Tag: Republican (page 2)

I ran for a number of reasons:

• He supports agenda 21 type initiatives
  
• He is a consummate crony capitalist
  
• He is NOT a solid RTL candidate, though he is actually endorsed
  
• He and his wife were financial supporters of the local Dem party not-so-long ago.
  
• He will NOT fight the health care mandate, nor support any tenth amendment action.
  
• He FAILED our local party and community by NOT supporting right to work legislation
  

I thought I would do very well.  In fact, right to the very end, it seemed likely we would see a solid victory.  At the door I saw nothing but support.  The message was right.  The radio ads were highly effective though sparse. There were about 30 people who were helping in some way.  There was a great number who said "I already voted for you." Others were getting the same feedback.  There was no doubt in my mind of a victory.

It looked promising, and frankly was not at all predictive of a 65-35% indignant loss.

Damn.

The obvious handicap of running against incumbency aside, I have some suspicions of the mistakes made along the way that would lead to such an end.  There is a lot of analysis to be done.  I will try to objectively assess the failures and mistakes so that it never happens again.  

But looking at CD-11, I have greater concern about the ability of Michigan to shake off its milquetoast RINO brand. And in two years, we may have the bull of the herd trying to stick around.

There is no shortage of material to do so with, and the concerns we address are open and frank.  We agreed that the Michigan Business Tax was a job killer, and it was handled with the legislature and governor eliminating it with a restructuring.  The restructuring, perhaps not utilizing sufficient cost savings that would have prevented a tax increase on seniors however has made for some interesting conversation.

Sometimes high strung, but still interesting.

At the very least, if anyone here was communicating (at least if it were me) directly with the governor on policy, and providing a communications forum for a little back and forth, we would at least be paying attention.  Agree with him or not, when you have the governor's ear, you talk to it.

ALG President Bill Wilson today sent a letter to the House Ethics Committee today questioning Michigan CD6 Fred Upton's use of taxpayer paid franked mail to tout his political rating by the NRA to his constituents.  The letter suggests Upton could well afford to campaign on his own dime without the use of taxpayer dollars:

"To be clear, if Mr. Upton had chosen to write about specific legislation mentioning key organizations who supported or opposed it as part of his rationale to his constituents as to why he voted a certain way, that would be inside the lines. However, putting out what can only be called a "campaign" piece using taxpayer funds is repugnant.

I am confident that between the political campaign war chest that a powerful committee chairman can easily amass, and his own personal wealth, Mr. Upton could afford to pay for his own political direct mail without need of taxpayer assistance. Given this confidence, this mailing is all the more offensive, as it reveals Mr. Upton's sense of entitlement to the perks and benefits of office that are so repugnant to Americans across the political spectrum."

Once bitten by the entitlement bug, its hard to shake I suppose.  Stamps for Christmas cards, or pictures of hunting folk carrying guns to posture for support.  All paid for with the sweat from taxpayer brows.  Upton for his part, has defended his actions already, claiming the money he DIDN'T spend shows he is a fiscal hawk."

"Again this year, I will be returning money to the treasury that I could spend," Upton said."

That was the amount reportedly offered to Schwarz for his campaign on their behalf. From M-Live

Former Republican Congressman Joe Schwarz said Friday he has decided not to run for the seat now held by Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg.

Schwarz, of Battle Creek, represented the 7th Congressional District - which includes Jackson County - for one term in the U.S. House and lost to Walberg, of Tipton, in the 2006 Republican primary.

He had been considering a run in 2012 as a Democrat.

And even though the story doesn't mention it, he may still run as an Independent.

Fair Haven, MI, April 30, 2012: Michael Shmina is a project manager for A.Z. Shmina, a family owned construction business. Shmina is looking to unseat 24-year-old incumbent Andrea Lafontaine as the next 32nd District State Representative. The 32nd District represents northern Macomb and central St. Clair counties, which include Chesterfield, Wales, Columbus, Kimball, Riley, Kenockee, Ira, New Baltimore and Casco. Shmina filed his paperwork in Lansing on April 27th.

Says Shmina of his decision to run, "My goal is simple: I want to this area to remain a viable choice for people who'd like to move here. For that to happen, we need to simplify and reduce taxes for small businesses."

Shmina explains, "Small businesses, such as A.Z. Shmina, are what drive the economy. They hire from in and around their districts, generating income for the people within their districts. They invest in their community, and help neighborhoods, schools and other supporting businesses thrive. As a long-term employee within a small, locally owned business, I know first-hand how small businesses can make a big impact in communities."

Shmina's work experience makes him uniquely qualified to be the next State Representative for the 32nd district. With Shmina Construction for 19 years, he regularly plans and executes complex projects; hires and trains people; and negotiates and manages multiple contracts. "Problem solving and leadership" Shmina emphasizes, "are essential in what I do now and what I hope to accomplish in Lansing. My job experiences as a small business employee as well as my life experiences as a homeowner, parent and spouse give me a huge edge over the incumbent."

Shmina continues, "Politicians with no real-world experience outside of our state capitol are not in touch with how their recent legislation affects our Michigan-based businesses. A state representative who recently graduated from college can't possibly know how higher taxes limit job growth within the small business sector. How could she? If she hasn't lived it, walked it or felt it, then she has no basis for legislating it."

Lafontaine is just 24 years old and a recent college graduate. After a narrow victory in the August 2010 primary, she won the general election. Redistricting forced her to move from her parents' home in Richmond to another location allegedly within the district. Currently, however, it is unclear exactly where she lives or if she resides within the district at all.

There is no question where Shmina lives, however. As a property owner in Ira Township since 2002 with two children who graduated from the Algonac School District and another currently in second grade, he is no carpetbagger. "The 32nd district is my home," Shmina affirms. "I'm bringing up my family here. I work here. I hire my coworkers here. I am invested in its growth, and believe the one way to help ensure its long-term vibrancy is to provide more jobs for its residents."

When Shmina was asked why he chose to run he said "It was a very difficult decision. No one wants to run against someone from their own party, but it's about principles and core beliefs. I love the area and I want to give homeowners and small businesses the tools they need to succeed. For me, running is about doing what I say I'll do. It's about protecting our future and keeping our freedoms intact by reducing the size of our government and simplifying our legislation.

When asked about any potential debates with the incumbent, Shmina answered, "If she'd agree to one, I'd love to give the voters the opportunity to hear from both of us and see for themselves. Based on past experiences, however, I don't think she'll agree to anything formal. Debates are an important part of the political process. The voters want and need to ask questions and compare their candidates."

Dear Michigan Republican -

For the last 15 years I have been the woman working to end "affirmative action" programs that grant race preferences at the University of Michigan and in all public entities.  In 2003, my lawsuit against UofM went to the US Supreme Court and following that court case I led the victorious Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI/Proposal 2) campaign.

At the time of MCRI, Saul Anuzis was Chairman of the Michigan Republican State Committee (MRSC).  To my surprise,  Saul opposed our effort and worked hard to convince establishment Republicans across the state to oppose our effort, because he claimed it would hurt the Republican Party.

The language for the recall must contain reason based upon the officer's conduct during his or her current term in office. At 4pm today, there was a recall filed to remove Randy Richardville from his 17th District Senate seat. The submission was from Monroe county resident and former county GOP Chair, Jeff Andring, with the following language:

"On February 29, 2012 Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, (17th District) co-sponsored and later voted "YES" on Senate Bill 0992, allowing real estate developers to avoid personal guarantees on foreclosed commercial loans in Michigan.  Homeowners, losing their homes to foreclosure, are still held liable for such payments. This law was made retroactive to avoid a $2.4 Million dollar personal financial obligation for the brother of the Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.

Senator Richardville abused his legislative position by introducing "Right to Teach", wasting our tax dollars on a personal, political message, threatening basic collective bargaining rights of teachers.

Senator Richardville introduced SB 410 and SB 411 which would have authorized a new government bridge, funded with our road repair tax dollars. These bills unfairly divert money from badly needed road repairs to build a bridge that a private company is willing to build at no cost or risk to taxpayers. This misallocation of funds can only result in substandard roads, or increased taxes to replace the money diverted for the government bridge.

For these abuses of legislative power, an election should be held to decide if Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville should be removed from office."