Political News and Commentary with the Right Perspective. NAVIGATION
  • Front Page
  • News
  • Multimedia
  • Tags
  • RSS Feed


  • Your New Scoop Site

    Welcome to Scoop!

    To help you figure things out, there is a Scoop Admin Guide which can hopefully answer most of your questions.

    Some tips:

    • Most of the layout is changed in "Blocks", found in the admin tools menu
    • Features can be turned on and off, and configured, in "Site Controls" in the admin tools menu
    • Stories have an "edit" link right beside the "Full Story" link on an index page, and right beside the "Post a Comment" link on the full story page. They can also be edited by clicking the story title in the "Story List" admin tool
    • Boxes are what allow you to write new features for Scoop; they require a knowledge of the perl programming language to work with effectively, although you can often make small changes without knowing much perl. If you would like a feature added but cannot program it yourself, ScoopHost does custom Scoop programming as one of its services.
    • If you aren't sure where to look for a particular feature or piece of display, try the "Search Admin Tools" link in the admin tools menu.

    For support, questions, and general help with Scoop, email support@scoophost.com

    ScoopHost.com is currently running Scoop version Undeterminable from .

    Tag: Regulation (page 2)

    Former DEQ Director applauds reigning-in of DEQ bureaucracy


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Fri May 15, 2009 at 12:14:36 PM EST
    Tags: DEQ, bureaucracy, regulation, red tape, Lansing (all tags)

    Four years ago Russ Harding began advocating what he called a "No-More-Stringent" law.  A former director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (the hated DEQ), Harding understood the damage being done to Michigan industry, job makers and families when unelected bureaucrats imposed rules and standards on businesses that exceeded those imposed by already stringent federal regulations.

    "Michigan's economy is dragging, and the state is losing jobs," Harding wrote in 2005.  "Almost no one has called publicly for reducing the damage caused to our economic climate (and to effective regulatory practices) by Michigan's unnecessarily burdensome environmental regulations..."

    It may have taken more than 1,500 days but someone finally paid attention. Republican state Senator Jud Gilbert recently introduced Senate Bill 434 in an effort to "limit state regulation promulgation authority."  Harding, not surprisingly, is a fan.

    "Many environmental regulations that have serious impact on Michigan businesses and households are made in the cubicle of some state bureaucrat who is unaccountable to Michigan residents," he said yesterday.  "Important environmental and other regulatory policies should be made by elected officials who are ultimately accountable to voters."

    Amen and preach!

    SB 434 could help ease overbearing bureaucratic burdens on job makers in policy areas ranging from agriculture and air emissions to property rights and wetland permitting.  

    Beyond the immediately tangible benefits there's a much deeper value in this sort of legislation.  By drawing back the power of the unelected bureaucracy and shifting the ability to regulate in excess of federal standards squarely onto the shoulders of legislators selected by the voters, SB 434 actually strengthens the Democratic process.

    "Requiring legislative approval before state agencies can promulgate regulations that are more stringent than federal requirements is a step toward curbing the current practice of regulation without representation," Harding added. "Many states that Michigan competes with for jobs have already instituted this common sense reform."

    Of course, there's the jobs issue, too.  And the intrinsic personal joy I derive from knowing that anything might curb the power of the DEQ.

    (4 comments) Comments >>

    DEQ to LS Power: Go back to New Jersey and take your jobs with you


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Mon May 04, 2009 at 06:19:44 AM EST
    Tags: LS Power, 2010, Cherry, DEQ, regulation, economy, red tape (all tags)

    You get a jump from $785 million to $1.32 billion in a day's time and it's only natural that folks start asking questions.  If a sudden swell of red ink that severe doesn't make even the casual political observer scratch his proverbial head, well, he's aaaawfully casual.

    In my experience, we on the right have a habit of jumping to immediate concepts, hopes and dreams for solutions.  It isn't that we're incapable of addressing the entire mess in our minds, it's just that we tend to be semi-neat and orderly.  Solve the immediate problem first then move to long-term solutions.

    I know that's the way I typically think.  When news of the deficit jump broke mid-week I blogged that the legislature should be called to (or convene themselves) an emergency session to immediately right-size the budget.

    Four days later and they haven't (why take your problems seriously when there's on-the-clock drinking to be done?) but they should.  

    And while they dawdle, it is worth taking a look at the bigger picture.  We know what has to be done.  The Constitution requires a balanced budget so they're going to have to make some tough cuts and they don't have to but WILL use up a lot of one-time cash via the so-called stimulus package.  But how did we get here?

    Exhibit A: LS Power.

    LS Power is a New Jersey based energy company that was preparing to break ground near Midland, Michigan on a project that was expected to create thousands of new jobs... the construction of a new clean-coal power plant.  

    On Friday they announced they were canceling those plans because of an unfriendly business climate and insanely complicated permitting requirements foisted on them by the Granholm-Cherry administration and their Department of Environmental Quality.  

    The project was expected to create 1,500 construction jobs, 241 permanent jobs on-site and billions of dollars in regional economic activity.

    Read on...

    (11 comments, 974 words in story) Full Story

    A Message To Our Legislators - Beware False Choices

    Macomb Daily: Insurance agents go on defense


    By Theblogprof, Section News
    Posted on Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 10:54:27 AM EST
    Tags: Detroit, Granholm, insurance, regulation (all tags)

    cross-posted at theblogprof

    Insurance rates have been a hot topic in the Detroit metro area for as long as I can remember. Not long ago was this post in the freep which had this snippet, amongst others:

    Other proposals, including one that would bar insurers from making credit scores a factor in rate-setting, deserve closer study. It would seem a move toward more fairness. But without other measures, it wouldn't necessarily erase the horrible imbalance in rates being paid in cities like Detroit, where even responsible policyholders can't catch a break. (emphasis mine)
    Poor Detroit. Disrespected. Misunderstood. So unfair. UNFAIR!!! So who gets to decide what's fair? Implied in the above article is (what else) government regulation. Yeah - a bunch of politically-motivated bureaucrats sitting around deciding what's fair and what's not. Never been a good idea. Nor is it a good one now. Enter one Jennifer Granholm. The Macomb Daily reports:

    (563 words in story) Full Story

    My entry into the world of being a columnist


    By jgillmanjr, Section News
    Posted on Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 04:10:03 PM EST
    Tags: Jason Gillman, CM Life, Business, Regulation, Sarbanes-Oxley (all tags)

    You probably don't know this, but I actually got picked up (as well as Nathan Inks) for being a staff columnist. Figure I'd toss a link out to my first piece.

    Formatting is probably a little different than what you are used to seeing with my stuff, but it is what it is to work with the formatting of the paper.

    Government regulation is a hindrance to business

    (3 comments) Comments >>

    << Previous 8
    Advertise on RightMichigan.com

    Login

    Make a new account

    Username:
    Password:
    Tweet along with RightMichigan by
    following us on Twitter HERE!

    External Feeds

    Metro/State News RSS from The Detroit News
    + Craig: Cushingberry tried twice to elude police, was given preferential treatment
    + Detroit police arrest man suspected of burning women with blowtorch
    + Fouts rips video as 'scurrilous,' defends Chicago trip with secretary
    + Wind, winter weather hammer state from Mackinac Bridge to southeast Mich.
    + Detroit Cass Tech QB Campbell expected to be released from custody Friday
    + New water rates range from -16% to +14%; see change by community
    + Detroit's bankruptcy gets controversial turn in new Honda ad
    + Royal Oak Twp., Highland Park in financial emergency, review panels find
    + Grosse Ile Twp. leads list of Michigan's 10 safest cities
    + Wayne Co. sex crimes backlog grows after funding feud idles Internet Crime Unit
    + Judge upholds 41-60 year sentence of man guilty in Detroit firefighter's death
    + Detroit man robbed, shot in alley on west side
    + Fire at Detroit motel forces evacuation of guests
    + Survivors recount Syrian war toll at Bloomfield Hills event
    + Blacks slain in Michigan at 3rd-highest rate in US

    Politics RSS from The Detroit News
    + Apologetic Agema admits errors but won't resign
    + Snyder: Reform 'dumb' rules to allow more immigrants to work in Detroit
    + GOP leaders shorten presidential nominating season
    + Dems: Another 12,600 Michiganians lose extended jobless benefits
    + Mike Huckabee's comments on birth control gift for Dems
    + Granholm to co-chair pro-Clinton PAC for president
    + Republican panel approves tougher penalties for unauthorized early primary states
    + Michigan seeks visas to lure immigrants to Detroit
    + Peters raises $1M-plus for third straight quarter in Senate bid
    + Bill would let lawyers opt out of Michigan state bar
    + Michigan lawmakers launch more bills against sex trade
    + Balanced budget amendment initiative gets a jumpstart
    + Feds subpoena Christie's campaign, GOP
    + Poll: At Obama's 5-year point, few see a turnaround
    + Obama to release 2015 budget March 4

    create account | faq | search