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Tag: Michigan tea party movement

Lies, Damned Lies, and "Defend Michigan Democracy"

By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
Posted on Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 05:07:16 AM EST
Tags: Proposal 12-5, Michigan Tax Limitation Amendment, Constitution of Michigan - Article IX, Constitution of Michigan - Article XII, Headlee Amendment (1978), Constitution of Michigan - Article V § 18, Americans For Prosperity of Michigan, Michigan Alliance for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Two-Thirds Movement, RNC 2012 Platform, Michigan Banana Republican Party, kleptocracy establishment, Michigan tea party movement, Michigan's Debt Clock, Defend Michigan Democracy, red herring fallacies, Proposal 06-2, Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, Wayne County Taxpayers Association, Citizens Protecting Michigan's Constitution, Taxpayers United Michigan Foundation, "super minority" firewall, S-I-N tactics (all tags)

A "Red Herring" fallacy (also known as an "irrelevant conclusion" fallacy) is a logical error in which an argument is, intentionally or not, constructed of irrelevant or false inferences, with the intention of masking the lack of substantive arguments and/or implicitly replacing or diverting attention away from the actual subject of the discussion, by proving a different proposition than the one it is purporting to support. And I can tell you that defending Proposal 12-5 out in the social media sphere has been an education in countering Ignoratio Elenchi.

(1 comment, 2773 words in story) Full Story

Full Coverage Insurance For Michigan Taxpayers

By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
Posted on Sun Oct 28, 2012 at 07:12:43 PM EST
Tags: Michigan's Great Taxpayer Revolt, Phil Mastin & David Serotkin, 2004-HB-5632, RNC 2012 Platform, Michigan Banana Republican Party, kleptocracy establishment, Constitution of Michigan - Article IX, Constitution of Michigan - Article XII, Proposal 12-5, Michigan Tax Limitation Amendment, Michigan tea party movement, Headlee Amendment (1978), Michigan Tax Amendment (1994), Constitution of Michigan - Article V § 18, Michigan's Debt Clock, Americans For Prosperity of Michigan (all tags)

The more "experienced" readers of this site might recall Michigan's Great Taxpayer Revolt of 1983. In January of that year, newly-inaugurated Governor James Blanchard, who had promised in his 1982 campaign against Richard Headlee that he would not address the state's financial problems through a tax increase except as a last resort, wasted a grand total of one month sliding a 38% increase in the state's income tax through the Democrat-controlled state legislature. The resulting fifteen-target recall campaign succeeded in taking out both Phil Mastin and David Serotkin (flipping the State Senate to Republican control), triggered the political ascension of a theretofore-obscure state senator by the name of John Engler (whose 1990 gubernatorial campaign against Blanchard carried the shadow of the 1983 revolt), and so thoroughly spooked state legislators that tax increases were a very touchy subject on both sides of the aisle for the next two decades.

And then came Governor Granholm.

(4 comments, 1453 words in story) Full Story

A Message To Our Legislators - Beware False Choices

A Unique Combination . . . For Such a Time As This

By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
Posted on Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 01:17:45 AM EST
Tags: Michigan Healthcare Freedom Initiative, Michigan Republican Party, Michigan TEA Party Movement, Michigan 9-12 Project, Common Sense In Government, Fix Michigan Centers, Michigan HCF Coalition (all tags)

Not too long ago, at a NATO naval conference, an American admiral found himself standing at a cocktail reception with high-ranking naval officers from most of the NATO countries, including English, Canadian, and American command-grade and flag-grade officers. Everyone in the group (regardless of nationality) was chatting away in English, but a French officer in the group suddenly voiced a complaint.

"Whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English." He then asked, "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"

The American admiral didn't miss a beat. "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."

End of conversation.

(5 comments, 1967 words in story) Full Story

Big Surprise

By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
Posted on Wed Mar 03, 2010 at 12:48:59 PM EST
Tags: Mike Huckabee, Mike Cox, HuckPAC, Pete Hoekstra, endorsement, 2010 Michigan Gubernatorial Campaign, National FairTax Initiative, Michigan FairTax Proposal, Michigan TEA Party Movement, Common Sense in Government, Smart Girl Politics, Independence Caucus (all tags)

I did not see this coming.

Everyone who's familiar with me is well aware that I'm a big fan of Mike Huckabee. This is for multiple reasons. The guy's a solid conservative and was - in my opinion - a better choice than John McCain for the Republican presidential ticket in 2008. Most importantly, as far as I'm concerned, is the fact that Governor Huckabee is an open proponent of the National FairTax Initiative. (Yes, he's also an open supporter of the Michigan FairTax Proposal.)

With that in mind, I fully expected that Governor Huckabee would, if he endorsed anyone in the Michigan Gubernatorial race, be endorsing Pete Hoekstra (who has openly endorsed both the national initiative and the state proposal). Congressman Hoekstra has also actively and constructively engaged the Michigan TEA Party Movement, and I recall well that grassroots engagement was what kept Huckabee in the Republican primary race as long as he was. I also know for a fact that HuckPAC will not endorse, support, or otherwise back any candidate who doesn't support the FairTax initiative.

So you can imagine my surprise when, around 8:30 this morning, I received a phone call from a close friend who just happens to be an insider to the Mike Cox gubernatorial campaign.