Tag: Macomb

Possibly the most in-your-face government nanny state BS to ever grace a televised Tiger game is LIVE this weekend.  Seat belt enforcement zones in effect through Memorial Day

".. law enforcement officers from 155 agencies will be conducting safety belt enforcement zones in 26 counties across the state through June 2.

..

Agencies in the following counties will have extra officers out enforcing the state's seat belt law during the Click It or Ticket campaign: Allegan, Berrien, Calhoun, Chippewa, Delta, Eaton, Genesee, Grand Traverse, Houghton, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Marquette, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Ogemaw, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Clair, Van Buren, Washtenaw and Wayne.

Annoyance at this program stems not so much from a common sense application of the tools used to protect passengers of automobiles, but rather the steamy breathed way it is presented as LAW. And that we pay for those ads. (perhaps legislators could look at funding that drives that type of inane garbage?)

YOU WILL PUT YOUR BELT ON, MAGGOT!

Michigan Redistricting: State House Part I: Wayne County
Michigan Redistricting: State House Part II: Oakland and Genesee

In part III, we consider Macomb County. We have seen that districts in Wayne County can be drawn to avoid a break, and Lapeer County can constitute its own district. Since I grouped Oakland and Genesee together, either Macomb must be unbroken, or it must share districts with counties in the Thumb, particularly St. Clair.

Currently Macomb has about 8.8 districts. It saw the largest numerical increase of any county in the state, gaining 52829 residents (ideally about .6 districts). Its ideal number of districts is now 9.36.

November 11, 2010.

It's late. I'm tired. I just returned from the Macomb County Republican Party's Fall Convention. The sole purpose of this meeting was to elect 32 members to sit on the party's executive committee, along with 32 "statutory" members (the Republican candidates for state and local office in the last election).

The meeting was supposed to begin at 7:30 p.m. It started about 7:45. After it was called to order, one delegate jumped up and began yelling, "Point of order!" Huh? Point of order? At 7:46? Really? Eventually, he shut up while we said the Pledge of Allegiance and saluted the veterans on this, Veterans' Day.

Following the ceremonial aspects and a couple of short speeches from our Congresswoman and a state representative, the meeting disintegrated. One genius moved that the meeting adjourn promptly at 10 p.m. Not surprisingly, this motion passed! Dumbest. Motion. Ever.

In order to proceed with the sole item of business, it was necessary first to elect a chair of the convention. This did not take place until about 10 p.m., at which time another vote was held and the meeting time was extended until 11. By the way, the vote was not held until we had a vote over how to vote -- by secret ballot or by standing up or a show of hands or some other way. Secret ballot won, which of course meant another long delay.

Finally, with the chair chosen, order ensued, right? Wrong. The chair -- Stanley Grot -- promptly appointed a credentials committee, a rules committee, three parliamentarians, two sergeants-at-arms, and a nominating committee. I may have left out a committee or two, but you get the idea. He then asked the assembled delegates (almost 300), "Who wants to be on the executive committee?" (Did I mention this was the only piece of business to be conducted?)

"It'll never be the same. That's a given. This (bankruptcy) makes the climb even steeper to ... get out of this local depression," said Jacobs, who has delivered the annual economic forecast for Macomb County for 25 consecutive years.

The former longtime professor's prediction was based on jobless rates in the county that exceeded expectations even before Chrysler and General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Macomb County unemployment rate fell from 15.0 percent in March to 14.4 percent in April. But analysts say the decline was due to a large number of jobless people who stopped looking for work.

Ah yes - the party of identity politics (in full view during the democrat primary this last year) - the Democrats - are at it again in Macomb County. Separating men from women, black from white, straight from gay, young from old, educated from non-educated, etc ad infinitum. Today it's gender. From the freep this morning: Best workplaces for women sought in Macomb County.

Taking a page from Fortune magazine, Macomb County should soon have its own list of best employers for women. The Macomb County Commission on Women is releasing a 10-question survey to businesses to learn what policies make a company good for women workers. The questions relate to pay, employee benefits, diversity and female advancement..

I've made two handfuls of posts regarding the shenanigans in Macomb County because of their bloated budget. In short, the Democrats on the Commission are in cahooots with the labor unions, who bail them out of making tough decisions at the expense of their own membership, doing so by overturning lawful decisions of their own membership, slap back efforts for real reforms, use human shields to ram their agenda through, and stand there in front of the voters with a straight face and a tin cup.

Today, the Macomb Daily reports: County secures concessions from several unions.

Macomb County officials are about two-thirds of the way toward securing $10 million in concessions -- and narrowing an $18 million budget gap -- after ratifying contracts with four employee unions.

May raise taxes? MAY raise taxes? The News seems to be a bit behind the curve on this one. I posted several stories linking article in local papers as to what is going on with the budget deficit in Macomb County (see here, here, here and here amongst others). In any case, the subline of the article is Long-avoided millage rate change among few options commission has left to erase $10M shortfall in budget.

Uh - long-avoided? As if the overspending by the 20-6 Democrat majority didn't overspend for years on end with this year being the one where they have to finally pay the piper? Long-avoided? From the article:

It has been more than 30 years since Macomb County adjusted its tax rate -- and at that time, officials lowered the millage.

cross-posted at theblogprof