Tag: Pontiac

What someone might call "the right thing to do," might be anything but that. Especially if it requires that a crime be perpetrated in order to follow through.  Most acts of compassion by an individual cannot be questioned.  It is self sacrifice; or giving, that heals, nurtures, grows, etc.  It becomes a very different act when perpetrated through coercion upon some for the benefit of others.

The affordable care act is one of those "right things to do" according to its supporters.  However, it is also one of those things which has no authority as an enumerated power defined in the constitution.  The federal government has no authority to act on state's issues such as health care, welfare, and schooling.  Only the broadest interpretation of commerce issues allow it to assume other responsibilities such as labor and transportation, but those come from the weak links established through a lazy practice known as case law, and precedent.

The federal government has no reason to be involved in, or managing the critical aspects of our lives.  The mantra of "Its the law of the land"  be damned.  We still have a constitution, as damaged as it might be through neglect and cowardice.  It provides absolute protections from authority to the people, and to the states which those people reside.

Unless those states and people surrender to that authority.

The Disney blockbuster "Oz: The Great and Powerful" opens tonight. The film cost the studio about $200 million to make, but Michigan taxpayers chipped in substantially for the production through the state's generous film subsidy program. In fact, the state paid more per taxpayer than the average price of a movie ticket - Michigan residents should be seeing the film for free.

Michigan has 4.5 million individual taxpayers, and the state gave the film studio $39.7 million to shoot in Pontiac. That works out to a subsidy of $8.82 per taxpayer while average ticket prices nationwide are $7.96.

The subsidy was granted in 2010 when the program refunded up to 42 percent of Michigan expenses to film makers - essentially a check from the treasury to Hollywood studios. The program expired, but the Legislature, dominated by Republicans, overwhelmingly decided to keep it around.

Despite "conservatives" who claim to not like the government picking winners and losers and "liberals" who say government shouldn't benefit large corporations and big business, Michigan politicians continue to spend taxpayer money on the program. The state has budgeted $50 million  this year with political leaders on both sides of the aisle pushing for more.

REST

What total crap.  Lansing could only find a way to free up 29% of the monies for maintaining our waterways in comparison to what Hollywood ripped off on one movie filmed in a mismanaged broke-ass city with an EFM.  You read that right.  $11.5M, and STEALING $8.7M from projects already underway to pay for dredging.

The Governerd's half billion dollar piggy bank?  Hands off.  Damn near $40M in our tax dollars sent to Disney with assets totaling $74.8 Billion?  No problem.  The Water Wonderland?  Take a hike.

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?"

Maybe because I had more co-workers who had more conscience about training me at that time, or they were just superior to the people turning out the "young guns" nowadays, but I understood this axiom very clearly even back then, and over the years, have gained a greater appreciation for it.

It is also a lesson that I found is easily and very applicable outside of trucking.

Am I trying to change the focus over from politics to Trucking?

Not exactly.

MICHIGAN GOP PRESIDENTIAL SELECTION TOWN HALLS

Concerned Citizens, MI GOP State Committee Members & Grassroots Activists Invited to Voice Opinion in a Transparent Series of Forums

The Michigan Republican Party's State Committee is scheduled to choose a method of selecting the Republican Presidential Nominee for Michigan on Saturday, August 13, 2011.  Additionally, the Michigan GOP's State Committee's Policy Committee is slated to make a decision on Tuesday, July 12th.  Their vote will recommend to the full State Committee which process should be followed in Michigan regarding selecting the GOP's nominee by Michigan Republicans and possibly the general public.  However, many feel that we have not yet had an open and transparent process to solicit the opinions of grassroots activists and concerned Republicans across the state.  Please join us as we have an open discussion about the options to determine the next GOP Presidential nominee.  We have invited elected Michigan Republican State Committee Members, party leaders, grassroots activists and concerned citizens to listen to each other so that the Michigan Republican State Committee can make an informed decision on this critical topic for our important state and nation.  

The Blog Prof - Sterling heights

The Blog Prof - Pontiac

MTTM - Infiltrators DO exist!

Big week, boys and girls.  Big week for Detroit, for Michigan and for hundreds of thousands of moms and dads and kids and... you get the idea.  With Big 3 restructuring deadlines lurking here and there dominos are already starting to fall in what will probably prove to be a few of the most important days in the history of Motor City.

The bottom line question, after we cut through the filler and the nonsense and the periphery issues... the heart of the matter is whether or not metro Detroit will survive in any meaningful way.  Heading into the weekend there was a serious chance that Chrysler, LLC could be completely liquidated via Chapter 11 bankruptcy which would have put an estimated 300,000 Michiganders out of work.  Friday deadlines lurked in the distance and the company's would-be-"savior," Fiat, continued to insist on significant UAW concessions.

And they got some.  THANK GOODNESS meets OUCH (probably).

Read on...