Tag: Government (page 4)

Last week we discussed this particular issue.

No district or constituency is immune to the effect of pay-for-play politics.

All of the study of what happened, the consequence, and the long term effect politically, has to date been pretty much reserved to the national contests. Punditry since November 6th has dissected, analyzed, and made best guesses as to why certain election had any particular results.  Something generally not discussed however, has been local initiatives and issues.  At least not the part where there is a conflict in government's management of our resources.

One of those issues in Northern Michigan was a bond request made by the board of Traverse City Area Public Schools. (TCAPS)

Underneath the perceived troubles in funding public education is an emerging reality.  Because of the nature of taxpayer funding, and the struggle for local school districts to grab their 'fair share' of Michigan's education budget pie, expenses that were once built into operating budgets are now separated from them, and allowed to be levied through millage requests.  These building fund requests allow for purchase of new infrastructure, equipment, and maintenance.

Continually feeding us the economic benefit angle of government intervention in free markets, leaders love to pad the wallets of their best buds in industry. To do so requires a "cause" however,as simply jacking the public treasury for personal gain is abhorrent to those on BOTH sides of the political divide. Climate change has become one of the easiest causes to gather around, because the science is so ambiguous, its been simply easier for governments to act and perhaps err on the side of caution.

So we promote and enhance business models that are designed to combat climate change with other peoples' money. Also included in these 'causes' is the argument that "new jobs are created" with the development of such technology.  Such was the case with A123 Systems:

"In 2009, A123 received millions in federal and state funds, for the creation of jobs for Michiganders. Taxpayers  unwillingly, or unwittingly saw their paychecks shrink for promises never realized, and now they may have ultimately subsidized a technology transfer to a competing world power."

But the cherry in the pie is something even more disturbing.  Adding insult to injury, the failure to produce promised results for taxpayer paid incentives and gratuity is now lining the pockets of the failed executives who apparently understand private public partnerships better than the rest of us.

Its a place where only the taxpayer loses:

"The top executives who presided over its failure - and supported the president's cap-and-tax initiatives early in his term - are likely to receive millions of dollars in bonuses, thanks to their scheming earlier this year and a bankruptcy court judge."

Tyranny, broadly defined, is the use of power to dehumanize the individual and delegitimize his nature.  Political utopianism is tyranny disguised as a desirable, workable, and even paradisiacal governing ideology.

Individual sovereignty is under attack.

Not the wacko, every-man-is-a-sovereign-the-United-States-is-a-corporation kind of sovereignty, but the notion that, as individuals, we have worth and dignity that deserve protection.

This attack exists in every corner of our society and has found its way into our language.  Liberal politicians talk about the "cost" of a tax cut and ask conservatives, "How are you going to pay for that tax cut?"  They thus view tax cuts as expenditures, but expenditures of what?  Of the money to which they deem the government entitled.  

A tax cut "spends" nothing.  It is an acknowledgment that the money being taxed belongs in the first instance to the earner, not the government.  Most Americans would willingly pay taxes to support legitimate government functions, but we resist ferociously the notion that our incomes belong to the government.

Governor Rick Snyder has cut a radio ad urging voters in Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties to re-elect House Speaker Jase Bolger. The Marshall Republican is running for re-election against Democrat Bill Farmer. The Gongwer News Service (subscription required) reports that the ad was paid for by the House Republican Campaign Committee and authorized by Bolger's campaign. The ad is seen as another sign that Bolger is facing a tough re-election fight. Democrats have made an issue of his involvement in a plan to put a "straw candidate" on the ballot to help State Representative Roy Schmidt's re-election chances in his Grand Rapids district. Schmidt switched from the Democratic to Republican party right before the filing deadline.

A Lincoln Park woman who collected welfare benefits despite winning a big lottery prize pleaded no contest to fraud Thursday and likely will be sentenced to probation.

Lawyers for Amanda Clayton, a 25-year-old mother of two, were disappointed that state prosecutors would not settle the case without a felony charge.

"Ambitions often get in the way of good justice," Todd Flood told The Associated Press outside court.

There is no dispute that Clayton collected about $5,500 in food aid and medical benefits after winning a $735,000 lottery prize, before taxes, last year. After Clayton was confronted by TV station WDIV, the state charged her with fraud and said she should have informed the Department of Human Services about her windfall.

Clayton, who bought a new home and a car with her winnings, has said she felt entitled to the welfare handout.

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