Tag: Michigan (page 4)

Its not as if they weren't warned.

State appointed Emergency Financial managers couldn't touch any pension contracts whatsoever. As a state initiated law, it would  have run afoul of article 9, section 24; the state's own constitutional protection for pensions.  The EFM law was however, a tool to readjust current contracts not associated with those pensions.  Federal courts would have no say at that point.  But labor unions, and certain municipalities' elected bodies preferred to not allow such a thing.

Instead, a bankruptcy, fully clarified in the constitution as being under federal jurisdiction, takes the state's constitutional protections of those pensions off the table.

From the news wire:

"Trying to find that perfect gift for an avid hunter? Give the hunter on your list the chance at a hunt of a lifetime -- a gift of Pure Michigan Hunt applications.

Each year, three people are randomly selected as Pure Michigan Hunt winners. The prize is a hunting package valued over $4,000. Each winner receives elk and bear hunting licenses, a Darton Archery crossbow package, a 30.06 rifle from Michigan Gun Owners, a 12-gauge shotgun from Ducks Unlimited and many more prizes.

Of course, current events have shown that the constitution has has limited support from the cowards in congress. (Hint: the word is IMPEACHMENT) Inaction and a lack of oversight by congress into the executive operations has allowed the federal buraeucracy to operate with impunity. Adding to this, property forfeiture under the guise of criminal deterrence has been the source of income for local law enforcement that sells its soul to the justice department. From a Detroit News Editorial

"Since the U.S. Department of Justice's Asset Forfeiture Fund was established in 1986, the federal government has used property forfeiture to deter criminal activity and to incentivize local governments to cooperate with federal anti-drug and anti-terrorism efforts. Under the 2001 Patriot Act, Congress expanded civil forfeiture to include cash transactions, requiring banks to report deposits of more than $10,000 to detect terror-related money-laundering schemes.

But this instrument also has been used to harass law-abiding Americans, particularly business owners who regularly deposit cash of $7,000 to $9,000. The businesses are often seen as trying to skirt the $10,000 bank reporting requirement.

Once upon a time, the insurer of last resort (yeah Michiganians have had a cant-deny-preexisting insurer for several decades already)was owned by you and I. (since 1939)  As recently as a few years ago, it even carried a balance sheet of about $6,000,000,000.00 including over $3,000,000,000.00 cash reserves. The BCBS board tried to use those reserves in for-profit ventures, (a great way to pass off cash to private partners)  and were stopped by then attorney general Mike Cox. In 2008, Cox kept BCBS of MI in check.

But things are different now. This time no one stepped in to stop the transference of a GREAT BIG PILE OF MONEY away from Michigan citizens. And the great big Obamacare boondoggle helped them do it. Now that they aren't owned by you and I, its time to make some real cash!

"Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan shows a projected savings of tens of millions of dollars next year by terminating 25 individual health plans that were noncompliant with the Affordable Care Act.

Over the past decade, Blue Cross has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the individual market as Michigan's designated insurer of last resort, a moniker it no longer has under health care reform with all insurers now required to cover people with pre-existing conditions and its conversion earlier this year into a mutual health insurer. "

How clever.

Enjoy the song.

Defending Michigan's sovereign status before the US Supreme court, the attorney general makes this argument:

"If France opened an illegal casino in Michigan, the State could enjoin it, rather than arresting French workers or suing President Francois Hollande.  Surely domestic tribes are not entitled to greater immunity than foreign sovereign nations."

In fact, how can the sovereign nature of the tribes produce candidates or legal contributors/lobbyists in Michigan politics? Or to put it another way, if Ohioan citizens decided to run for Michigan representative seats or make laws for activities in Michigan, how is that different from that of the tribes acting and ruling as sovereign entities within their boundaries, then stepping out to engage in our processes outside of them?

As a state, the Ohioan argument above stands. As a nation, Schuette's point is quite valid, and could be taken a bit further.

Dismantle the BIA, and rid ourselves of these special rights endowed upon the 'neighboring' nations inside our borders. And as the discussion before the US supreme court goes forward, perhaps a reaffirmation of the US as a nation of laws can begin.

The Voice of One Crying Out in Suburbia - A Quick Economics Lesson
Walmart is again used as the whipping boy for 'workers rights' demands by people who have nothing to do with the actual employees themselves. In this piece it is recognized that upward mobility is one of the paths that start from a lowly Walmart job.

The Americanist - Thanksgiving humor
A quick selection of holiday funnies.

Spellchek - Is there a way around the retiree legacy cost debacle?
Detroit is hardly alone in facing down legacy healthcare costs.  How did we 'wake-up' to the current predicament?

There is still an organized effort to marginalize the sanctity of life, and its results are seen with the decaying values of those areas controlled by the minions of deceit. While the leftist women cry about their "V" rights being infringed, we still need to stand up for the lives they would so easily snuff out.  Right To Life of Michigan sends an update for Thanksgiving.

During this time of Thanksgiving, I want to give you an update on the work of Right to Life of Michigan and to thank you for your involvement.

Together our accomplishments have changed hearts and brought hope to our state.

• In 2013, five Michigan abortion businesses closed their doors. We have helped close 10 abortion businesses in the last 23 months. Back in the late 1980's, there were approximately 72 free-standing abortion clinics operating in our state. Today, only 28 remain.
  
• We are very close to "opting out" of mandatory abortion provisions found in the Affordable Care Act. Together we collected more than 316,000 signatures to initiate the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act.  
  
• Michigan abortions performed in 2012 represent the second-lowest level since official record-keeping began back in 1976.
  
• Teen abortions are down 73 percent since 1990.
  
• Overall, we have cut the abortion rate in Michigan by more than half since the peak year of 1987.

While it is exciting to note a few of our accomplishments for 2013, we know our work is far from complete.

Particularly on issues of such magnitude as transparency or government influence in our daily lives. Yet a presumed difference between private and government monetary involvement on any issue seems to be enough to persuade its scholars that transparency is not an absolute.  Where government monies are spent it seems, is far more important to your freedoms than that which is expended to influence those expenditures or other acts. And that personal monies expended to influence government are not necessarily an impact on any personal liberties to warrant a demand for transparency.

We DO agree that limits should be removed from campaign finance. We agree that limiting to an arbitrary amount can impede free speech and political expression. What is considered a fair contribution into the process is a completely subjective matter that can only be resolved by the person who is willing to contribute into that process.  A person's individual priorities and where a subject reaches a level of importance are hardly the providence of external assignment.

Thus the most accurate manner in which to protect what is a sovereign right is to allow, nay, PROTECT, that person's ability to engage in the process at a level appropriate to that person alone. Our place, and that of government should be to prevent that which would infringe on such activity and instead encourage a stake in the game.

In other words, if an individual wishes to personally expend $1 Million on a county commission race for a friend, there should be no objection from government. If it was to advocate bonding for a new swimming pool in a community, that money expended by itself guarantees no votes, and it is that person's right to seek such approvals.

And anyhow, some things can be overdone.