Tag: AG (page 2)

No one can argue the successes of Bill Schuette in realizing a lead of opinion early on for the republican AG nod. For the Record, I have not endorsed Schuette, nor is this an endorsement.

However, like our socialist counter parts, the Michigan Democrat party, I recognize Schuette is the guy to beat in the selection process, (he is carrying well over 100 law enforcement head endorsements currently) and frankly he is expected to make it to the November ballot easily.  The Dems knowing this however, have had to dig really deep to find anything negative to attack the would be candidate before the selection is made.  They would hope to skewer his bid in the short run so their candidate David Leyton has less trouble with the formidable Schuette organization.

Facing pressure from current Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and current Attorney General Mike Cox (both candidates for Governor in 2010), Chairman Ron Weiser has shelved the idea and will not be supporting it at tomorrow's regular meeting of the Michigan Republican State Committee.

Seems the issue that scuttled the whole thing was existing statute that necessitates nominations be made at the "fall" convention.  

While the proposed language in the two-fer convention rules sought to ease those concerns by stating selections in the spring only made candidates "eligible" for nomination in the fall, the ultimate conclusion seems to be that it was walking a little too dangerous a legal line.

I liked the "two-fer" idea myself... but this was probably the right call.

I think the same principle translates pretty well to the legislature where our elected officials spend tax dollars on the items, people and programs they believe are important while holding back from items they view as less important.  

Too often these days, though, doing a little case study of Michigan electeds will leave a guy scratching his head, confused and disappointed.

Exhibit A: Democratic Attorney General candidate Gretchen Whitmer and her state Senate colleagues.

Several weeks ago Whitmer and the Senate Dems voted to approve the Granholm-Cherry executive order firing 100 state troopers, taking freshly trained and hired law enforcement officers off the streets and away from our neighborhoods.  The move, they told us, was the only way the state could possibly save $1.7 million.

Turns out that wasn't quite the whole truth.  This Tuesday Whitmer and team voted AGAINST cutting the legislature's budget by $2.5 million, a move that would have saved more taxpayer cash annually than the trooper cuts, further cutting into that nasty deficit.  Better to spend the cash themselves... on themselves... than on keeping cops on the street.

And as ugly and selfish a move as that was they topped themselves in session on Thursday.

We've been covering the Michigan State Police boondoggle literally for years. From Representative Arlan Meekhof's update earlier this week to our examination of the original appropriation back in June of 2007, we've been on top of the story.

By way of reminder, the Michigan State Police currently lease their headquarters in East Lansing for the grand total of $1 a year.  One dollar.  

The Michigan State Police do NOT want to move.  They've said so.  Explicitly.

So, obviously, the only thing for the Granholm-Cherry administration to do was to approve a $117 million plan to build a new MSP headquarters in downtown Lansing.  And just to sweeten the pot, they made sure that A) the new building wouldn't be large enough to house all of the MSP operations, necessitating additional facilities, B) made sure there was a massive yearly lease to replace that all-together-too-reasonable $1 rate and C) made sure Democrat sugar daddy Joel Ferguson, a long-time ultra high dollar donor to Democratic candidates and causes and a personal friend of Governor Granholm got the contract to do the development and rake in the taxpayer cash.

Attorney General Mike Cox this week informed the legislature that legally they could get out of the entire brain dead scheme if they simply pulled back the funding.  Yesterday the Senate voted to do just that.  

The GOP Majority amended the State Police budget, SB 253, to strip funding for the "triangle project."  Gretchen Whitmer and her Senate Dem colleagues then voted to protect their donor's payday by attempting to strip the amendment that killed the funding.  They opted to waste $117 million on a new building MSP doesn't want after firing 100 of the men and women for whom it was supposedly being built.

Thankfully their attempts failed and the GOP amendment stuck.

Meanwhile, Troopers across the state are expected in the next few days to vote to dramatically cut their own pay to save their fellow troopers' jobs. Their hearts are unquestionably in the right place.  In an amazing place.  

Only wish the same could be said of Gretchen Whitmer.

Few races will be as closely watched as the contest for Attorney General and we're bringing the candidates directly to you!

Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop recently announced his candidacy for Attorney General and has been traveling the state making public appearances and speaking about his vision for the office and the state of Michigan.  

He is simultaneously heading Republican efforts in the legislature to deal with a rapidly growing state budget deficit with Democrats in the House, Senate and Governor's office arrayed against him.

This weekend I had a chance to catch up with Majority Leader Bishop to discuss the Attorney General's race, his candidacy and the budget crisis gripping Lansing.

What does he think about the current budget crisis?  Could we see another tax increase?  What will Senate Republicans propose THIS WEEK?  Does he have any regrets from the 2007 tax hike debacle?  What does he think about the Democrats likely AG nominee, state Senator Gretchen Whitmer?

Without further ado, here are the answers to these and many more questions...