Mark Grebner
Encyclopedia
Mark Grebner is an American
politician, political consultant, and psephologist
from the state
of Michigan
.
. He was a student at Michigan State University
in 1970, and became involved in politics at the time of the 18-year-old vote
in 1971. He has been an Ingham County
Commissioner
since 1977, except 1981-84, and has served as board chair and chair of the Finance Committee.
He is the president of Practical Political Consulting, a voter list and consulting firm which works mostly for Democrats in Michigan. In recent years, the firm has been expanding its operations to include Wisconsin
.
For almost 30 years, he has published Grading the Profs, which reports student survey results on Michigan State University
teaching faculty.
Grebner is a commentator on politics and political issues, and is often interviewed on radio and television and quoted in news articles.
He also writes on "Technical Politics" for the web site Michigan Liberal
.
Grebner is noted for his iconoclastic and humorous political tactics. The New York Times wrote that "Calling Mr. Grebner eccentric would be too obvious." David Josar, of the Detroit News, calls him "super wonk". During his campaigns for election and re-election as county commissioner, he has used self-deprecating
slogans such as "No Worse Than The Rest," "He May Be a Fool, But He's Our Fool," and (in a coupon
book) "Buy One Politician, Get One Free." A humorous letter he sent to his constituents in 1986, announcing his plans for re-election, was reprinted in the "Readings" section of Harper's Magazine
. In 2009 Grebner filed a lawsuit based on alterations to this Wikipedia page that he alleges were defamatory.
, and for the interests of university students:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician, political consultant, and psephologist
Psephology
Psephology is that branch of political science which deals with the study and scientific analysis of elections. Psephology uses historical precinct voting data, public opinion polls, campaign finance information and similar statistical data. The term was coined in the United Kingdom in 1952 by...
from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Career
Grebner is a resident of East Lansing, MichiganEast Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
. He was a student at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in 1970, and became involved in politics at the time of the 18-year-old vote
Voting age
A voting age is a minimum age established by law that a person must attain to be eligible to vote in a public election.The vast majority of countries in the world have established a voting age. Most governments consider that those of any age lower than the chosen threshold lack the necessary...
in 1971. He has been an Ingham County
Ingham County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 279,320 people, 108,593 households, and 63,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 500 people per square mile . There were 115,056 housing units at an average density of 206 per square mile...
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
since 1977, except 1981-84, and has served as board chair and chair of the Finance Committee.
He is the president of Practical Political Consulting, a voter list and consulting firm which works mostly for Democrats in Michigan. In recent years, the firm has been expanding its operations to include Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
For almost 30 years, he has published Grading the Profs, which reports student survey results on Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
teaching faculty.
Grebner is a commentator on politics and political issues, and is often interviewed on radio and television and quoted in news articles.
He also writes on "Technical Politics" for the web site Michigan Liberal
Michigan Liberal
Michigan Liberal is an American political blog, publishing news and opinion from a liberal or progressive point of view. It functions as a discussion forum and group blog for a variety of Michigan netroots activists, whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening the...
.
Grebner is noted for his iconoclastic and humorous political tactics. The New York Times wrote that "Calling Mr. Grebner eccentric would be too obvious." David Josar, of the Detroit News, calls him "super wonk". During his campaigns for election and re-election as county commissioner, he has used self-deprecating
Self-deprecation
Self-deprecation, or Self-depreciation, is the act of belittling or undervaluing oneself. It can be used in humor and tension release.-In comedy:...
slogans such as "No Worse Than The Rest," "He May Be a Fool, But He's Our Fool," and (in a coupon
Coupon
In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotions...
book) "Buy One Politician, Get One Free." A humorous letter he sent to his constituents in 1986, announcing his plans for re-election, was reprinted in the "Readings" section of Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
. In 2009 Grebner filed a lawsuit based on alterations to this Wikipedia page that he alleges were defamatory.
Political activities
Grebner has been frequently involved in public controversies, typically as an advocate for liberal positions, for voting rights, for freedom of informationFreedom of information
Freedom of information refers to the protection of the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Internet and information technology . Freedom of information may also concern censorship in an information technology context, i.e...
, and for the interests of university students:
- To resolve a $4 million deficit, the county's 2009 budget cut 19 full-time positions, including six in the sheriff's department, prompting criticism of possible impact on public safety. Grebner, as chair of the finance committee, defended the budget, saying: "It won't be unbearable; other [counties] get by with a lot less."
- In 2007, he led a group of plaintiffs who sued to overturn the Michigan presidential primary law as unconstitutional. Judge Collette of Ingham County Circuit CourtCircuit courtCircuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
ruled in plaintiffs' favor, striking down the primary; that ruling was upheld by a three-judge panel of the Michigan Court of AppealsMichigan Court of AppealsThe Michigan Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court of the state of Michigan. It was created by the Michigan Constitution of 1963, and commenced operations in 1965...
, but was reversed by the Michigan Supreme CourtMichigan Supreme CourtThe Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
. A different group of plaintiffs sued on similar grounds in federal court. On March 26, 2008, a federal district judge ruled that the primary law violated the 14th AmendmentFourteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
guarantee of equal protectionEqual Protection ClauseThe Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"...
.
- Grebner and his firm have frequently been plaintiffs in Freedom of Information Act lawsuits in Michigan and Wisconsin.
- In 2004 and 2006, his firm conducted a large-scale experiment, called ETOV, to "shame" nonvoters into participating in elections. The results of the study were published in the American Political Science Review.
- As county commissioner, Grebner strongly defended the county's practice of selling pound animals for medical researchAnimal testingAnimal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals—from zebrafish to non-human primates—ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million...
, and called animal rightsAnimal rightsAnimal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
activists "fanatics".
- Grebner has advocated measures to restrict smokingSmoking banSmoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
in workplaces in the county.
- An essay Grebner wrote about methods to increase voter turnoutVoter turnoutVoter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
suggested a focus on jailJailA jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
inmates held before trial.
External links
- grebner.com, official web site of Grebner's firm, Practical Political Consulting
- Official Biography at Ingham County
- Speeches of Mark Grebner, Sound recordings at MSU Vincent Voice Library
- Mark Grebner articles at USA Today