As if this is news…
BREAKING NEWS: @RandPaul wins @DetroitNews/@MIRSnews presidential straw poll at #Mackinac GOP conference, capturing 22% of the vote. #MRLC
— Chad Livengood (@ChadLivengood) September 20, 2015
Chad has lost his liberal-lovin’ agenda pushing mind. Can anyone say “campus lizards“?
(14)Nuh Uh.
(1)Sorry Carly, go home. You ain’t gonna be it.
And, we haven’t even began discussing her time at Hewlett-Packard and Lucent Technologies?
Go home, Carly.
(16)Nuh Uh.(1)Mackinac Island is always with great views, great fudge, and unforgettable politics.
As the Mackinac Island conference winds itself up, and the “drank” is consumed, we give our salute to the finest of the finest.
Six years ago, we witnessed the stunning display of so many of the ‘millennial’ generation. When Cash was tossed around to get slick Rick some name recognition. And a guy who for the price of a ‘drank’ and paid lodging, was willing to parade around in a free bright neon t-shirt with a Bill Schuette sticker.
The resulting hilarity is classic.
Indeed we are all laughing now. Nothing is so funny, as expanded medicaid, higher road taxes, reinventing ‘cool city’ utopias, a Granholm bridge, bigger and better authorities, Detroit bailouts, and payouts to crony friends.
And nothing so completely knee-slapping as a reinvention of the color green.
(11)Nuh Uh.(1)Michigan Sales Tax Will Hit Internet Shoppers on Oct. 1
State expected to bring in an extra $60 million annually
(14)Nuh Uh.(0)Sometimes it just takes the 'B' Team to get the conversation going.
A shame however that they still don’t quite understand why we are ‘right.’
We have pointed out consistently why the ACA was a bad deal. We have pointed out correctly why Michigan should never have engaged on the self destruct that is ‘Healthy Michigan’ And just the other day we pointed out with reliable and credible sources that our predictions have been spot on.
But knowing there is a problem and correctly identifying it are two different things. We have on multiple occasions offered an accurate ‘why’ of what is going to happen.
Its what we do.
The Ivory Tower now sees there is a problem, yet opines that we are too afraid to pay the taxes for the problem, and that the FEAR of paying IS THE PROBLEM!
“If the Legislature doesn’t extend, and increase, a tax on insurers and some claims administrators, the state won’t be able to fund its current Medicaid programs. In 2017, the state’s costs will go up, something lawmakers have known for years and have they had sufficient time to craft a plan to cover the cost increase.”
A tax increase, or replacement is ALWAYS the solution, yes?
Its like food. Fill the belly, and eventually there is a biological event that is unavoidable. The beast that is government is still eating every last liberty and washing it down with the fruit of our labors. The editorial board of the Detroit Free Press bemoans “those who live by this ideology, all taxes are bad, all government is bad, and the only reason to get elected is to cut government past the point of functionality.”
Why should we be surprised that it is, and will continue to be defecating all over the taxpayers
(22)Nuh Uh.(1)We were clear in 2017 that state taxpayers would be paying dearly for Snyder's 'eager' participation in Obamacare.
Look no further than Obamacare in Michigan for answers to a lot of legislative licentiousness.
We are reminded of the tragedy that was the medicaid expansion vote in 2013. Michigan State Senator Patrick Colbeck (Senate District 7) sends out a legislative update monthly. In his latest offering, he notes
OK…what does Medicaid have to do with roads?
The short answer is that some people in state government are relying upon a tax increase to backfill gaps in Medicaid funding with the same money that the House and Senate plans have already earmarked for roads. This problem becomes exacerbated in 2017 due to the passage of Medicaid Expansion (i.e. Section 2001 of HR 3590 otherwise known as Obamacare). In 2017, the Federal government will no longer provide 100% of the funding for the expanded Medicaid population.
So…if you are wondering why it is so difficult to fix our roads, look no further than Medicaid Expansion. The good news is that I have offered solutions to both Medicaid Expansion and our Roads that address the needs while protecting you from tax increases. See www.SenatorPatrickColbeck.com for more information.
Thanks for nothing, so-called ‘Republican’ majority at the time.
And where might we have seen the warnings about 2017 before?
“Michigan, indeed, would receive billions of dollars from Washington to pay for Medicaid expansion. However, this return of our tax dollars was only temporary. There were strings attached.
After three years, Michigan taxpayers would be forced to pay at least $300 million a year more than they’re currently spending on Medicaid. That’s money that won’t be spent on roads, schools or anything else.
Further, the Medicaid expansion proposal is an open-ended commitment and the Michigan Legislature cannot slow spending increases without Washington’s approval.
It was a classic `bait and switch.’
Bait and switch indeed.
And now that there are two fewer watchdogs on the state house side of the equation, we can expect all sorts of shenanigans to populate the Governor’s imagination.
(20)Nuh Uh.(0)Can Two Wrongs Make a Right?
Recall by constituents would have been a more appropriate option in the Todd and Cindy debacle.
In the hours leading up to what finally happened, deals were likely made that will hardly resonate later as good policy decisions. “get your merry caucus of non voting dems to do their job, and I’ll make sure you get …,” the highly probable statement from house speaker Kevin Cotter to house minority leader Tim Greimel. Greimel apparently held out for the ‘investigation’ carrot as well. Democrat Floor Leader Singh implied this after Roll Call 295, when he motioned to send the entire matter back to committee.
The House Democrats wanted – and got – more than just a couple of scalps. Their blackmail was effective because all of our representatives were bone tired after 13 plus hours of ‘Rule 32’ imprisonment and ready to go home for the weekend. A Michigan State Police investigation of this sorry situation will almost certainly embarrass House leadership far more than the behaviors of Representatives Courser and Gamrat. They made mistakes, but weren’t sufficiently connected or protected politically to extract themselves once exposed.
Apologies NOT accepted.
Gamrat believed she and her lawyer and all involved understood that it would be ‘censure, not expulsion’ if she prostrated herself in a very public mea culpa. Three hours of intense discussions between her, the House Majority counsel, and her own attorney fleshed out what she considered conditional admittance. According to Gamrat, Hassan Beydoun, Majority Counsel, told her “we can control our side ..” when sealing the ostensible censure deal.
Gamrat says the House leadership did not want to go all the way through removal. Leadership did not want to own an expulsion, which would encourage voters to examine other Lansing shenanigans. Approached multiple times by different legislators and implored to resign, Cindy Gamrat refused. She says the pressure was beyond intense. Gamrat’s resolve held all the way out to 4 AM when it became clear that the House leadership could not, or would not ‘control their side’.
(47)Nuh Uh.(7)Embattled representatives may only face censure after all.
The Democrats have kept Todd Courser from being expelled.
As this is being written, it’s hard to imagine that Michigan house leadership is not making deals with the Democrat caucus to rally up the additional 7 votes necessary to remove Todd Courser from his seat. From House TV:
Perhaps it is time to REVERSE THIS???
(18)Nuh Uh.(0)Loss of two legislators will have fiscal policy consequences.
In all likelihood, any replacements for the Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat positions will be inclined to lean leftward and distance themselves away from ‘Tea’ political positions.
The vote by committee this morning didn’t go well for Gamrat and Courser. An upcoming vote by the full house would close the deal. The wife sends me this:
Well there goes the road tax. We pay more
http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2015/09/10/gamrat-courser-hearings-michigan/71993248/
She may be right
And NOT simply at the pump.
(19)Nuh Uh.(1)
