Tag: Kevin Cotter

Automatic wage increases, a term that can only be associated with those on a government paycheck, are actually being considered in a bill sponsored by 'Republicans.'  HB5097, as the Mackinac Center reports, will exempt certain PA312 of 1969 covered employees from PA54 of 2011.

".. House Bill 5097, which has 23 co-sponsors, would exempt law enforcement and fire department employees from the law. Specifically, the exemption would apply to employees who are covered by Public Act 312 of 1969, which is a compulsory arbitration law.

Perhaps next, they might propose an automatic wage increase for farmers?  Without the heroic acts of farmers none of us might eat! What about plumbers? Fighting fire without water wouldn't work too well.  How about auto makers, etc.. ?

According to Mackinac there are 18 Republicans co-sponsoring the legislation.  Reps: Kevin Cotter, Hugh Crawford, Kevin Daley, Jeff Farrington, Frank Foster, Ken Goike, Nancy Jenkins, Eileen Kowall, Ken Kurtz, Andrea LaFontaine, Matt Lori, Lisa Posthumus Lyons, Mike McCready, Rick Outman, Peter Pettalia, Wayne Schmidt, Pat Somerville, and Dale Zorn.

Five Democrat Reps: Vicki Barnett, Paul Clemente, Brandon Dillon, Tim Greimel, and Henry Yanez.

That having been said, with regard to a couple of bills that were reported out of the House Tax Policy Committee back on Wednesday (2013 House Bill 4202 and 2013 House Bill 4203), the critic has at least one valid point that, as a matter of professional integrity, I really ought to address.

You may remember me mentioning a couple of weeks ago that the grassroots are just a tad ticked at 29 "republican" squishies who caved on House Roll Call 11 and brought this state one step closer to what is perhaps the single biggest government intrusion into private lives that I can recall in my lifetime.  While I'm not going to go into too many technical details here, I will say that one particular organization isn't screwing around.

After the Governor attempted to subvert the will of the people and the legislature with a convoluted 'intra-local' agreement on his pet bridge project, he now finds there is no state money available for his new tool.  Unless he pulls an "Obama" and violates the Michigan constitution, no money can be appropriated to the new method which has raised eyebrows with conservative leadership in the Michigan legislature.  The stopping point?  From the Detroit News:

"The House Appropriations Committee amended a supplemental funding bill barring the Michigan Economic Development Corp. from spending general fund taxpayer money on construction or development of the proposed New International Trade Crossing.

"I just want to ensure that no taxpayer money is being spent on something that shouldn't," said state Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, who sponsored the amendment. "Nobody has the authority, including the governor, to spend any money without the Legislature and appropriations (committees) appropriating the money."

Anyhow, there is ONE little point that needs to be addressed.  The ability of an Intra-Local tool to even have ANY validity between nations.  Would such an agreement even be legal? Our constitution says not so fast.  Only the President with the consent of the US Senate can enact such contracts. From Article 2 Section 2 of the US Constitution:

" .. He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States .."

An 'attaboy' and thank you goes out to House Appropriations Committee members Dave Agema, Chuck Moss, Bob Genetski, Eileen Kowall, Matt Lori, Bill Rogers, Jon Bumstead, Kevin Cotter, Ken Goike, Nancy Jenkins, Peter MacGregor, Greg MacMaster, Earl Poleski, Phil Potvin, and the lone Democrat voting yes with those members, Richard LeBlanc.  They have saved our state a little embarrassment for the time being.