I heard Mike Cox singing the "Big Bad Blues" too.  Too bad there's no information here other than an insurance company that has money on hand and "income".

Between January 1, 2007 and October 20, 2008 (PAC filing deadline) the Blues' PAC has officially contributed $425,000 in Michigan Democratic candidates.  That's right, nearly a half a million dollars in a cycle when the Governor, AG, SOS, and entire State Senate were not even up!

Some of their highlights include:
$15K for Governor Granholm (what exactly is she running for?)
$20K for Lt. Governor Cherry
$10K for the State Democratic Party
$40K for the House Democratic Fund PAC
$25K for Speaker Dillon
$10K for the Dem Senatorial Congressional Committee
$27K for the Senate Dem Fund PAC
$54K to the Blues federal PAC (I wonder where that got funneled to?)
$4,300 for Rep. Simpson (running in Special for open 19th Senate seat)

And what about upcoming battleground Senate seats you ask?  They are the floodgate against complete Democratic control and the results of 2010 will have massive consequences on Democratic attempts to dictate redistricting.

2010 Blues Battlegrounds:
Sen. Richardville v. Rep. Angerer ($7,900)
Sen. Kahn v. Rep. Coulouris ($5,000)
Sen. Patterson open seat v. Rep. Corriveau ($5,500)
Sen. Stamas open seat v. Rep. Neumann ($5,000)

ZERO.

Creating such a uniquely absurd double-system to provide expensive-but-not-stratospheric priced insurance to individuals with chronic bad health or pre-existing conditions is what the dispute is all about.

Value of BCBS tax exemptions: $100 million.

Value of the loot tax-paying insurers would have to turn over to tax-exempt BCBS under the bill: I don't know, but a whole bunch.

Value to citizens of such a system: ZERO.

Value of BCBS contributions to the political class: PRICELESS.

Where the burden of proof lies in this debate: BCBS.

Independent audits of BCBS income and balance sheets: NONE.

Any questions?

PA 350 forbids Blue Cross from being engaged in insurance:

"A health care corporation shall not market or transact, as defined in sections 402a and 402b of the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.402a and 500.402b, any type of insurance described in chapter 6 of the insurance code."  MCL 550.1206

"The corporate name shall not include the words insurance, casualty, surety, health and accident, mutual, or other words descriptive of the insurance or surety business, and shall not be so similar to the name of an insurance or surety company doing business in this or other states at the time of incorporation so as to tend, in the judgment of the commissioner, to create confusion in identity with that insurance or surety company."  MCL 550.1202.

PA 350 declares Blue Cross to be a charity:

"Each corporation subject to this act is declared to be a charitable and benevolent institution and its funds and property shall be exempt from taxation by this state or any political subdivision of this state."  MCL 550.1102
Attorney General Jennifer Granholm held that "the Michigan Legislature created a charitable trust for the benefit of Michigan's citizens."  Attorney General Opinion 7115, issued July 30, 2002.
The Michigan Supreme Court has stated that "BCBSM is a unique statutory creation, distinct from a private insurance company in that it is not carried on as an insurance business for profit." Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan v Governor, 422 Mich 1 (1985).
Thirty years ago, the Michigan Supreme Court had this to say about Blue Cross--it's amazing how true it is today:

"We must deal with a program which has come full circle; the very entity established to assure the availability of medical care to persons in this State is engaged in a course of conduct which, if not checked, could result in a health care system so prohibitively expensive that medical care will be unavailable to those same people it was established to serve."