Tag: Tom McMillin

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.

Today, amidst the work stoppage by DDOT bus drivers and concerns over upset and dis-spirited riders, State Representative Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills) proclaimed three words: "Free the jitney!" proving there is something straight up about a guy who sees the essence of a problem and goes right to fixing it.

Perhaps some of you may have read a piece at PJ Media by Richard Fernandez?  In "Single Point Of Failure," Fernandez describes how big government can choke liberty and innovation, and even notes the seemingly paradoxical place liberal run governments must be in to support anti union measures that prohibit strikes for public transportation.

"The BART strike in the Bay area prompted John Diaz to argue in a San Francisco Chronicle op-ed that strikes in the Bay Area should be outlawed. Yes that's right. No right to strike in Berkeley.  He admits this proposal sounds fascist -- is fascist -- but the situation in San Francisco allows no alternative."

Given the singular version of transportation promoted by the left these days, it can be spectacularly gratifying to have such a well met crisis drive home the consistent folly of over managing the daily affairs human beings.  In the PJ article, it is planners run amuck, (and into a ditch) concentration of populations, (ala A21) and in a heartbeat, everyone is susceptible to the most minor interruption of government benevolence, and general transportation assistance.

Me?  I think the truth is somewhere in the middle of all of that.  I also think that these various characterizations dance around an interesting finding of the iCaucus Michigan survey, but which wasn't referred to in the press release in a way that would draw attention, and which by itself explains why a top-down approach to Michigan Republican Party unity is never going to work.

Following the Senate's concurrence on Michigan's omnibus budget yesterday, that included a "pause and review" provision for Michigan Department of Education's implementation of Common Core national curriculum standards and the high-stakes testing associated with it, Rep. Tom McMillin said,

"Today is a very good day for Michigan citizens, almost all of who did not have the opportunity to weigh in on turning over the standards taught in all of Michigan's public schools to a national trade association (National Governors Association).  They will now have that opportunity as the legislature debates the matter.

It's pretty surprising that supporters of Common Core and the high-stakes nation test, Smarter Balance, seem scared by the thought of having to defend them.  Though, I do understand it must be tough to sell the abdication of education curriculum standards to a national private entity.  I certainly look forward to the debate in the coming months.  We currently have better math standards in place than Common Core and we can certainly improve our ELA standards without giving the NGA the sole authority to determine and alter them."

Watch for the most "progressive" school districts to freak out for a while.

But why?

Its about control.  More control for an overgrown federal bureaucracy that cannot handle the most trivial tasks already, yet with this curriculum endeavors to take on the state's task (remember the 10th amendment?) of public education. Along with that perhaps satisfying at the same time a 'progressive' need to rope in home school children and leave no stone unturned with indoctrination.

Or at least it could be if Michigan State Representative Tom McMillin has his way.  McMillin has proposed legislation that ties any money taken from taxpayers for economic development or grants to a requirement of drug testing for principle recipients. Adding and amending this language:

Sec. 15. Beginning October 1, 2013, the fund shall establish requirements to ensure that any recipient of funds, including a loan, a grant, or funding or other assistance for a project,submits to and tests negative for substance abuse under a substance abuse testing program prescribed by the fund. As used in this section, any recipient who is not an individual includes all of the following:

• (a) For a corporation, the president and the chief executive officer, and each managerial employee who directly reports to the president or chief executive officer.
  
• (b) For a partnership, all partners and each managerial employee who directly reports to a partner.
  
• (c) For a limited partnership, the general and limited partners and each managerial employee who directly reports to a general or limited partner.
  
• (d) For a limited liability company, all members and each managerial employee who directly reports to a member.

Certainly no hotel room baked concoctions for these connoisseurs of the finest taxpayer largess.  We aren't talking of a few misplaced bags of medicinal scratch, or toilet bowl punch either. But the good stuff that can only be bought with the type of green that is doled out by the news conference.

Tom McMillin is one of them

The Michigan House today approved the Department of Education budget with an amendment which does not allow them to implement Common Core State Standards or "Smarter Balanced Assessments". Sponsored by State Rep. Tom McMillin, the amendment is similar to House Bill 4276 which is currently before the House Education Committee.

The amendment addresses the Common Core State Standards that were never approved by a Michigan Legislature. Concerns had been raised about the State Board of Education exceeding its authority as it attempts to implement standards in Michigan schools, created by a private, national organization, the National Governor's Association. The National Governor's Association controls the content of the Common Core State Standards, and the privately-owned "Smarter Balanced Assessments" align with those standards.

Think copyrighted 'Fire-Codes'.