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"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."
~Plato |
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Welcome to this month’s Newsletter. We are excited to finally be operating out of our Benzie County Republican County Action Center! Thanks to everyone that has helped make this a reality. I might add, just in time, as we are now going to be fully engaged in the upcoming Election Season.
A big thank you to all our current Republican elected officials for all you have done for Benzie County. We encourage you to consider running again as we work with you to find suitable candidates to fill any vacancies remaining after the fast-approaching April 23 filing deadline. We are more prepared than ever to assist your campaigns with our new ability to prepare walk lists, use targeted candidate texting and weekly Candidate Recruiting meetings.
We have established our Precinct Delegate allocation for the next two years. If you are currently a Precinct Delegate, please consider running again. Your filing deadline is May 7th. We preserved our current Precinct Delegate count in all our 13 Precincts and even added a couple more in our smaller Townships. We will be scheduling Precinct Delegate informational meetings at our Action Center.
Stay tuned for the work we are beginning in conjunction with Michigan Fair Elections and Checkmyvote.org. We now have two phenomenal data leads in Benzie. We are excited to begin training anyone and everyone interested in helping our clerks clean up our Benzie Qualified Voter Rolls. We will be scheduling educational/training classes at our Action Center shortly. Part of this work will involve active participants from our Precinct Delegates.
Thanks again for the opportunity to serve as your Chairman,
Mark Smith
Blaine Township Precinct Delegate
Executive Committee Chairman
Benzie County Republican Party (BCRP) |
Our Action Center is ready!!! Updates are being made daily. |
News from Sue Webber Vice Chairwoman
Candidate Support Committee Meeting We need volunteers to help fill delegate seats & to help fill local positions. Let's work together to make it happen!! Wednesday, April 10 that 6:00 pm at the Action Center 1681 Benzie Hwy, Benzonia 49616
Deadline for filing for local elected-office positions is April 23th, 2024 by 4:00 p.m.
Deadline for a delegate's name to appear on the August Ballot is Tuesday, May 7, 2024 by 4:00 p.m. |
IF YOU LIVE ON LAND in Benzie County, PLEASE HELP!!
Jim Evans of Joyfield Township is the area Captain, circulating the petition to push back against the current plan to give the State, via a 3 person board- the authority to basically take our land if they want to install green energy.
From Jim:
"I am collecting signatures in order to restore our right to vote locally on local land-use issues, as the State is removing our ability for people to vote on local land issues regarding green energy.
Please help stop this! I will come to you!!!
Please call me (Jim Evans) at
1-231-871-0044
or email me at fortress@benzie.com
I can also give you petitions to collect signatures from family, friends, church family, etc. We have 40 days to get this done!" |
"We strongly and passionately oppose the push for a mandatory 'registry' for children who are educated at home or in private, or parochial schools." |
WARNING: The Michigan democrats are working to recruit local liberal candidates with the intent to take over offices in our little northern Michigan communities. They are texting directly to democrat voters, looking to recruit. |
The image above was created by the Benzie Democrats. The original included contact information as well as details on how to get elected. |
Benzie County is home to many locally elected conservative patriots who share a passion for our community, who want to ensure our villages, townships and county remain robust, vibrant, and moving forward, while keeping decision-making in the hands of those who live and work here. In 2024, some of the positions listed below need to be filled. As we near the November election, strong Republicans of integrity are needed to fill vacancies in Benzie, where our presence makes a massive difference at the county, township, and school board levels.
There has never been a more URGENT NEED to protect our "home" for our friends, families, children and future generations.
THESE ARE OUR COMMUNITIES. Let us work to keep our values at the forefront of our society.
Consider running for a local official position, precinct delegate, school board member....
Many positions are part time, allowing you a little extra spending money.
Know someone who is passionate and outspoken & who wants to keep our Republic strong? Encourage them to run for one of these positions! In order to have YOUR voice heard, please consider stepping into one of these positions. Deadline for filing is April 23th, 2024 by 4:00 p.m.
The BCRP is here to help and support!! Join us Wednesday, April 10 at 6:00 pm at the Action Center 1681 Benzie Hwy, Benzonia 49616
Below are 4 pages of potential available position openings:
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We have an opportunity in front of us to reverse Prop 2's devastating effects on our future elections.
In 2022 voters passed Prop 2, which legalized Zuckerberg money, gave us 9 days of early voting, allows anyone to vote without voter I.D, and does not require video cameras on ballot drop boxes. Michigan Fair Elections (MFE), an incredible organization whose goal is to support fair and free elections in Michigan, is dedicated to eradicating Prop 2 from our state constitution.
Last fall MFE filed a lawsuit initiated by eight Republican legislators in our state. The Legislative Usurpation lawsuit argues that our U. S. Constitution, and our own State Constitution, places the authority over election law squarely with the state legislators. Our legislators alone are the ones who determine the time, place and manner of our elections. In other words, the Secretary of State does not have that authority nor do the citizens of Michigan by passing a ballot initiative, as our state did in 2018 and again in 2022, to change election law.
Michigan is presently awaiting a decision at the federal court level and no matter who wins or loses, there will be an appeal. If we do not act quickly, and proceed with the effort, there can be national consequences. The left is now trying this scam in other battleground states in time for the 2024 election!
Success of this lawsuit would remove 2022’s Prop 2 and Promote the Vote’s Prop 3 (2018 allowing anyone to vote absentee) out of our state constitution so in the future Michigan CAN enact fair election laws.
Unfortunately, Democrat majorities in the House and Senate have passed Prop 2 amendments into Michigan law. We however must take this opportunity to position our state to reinstall fair election laws when conservatives take back the reins of government. Success also would set precedence to stop this deceptive unconstitutional procedure from being used in other critical states for 2024.
I know you get millions of requests for donations, but unless we overturn Prop 2, nothing else matters. Ripping this out of our state constitution is the best chance we have of leveling the playing field of election integrity and this lawsuit has a real chance!
However, there is an urgent need for additional funds to help pay some of the legal cost.
In Michigan, Progressive organizations spent $45,000,000 to pass Prop 2.
We are trying to raise $50,000 to condemn it to the trash bin of corrupt initiatives pushed by the left.
The team of incredible attorneys working on this case tell us the federal courts are signaling that they are interested in hearing a case like this, so the time is now to act and get this to the US Supreme Court!
I hope I have explained the critical need for this lawsuit to go forward in an expedited way. My goal to help raise the $50,000 needed is to find:
- 8 - $1,000 donors
- 300 - $100 donors (the cost of two people going out to dinner!)
- 200 - $50 donors (a trip to McDonalds for a family of 4!)
I ask for your help to overturn these disastrous amendments illegally added to our state Constitution.
Please go to MiFairElections.org and click the DONATE button, or mail checks to MFE, P.O. Box 41, Stockbridge, MI 49285.
Michigan Fair Elections is a nonprofit organization, a charitable IRS 501(c)3, so your donations are tax deductible.
Thank you for your interest in saving Michigan.
God Bless,
Marian Sheridan
Grassroots Vice Chair |
Precinct Delegate Details:
Precinct Delegates have perhaps one of the most important roles in politics. They are the first rung on the ladder & are the foundation of the political party, as they are closer to those in the community than most elected officials. Precinct Delegates have the power to change the party and are elected in the August primary every 2 years.
Deadline for a delegate's name to appear on the August Ballot is Tuesday, May 7, 2024 by 4:00 p.m. Otherwise, they may file as a write in. The Benzie County Clerk's office can notarize and file Precinct Delegate affidavit for no cost.
Still have questions?
Please join us Wednesday, April 10 at 6:00 pm at the Action Center 1681 Benzie Hwy, Benzonia 49616
If you are unable to attend, please contact Chairman Mark Smith by email at chair@benziecountyrepublicans.org He will be glad to hear from you!
To learn more about becoming a Precinct Delegate, visit here.
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From Morgan Ray, State Director of Election Integrity:
I'm reaching out to you today to recruit you to be an election inspector in our April, August, and November elections. Due to Michigan's new election laws (9 to 29 days of early voting), we need volunteers to cover the polls.
Statewide, we're going to need a minimum of 1,400 election inspectors to cover polling sites across Michigan.
There are three different areas where we'll need volunteers:
Early Voting
Election Day
Absentee Count boards
In order to monitor the parity requirement across our cities, I ask that if you plan to work as an election inspector, you fill out the attached application (see below or click here) and email it back to me!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best,
Morgan Ray
Michigan Election Integrity Director
Cell: 248-780-9201
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For more information, please contact Jennifer Brogley by email at jennifer.brogley@gmail.com |
APRIL CALENDAR
April 10 District 103 Representative Coffia will be hosting a coffee hour for( Almira & Platte
April 9 & 23 @ 9 a.m. Board of Commissioners
April 15 @ 5:30 p.m. GOP Delegate Round Table Meeting - 1681 Benzie Hwy, Benzonia 49616 |
Democrat Besty Coffia represents house district 103, which covers portions of Grand Traverse County, all of Leelenau, and 2 precincts in Benzie: Almira and Platte. HOUSE DISTRICT 103 MAP: |
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From Manistee Newsletter:
New Michigan Laws
While energy and grocery bills continue to increase, and students are falling further and further behind, Liberals have been forcing Michigan residents to pay for their partisan agenda. Instead of addressing serious problems facing Michigan, the governor and Lansing Liberals have passed an extreme agenda over the last year that:
•Harms the economy
•Repeals Right to Work, making our state less attractive for economic investment (SB 34, HB 4004).
• Increases taxes on struggling Michiganders (HB 4001).
• Mandates a radical California-style Green New Deal that will make electrical bills more expensive and our electrical grid less reliable (SB 271).
• Raises taxes on consumers and small businesses (HBs 4377 and 4378).
• Allows Michigan to pass stricter regulations than the federal government (SB 14).
• Increases the cost of all public projects (HB 4007).
• Makes you pay for those out of work thanks to Democrats’ economic, regulatory and energy policies (SB 519).Fails our students
• Weakens the state’s law to help students learn to read by third grade (SB 12).
• Ends required annual evaluations of teachers and allows teachers to be promoted regardless of how their students are performing (SB 395).
• Eliminates the A-F grading scale for schools (HB 4166).Undermines individual liberties
• Unfairly forces workers to join a union (SB 34, HB 4004).
• Strips local control over wind and solar siting decisions (HB 5121).
• Restricts the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners (SB 83).
• Removes existing provisions such as signature matching requirements for returned absentee ballots and signature requirements for online absentee ballot applications (SB 370).
• Forces public employees to give their home address, cell phone number, and personal email address to union bosses (SB 169).
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From an Anonymous Benzie County Resident:
As many of you may know, Northern Michigan College (NMC) has been holding listening sessions in Benzie County to gauge interest among residents about annexation which would allow Benzie residents to take coursework at NMC at in-district rates. (NMC students from Benzie currently pay out-of-district rates, which are higher.)
In addition, with this annexation, NMC would “explore” having some kind of presence in Benzie County. At the March 16, 2024 meeting at Mills Community House, NMC President Nick Nissley discussed the findings from the various listening sessions and outlined the next steps. Although on the surface this seems like a good deal for Benzie County residents enrolling at NMC, the details surrounding this annexation raise some significant concerns that each property and business owner should consider: The annexation would require Benzie County property/business owners to pay an increased millage of 2.057%. This non-negotiable millage rate would yield approximately 3 million dollars in revenue for NMC, and the NMC Board of Trustees would control how the money is spent. The 2.057 millage increase would be IN-PERPITUITY (forever), which means that NMC would get the 3 million in revenue regardless of whether Benzie County had 10 students enrolled or 30. The 2.057 millage would be in the top four highest millages paid per property owner behind ONLY county tax (3.37 millage), state ed tax (6.0), school operating (18) and NW Education services (2.88). Benzie property/business owners pay less millage for actual services all residents benefit from directly, such as road improvement, veterans, school debt, animal control, public transportation, fire, library, and recycling.The millage figures presented at the listening sessions are based on assuming that the State Equalized Value of a property is 50% less than the assessed value. For example, NMC showed that a property owner with an assessed property value of $500,000 would have a State Equalized Value of $250,000 and would therefore only pay an additional $514 with the increased 2.057 millage. However, in Michigan, property taxes are determined by taxable value, not State Equalized Value, and often assessed value and taxable value are essentially the same amount. Therefore, in the example used by NMC, a property/business owner with an assessed value of $500,000 would most likely pay an increase per year of $1,028, not $514. Each property/business owner should check their most recent tax assessment to determine the amount they would pay based on the formula--1 mill equals $1.00 per $1,000 of taxable value.NMC has stated that they would explore setting up a “reinvestment” fund and putting approximately 1.5--2 million in it from the yearly millage to support Benzie County, but they have no specific plans for what that support entails. NMC said this “reinvestment” might include facilities, staffing, IT infrastructure, transportation, and childcare, but there is nothing in the annexation that would guarantee that any of the revenue would be used specifically for this purpose. Dr. Nissley did state earlier that NMC has plans to build another dormitory/apartment and possibly an administrative building for students at the Traverse City location; money from the annexation could be used to support these expenses—none of which would necessarily benefit Benzie County residents.The current tuition rates are $122 per credit in-district and $261 per credit out-of-district, so a Benzie County student would save $139/credit. However, according to NMC, there are between 30-35 high school students who enroll at NMC each year and a significant number of them are part-time; the total “savings” for these students would be approximately $58,380 (35 students taking 6 credits per semester x 2 semesters x $139/credit). This would leave NMC with approximately 2.9 million extra that would go into their operating budget. Benzie County residents between the ages of 21-55 who have not completed any post-secondary degrees/certifications are eligible for RE-CONNECT funds from the state but only at the in-district rate. Therefore, a Benzie resident would still have to pay the difference between in-district and out-of-district tuition. NMC states there are approximately 6,500 Benzie residents who meet that eligibility criteria but NMC has not collected any data from this group to find out how many of these residents would actually enroll at NMC to take advantage of this program. Next steps: The NMC Board of Trustees will decide in April whether to add the annexation to the November ballot. It seems clear that they wish to do so because it is a WIN situation for them. If the ballot measure passes, they receive 3 million a year in perpetuity. If it does not pass, they have lost very little for trying.
Bottom Line: Although there is interest in having post-secondary opportunities for Benzie County residents, this annexation is not a good deal for property/business owners. The increased millage is permanent and the 3 million would go directly into NMC operating budget with NMC controlling, through its Board of Trustees, how this money is spent. A more viable option would be for residents to create a fund to support Benzie students attending NMC to offset the difference in tuition; the money could be raised through fundraising and would be locally controlled. What can you do? You should contact the NMC President and NMC Board of Trustees before this issue makes its way to the ballot:
You also should contact your local representatives to let them know your thoughts about this annexation: Betsy Coffia, State Representative District 103 Phone: (517) 373-3817 John Roth, State Representative District 104 Phone: (517) 373-1766 |
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is adapted from a talk delivered on March 11, 2024, at the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship on Hillsdale’s Washington, D.C. campus, as part of the AWC Family Foundation Lecture Series.
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Citizens for Local Choice This is a Statewide effort to get Local Control on the ballot in Michigan this fall. This is a great presentation of the nuts and bolts of what this effort is all about!
The guest speaker for the March 5th meeting of the Lapeer Tea Party was Michelle Peel, speaking on behalf of “Citizens for Local Choice.”
This is a bi-partisan ballot initiative to give back zoning regulations of wind and solar operations to our local government. You may remember, last November the Michigan Legislature passed new laws that took away the local power to control these issues and gave it to the unelected Public Service Commission.
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WINDMILLS
Now that some windmill farms are getting older, problems other than what we've already heard about are sometimes developing.
You may have heard about ice chunks being flung off of turbine blades, but in Oregon, the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm had a blade (as tall as an 11-story building and weighing more than four Toyota Camrys) soar the full length of a football field and plow a furrow 4-feet deep in the wheat stubble where it eventually landed. Someone could have been killed. Maintenance issues were the problem. The turbines were only 15 years old and already half way through their projected life but the company was already considering replacing them. There are about 72,000 turbines in the US - and growing. Yet there is no effective national, state or county reporting requirement or database tracking safety or operational incidents at wind farms. |
1st Amendment (and Censorship) Critical Infrastructure
You probably know that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the charge to protect America’s “critical infrastructure”. But you are unlikely to understand that DHS believes it is supposed to “protect” America’s "cognitive infrastructure" and that this means censoring your free speech and preventing you from disseminating ideas or opinions with which DHS disagrees. We are finding out that DHS believes it has the power to silence you, and it has been doing so for some time now.
Within DHS is an entity called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA has for some time now been working with private entities to silence anyone who strays from the official government-approved narrative. The Attorney General of Louisiana described it: One might think that with more scrutiny of these government activities that it might be coming to an end - but you'd be wrong. Governor Shapiro, PA, just created the Election Threats Task Force in that state to ensure all levels of government are working together to combat 'misinformation'. Governor Shapiro was short on details but when pressed the state admitted it will center on cooperation between the Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s office which oversees elections, and CISA, the guys at DHS who run the censorship program.
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From Our Friends in Manistee CountyBorder Bills
Some Democrats and media claim that Republicans “killed” the “toughest bipartisan border bill in decades” because Trump “told them it was better politically if the border is a mess.”IN FACT, the bill was riddled with loopholes that allow for, and reward, mass illegal migration. House Republicans passed a bill to stop this influx (H.R. 2, Secure the Border Act of 2023), but 100% of House Democrats voted against it, and the Democrat-controlled Senate hasn't taken any action on it. Watch an 8 min. video documenting all of these facts and more. Senate Border Act of 2024 - its strengths according to Senator Chris Murphy (what we'd call loopholes): "The border never closes"Asylum "claims processed in a non-detained, non-adversarial way""most asylum seekers can work immediately""slightly higher asylum screening standard at the border""brand new right to legal representation for all immigrants""It can only be used for a limited number of days per year. It sunsets in 3 years""Emergency cases that show up in between the ports still need to be accepted""The ports must process a minimum of 1400 claims a day""A new pathway to citizenship for Afghan parolees (the Afghan Adjustment Act) and the children of H1B holders"HR 2 - Secure the Border Act of 2023 -- The bill would:Limit eligibility of aliens (non-U.S. nationals) to receive parole or asylum and of some unaccompanied alien children to remain in the United StatesRequire the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume activities related to building a barrier on thesouthwestern U.S. border, hire additional border patrol agents, increase surveillance operations, and authorize additional appropriations for various DHS programsRequire all U.S. employers to use E-Verify, the federal web-based system for confirming eligibility to workImpose intergovernmental and private-sector mandates
Census Count
Many Americans do not know that the US census currently counts, for purposes of voting power, all people in a district, regardless of citizenship. Senate Democrats recently voted unanimously to defeat an amendment that would have stopped counting illegals for congressional seat apportionment and electoral college (presidential) votes. Since illegals are mostly in Democrat states, both the House and the Presidential vote are shifted ~5% to the left, which is enough to change the entire balance of power. Here is the list of yeas and nays Border WallFederal law REQUIRES the Biden Admin. to build border walls & barriers. Biden violated that law by wrongly diverting funds appropriated by Congress that were intended for border walls. But now a U.S. District Court handed Texas a win in the first round of a case that consolidated two lawsuits filed against the Biden administration for halting border wall construction. The Biden Administration can appeal to the Fifth Circuit.
WallsLiberals claim that walls won't work at the border --- but for some reason they think walls will work to protect Biden and Congress - a wall was built around the Capitol Building for Biden's Campaign Speech State of the Union Address.
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From We The County
Lansing
MICHIGAN'S DEPT OF EDUCATION is coming after our children. And the only thing that will protect our kids are good solid parents who understand what's going on to resist these things.
As you read their Top 10 Strategic Education Goals REMEMBER: to improve education they eliminated Third Grade Reading Readiness; to increase teachers, they downgrade certification; to evaluate bad teachers, they use metrics set by teachers' unions.
Read some of the missteps in the last legislative session.Legislative Missteps in Review:Let's take a look at some of the bills passed in the last legislative session.REPEAL A-F SCHOOL RANKINGS. HB 4166 was signed into law May 23, 2023: PA 34 of 2023. This bill repeals public school letter grades and rankings. Now the sole measure of a school's performance is something called the School Index Score put in place under the Every Student Exceeds Act. This index score was developed by the same Michigan Dept of Education that called for eliminating 3rd Grade Reading Readiness. Parents can readily relate to an A-F letter grade in ranking schools. Who are they protecting? Doesn't look like students or parents get help by this new system which passed by a 2 vote majority in the Senate.ALLOW TEACHERS' UNIONS TO BARGAIN TO KEEP BAD TEACHERSHB 4354 was signed into law on July 26, 2023. There is nothing else to say.SB 396: LOWERS REQUIREMENTS FOR TENURE. This bill amends the Teachers' Tenure Act. It modifies the definition of "demote." It updates provisions related to probationary periods and evaluations.SB 395 LOWERS STANDARDS FOR TEACHER EVALUATION. In 2011, the Legislature amended the Revised School Code to establish the evaluation system still largely used today. These reforms sought to hold teachers and administrators accountable for their work in the classroom for the benefit of the students. However, according to testimony before the Senate Education Committee, the evaluation system instead harmed teachers and failed students. I'd like to see the statistics. This bill revises that evaluation system, because teachers reported being stressed by the demands and potential punitive action. It now requires 20%, instead of 40% of a teacher's year-end evaluation to be based on locally agreed on student performance and assessment data or student learning objective metrics determined through collective bargaining agreements. It prohibits evaluation results being used to grant tenure or full certification or whether to remove ineffective teachers (tenured or not). Teachers would be evaluated at the end of the year. The same requirements apply to school administrators.
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May 9th Dr Frank will be at our Benzie Action Center! Stay tuned! |
Check out the Solari Report for actionable intelligence to live a free & inspired life. |
Twelve of thirteen townships are currently represented by Precinct Delegates.
Almira Benzonia Blaine Crystal Lake Frankfort Gilmore Homestead Inland Joyfield Lake Platte Weldon
Elected Precinct and At Large Delegates elected four officers and an Executive Committee to conduct party business.
Meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of each month.
We follow our Benzie County GOP bylaws, and Robert's Rules of Order.
Current officers: Mark Smith, Chairman Sue Webber, Vice Chair Chuck Clarke, Treasurer Kate Mazur, Secretary
Executive Committee Members info coming soon |
Benzie GOP $25 anual membership is due now. Please consider giving more! As election time draws near, monies will go towards yard signs, campaigns door flyers, etc. EVERY bit helps!! or send a check to:
Benzie County GOP PO Box 705 Beulah, MI 49617 |
Word of the Month Republic /rĭ-pŭb′lĭk/ noun A political order whose head of state is not a monarch and in modern times is usually a president. A nation that has such a political order. A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them. (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition) |
Thank you for reading this far! |
This newsletter was compiled by Precinct Delegates Sondra Halliday (Crystal Lake), Michelle Stabnau (Almira) and Kate Mazur (Almira).
Our goal is to pass along information which we feel is pertinent, sending it to all Benzie Republican voters whose email address we have on file.
Please feel free to forward this to Republicans who like information in order to take action.
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