In the decision striking down Certain DOMA sections, the court implied much but fell short of 'legalizing' same sex couplings as 'marriage' nationwide.  They cannot, and even as twisted as the court has become, the 'Overton Window' of sorts is not yet aligned with the court bringing outright infringements upon the states. (though Roberts came close with O-Care) However, the court DID refuse to hear the case regarding prop 8 in California, a move that signals to activists nationwide that same-sex bans need only make it to the nearest capitulating federal judge.

That judge can then override the will of the people in a state, and force a perverse application of reality on that state's citizens. And the high court will look the other way.

Attorney General Bill Schuette sees the writing on the wall and has responded:

As you may know, the Michigan Constitution defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman (Article 1, Section 25). This was placed in the constitution after being passed by the voters with 58% of the vote. And this language still stands in Michigan, unaltered by the United States Supreme Court's rulings yesterday.

One of those rulings unfolded due to a very odd twist. In the California case, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case because of a lack of standing. The upshot is that the Supreme Court's ruling left undisturbed a lower court ruling that overturned California's ban on gay marriage.

This situation came about because the California Attorney General refused to defend the law, even though voters in California had approved a definition of marriage as one man and one woman. And so, because the state's attorney general refused to defend the law, the law fell.

That will not happen in Michigan. My pledge to you as your Attorney General is that I will defend Michigan's Constitution and the vote of the people. That is the oath I took on the day I was sworn in, and it's an oath I uphold every day.

And as an aside? The Supreme Court Of The United States can take their "standing" rule and shove it where the appendix begins.

The Michigan State Senate Is Adjourned.

Thank you to the courageous Republicans who resisted the allure of vote trades, pressure from lobbyists and special interests, and did NOT see fit to lay a long term burden on Michigan Taxpayers.  

And a special thank you to Senator Richardville for upholding senate caucus tradition, and while even supporting the bill, kept to protocol by holding for a majority in the Republican Caucus before bringing the bill to the full senate.  This has done more to solidify Republicans strength than might be appropriately expressed here.

Thanks for the BOLD COLORS!  

The decision you make has the potential to change forever, the relationship between our state citizens and their governments.  It will grow the number of those who will become dependent on a system that has never kept a promise, met efficiency targets, or solved the problems that it was designed to do.  It will bind us contractually to a leviathan federal bureaucracy that has inserted itself as not only our caretakers, but now as our keepers; and our masters.

Yet this decision is difficult for some of you?

Some on the fence claim that "other states will get our cut", as if that makes it right to ink a deal with the devil.  Some say "this helps our books out", ignoring the fact that its all borrowed money or time.  We WILL be paying for it after only a couple years, and given the gimmicks the feds are using to find financing to pay for this temporary buy-off, we see that money source might not be so reliable.  Some say that "the hospitals build in the costs of indigent care to paying patients". yet forget to remind us that hospitals have advantages granted by local governments to offset those costs.

Gains from agreeing to this might be a temporarily solvent budget, a few legislative measures considered as part-of-the-deal, or even a bunch of happy big-hospital lobbyists. In the 1800s, FRÉDÉRIC BASTIAT book "the law", described the latter:

"The Fatal Idea of Legal Plunder
But on the other hand, imagine that this fatal principle has been introduced: Under the pretense of organization, regulation, protection, or encouragement, the law takes property from one person and gives it to another; the law takes the wealth of all and gives it to a few--whether farmers, manufacturers, shipowners, artists, or comedians. Under these circumstances, then certainly every class will aspire to grasp the law, and logically so."

Providing for unlimited new expansions in safety nets only creates new dependencies. In turn building new provisions for new needs.  It demonstrates a distrust in one's fellow man to provide for him or herself.  It shows a fear of the unknown result of true independence, like the type exhibited who once upon a time fought against such mechanisms.  Indeed, it is growth of government, regular and expected, that now happens nearly without counter action. It grows and consumes like a beast.  Anyone can step aside and watch that beast maul its victims without stepping in to distract, scare, or engage.

Yet as long as the beast is loose, it simply becomes more emboldened and finds more victims.

Right Governor Snyder?

With all due respect, it takes a little more substance to represent your state sir.  Especially when 26 states are ready to tell Obama where he can stick his health care.  They pretty much have already. And given the outcome of the upcoming electoral contests in the Senate, the Congress, and yes, the 'occupied' White house, its likely that doing anything to capitulate with the insanity would be a foolish endeavor we would have to roll back anyhow.

Why in the heck would we want to complicate things further?

Take a lesson from one of your counterparts.  Governor Rick Perry has kicked Obama's messenger, 300 style, into the abyss from which such laws emanate.

He pretty much told that gal to deliver a go-to-hell with the mandate, expansive overreach, and unconstitutional buggery of the american people with a letter delivered today.  A message for the man who was elected president in our nations fit of idiocy, who has shown himself to be incapable of recognizing cause and effect, misunderstands markets, and has no respect for what our founders shed blood for.  

There was a very real possibility of paying even higher taxes these last two years.

We talk here about the problems Lansing has, and the nature of politics, special interest etc.., It seems we are not always too satisfied with the direction our leadership in the state's capitol and the outcomes produced with regard to budgeting.  What many don't realize, is the efforts by the tea party folks had an immediate effect on our state's legislative bodies.  When the first 300 folks showed up on a cold February day for the first Lansing tea party in 2009, it did NOT go unnoticed, according to Senate Majority leader Mike Bishop.

Bishop says "it made a difference right away," when asked after his presentation during a Traverse City visit about how long it took for legislators to start taking the rallies on the steps of the capitol seriously. He continued, talking about how it gave strength to many lawmakers to hold the line. "..they knew they had support."

God has gifted us with the greatest wealth on the planet.    The breath we take, the freedom of restraint, and the ability to build, create and grow.  His gifts are so valuable, that we elect governments to protect them for us.  He gave us choice, and will, and opportunity to learn.

We can achieve greatness by making the right decisions based on selflessness, and a trust in a higher power, or we can ignore life's lessons, by maintaining a pursuit for power or gain through an immodest "call to duty" that is merely self serving for physical and perceived rewards of stature. Service to community is a just and noble calling.   Some will be elevated in communities for the right reasons, and some will attempt to shorten their path in ways not so just.  

Ultimately, service to community is service to our creator and the decisions we make should be checked by the lessons he has provided.

Opposing a bill to eliminate the MBT surcharge, Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) accused Republicans of lacking the courage to cut spending and said:

Yes, we want to move forward, absolutely, but with mature reflection and a dedication to ensure that these things we hold dear are not blindly sacrificed in the process.

Oh, really?