Tag: Recalls

Andy Dillon, Recalls, Miles Handy, Cops that have no respect for the law, Abuse of power, Boss Hogg.

What could ever have gone wrong?

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?"

Fear of those time wasting recalls, and by golly the possibility that scorn of the public might translate into some form of holding-feet-to-fire action, has encouraged action by certain legislators.  In fact that fear has energized the bunny governor, who has hopped right into the wrong side of the argument.

In his statement regarding passage of HB6060 and HB6063, the governor frames the role of recalls incorrectly. He says;

"The option to recall an elected official is an important feature of our state's democratic process, but Michigan's current recall system has some components that all sides have agreed are flawed. These changes will help ensure recalls are done in a fair and consistent manner and help prevent political gamesmanship from both sides of the aisle."

Oh my, such pressures to live by.

A Republican-sponsored pension bill that passed the Michigan House adds a significant cost onto employees who work for private companies that contract with school districts while excluding those workers from ever receiving benefits.

"The House version penalizes schools that cut costs by outsourcing with an 11.9 percent penalty for doing so," said Kristi Flietstra, general counsel for the Professional Educational Services Group.

"[This] is a penalty imposed on one class of operation (3rd party) to fund an unrelated activity of another party (teacher pensions)."

Senate Bill 1040 was changed by the House to strip out the portion that would close the defined benefit plan to new employees. At the same time, the bill looks to raise more revenue from school contractors - even though they do not take part in the current system.

Rest with how they voted

LANSING, Mich. - A federal judge in Michigan issued a preliminary injunction this week blocking a state law that prohibits school districts from automatically collecting union dues from employee paychecks.

The law went into effect March 16, but doesn't affect districts until their current union contracts expire. Judge Denise Page Hood issued the injunction Tuesday and is expected to issue a written ruling by Friday, the Detroit Free Press reports.

The injunction means schools will be forced to continue to collect union dues from employee paychecks until a full hearing on the lawsuit is conducted. Teachers union bosses are predictably giddy that their guaranteed revenue stream may continue uninterrupted.

Rest here

Nice one, Randy... a whole 82 days.  Thanks for the added legal fees too.

by Tom Backers

"The Tea Party Explained"

    During the recall contest between the now deceased County Prosecutor and certain members of the Board of Commissioners, I had the opportunity to canvass many areas of the County and Village of Kalkaska and spoke to hundreds of residents.  By the time the petition to recall became a moot point, two very distinct community undertones became apparent; people in the communities did not understand the Tea Party Patriots...and...many of them absolutely feared repercussions from their own local government authorities should they sign the petition to recall the Prosecuting Attorney.

    The lack of understanding confounded me.  I realize that in this County, and in this economic environment, many folks are simply too busy riding out the recession to have much time or energy to pay attention to, or research, the root causes of the situation they now find themselves in.  They only know that something is terribly wrong when they themselves have to work two or three jobs, if they can find them; and then have to watch their children and grandchildren leave the area to find work for themselves.  So in the end, the people I had opportunity to speak with at length agreed that something has to change drastically to shift the direction in which the County, Village and nation are headed; but when presented the opportunity to initiate such change at a basic and local level, feared provoking the very government that needs to change.  

Allow me to get just a wee bit cantankerous here.

In November 2010, the repudiation of the unconstitutional Obamacare could not have been made more clear.  The line drawn in the sand has been made.  Especially in Michigan, (still a "blue" state) which made majorities in both houses for Republicans.  Good Tea Party folk in this state have been particularly effective in moving the spectrum of office holders decidedly to the right, yet political Alzheimers has already beset the marginal recipients of our expressed outrage at the literal Abomination (Obama-nation) through the ballot box.  Many seem to have forgotten the source of their mandate.

Or they lied.

Liars should not be forgotten, nor forgiven all too easily.

Misdirection disguised as good intention is still an obfuscation of truth.  And as one post recently pointed out, there is no bashfulness by certain senators about hiding behind just-in-case legislation for the purpose of accepting federal dollars and selling out Michigan citizens in the big picture of the health care debate.  There is no question that the health care exchange comes with not only strings attached, but rather with full blown ankle bracelets, and 3/8" links.  Yet, if nothing else was clearly stated, there was an absolute rejection of Obamacare demanded in this last election.

One more piece in the impossible to dismantle government interference in our lives bureaucracy is now that much closer to reality.  

Yay.

Though Kalkaska county prosecutor Brian Donnelly's efforts at recalling at least three county commissioners may not be over, it appears he has (his allies attempting the recall) failed initially to clarify the language to the satisfaction of the elections board.  In a turnaround however, the prosecutor himself appears to be the only one out of the process who may have to defend his job.

From a press release:

Kalkaska, Michigan
October 11th, 2011

Today the Kalkaska County Election Commission denied approval for clarity for recall petitions against three District Commissioners. Additionally, wording was approved for the petition to recall County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Donnelly. The Election Commission found the petitions for the recall of the Commissioners too lengthy, non-specific in facts, dates and locations; among other issues. The votes on all petitions were unanimous.

With the approval of the recall wording for Donnelly, the petitioners now have until the November 15th deadline to submit the required number of valid signatures, approximately 1600, to place the recall on the February ballot. According to Michigan law MCL-168, petitions will be made available after 10 days if no appeal is filed, leaving signature collectors only 25 days to gather the required number. It is not known if the petitions against the District Commissioners will be amended and refiled.