Terrell Website Project

This is a post to update progress on the Terrell Manufacturing Services website project.

Here's what's been happening thus far:

I've been learning about UV technology on & off for the last two weeks. On Sunday, February 14th, I actually began the design process using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The theme was completed, and I began to add content. The majority of time to this point was spent working on images.

On Tuesday, February 16th, I met with Anna and other staff from Terrell. I received an excellent briefing as to the services, capabilities and expectations of the company. I was also given a PowerPoint presentation and additional images. I received two different logos. One for TERRELL Manufacturing Services, and one for TERRELL UV. The one for TERRELL Manufacturing Services is not of great "physical" quality. Perhaps there is another "Master" somewhere. It will be noticeable when compared to other, higher quality images on the page. Additionally, the logo seems a little wide. In the interim, I spent over an hour trying to duplicate the logo, matching the scale of the sun and pyramid. To address the issue of width, I stacked TERRELL above "Manufacturing Services". Ultimately, I will include the logo that the company wants. For now, I am providing the re-designed logo as an additional option.

I was also given access to the company WordPress site. I've have not used WordPress in the past. I learned that it is not like GoDaddy and other hosting platforms in that I cannot just upload my own HTML and CSS files. I contacted Anna to inquire as to the possibility of moving the domain to GoDaddy. This migration would only be possible if the company doesn't use their email. Anna informed me that the company does use the email. Since transferring the domain would be too disruptive (all prior emails would be lost), I've got to learn WordPress.

On Wednesday, nothing was completed due to my parental obligations and Weds night show.

On Thursday, I am back at it. I've spent much of the afternoon learning WordPress, and now BootStrap. BootStrap is a platform for designing custom and static web pages on WordPress. This was the platform that the prior website designer used. I anticipate being functional in BootStrap later this evening. My goal is to have a homepage up before the end of the night. This will give the company an opportunity to begin providing feedback and content.

Also planned for this evening is to go through the PowerPoint and pictures to begin incorporating some of that information into the site. I'll update as to my progress at the end of the evening.

UPDATE 1:

 I spent a lot of time on various tutorials. But, the majority of my time was spent setting up my computer to properly host WordPress and Bootstrap. This involved configuring my IIS, then installing and configuring PHP, Python, and MySQL. This was all necessary to eventually install WordPress on my computer, which will now be synched with the website and allow me to begin proper development.

UPDATE 2:

I am done for the day because I have to work. To highlight today.... I ran into some configuration problems, but everything installed and running great. This wasn't like installing software out of the box! That took about 3 hours of my day.

I spent the last 2.5 hours on two tutorials. I learned a great deal today as to how my HTML and CSS gets imported. I am spending extra time on the tutorials, doing the examples (no matter how mundane) to completely familiarize myself with how this all works. I've had very little experience with PHP, but such is the case no more. I thought I would have the theme (backdrop) finished, but I decided not to rush things and take the time to learn what I need to know. Then, I'll start the import. I need the repetition so that I can maintain the knowledge.

UPDATE 3:

Spent 11 hours today on tutorials and started building the theme. The entire site is being built on my local computer. When finished with the build, I have to put all of the files in a ZIP file in wordpress theme format, then upload it as a custom theme.

As of right now, the top header and navigation menu is complete (for now). Eventually, I know the navigation will change based on the pages that will be created. So, I am not going to spend a ton of time on it. The good news is that I am through with the learning process, so it should go much quicker.

UPDATE 4:

On Monday, I had an issue with Wordpress, which mandated a new installation on the GoDaddy server on Tuesday. It was a real easy mistake to make. But, I was able to get the Fabrication page "finished". I just couldn't publish it until the re-install was complete.

I also changed the logo (as requested) and fixed some general formatting bugs. At some point, I plan to get all of the blues elements on the page the exact same. Also, the footer needs some work. Other than that, I am ready to start working on the final two pages for this site. The next portion will take some time. This is where I need to merge what I learned on my own about UV Curing and what I was provided with, and then turn it into content.

The goal from the beginning was to get the website "close" with the design and the content, and then let the client provide the actual, finished content.

My schedule is up in the air for tomorrow (Weds). It's Records Day, so Alex doesn't have school. Then, I have to work in the evening. So, I may not be back to work until Thursday.

That's all.

UPDATE 5: I did find time to work on the site today. I reviewed the information I received and compiled an outline as to how I plan to use it. Wrote some code for the UV Systems page. Tried to upload this update in the new theme, but it's telling me my theme is too large. This is because right now (but only temporarily), I am including the images in the theme package because I am using Wordpress both my local machine and the GoDaddy server. I'll set those images to the root on the GoDaddy server, which will eliminate the problem. Not something I have time to do today, as I am heading to work soon.

I'm also going to ask Anna if the company can write the About Us section paragraphs. This is typically a history of the company and it's founder, and key personnel. I'd also like to include pictures of the facility and personnel.

I'll be back at it after noon tomorrow.

UPDATE 6:

Worked on a self-coded contact form today. I'm not very fluent in PHP. My first real adventure with this coding language is this project. I took some time to actually learn the PHP I was using.

The argument for a "self-coded" Contact Form versus one from a standard plugin, like "Contact Form 7" is that it is much less taxing on the server, and it provides a quicker loading experience for the user versus a commercial product.

I have a Contact Form Plugin that is functional. It will still need a little customizing because the server has to return (or show) a customized form based upon the page that is calling for it (Does the user need a simple contact form for the About Us page, or a Request for Quote from the Quotes page?).

I'll be back tomorrow. This first draft should be finished tomorrow...

UPDATE 7:

Nothing was done on Saturday. On Sunday, I started the TERRELL UV site.

The reasons why I am starting the TERRELL UV site now with the other one not complete is as follows. First, the only content I have left is content for the UV Page. It would be best to wait so that I can describe the TERRELL UV website in the best possible manner to ensure a pleasant user experience. Second, I still have to fully code the contact form. It's better from a coding standpoint to do both website's Contact Forms at the same time.

The TERRELL UV site will go very quickly. This is because the design is based upon the Terrell Manufacturing website, with some evident theme changes. I think it looks very good, if I may say so myself.

I won't be uploading the changes to either website tonight. That is a process that takes some time, and that time was spent in other areas of development.

That is all for tonight. Tomorrow, I hope to have the TERRELL UV site hot, with the only exception being the Contact Form.

The Truth About Social Security...

You've probably heard of someone calling Social Security a "Ponzi Scheme". But, what is a Ponzi Scheme? By definition, this flim flam occurs when a person or an organization takes in "investments" from it's victims. Early investors are paid funds from future investors. But, investors are supposed to be paid from profits. Unless the swindle is able to recruit an infinite number of new investors, eventually - the scheme will crash.

The Social Security system takes "investments" from taxpayers. Early "investors" were paid handsomely. The following researcher claims that some people who retired in 1960 collected 8 times more in benefits than they paid in. There's your early investor payoff: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2013/feb/01/medicare-and-social-security-what-you-paid-what-yo/

Even today (and as long as the system stays "solvent"), just about everyone who draws from Social Security will be paid many times more than their contributions.

How is that possible?

It's not. Not for long, anyways.

And, does that make Social Security a Ponzi Scheme?

It's actually worse than a Ponzi Scheme. Worse because participation is mandatory. Worse because today's younger generation may very well find themselves on the hook to prop up a system that they did not create to benefit generations of retirees who either did create it, or did nothing about it, despite the fact that they should have known better. It gets worse...

Those that withdraw more money than they contributed feel as if they are entitled to every penny they have withdrawn. Their logic: "If I had invested that money, I would have made much more. The government owes me way more than I have withdrawn".

And this could not be further from the truth.

Funds paid in to Social Security are placed in one of two different trust funds. By law, these funds cannot be invested. Therefore, since no interest is earned, the value of those contributions are exactly equal to....their contributions. Any upward adjustment to the value of contributions comes at the expense of taxpayers, either as a direct expense, or by eroding the value of the dollar by way of inflation.

Many seniors point to the fact that the government can borrow from the social security trusts, and are therefore entitled to that interest. This is also incorrect. First, you cannot borrow money from yourself. In the true sense of the word, you can only borrow money when you don't have money. What this so called borrowing really is is just shifting. No interest is due. In my opinion, previous generations either did not hold THEIR government accountable for irresponsible spending, or they turned a blind eye to it because they felt that interest payments would benefit them. Either way, they allowed it to happen due to a dereliction of their duties as voters and for anyone to expect later generations to pay them interest is absurd.

If the system was equitable, the value of their contributions would be equal to the actual amount of contributions, less the amount of debt their irresponsibility costs future generations.

The Advance Stages of Democracy and Capitalism

The Advanced Stages of Democracy and Capitalism

In a Democracy, citizens cast votes for their governmental leaders. These leaders then represent the will of the majority of the people. In theory, this concept is ideal…

In a Democracy, you have candidates that seek an office. In most cases, the candidate is paid for their work as a “public servant”. In essence, this is basically a job for them. A job provides money for food, shelter & clothing, the most basic of human needs. Suffice it to say, just about everyone needs a job.

If you need a job, chances are you are going to embellish a little bit (or a lot). You are going to say things about yourself that aren’t exactly true. You are also going to make promises, many of which are going to be broken

When you get that “job”, you are almost certainly going to want to keep it. You will do things for the people that voted you into office and for those who you want to vote for you to keep you in office. There’s two primary ways to “do” for voters. The first is to pass laws that benefit them. But, the best way to “do” for the voters is to spend money on them. I’ll enumerate on this later. But, this is all ages old, as democracy dates back to 400 B.C. (contrary to the movie “Talledega Nights”). Here’s what I mean by the advance stages of democracy:

In the early forms of democracy, candidates traveled from town to town, spreading their message. If they were lucky, a newspaper existed and information about the candidate would be reported.

In an age of technology, information spreads at the speed of light – literally. Television is the primary medium to spread your message, but those ads require a lot of money. Many candidates take in millions of dollars from voters and spend it feverishly on ads. Money is a necessity to be elected/re-elected – and the more money you have, the greater your chances of winning. Money, in a democracy, at any point, is contrary to the notion of democracy itself. No matter who contributes money, something is expected in return. In any other context, that would be called bribery.

When elected, the elected official will pay back those favors by introducing, promoting, or passing legislation that benefits donors. Almost certainly, there is a significant price tag associated with these favors. Ronald Reagan once said that it is virtually impossible to eliminate a government social program once introduced. Today, we have government sponsored retirement that was doomed to fail from the beginning. Yet, as it teeters on the brink of insolvency while the nation borrows trillions to keep it afloat, those over or near the retirement age vehemently oppose any changes to the program. Even as we see Social Security for what it really is (a Ponzi scheme), changes to Social Security are considered a poison pill for a political career. So, even though this program should be ended, it will never happen.

Before I go any further, let me bring you up to speed on capitalism….

Capitalism existed at one time back in the stone ages. I call it capitalism because there was no governmental influence on the economy and folks were free to make a living (generally by trading) with no consideration even given to the concept of government.

At some point, socialism was introduced. This is a system in which the government owns all of the resources in an economy and dictates the output of a nation. In return, the people are compensated in a one-size (paycheck) fits all approach. The vast majority of the people are equal in terms of finances.

History has taught us that this approach does not work, at least not in the advanced stages of socialism. Since workers are not paid any more or any less for how much work they actually do, they become lazy and efficiency lags. Innovation hardly exists. Workers who simply show up for work and give minimal effort are still entitled to a paycheck. There it is. Entitlement.

This country was founded on capitalism because our founding fathers didn’t want governmental influence in the economy. They felt that if folks were allowed to reap the benefits of their own hard work and innovation, then we would be better off as a whole. Some people would be better off than others. You essentially choose your path – those who are willing to work hard and smart are rewarded better. If you don’t work hard and smart, you aren’t paid as good – but the lazy socialist example is the reason why.

We have learned that efficiency and innovation are associated with capitalism. Eventually, that efficiency and innovation becomes problematic, if not kept in check. Efficiency and innovation in and of themselves is not a problem, but when one person or one firm holds too much, then they do more damage to the economy than good. Here’s what I mean:

I open up a store in my little town. I do a good job of running it, and people respond by frequenting my store more than my competition. As I put other stores out of business, I start making so much money that I can now afford to open another store. My success continues, and I open another store. And another, and another. Eventually, I become so big that I decide to “go public” and sell stock to the general public. Now, the company has so much money that it gets even bigger, and becomes the size of Wal Mart.

The firm now has shareholders. These shareholders are concerned primarily with the bottom line. You can’t blame them. They don’t buy stock for no reason – they expect a return (in the form of dividends). As the dividends grow, the stock price appreciates and investors make more money.

In order to maximize profits, they pay as little as possible. They also look to the vendors with the cheapest goods. Unfortunately, with the advent of a global economy, the cheapest goods are imports. So now, that firm takes the money that that could have gone to American suppliers and sends it overseas, along with the jobs. As those jobs disappear, people become increasingly dependent upon cheap imports, and the cycle worsens. International Economics principles tell us that when all things are equal, those jobs will eventually come back to us as foreign workers demand more money and as our currency weakens on the foreign exchange. All things aren’t equal with China, our largest supplier of cheap goods. They use a fixed exchange rate and therefore have the ability to manipulate the value of their Yuan. Furthermore, China is a socialist country and all resources are owned by the government. The Chinese Government has a large say in what Chinese workers will be paid. So, our dependency on foreign goods will continue, as long as this inequality exists.

As an advocate of capitalism, you might think that I would advocate a hands off approach to the economy. I do. But, when a company gets too large like this, I would certainly advocate intervention by the government. This is to protect opportunities for future entrepreneurs, many of which make up our middle class (or DID).

Governmental influence or intervention in the economy spiked at the turn of the 20^th century, right around the time of World War I and the Great Depression. Since then, the people have come to expect that the government essentially guarantee employment for all. In order to do so, public sector jobs increased dramatically (i.e. The New Deal).  As a result, government got bigger. As the government aimed to provide more jobs, the people came to expect the services provided by these jobs. So, government got bigger yet. Public sector jobs (22 million+) employ 17% of all Americans. These public sector jobs are paid for with taxes, and we’re talking about 22 million+ of jobs – not just a few. This is a hallmark of socialism.

So, as you can see, we are in the advance stages of capitalism in that 500 firms (aka “The Fortune 500”) employ 25 million workers, or 20% of the American workforce. While some big firms are good (i.e. Boeing) others are bad when you consider economies of scale and the disadvantages they produce.

This is where the government should intervene. Instead, they respond with more public sector jobs, and more pork spending. And this is where the advanced stages of democracy and the advanced stages of capitalism collide. The government is expected to guarantee employment. And the politicians know that if they want to be elected/re-elected, they have to spend money to make it (for themselves). And as long as the people continue to hold a sense of entitlement, it will continue.

Did you know that we even have a “food stamp program” that advertises for potential recipients to apply? Call me what you will, but I believe that there SHOULD be a certain stigma associated with collecting welfare. Without it, folks will become dependent upon it and never want to get off the rolls of public assistance.

Anyways, that’s all for now.

Why My Credit Union Charges Stupid Fees

I went into my credit union (Michigan Coastal) last week to deposit a check. Didn't need to cash it, just deposit it. This was going into my business account. Normally, I deposit business checks into this account and eventually transfer the funds to my personal account when the check has cleared. This time, I was told that I would be charged a $5 fee to deposit the check since my business account didn't have $100 in it. I said "Well, there's that much in my personal account", to which the teller replied "but it has to be in THIS account". I wasn't thinking, otherwise I would have just had her transfer $100 to that account. Instead, I took the check back and told them that I would go to a shared branch to deposit it.

I find it ironic that I have to go to a shared branch (i.e. Muskegon Governmental Employees Credit Union) to avoid a ridiculous fee.

I want so bad to just leave that credit union, but it's MY credit union. Credit unions aren't like banks. They are made up of members like me who pool their money together to provide each other with financial services at a discounted rate. I have been part of this pool since the beginning; since they were located in what was pretty much a closet at (the now closed) Viking Foods. No, I'm not leaving (yet). As I said, this is MY credit union.

So, I wanted to address the board because this is only one of three issues I have with them. When I inquired about the board and it's next meeting, I was told that Board Meetings are closed to the public. Wait. Did you refer to me as being part of the "Public"? Really?

I started to do some research about how the system works. I got side tracked by the financial data that I found, which is nothing short of amazing. Below, you will find a financial analysis, step by step, of my credit union and how it compares to other local credit unions. I think it is fairly obvious why they have resorted to implementing ridiculous fees. It is my opinion, based on the data below, that my credit union is being mismanaged, and those in charge are rather close to breaching their fiduciary duties.

But, before I present the data, a disclaimer. The information below is believed to be accurate and every attempt has been made to ensure its accuracy. I am not a professional typist so it may contain errors. I am also not a professional financial analyst, so the opinions expressed are just that, my own personal opinions. Like the data, they too, are subject to mistakes.

So, here it is:

Why does my credit union charge stupid fees? Are they going broke? Is it the latest trend among credit unions? We're fixin' to find out....

First, let's look at their asset structure. We'll follow that with a look at their expense:

Assets/Liquidity
Net Worth/Total Assets
What this ratio measures:
This ratio results from dividing Net Worth (assets - liabilities) into Total Assets. You might call this the equity of the credit union.
Credit Union	Dec-07	Dec-08	Dec-09	Dec-10	Dec-11	Peer Avg.
Community Schools FISCU	19.5	21.0	19.4	20.6	21.0	11.0
First General	26.5	26.8	23.5	17.3	17.2	11.0
Lakeshore FCU	24.5	23.1	19.2	17.4	17.1	12.4
Shoreline FCU	16	16.89	16	14.86	14	12.4
Family Financial	20.4	18.5	15.8	15.7	13.5	11.0
Muskegon Co Op	13	12.1	11	11.57	12	12.4
Muskegon Governmental Emp	12.7	12.4	11.5	11.2	11.1	12.4
Michigan Coastal FISCU	14.9	12.5	11.3	10.3	7.7	12.4
Narrative:
Michigan Coastal's very low ranking could mean one of two things. First, it could mean deteriorating liquidity which would raise the most serious of red flags. Or, it could mean that their loan portfolio is over leveraged. Our next two analysis will investigate both.
Solvency Evaluation
What this ratio measures:
This takes net profit + depreciation (think of it as real cash profit) and divides it into the credit union's liabilities. It measures a credit union's ability to meet it's debt obligations, both to creditors and shareholders alike.
Credit Union	Dec-07	Dec-08	Dec-09	Dec-10	Dec-11	Peer Avg.
Community Schools FISCU	125	126.75	124	124.73	125	112.55
First General	136	136.23	130	120.98	121	112.55
Lakeshore FCU	132.87	130.46	123.91	121.26	120.77	114.63
Shoreline FCU	119.81	120.56	118.61	117.63	116.85	114.63
Family Financial	125	121.51	118	118.62	116	112.55
Muskegon Co Op	115.21	114.03	112.37	113.31	113.32	114.63
Muskegon Governmental Emp	114.59	114.17	112.99	112.65	112.48	114.63
Michigan Coastal FISCU	117	114.32	113	111.38	108	114.63
Narrative:
Here we have generated our first red flag. Michigan Coastal ranked last again, and furthermore ranked well behind the peer average. We won't stop here and assume that this is the reason for the low Net Worth to Total Assets ranking. We will now evaluate the loan portfolio.
Total Loans/Total Assets
What this ratio measures:
This ratio divides the total value of outstanding loans into the Total Assets. This tells us how much of the credit union's assets have been loaned out.
Credit Union	Dec-07	Dec-08	Dec-09	Dec-10	Dec-11	Peer Avg.
Lakeshore FCU	54	47.18	34	32.08	33	49.58
Muskegon Governmental Emp	59	59.55	54	50.36	46	49.58
Family Financial	56	64.29	59	54.33	52	54.51
Shoreline FCU	60.29	57.89	57.66	61.29	58.08	49.58
First General	42.18	40.96	47.56	70.49	59.3	54.51
Community Schools FISCU	71	73.48	65	60.19	62	54.51
Muskegon Co Op	63.64	62.45	66.59	75.95	71.88	49.58
Michigan Coastal FISCU	72	59.63	59	62.33	73	49.58
Narrative:
Michigan Coastal's ranked highest in terms of percentage of assets tied up in loans. It could be considered risky to have a large percentage of assets tied up in loans. Now that we know that Michigan Coastal has a substantial loan portfolio, we will now look at it's performance.
Delinquent Loans / Total Loans
What this ratio measures:
This measures current delinquency. At some point (I believe either at the 90 day mark or the 180 day mark) loans are moved from delinquency status to charge off status.
Credit Union	Dec-07	Dec-08	Dec-09	Dec-10	Dec-11	Peer Avg.
Muskegon Co Op	0.68	0.52	0.36	0.55	0.44	1.64
Muskegon Governmental Emp	1	0.24	1	0.72	1	1.64
Family Financial	2	1.43	2	2.06	1	1.44
First General	0	3.25	1	0.45	1	1.44
Lakeshore FCU	3.74	3.1	3.52	2.1	1.08	1.64
Community Schools FISCU	0	0.98	1	2	2	1.44
Shoreline FCU	0.99	0.48	0.49	0.59	1.87	1.64
Michigan Coastal FISCU	1	0.8	1	1.04	4	1.64
Narrative:
Michigan Coastal once again ranked worst when it comes to delinquency status. Since older loans get moved to charge off status, we will need to look at those figures for a more complete picture.
Net Charge Offs / Average Loans
What this ratio measures:
This measures current delinquency. At some point (I believe either at the 90 day mark or the 180 day mark) loans are moved from delinquency status to charge off status.
Credit Union	Dec-07	Dec-08	Dec-09	Dec-10	Dec-11	Peer Avg.
Muskegon Co Op	1.26	0.55	0.75	0.58	0.37	0.66
Shoreline FCU	0.16	0.36	0.37	0.24	0.53	0.66
Lakeshore FCU	0.22	0.62	1.62	1.75	0.57	0.66
Family Financial	0.53	0.45	1.18	1.17	0.57	0.67
Muskegon Governmental Emp	0.81	0.65	0.63	0.39	0.58	0.66
First General	0.26	0.08	0.62	0.64	0.87	0.67
Community Schools FISCU	0.33	0.72	0.82	1.20	0.96	0.79
Michigan Coastal FISCU	0.79	0.92	1.13	1.36	0.98	0.66
Narrative:
Michigan Coastal again ranked worst not only when it comes to delinquency status, but charge offs as well. This means that they have engaged in what some may consider to be very risky lending practices. This is probably what has led to the decreased liquidity and substantial operating losses. Next, let's look at their expenses in relation to other credit unions.
Expenses
Operating Expenses / Average Assets
What this ratio measures:
This ratio divides the total operating expenses into the average assets. In other words, it evaluates whether or not you are living within your means.
Credit Union	Dec-07	Dec-08	Dec-09	Dec-10	Dec-11	Peer Avg.
First General	3.17	3.30	3.96	3.43	3.07	3.97
Lakeshore FCU	4.38	4.01	3.92	3.43	3.46	3.94
Muskegon Governmental Emp	3.81	4.03	4.15	3.59	3.53	3.94
Family Financial	4.59	4.35	4.53	3.96	3.76	3.97
Shoreline FCU	5.66	5.30	5.85	5.16	4.85	3.94
Muskegon Co Op	5.63	6.37	5.01	4.87	5.12	3.94
Community Schools FISCU	6.97	7.45	6.47	5.80	5.89	4.73
Michigan Coastal FISCU	7.84	7.03	7.26	6.77	5.95	3.94
Narrative:
Michigan Coastal ranked dead last in this category as well. Operating expenses include loan losses (and/or the provision thereof), so I am going to dig into some of the expenses by category.
Salary & Benefits / Full Time Employees
What this ratio measures:
This divides both the Total Salary and the Total Benefits into the number of full time employees. It gives what is believed to be an average salary per employee. Part-time employee's may be considered separately.
Credit Union	Dec-07	Dec-08	Dec-09	Dec-10	Dec-11	Peer Avg.
Shoreline FCU	$35,212	$35,400	$32,991	$36,651	$37,388	$52,729
First General	$48,761	$46,700	$41,529	$43,490	$42,686	$55,615
Community Schools FISCU	$39,789	$42,132	$37,992	$46,544	$42,835	$55,615
Family Financial	$43,384	$49,088	$46,620	$50,099	$47,309	$55,615
Lakeshore FCU	$37,534	$40,290	$44,826	$46,633	$47,733	$52,729
Muskegon Co Op	$44,124	$45,616	$48,701	$46,996	$50,504	$52,729
Michigan Coastal FISCU	$42,349	$44,803	$47,180	$58,127	$51,906	$52,729
Muskegon Governmental Emp	$44,719	$52,124	$52,807	$52,314	$52,450	$52,729
Narrative:
Michigan Coastal has the second highest payroll/benefits expense of all the credit unions sampled here. When you consider that Muskegon County Governmental has multiple branches, you can probably expect a higher payroll/benefit expense because of the additional layers of management required to operate multiple branches.

My Conclusion (which is an OPINION)


After compiling this data (once again, data that may contain errors), I believe (and this is only an opinion) that my credit union has:

1) Made too many loans, causing the liquidity to drop below a level that could possibly jeopardize it's ability to continue as a going concern, either now or in the future.

2) Made too many loans to too many people who may not have the ability to repay, further reducing liquidity.

3) Paid the employees and/or the management of the credit union salaries and/or provided benefits that are not consistent with the other Muskegon County credit unions randomly sampled in this analysis.

It is no wonder why they charge stupid fees. They need to recoup OUR losses from risky loans THEY made and so that they can continue to provide themselves salaries & compensation that exceeds the average of the other local credit unions randomly sampled in the above analysis.

I would love to see someone from the board respond to this, I know they'll see it.

And one more disclaimer, I can only recall interactions with 3 current (or very recently current employees). My interactions with Lexi and Allie are always very pleasant, but I am not too fond of another female employee, who I will not name. This is not a personal attack against the employees, but it is personal. It's personal because I have been a member for 30 years and I am sickened by what has become of Michigan Coastal Credit Union.

Detroit Tigers - Spring Training Outlook

The last game the Tigers played was one for the ages. It was a rare “163rd” game to determine the winner of the American League Central Division. The Tigers faltered much of the second half, but it took until the last day for the Minnesota Twins to move into a tie for 1st place and force that 163rd game. Even though the Tigers lost, it was the best game of the post season.
Since then, the Tigers are minus a few players, but have added replacements to fill in those spots. I like all the moves the Tigers have made. I think they have undoubtedly improved their team over last year. But, the best moves might not be moves at all. They have had a lot of players with injuries that haven’t been producing. Here’s a look at some of the key points:
The Tigers are without Edwin Jackson. He had a great first half, but faltered in the second half. So, who will replace Jackson in the #2 spot? Most likely, Rick Porcello will become the #2. However, early reports out of Spring Training have Jeremy Bonderman significantly better than last year (when he was plagued with shoulder problems). The Tigers also received a RH-SP named Max Scherzer. He won 11 games with the D-Backs last year. And remember, they also have Nate Robertson, Armando Gallaraga – one of which should be a solid pitcher at the back of the rotation. Maybe this is the year that Dontrelle Willis will return.
The Tigers were hit hardest in the bullpen. Gone are both Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon. Rodney’s departure is bittersweet. Although his stats were good, he wasn’t as effective as the numbers indicate. It was unfortunate that Lyon left, but that was a combination of two things. First, he was bound to make more money than the Tigers were willing to pay. Second, it must have been a little upsetting to him to be the better closer, but to play behind Rodney.
Looking at middle relief, they have a solid middle reliever – possibly the best in baseball – returning in Fu Te Ni. It is possible that he could challenge for a position in the starting rotation, but he will most likely start the season as a middle reliever. Zach Miner was also fairly effective as a middle reliever.
The Tigers have been using a platoon to close out ball games. In the past, it was Zumaya – Rodney, followed by Lyon – Rodney, and now it may end up being Perry – Valverde. Valverde was picked up via free agency. He is a quality closer, and should do just fine in that role for the Tigers. Although I am not optimistic, Joel Zumaya could also fight for the role of closer.
As far as hitters go, nobody will fill in for the departed Placido Polanco. His defense and timely hitting will surely be missed. The Tigers do have a young stud named Scott Sizemore. It is possible that he will make up for some of the missed production by supplying the long ball, something Polanco did not really have in his arsenal. Going in to Spring Training, Sizemore is the guy that will likely replace Polanco.
The Tigers are without Granderson. However, they picked up a young stud named Austin Jackson to take over for him in CF. Plus, they also have Johnny Damon. They seem to have gotten twice as better as Granderson. The Tigers also have Magglio Ordonez, who reported to Spring Training in the best shape of his life. He is said to be quicker and more powerful. Hopefully, this means that we will see the Maggs of old.
Around the infield, Miguel Cabrera spent much of the offseason in rehab. Assuming that he won’t be playing with hangovers anymore, maybe we will see him have the best season of his career – which could be Pujols-like.
The Everett-Santiago platoon at shortstop is back, as is Brandon Inge at 3rd. Remember, Inge had a great start last season (even voted in to the All-Star Game) before a nagging knee injury slowed him down during the second half. He is said to have recovered from this injury and could become a contributor to the Tiger’s offense.
Behind the dish, it looks like no changes are in store. Gerald Laird will be the regular catcher, and will be backed up by Alex Avilla. The good thing about Laird is that he literally shuts down opponent’s running game. The bad thing is he is an anemic hitter. Avilla has shown some promise, but is not likely to be a substantially better hitter than Laird, which means they will choose Laird for his defense.
This season looks like it could be a very good one. I am very optimistic. We’ll see how everything plays out over Spring Training – it looks as if the Tigers will be a solid contender for the ALCD.

What Ernie Harwell Means To Me...

Anybody that knows me knows that I am a true Detroit Tigers' fan. The first memory I have was 1984 when they won the World Series. Names like Jack Morris, Alan Trammel, Darrell Evans, Milt Wilcox and Dan Petry were "Michigan Household Names" back then. Over the years, players like Cecil Fielder, Luis Gonzales and Hideo Nomo would come and go. They would "go" most often as the team faltered badly after about 1993 and went into tailspin for a decade.

There was one man that was there the entire way. Ernie Harwell would broadcast the games from the booth for WJR, which would be broadcast locally on 850AM - WKBZ. His broadcast partner for most of those years was Paul Carey. These guys were more to me than just broadcasters. They brought the games to me as early back as 10 years old. Most times during my childhood, we didn't have TV. My mom thought the TV made us lazy and broadcast filth that would send us to hell if we watched it.

When my mom took up running back in the early 1980's, she bought a little transistor radio. It was small enough where she could put it in the front pocket of a hooded sweatshirt. I suspect that it didn't work well for her, which is why she gave it to me. Mind you, this was before the days of the "Walkman" with headphones that weren't like wearing ear muffs.

It was AM and FM, but had pretty bad reception from its antennae that was about 5 times longer than the radio itself. It would pick up WTRU AM 1600 (which was THE station back then), WLCS "Magic 98" and of course WKBZ. This was about the time that I began calling the DJ's constantly to play "Thriller" or other Michael Jackson songs. Of course, these were at times that my mom wasn't around.

At night time during baseball season, I was forced to go to bed rather early. I figure maybe it was my ADHD, but I would lay in bed with one ear to that radio listening to the sounds of the ballpark. It just felt like I was there when I heard the "Charge" from County Stadium in Milwaukee or the ball hitting off the scoreboard at Fenway. When there was a break in the action, Ernie would tell us the story about how he almost got into a fistfight with Ty Cobb on a train, or how he was the only broadcaster ever traded by a team. One time, I remember a story about how he and his wife (Ms. Lulu) went to what I believe was an African safari. The guide recognized his voice before he had a chance to see his name. This guide was apparently awestruck and Ernie was almost embarrassed that someone so far from home recognized him by his voice alone. I remember that story because I always wished that I could be as lucky as that guy.

Over the years, I would practice becoming a baseball announcer, although I would never pursue it. I always modeled my style after Ernie Harwell and would steal his lines - like "two for the price of one" or "lonnng gone!"

In Ernie's last few seasons with teh Tigers, he would be back in the television booth, along side clumsy color men like Jim Price. As much as I don't care for Jim's style of announcing, I always remember the reverence he had for Ernie.

When Ernie finally did retire in like 2005, I remember wishing the Tigers could have won just one more World Series, or gave him a decent playoff run. In 2006, they did just that. ESPN would invite Ernie into the booth for a couple of innings to do the play-by-play. I remember not having a TV in my barracks so I had to go to the bowling alley to watch the game. Here is a top notch broadcaster (Jon Miller) and the great Joe Morgan (color man) treating Ernie like he is the most powerful man in the world. What a treat it was for all of us to have Ernie to share in the World Series experience from the broadcast booth where he so faithfully served Tiger fans for 42 season.

So, when Ernie revealed that he had inoperable cancer, I don't think I have ever felt so badly for someone who I have never met. He is a man that I have "known" and admired my entire life. Much like my dad, he has the luxury of saying goodbye to his family and friends. When Ernie decided that he would address the crowd one last time, I knew I just had to be there.

...And so I will.