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(25)Nuh Uh.(1)Monthly Archives: January 2015
Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Taxes
AgitProp in the 21st Century
by 10x25MM • • 12 Comments
Mercenary Research in the Service of Greed
News stories on the Michigan road tax proposal are replete with compelling, eye popping factoids about the costs poor roads impose on Michigan drivers. These factoids are so compelling that our colorless Governor cites them to sway voters in the upcoming sales tax proposal debate. Some examples:
- An inadequate transportation system costs Michigan residents a total of $7.7 billion every year
- Driving on rough roads costs Michigan motorists a total of $2.3 billion annually in extra vehicle operating costs
- Driving on rough roads costs the average Detroit urban area motorist $536 annually in extra vehicle operating costs
- Driving on rough roads costs the average Michigan motorist $357 annually in extra vehicle operating costs
You are expected to conclude that a 16.67% sales tax increase is a just trifle to escape these ghastly financial burdens. These factoids are always attributed to “TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research organization”. Sounds like an independent, credible source – right? The adjectives ‘nonprofit’ and ‘research’ give you a high level of confidence in their pronouncements? Perhaps you should dig a little deeper than our conniving politicians and their lazy media scribes. The TRIP report they are mining for these factoids is: MI_Transportation_By_The_Numbers_TRIP_Report_Jan_2014
You Betcha! (30)Nuh Uh.(0)
(30)Nuh Uh.(0)2015 MIGOP State Convention, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy
The Window Dressing of Reverse Racism
by Kevin Rex Heine • • 8 Comments
Do we really want a third term for a Vice Chair who appears to be more interested in pandering than in outreach?
Since early 2014, there have been ever-escalating smear attacks against our national committeeman, Dave Agema, that have been as predictable as the calendar, in that they’ve occurred, if my memory serves me correctly, during the runup to every national or state committee meeting last year, as well as during the weeks immediately preceding the “fall” state convention (and are now occurring concurrent to the weeks preceding the “spring” state convention four weeks from now). The pattern is also predictable, in that either Ken Braun or Dennis Lennox (occasionally Kathy Hoekstra just for the sake of variety) will get wind (via one of their trolls) of a social media post on Agema’s Facebook page, will then cherry-pick some alleged “money quote” from the source article (or an article buried up to three links deep from that source) and then report that “money quote” as though Agema originally said it . . . and never-you-mind that they can’t be bothered to accurately report what he actually said with regard to why he found something post-worthy. The next step, again ridiculously predictable, is that the three amigos will then use their press credentials to publish opinion pieces, which allegedly-more-credible reporters will then use as source material for front-page “news” stories, which the usual suspects will then use to fuel a smear campaign of manufactured outrage, which the party’s useful idiots and low-information voter bloc will dutifully echo as an ever-increasing crescendo of calls for Agema to step down “for the good of the party.”
Fully detailing this pattern and the miscreants perpetuating it – which I intend to do – is a topic for another day soon. My purpose in mentioning it here is to merely highlight the hypocrisy of selective outrage within the party leadership, specifically in regard to a certain vice chair whose own conduct has been perhaps more offensive than that of the national committeeman for whose resignation she has recently called.
You Betcha! (28)Nuh Uh.(4)
(28)Nuh Uh.(4)Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Taxes
Heads Up Watchdogs
by Jason • • 7 Comments
State Superintendent hints at major advocacy through school systems, and express advocacy.
With the push by big government to drive a 16.7% sales tax increase, we need to be especially vigilant.
A few days ago, Rick Snyder (allegedly) broke the law. We expect the filed MCFA complaint to be fought, but there is little defense when the AG Bill Schuette, and SoS Ruth Johnson were in the front row watching (Witnessing) him doing so. Certainly, the Attorney General cannot decide which laws he will enforce, right?
There are other folks with ‘skin in the game’ who will be weighing in on the ballot measure. One of them is State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. Flanagan, already pushing the envelope by posting his advocacy on a state (taxpayer) paid for website will be “actively promoting its passage” in venues as-yet undetermined.
You Betcha! (20)Nuh Uh.(1)
(20)Nuh Uh.(1)2015 MIGOP State Convention, Firearms, Michigan, Opinion
Top of the Tweet
by Corinthian Scales • • 1 Comment
.@SarahPalinUSA on new GOP majority: “It’s not just the New England Patriots who are dealing with deflated balls”: http://t.co/torTNNsITT
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) January 22, 2015
You Betcha! (20)Nuh Uh.(3)
(20)Nuh Uh.(3)Firearms, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy
Rotten Fish in Michigan
by 10x25MM • • 3 Comments
DNR Fee Increase Backfires
Politicians of all stripes are rooting around for fresh money to fulfill past, present, and future promises lately, figuring that the economy is so hot that their depredations will go unnoticed and have no consequences. Let’s take a look at a Michigan example: the increase in license fees for hunting and fishing which the Legislature authorized in 2013 and which took effect in 2014.
The most popular hunting and fishing license prices doubled under the new fee schedule, although a direct comparison is not possible because the licenses were restructured to ‘simplify’ the license schedule. Governor Snyder’s goal for these increases was to raise an additional $ 18.1 million dollars annually for the DNR. The Senate Fiscal Agency benchmarked the anticipated annual increase at $ 19.7 million.
These are fees, paid voluntarily, so why should we care? Only taxes matter? The State of Michigan has been reducing the amount of money appropriated to the DNR from tax revenues since 2000, a reduction that now amounts to about 70%. So fees are now required to replace taxes. A common story across the United States. Fees play better with voters than taxes.
You Betcha! (25)Nuh Uh.(0)
(25)Nuh Uh.(0)Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan Politics, Republicans
Climate change is real. The “republicans” in Congress even said so themselves.
by KG One • • 26 Comments
Senate Amendment 29 to SB-1 (Keystone XL Pipeline Bill):
“To express the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and not a hoax. “
And these are the people we were counting on to stop the Obama Agenda?
I can only surmise that they didn’t read the bill.
Submitted without any further comment.
You Betcha! (22)Nuh Uh.(4)
(22)Nuh Uh.(4)All the Other Stuff, Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1
Arrogance Of The Aristocracy
by Jason • • 6 Comments
Having no one to tell them "NO" previously, our leadership brazenly assumes immunity from the law.
Watching Obama the other night was something many of my friends could not do.
As he quite literally leaned on the podium and gave an in-your-face ‘I don’t give a damn about your efforts’ speech to the congress, he further provoked with the threat of veto for anything that did not meet his agenda. The soft sneer of disrespect to the people’s house and its ‘opposition’ inhabitants was palpable. But it was not unexpected.
How else might a top executive act when he is given every thing that he wants? In what other way would he comport himself when weak threats are buttressed by inaction and outright political cowardice? The Republican controlled House of Representatives has hardly put its foot down each time the president has acted in an unconstitutional manner, and there is little indication it might in the future.
So the law does not matter to this president, and for many of the same reasons, it does not matter to Michigan’s governor. When people seek power, they are sometimes willing to overlook the blatant disregard for checks and balances, and pretend the emperor is indeed fully clothed.
You Betcha! (38)Nuh Uh.(1)
(38)Nuh Uh.(1)Elections, Michigan, Opinion, Proposal 15-1
FYI: Registration Deadline for 30 Counties Holding Elections
by Corinthian Scales • • 0 Comments
Just caught this.
Michigan residents have until Monday, Jan. 26, to register to vote in the Feb. 24 election, said Secretary of State Ruth Johnson.
….School districts and municipalities in 30 counties are holding elections. The polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To find out if there is an election in your community, visit www.michigan.gov/vote.
View the info for yourself. Consider the February election a precursor to the $300M the MEA wants on, May 5, of which, I will be voting NO.
Fix “JUST” the roads, and enough of the nerdy CPA, robbing Peter to pay Paul EITC games.
You Betcha! (9)Nuh Uh.(0)
(9)Nuh Uh.(0)Conservative News, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1
Bill Schuette: NO TAX INCREASE
by Jason • • 4 Comments
Bill Schuette Agrees That Tax Increases are BAD.
Sent out Just after Obama’s State Of The Union
Schuette: Obama Tax Increase Bad For America
LANSING– Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette issued this statement following the State of the Union address by President Obama:
“The last thing America needs is a tax increase. What hard working American families and job providers deserve is comprehensive tax reform that cuts taxes and provides the incentive for growth that will create jobs and keep the United States as the economic leader worldwide.”
Right On Brother Bill!
You Betcha! (29)Nuh Uh.(0)
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