Tag: Cronyism (page 4)

Its irritating to the core. So, after hearing that sixty two former employees of Pinnacle Foods (in Imlay Township) have been convicted and sentenced for unemployment fraud, I immediately wondered what might foster such an environment of this kind of cheating.  It was discovered that the former employees had been wrongfully collecting unemployment benefits while continuing to work. And in the end, all of the individuals convicted, were ordered to pay restitution totaling $960,012 to the State of Michigan.

Shaun Thomas, acting director of the UIA said

"Through great work of the Lapeer County Prosecutor's office, working together with our UIA investigators, we were able to bring these cases to justice and take another step toward rooting out UI fraud in Michigan. The UIA is serious about detecting and preventing fraud and will continue to work with partners such as the Lapeer County Prosecutor's Office to stop fraudulent schemes such as this one."

Those big dollars never came back did they?

Nope.

This Pinnacle UI fraud effort represents the largest single prosecution of unemployment fraud from one employer in Michigan history. But not the largest fraud that involves a company that has received money from bread winners and other business owners struggling to survive in an era of unprecedented regulatory nightmares and work place rules.

But wait .. there is more!

Or at least it could be if Michigan State Representative Tom McMillin has his way.  McMillin has proposed legislation that ties any money taken from taxpayers for economic development or grants to a requirement of drug testing for principle recipients. Adding and amending this language:

Sec. 15. Beginning October 1, 2013, the fund shall establish requirements to ensure that any recipient of funds, including a loan, a grant, or funding or other assistance for a project,submits to and tests negative for substance abuse under a substance abuse testing program prescribed by the fund. As used in this section, any recipient who is not an individual includes all of the following:

• (a) For a corporation, the president and the chief executive officer, and each managerial employee who directly reports to the president or chief executive officer.
  
• (b) For a partnership, all partners and each managerial employee who directly reports to a partner.
  
• (c) For a limited partnership, the general and limited partners and each managerial employee who directly reports to a general or limited partner.
  
• (d) For a limited liability company, all members and each managerial employee who directly reports to a member.

Certainly no hotel room baked concoctions for these connoisseurs of the finest taxpayer largess.  We aren't talking of a few misplaced bags of medicinal scratch, or toilet bowl punch either. But the good stuff that can only be bought with the type of green that is doled out by the news conference.

SENATE BILL No. 324 , Introduced yesterday by Senators MARLEAU, JONES, EMMONS, KAHN, BOOHER, BIEDA,GREGORY and JOHNSON was referred to the Committee on Health Policy. Michigan Senator Marleau explains:

".. the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) allows states to license "navigators" to assist people enrolling in health insurance through an exchange. Senate Bill 324 would ensure that navigators in Michigan act in good faith.

"We must make sure our residents are protected both from bad behavior as well as from incompetence," said Marleau, R-Lake Orion. "My bill establishes safeguards to keep navigators honest and to ensure they know what they're doing."

Marleau emphasized that the federal rules are not finalized, but the bill was introduced to start a discussion about how the state can ensure residents are protected.

"This is the start of the discussion, but our time to act is limited since residents plan to start shopping on Michigan's insurance exchange in October," he said.

SB 324 will protect Michigan residents by registering navigators, requiring background checks on them and ensuring they are professionally trained according to minimum standards for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act training."

Listen Senators.  Do you mind if I call you that, or would you appreciate something more direct?

Get those damnable lobbyists for health insurance plans (authors of this legislation) out of your office for five minutes and read the garbage you are introducing. By establishing the 'Director's' responsibilities and creating framework of a 'navigator' your bill is creating Michigan's participation in the exchange. It pretends protections, yet does NOTHING to protect Michigan citizens from the evil that is Obamacare and this catastrophic blow to our individual rights. Why are we providing ANY assistance to the federal government which is asserting authority is does not have into our health care choices?

As we have seen recently, the Chinese were subsidized and transferred Battery Technology by Taxpayers through the likes of the MEDC and Federal programs interfering with free markets. It was pretty bad, but ..

It wasn't the first time.

The MEDC usually has simple results of failure, highlighted by jobs claims not materializing, eventual bankruptcies, and occasionally giving our money away to fraudsters.  Channeling the zen masters in Lansing's sacred halls of executive investing excellence, it provides a leg up to those who know how to play the system for their advantage over other businesses. Countless photo opportunities for politicians who 'bring home the bacon' can be counted on, as long as the MEDC efforts are funded with millions of our hard earned dollars.  Photo ops equal exposure, equals career doors opening for friends and family, and through the entire process equals some serious bling for those actively participating in its promotion.

Picking winners has never been so lucrative.

This time its potentially more dangerous. Last year, after my failed bid in the Republican primary, I produced a radio spot which predicted the A123 situation's end quite accurately.

Once upon a time.

Mayor Janice Daniels in December of 2011 led the opposition in the Troy City Council for an $8.5 million train depot for good reason.  Her opposition to a project that would be built with free money was framed with an understanding that nothing is truly free.  Even after the project was stripped down a month later, and re-presented for a couple million less, she held her ground, and looked at the bigger picture.  Ongoing expenses make the continuing use of the pusher-man's product not nearly as euphoric as when it was offered for free.

The Troy City Council didn't get it, and the vote for the effort was shifted. Even in the face of the citizen commentary that was recorded as 11-7 in opposition to the transit center.  As RightMichigan.com poster Rougman pointed out at the time, its $5,500/sq ft cost was stripped down to $3,100/sq ft (a travesty for its cheapness) and the gold plated accoutrements would have to be withheld.

"By shaving off 400 square feet the project's cost has been lowered significantly. That was some expensive square footage there--roughly coming in at $5,500 per square foot. The smaller and redrawn project will cost a mere $3,100 per square foot which I find absolutely alarming...what kind of slum are these bureaucrats trying to push over on us? No gold toilet seats? No granite counter tops?"

via The Detroit News

Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Ron Boji of Orchard Lake and Craig DeNooyer of Kalamazoo to the Michigan Strategic Fund board of directors Monday.

The 11-member board promotes economic development and job creation by approving private activity bonds, authorizing community development block grant applications and acting as the fiduciary agent for the 21st Century Jobs Fund.

Boji is president of the Boji Group, where he oversees the management, development and leasing of space in the company's real estate portfolio.

MORE

One Term Nerd

Gov. Rick Snyder has appointed Fred Walcott, of Allendale, to the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The five-member board provides executive direction for Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development programs. No more than three members may be from the same political party.

"Fred brings years of experience to the commission, and I am confident he will do great work on behalf of the people of Michigan in this role," said Snyder.

A lifelong farmer, Walcott works for Valley View Pork LLC. The 4,000-acre family farm produces hogs, corn, wheat and soybeans, and houses a weather station which monitors crop conditions. Walcott, a Republican, replaces Velmar Green.

Walcott will serve a four-year term that expires Dec. 31, 2016, and his appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

Sounds benign enough, right?  And, it is until one finds out that Fred Walcott has lined his pockets with $934,078 of our tax dollars for his private profit.  It's just a got-damn shame that a guy trying to make a living without sponging off of taxpayers is greeted by State Police/DNR/Federal agent jackboots just to peacefully have his day in court while being stifled by the Attorney General's Office.