, federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been using violent and illegal tactics such as warrantless home intrusion, forceful detainment, and deportation in raids against members of the Latino community, nationals from other countries, and even US citizens accused of being “illegal” immigrants in the greater Washtenaw County area. Hear the latest information on this situation and learn what you can do to protect your neighbors and yourself.
Corner Brewery
720 Norris Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
(734) 480-2739
info@arborbrewing.com
Sponsored by Michigan Peaceworks, Immigrant Rights Coalition, EMU Amnesty International Chapter, and the ACLU of Michigan.
Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice
730 Tappan
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 663-1870
info@icpj.net++
http://michiganpeaceworks.org/node/299That’s right. Since March of 2007, federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been using violent and illegal tactics such as warrantless home intrusion, forceful detainment, and deportation in raids against members of the Latino community, nationals from other countries, and even US citizens accused of being “illegal” immigrants in the greater Washtenaw County area. People have been injured. Families have been divided. Lives have been ruined. It’s time to stand up and stop the use of state-terrorism in our community… Take Action! Find out how all of this affects YOUR life and YOUR community, and what YOU can do to help!
When: Wednesday, January 28, 7pm
Where: Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti
Who: You and all of your friends
Speakers include:- Laura Sanders, Head Coordinator, Immigrant Rights Coalition
- Tiernan Seaver, Immigrant Rights Coalition Emergency Responder
- Richard Stahler-Sholk, EMU Professor
- Jessie Rossman, Staff Attorney, ACLU
Sponsored by Michigan Peaceworks, Immigrant Rights Coalition, EMU Amnesty International Chapter, and the ACLU
FREE! ALL AGES!
Michigan Peaceworks
120 West Liberty
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 761-5922
Executive Director Laura Russello
laura@michiganpeaceworks.org++
Jessie Rossman
Here is an article about Jessie Rossman:
ACLU Lawyer Visits Michigan Tech
http://www.mininggazette.com/January 4, 2009
HOUGHTON - Last fall, Michigan Technological University students formed a student rights group after they said U.S. Border Patrol agents racially profiled students on campus and took advantage of international students who did not know their rights. Although the Border Patrol denied the charges, group members pledged to get an American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan lawyer to come to campus to teach students their rights.
On Thursday, they made good on their promise when Jessie Rossman spoke to university students, faculty and staff about what they can and cannot do when stopped by federal officials. Her talk was sponsored by Tech's ACLU Chapter and the Black Student Organization as part of Martin Luther King Jr. Week.
Rossman told students that only the federal government can enforce immigration laws.
"No state officer or local officer in Michigan can ask about an immigration status or enforce immigration laws," she said.
She said by law, non-citizens have to carry immigration documents, such as their I-94s and student visas, with them at all times in case they are stopped by federal officers. If someone fails to comply, they can be charged with a misdemeanor, she said.
"It's a bad law, but it's a law right now," she said, telling students that the regulation has not been interpreted by the court system yet. She said federal officers have the right to ask non-citizens their immigration status and ask to see their papers. This is known as casual questioning, she said.
"In order to have a casual stop, they just need to have some suspicion that the person is an immigrant," she said. "Race is not supposed to be the only factor. They need to have some other factor in the mix."
These other factors aren't well-defined, she said, and can include a person's dress or hairstyle.
She said once international students answer questions about their immigration status and show their paperwork, they do not have to answer any further questions.
"In general, the way casual conversation works is it's a fishing expedition and they're hoping someone will not walk away," she said. "Ask 'am I free to go?' and if they say yes, walk away."
If students do not have their paperwork with them, she said they should not bring the officer back to their house to get the paperwork.
"Don't say 'Come back to my room,'" she said. "Have (a) friend who knows where these documents are pick them up."
The next category of a stop is known as a terry, or detention, stop, she said. She said it falls in a gray area - students cannot walk away from these conversations, but they are not arrested. In order for a person to be stopped in this manner, she said, officers "need to have some reason to believe you are undocumented."
The next stop category is an arrest. To be arrested, the officer need to have probable cause that the subject is undocumented, Rossman said.
She said non-citizens have a right to not answer questions beyond ones about their immigration status. They have the right to be provided with a list of free or low-cost legal service providers and hire their own immigration attorney. If non-citizens are arrested, they also have the right to call their consulate or have the law enforcement officer tell their consulate of their arrest, she said.
Rossman said the ACLU is concerned that the federal government broadly defines the border as the area within 100 miles from the physical border and that officers may target non-citizens based on their race. She said some practices may make non-citizens feel unwelcome in the U.S. Additionally, she said studies have shown racial profiling to not be as effective as targeting people because of their behavior.
"You can't protect America by, at the same time, tearing down the Constitution it was built on," she said. "Our children are going to look back at the immigration scare of the 2000s and be embarrassed."
Rossman closed by telling students that although there is now a new administration under President Barack Obama, it is up to citizens to make it the best it can be.
"This administration is only going to be as good as we make it," she said.
She said students should push for change by asserting their rights in the current framework, sharing what they learned with others and being activists.
After the presentation, students chatted with each other and picked up ACLU literature that explained the rights they have when dealing with authorities. Graduate student Julio Rivera said he came to get information to share with the Nosotros student organization of which he is the vice president.
"I'm actually a citizen, but many of our members are not," he said. "So I came to get the information. Some members have expressed their discomfort with the lack of information with the immigration issues."
Members of the students rights group taped the presentation and plan to edit it and translate it into multiple languages. The ultimate goal is to show it at orientation for new students, Tech ACLU member Chris Anderson said.
ACLU At-Large Officer and Tech senior Kassidy Yatso coordinated Rossman's visit and said she was pleased with the event.
"I thought it was absolutely amazing and the turnout was impressive, especially on the MTU faculty and staff's part," she said. "There were a lot of them here."
Layla Aslani can be reached at
laslani@mininggazette.com.
++
Ann Tiernan Seaver
Ann Tiernan Seaver is from West Los Angeles and studies sociology at The University of Michigan.
Ann Tiernan Seaver
10603 Rochester Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 270-6520 (mobile)
(310) 470-2026
Ann Tiernan Seaver
1520 Hill Street #25
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Ann Tiernan Seaver wrote this for the Michigan Daily:
Myths of The Immigration Debate
http://www.michigandaily.com/content/immigration-viewpointI write this viewpoint in an attempt to clarify some of the misconceptions surrounding immigration in the United States. As U.S. citizens, we feel a sense of entitlement to anything and everything between the borders that by chance we were born within. When an outsider enters these borders, we become protective of “our” land, not wanting those who don’t belong to take from us. This defensive ideology, at times necessary for our country’s success, has morphed into a popular, yet irrational, stance on immigration.
In a recent letter to the editor about this issue (A2 needs more, not less, immigration enforcement, 09/11/2008), the letter writer argued that, instead of becoming a sanctuary city, Ann Arbor should increase its arrests of undocumented immigrants because they are using up resources and are a danger to society. This letter epitomized the unsubstantiated and illogical view many people have about immigrants’ effect on society. I would like to explain how the immigrant population in Ann Arbor and the country is neither soaking up our resources nor endangering our neighborhoods.
The major claim against undocumented immigrants in the letter was that undocumented immigrants are “reaping the benefits of American citizenship without assuming any of the responsibilities.” Undocumented immigrants, however, receive far fewer benefits from our society than most think, while assuming almost equal responsibility. Undocumented immigrants pay sales taxes, property taxes and payroll taxes without receiving the majority of social services. They do not have access to food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid- or Medicare-funded hospitalization. They do not get the benefit of fair working conditions and a minimum wage.
Undocumented immigrants even contribute to Social Security without claiming benefits. In 2006 alone, the Social Security Administration collected an estimated $6-7 billion from contributions connected to invalid names. These invalid names are usually from undocumented immigrants, who get employed with false identification and get taxes taken out of their paychecks under those false names.
Though the letter writer claimed that “unchecked illegal immigration taxes all of us unfairly,” I ask you, exactly what is unfair about this situation?
The other accusation against undocumented immigrants is that their presence “dramatically increases crime rates.” This claim is unsupported by facts or rationality. Since undocumented immigrants are “illegal,” they are at constant risk of deportation. To avoid deportation, these people generally try to avoid police. Since committing a crime puts you at greater chance of encountering the police, undocumented immigrants tend not to commit crimes. If you look at data from the National Crime Victimization Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics you can see that during the period from 1994 to 2005, when some estimate the undocumented immigrant population to have doubled, the violent crime rate declined by 41.2 percent.
The undocumented immigrant population is not harmful to our society, yet we continue to harm them. In the past seven months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Washtenaw County has dramatically increased raids into immigrants’ homes, deporting hard-working men and women, breaking apart families and using questionably violent means to do so. In his letter to the editor, the writer argued that the Daily, in its recent editorial (Sanctuary for all, 09/08/2008) did not have enough facts to claim that ICE was being inhumane. I offer you some now.
According to a report from the Spanish-language network Univision, ICE officials entered a house in Ypsilanti in mid-March, breaking through a bedroom door where a mother was dressing her daughter after a bath. The family claimed that the officials took the family into the living room and began to yell and beat the father and grandfather in front of the wife and two young children, the daughter still naked under her towel. When the officials finally left with the two men, blood stained the floor of the house — blood the camera panned over in the news report.
I think those bloodstains stand as evidence that the brutality had gone too far, but if you are unconvinced, you should ask the daughter what happened to her father that night. She might respond to you as she did to me, “He is dead. They took him and killed him.”
I think this captures how psychologically damaging these raids have been. Her father did not die, but because of what she saw, the daughter could not be convinced otherwise.
These inhumane practices by ICE will continue and our society will allow them to unless, as conscious citizens, we can recognize the irrationality of our stance on immigration. Or, at least, we must recognize that no one, citizen or not, deserves to be beaten and humiliated by law enforcement for wanting to live within borders that by chance that person wasn’t born into.
Tiernan Seaver is an LSA junior and a member of the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights.
Ann Tiernan is engaged to Israel Andi of Cornell University.
Israel Andi
++
Richard Stahler-Sholk
++
Laura Sanders
Arbor Brewery was featured in this Ann Arbor Business Review article.
Restaurants' summer menus reflect influence of 'buy local' movement
by Janet Miller for Ann Arbor Business Review
June 25, 2009
http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/06/restaurants_summer_menus_refle.htmlLocal restaurants are finding that they don't have to go across the U.S. border or even to California or Florida for their strawberries. Local chefs are looking close to home for these red jewels along with a whole lot more, from radishes to potatoes.
The buy local movement has come to area restaurants as their emerging summer menus begin to reflect a Michigan bounty. While Zingerman’s Roadhouse is well known for turning to local Cornman Farms for much of its produce, other area restaurants are also shopping local and Michigan farms.
When Bee Mayhew opened beezy’s café in downtown Ypsilanti six months ago, her goal was to have 90 percent of her menu from Michigan within three years. If it's not grown in the state, she at least wants it to come from a distributor in the state, she said. "And the closer to home the better." That has meant weekly trips to the Ypsilanti Farmers' Market for Mayhew for salad greens and herbs. She buys chard and kale, garlic and herbs such as thyme, cilantro and sage.
She also plans to gather her staff to pick strawberries at a local farm. She'll use the berries on her menu but also plans on turning them into jelly and jams that she will serve at the restaurant. And come August, she plans to buy tomatoes, watermelon, beans and more.
The local bounty helps drive beezy's menu, heavy on soups and salads and breakfast food. Local produce will especially influence the specials, Mayhew said. Spinach from Growing Hope in Ypsilanti resulted in a vegan lemon spinach soup along with ricotta filling vegetarian lasagne, Mayhew said. An unexpected harvest of thyme from Growing Hope, allowed Mayhew to use fresh herbs rather than dried in her popular cream of mushroom soup. "It was so much livelier," Mayhew said.
Mayhew looks locally for more than just her produce, however. She shops the Ypsilanti Food Co-op for ingredients such as oatmeal and visits Dos Hermanos, a local Mexican grocer. Her honey comes from the farmer's market.
Buying local comes naturally for Mayhew. She has never had a driver's license and has always looked close to home to meet her needs. "I've always been a localvore," she said. "For me, it's totally practical."
When Rene and Matt Greff decided to revamp their Arbor Brewing Company one-and-a-half years ago, they wanted to offer more natural ingredients but also more local products. And while frequent trips to the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market provided unworkable - the quantities they needed just weren't available - they now try to stick to Michigan-grown produce and let the local bounty help determine what's on the menu.
Rene credits the menu shift to a double-digit increase in business, even with the sour economy. "People appreciate that we buy local and that it tastes better," she said. Michigan potatoes, said kitchen manager Nicole Young, played a starring role in Arbor Brewing Company's kitchen from last July through this May, when they finally ran out. Throughout the year, there were iterations of potatoes, from mashed parsnip potatoes to cheesy mashed potatoes.
It's easier to incorporate produce from nearby farms - with their short seasons and inconsistent supply - on the monthly specials' menu, said Melissa Chalmers, general manager. Strawberries, for instance, will be used for the June special of strawberry salad, a cold mix of local organic spring greens, Zingerman's goat cheese, shredded radishes and local strawberries. Also featured this month is a locally grown snow or sugar pea salad, blanched and chilled with a sesame chili dressing and sitting on a bed of lettuce.
Later in the summer, local tomatoes will be used in fresh salsa, gazpacho and enchilada sauce. Come fall, local parsnips can be turned into fritters and radishes into salads.
Arbor Brewing now makes many of its products from scratch, from tortillas to salad dressings and sauces. They use a local bakery for their bread and a local dairy for their milk products.
And they use a Jackson farm for their grass-fed, free-range beef, buying whole cows and letting the different cuts dictate the menu. While a whole cow yields the ground beef Arbor Brewing needs for burgers, it also produces a number of cuts they hadn't typically served. This has seen the brewpub offer new specials, such as steak pitas, steak fajitas and roast beef sandwiches, Young said. "You have to think about all of the pieces of meat."
Kitchen managers Nicole Young and Cesar Herbert in front of Arbor Brewing.
++
Here is a complaint sent to the Ann Arbor Business Review
To Whom It May Concern,
We are writing on account of your recent “Buy Michigan” article, in which you spotlighted Arbor Brewery. Did you know Arbor Brewery owner Rene Greff engages in wrong-doing and is almost certainly committing crime by hiring illegal aliens?
Hiring illegal aliens is not only reckless and irresponsible, but is in violation of State and Federal law. Southeast Michigan is an especially depressed area and Rene Greff should have no problem finding Americans to fill her positions.
Rene Greff is certainly aware that America endures large costs on account of illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is part of a huge human and drug smuggling network that not only includes child prostitution and illegal identification fraud, but litters our borders with garbage and provides an entrance for terrorists to our country. Millions of illegal aliens use fake identification and vendors sell them in broad daylight on American street corners. Illegal aliens use these fake identifications to find work and apply for government services. Employers who hire illegals openly flaunt their indiscretions, as Rene Greff did in her comments to the Ann Arbor News.
Employers maximize their profits by hiring illegal aliens, even though working class Americans lose their jobs and have their wages undercut, in addition to sharing the costs as taxpayers. Government services for illegal aliens includes everything from health care, welfare, education, prison, ad infinitum. Many illegal aliens are paid by their employers “under-the-table” and pay nothing in taxes, even though they receive government benefits. Rene Greff is aware that Washtenaw County makes women's protection a priority, yet she puts women at risk by helping fugitives and felons live here and commit crime.
On account of our activism, “Rene” posted on saveourstate.org in 2006 and said she never “knowingly” hired an illegal alien. In 2008, “ReneGreff” posted on mlive.com and stated her “new employees” participate in E-Verify. However, she said nothing about her “eight” immigrant workers who she supported when they marched for Amnesty in 2006. We are citizens of Ann Arbor who urge everyone to take a position of upholding US Law, and urge law enforcement to investigate Arbor Brewery. If their employees are illegal, Rene Greff should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We urge the same action be taken against anyone who aids and abets illegals.
The man in your photo whose face is somewhat concealed may be an illegal alien. “Buy Michigan” and displacing American workers is hypocritical and un-American. We urge Ann Arbor Business Review to protect the rights of Americans, not the rights of illegal aliens and the criminals who employ them.
++
Ann Arbor Business Review
General
annarbor@mbusinessreview.comPaula Gardner
annarbor@mbusinessreview.comNathan Bomey
nathanb@mbusinessreview.comSarah Rigg
sarahr@mbusinessreview.comSven Gustafson
sveng@mbusinessreview.comDan Meisler
danm@mbusinessreview.comRitu Parr
ritup@mbusinessreview.comPing Cao
pingc@mbusinessreview.comTammy Eberhart
teberhar@mbusinessreview.comKaren Koziel
karenk@mbusinessreview.comTherri Obeerdick
therrio@mbusinessreview.comSheryl Lucas
sheryll@mbusinessreview.comErin Terlecky
erint@mbusinessreview.comannarbor@mbusinessreview.com,annarbor@mbusinessreview.com,
nathanb@mbusinessreview.com,sarahr@mbusinessreview.com,
danm@mbusinessreview.com,ritup@mbusinessreview.com,
pingc@mbusinessreview.com,teberhar@mbusinessreview.com,
karenk@mbusinessreview.com,therrio@mbusinessreview.com,
sheryll@mbusinessreview.com,
erint@mbusinessreview.com++
Thayrone X
Thayrone X
Thayrone X is a popular Michigan talk show host. He can be heard on WAAM Talk AM 1600. He frequently speaks about the negative effects of illegal immigration in the Ann Arbor area. We urge Thayrone X to talk specifically about Arbor Brewery owner Rene Greff. We urge him to cite the May 2, 2006 Ann Arbor News article in which she supports her foreign workers who marched for Amnesty in Detroit. Here is our letter.
Thayrone X,
We are WAAM radio talk listeners who share your beliefs about illegal immigration. We have taken Arbor Brewery owner Rene Greff to task for supporting illegal immigration. Flyers were posted around Ann Arbor urging a boycott of Arbor Brewery and Corner Brewery. Hiring illegal aliens is not only reckless and irresponsible, but is in violation of state and federal law. Washtenaw County is an economically depressed area and Rene Greff should hire Americans first.
Illegal immigration is part of a human and drug smuggling network that not only includes child prostitution and illegal identification fraud, but litters our borders with garbage and allows terrorists into our country. So many illegal aliens use fake identification that vendors sell them in broad daylight on American street corners. Illegal aliens use these fake identifications to find work and apply for government services. Employers who hire illegals openly flaunt their indiscretions, as Rene Greff did in her comments to the Ann Arbor News.
Employers like Rene Greff profit from hiring illegal aliens, even though working class Americans lose their jobs and have their wages undercut, in addition to sharing the costs as taxpayers. Government services for illegal aliens includes everything from health care, welfare, education, prison, ad infinitum. Many illegal aliens are paid by their employers “under-the-table” and pay nothing in taxes, even though they receive government benefits. Rene Greff is aware that Washtenaw County makes women's protection a priority, yet she provides a path for fugitives and felons to live here and commit more crime.
On account of our activism, “Rene” posted on saveourstate.org in 2006 and said she never “knowingly” hired an illegal alien. In 2008, “ReneGreff” posted on mlive.com and stated her “new employees” participate in E-Verify. However, she said nothing about her “eight” immigrant workers who she supported when they marched for Amnesty in 2006. In March 2008, Rene Greff hosted an event at Corner Brewery calling Federal Agents “Terrorists” for enforcing immigration law. We urge you to challenge Rene Greff to show what she has done to verify work authorization status of her employees.
Waam Talk 1600
4230 Packard Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48108-1597
Phone: (734) 971-1600
Fax: (734) 973-2916
This letter was sent to:
Linda Hughes
WAAM Station Manager
linda.hughes@waamannarbor.comDan Martin
WAAM News and Operations Director
dan.martin@waamannarbor.comJulie Hamway
WAAM Sales
julie_hamway@localfocusradio.comRonald Unkefer
WAAM Trade Accounts
ronald.unkefer@waamannarbor.comDennis Brandt
WAAM Advertising
dennis.brandt@waamannarbor.comJoe Gagnon
WAAM Show Host
joe.gagnon@waamannarbor.comEd Hoffman
WAAM Show Host
ed.hoffman@waamannarbor.comDavid Mitchell
WAAM Advertising and Marketing
david.mitchell@waamannarbor.comThayrone X
WAAM Show Host
thayrone@waamannarbor.comKeith Paul
WAAM Show Host
keith.paul@waamannarbor.comPam Heard
WAAM Business Manager
pam.heard@firstventures.comDena Roberts
WAAM Administrative Assistant
dena.roberts@firstventures.comlinda.hughes@waamannarbor.com,dan.martin@waamannarbor.com,
julie_hamway@localfocusradio.com,ronald.unkefer@waamannarbor.com,
dennis.brandt@waamannarbor.comjoe.gagnon@waamannarbor.com,ed.hoffman@waamannarbor.com,
david.mitchell@waamannarbor.com,thayrone@waamannarbor.com,
keith.paul@waamannarbor.compam.heard@firstventures.com,dena.roberts@firstventures.com
