Jason

Michigan

UPCPAC June 8-9

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Upper Peninsula Political Action Conferences (UPCPAC)

Last call for the first Upper Peninsula conservative Political shindig.

 

Friday Night: June 8, 2018 Highland Golf Club, Escanaba, MI. 7:00pm (TICKETS HERE)

UPCPAC will host a meet and greet for candidates seeking election in the 2018 primary and general elections.

Please come out and cheer on your favorite candidate.

Undecided? This is the place to be! Come and meet local and state candidates. So far, confirmed candidates:

  • 110 State Rep. Candidates: Kirk Schott
  • 38th Senate Candidates: Ed McBroom
  • Mike Carey
  • Governor Candidates: Patrick Colbeck

Saturday Morning: June 9, 2018 Highland Golf Club 10:00am
The theme of this years event:  “Our Constitution: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”
UPCPAC brings togther knowledgeable speakers to help us understand our Constitutions rich history, the differing ways it is under attack, today and what our future may look like tomorrow because of it.

UPCPAC’s list of speakers include:

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All the Other Stuff, Michigan

Memorial Day 2018

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Some memories from today.

It was warm and humid.

As usual, it hardly stopped hundreds who gathered in Traverse City at the veterans memorial for the annual Memorial Day observance.  Veterans, patriots, and Gold Star mothers were present, all to honor the fallen in wars both recent and past.

I have never served.  My family and so many others have have been blessed in ways to have a military that has guaranteed certain freedoms.  So many have sacrificed it all for our country, but it has already been said more eloquently here.

Below is a collection of photographs from today’s gathering.

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2018 Michigan Gubernatorial Race, Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics

Mackinac Center Interviews Pat Colbeck

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Michigan Gubernatorial candidate Pat Colbeck was interviewed earlier this year on a number of issues.

A couple of choice quotes:

Essentially the state has deemed it upon itself to play venture capitalist with taxpayer money to the tune of about a billion dollars. It’s about halfway split between MEDC and Michigan Strategic Fund. … I propose broad-base tax incentives that honor Article I, Section I of the Michigan Constitution, which means that our policies are meant for the equal benefit of all of our citizens.

Right now, with these venture capitalist approach to economic development, like the ones you mentioned, the only people that get the deals are the ones with the ears of the power brokers up in Lansing, … it’s turned into more of an “old friends and family discount” than something that benefits all the citizens of Michigan. It’s something that I’m vehemently opposed to.

and

Businesses thrive when you lower the total cost of doing business, which is confirmed if you click here and read this article. One of the major costs for businesses is the cost of government, and we can get into some of the other costs here down the road here, but health care is another one and energy is another one, and if you can lower all three of those costs, you actually create an economic development incentive package that’s not picking winners and losers; that applies to everybody equally.

When folks ask if it is possible for someone to represent ‘everyone.’ I say this last part is how its done.

The full transcript is available at Michigan Capitol Confidential’s site.

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Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Something In The Water

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Traverse City pursues expensive power option.

There’s Crazy – Then There Is Traverse City Michigan crazy.

Once upon a time, Traverse City owned TCL&P (Traverse City Light & Power) produced electricity.  (see picture at right) We had coal docks, a steam producing boiler, and turbines that were able to produce all of what was needed for Traverse City, and some surrounding area power needs.

In the early eighties, TCL&P, contracted with the county to operate power generation from three dams that were deeded to Grand Traverse County a decade before by Consumers Power. It cost them nothing. In the 90s, TCL&P erected the region’s first windmill, while at the same time reducing output and planning complete decommission of  its coal fired facility which (by the way) was located on the valuable public waterfront.

Stories were plentiful about how the city was conscious of the environment, had to do their part, and how some folks would sign up for that ‘expensive’ energy which cost only 3 or four times the current rate. There were TCL&P customers who voluntarily paid for ‘green’ energy that came down the same transmission lines, even though it was the same electricity as the guy was getting next door for less.

I suppose a byline in the local fish wrap was worth it?

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2018 Michigan Gubernatorial Race, Michigan, Michigan Politics

Governor’s Debate Takeaways

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So who won?

I’ll admit it, I have a dog in this race.

I prefer Patrick Colbeck for the GOP nomination, but an honest critique of the Grand Rapids debate is warranted here. The one hour forum broadcast with at least 5 minutes of technical difficulties, and a scheduled emergency broadcast test in the middle offered voters a better picture of who ought to represent as gubernatorial flag bearer for the GOP in November.

Bill Schuette, Brian Calley Patrick Colbeck, and Jim Hines participated.  Each candidate was clearly prepared, and felt comfortable in front of the camera.

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Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics

Toast

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1st District Democrat candidate disqualifies self from race.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

If anyone thinks the blue wave is going to happen in 2018, lets look at one of the more competitive races that the Democrats thought they could win.  Democrats were hoping that Matt Morgan, a veteran, young, and apparently articulate, could unseat the Bergman from the first congressional district this time around.  However he apparently used his post office box address on the some or all of the 1543 gathered petitions he had gathered for his candidacy.

I guess this is a no-no, and the according to a Gongwer email alert, the board of canvassers are saying “sorry fella, you aren’t on the ballot.”  It is reported he will be filing as an independent.

This is a different shade of blue for Michigan Democrats, who for the top race in the state, have a bankrupt animal abuser, a (probable) Muslim Brotherhood agent, and a child sex abuse enabler to choose from.

It is NOT a good year to be a Democrat.

Stay tuned.

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2018 Michigan Gubernatorial Race, Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Cultural Equivalence?

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Are we too afraid to ask the obvious?

What if you have an opinion that institutionalized misogyny is maybe not such a great thing?  Does even the question make you a bigot?

What if the centerpiece of my ‘religion’ was not a resurrected son-of-God who died in excruciating pain for all of our hatred, shame, and imperfections manifested in misdeeds.  But instead a warlord who to achieve power, subjugated other men, women, children, all in the name of (presumably) the same God.

What if that latter ‘religion’ was not one of proselytizing through love but through violent means, extortion, blackmail, lies and subterfuge.  What if it called for honor killings, female mutilation, death for apostasy, ransom, and purposeful deceit to advance it’s growth.

What if you do not have the intellectual ability to recognize a difference between spiritually uplifting beliefs, and those that foment acts of cowardice and terror quite literally DAILY.

Are these not legitimate questions?

Sadly we have those who in their political aspirations are too fearful to ask them.  The few who do, become targets of the purposefully stupid or intellectually dishonest in media, and are quickly branded as bigots and intolerant.

Go figure.

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2018 Michigan Gubernatorial Race, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans

Milton Friedman For Governor

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If you wanted the best economic outcome for Michigan, wouldn't he get your vote?

Today’s economists aren’t.

I mean they aren’t around anymore. Not since November 2006 anyhow.  That was when Milton Friedman took his last breath.

No one understood markets based on how people respond to incentive like Milton Friedman.  While sympathetic to our desire to do good for others, he recognized the nature of how we prioritize (en mass) when making spending decisions.

The first time I heard the “four ways to spend money” was not Friedman however.  It was during a presentation on health care options for Michigan by Pat Colbeck.  He wasn’t a candidate for Governor at that time, but he was clearly advocating a sensible approach on how we pay for our health care needs.  Part of it is returning the incentive to those who will watch more closely how well the money is spent to achieve the best results and at lowest cost.

A recent newsletter from the Mackinac center reminded me of this, which is the way Colbeck had put it a year and a half ago.

There only four ways to spend money.

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Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Wayne Schmidt Has Challenger In The 37th District

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Conservative ideas to be argued in the primary.

Good.

One of the best parts of any election season is the opportunity for the candidates to argue that they are best equipped to represent a particular set of ideas and philosophy.   When incumbency is used to mask what might be a crappy candidate, we all lose.

Yesterday, a challenger has filed to face the Red light camera king in the Northern Michigan district.

Republican activist Jim Gurr is not sitting this cycle out, and is not going to let the man who would have all property owned by government have a free shot.  From his site:

Our current State Senator serves many masters, but unfortunately not the voters in the 37th State Senate District. This is unfortunate, and sadly typical of those who hold power of office to be more important than the needs of the people they serve.

And lists a number of grievances.

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