Tag: dennis lennox (page 4)

I fundamentally believe raising taxes is never the answer, and I'm the only candidate for the State House seat in the 105th District with a record of never supporting a tax increase.

The Associated Press reports 240 new laws were enacted by the Michigan Legislature in 2009 .

Yet, one has to ask what exactly was accomplished this year.

Michigan continues to have the worst economy in the country with one family moving outside the state every 12 minutes. Businesses are struggling, schools are broke, roads are crumbling and police agencies are finding it difficult to keep the streets safe from criminals.

While the politicos in Lansing will recite bill after bill that was passed, it's notable that not a single one of Michigan's 240 new laws made the National Conference of State Legislatures annual list of new laws.

Notable new laws include New Mexico passing a tuition waiver for medical students who practice in underserved areas and reforms to New York's retirement system for state employees.

Think about it for a second, what has Lansing accomplished this year that addresses Michigan's twenty-first century challenges?

A proposal by freshman legislators to extend the length of Michigan's term limitations is nothing new and won't do much to reform and restructure the broken state government.

While term limits need to be addressed, this won't be enough to fix Lansing

Let's face it, Michigan's government was designed in an era vastly different from today.

You may have heard, but the report from the Legislative Commission on Government Efficiency is about to get released after months of delays and postponing.

While all ideas to solving Michigan's twenty-first century challenges must be considered, Lansing fixing Lansing is a bit ironic and an oxymoron to many folks.

I believe the solutions to turnaround our great state will be found on Main Street.

Whether it's in Norway or the United States, the center-right is the party of ideas. We are the ones proposing real solutions.

However, do you really know what your tax dollars are funding at our public institutions of higher education?

Instead of studying reading, writing and arithmetic, students are more likely to receive a lesson in indoctrination.

What used to pass as controversial -- free condoms, abortion referrals and Sex 101 -- are no longer du jour.

Today's students are being required to undergo "cultural sensitivity" orientation before setting foot on campus. They are bombarded with endless messages of diversity and tolerance; viewpoints that were probably never shared with parents during visitation sessions and campus tours.

These mandatory orientation seminars are designed so students "remember the skits" throughout their four years, according to a diversity czar at one taxpayer-funded university.

And what are these skits?

They are attacks against anything and anyone viewed as culturally or socially unacceptable in academia: Christians, political conservatives, European-Americans and white men are scoundrels and hate-mongers that must be silenced and oppressed in the eyes of Ivory Tower elitists.

If this wasn't bad enough, administrators and faculty at all 15 of Michigan's universities use tax dollars to fund programs and services that come straight out of liberal San Francisco and the handbook of Bill Ayers -- the domestic terrorist that launched the political career of President Barack Obama now writes the curriculum for many universities and K-12 school districts across the country.

Instead of spending taxpayer money on educating students, the schools spend millions of dollars each year on the operations of diversity offices for every imaginable racial, cultural and sexual minority imaginable, hosting communist and avowed anti-American speakers like Angela Davis and Tom Hayden, sponsoring x-rated drag shows for cross-dressing deviants, and bringing in musical performers that promote alcohol, drugs, sex and the degrading of women.

As taxpayers, we can no longer sit back and tolerate the systematic dismantling of our country. In the words of the philosopher Aristotle, "Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society."

Parents and grandparents need to get involved in the education of the next generation.

Ask questions, review textbooks and most importantly, write state legislators to demand that increases in taxpayer funding be refused unless these radical, anti-family and un-American programs and services are ended.

Legislation aimed at granting counties the authority to abolish the drain commissioner's office was introduced Wednesday in the State Senate by a bipartisan coalition of senators.

Under Senate Bill 758, which is sponsored by Senators Jason Allen (R-Traverse City), Judson Gilbert (R-Algonac), Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw Twp.) and Jim Barcia (D-Bay City), Cheboygan County and other counties with a population under 35,000 would be allowed to devolve the duties and responsibilities of the drain commissioner to the road commission..

The legislation is a companion to a bill introduced by Representative Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge) in July. Both bills were modeled after my campaign promise to abolish my office.

This legislation reforms the way government is structured in Michigan by allowing taxpayers to decide the type of government that best serves their local community. It's time to take the first step in reforming and restructuring government at all levels across our great state.

If passed by both chambers and signed by the governor, counties could voluntary abolish the office of drain commissioner with the consent of the incumbent, a two-thirds vote of county commissioners and a majority of electors voting in support at a primary or general election held after August 2010.

Under current law, drain commissioners are required -- regardless of need -- in all counties with a population over 12,000. The position, which dates to Michigan's statehood in 1837, is responsible for overseeing water resources.