So in the latest distraction in our 24-hour News Cycle World, the latest “outrage” is coming from a surprising source?
And just whom that might be, you may ask yourself?
{Click below to learn the answer}
(7)Nuh Uh.
(0)Recidivism Is Worse Than We Have Been Told
Michigan has been at the forefront of ‘criminal justice reform’, which is newspeak for prison population reduction. In just a few years, Michigan has driven the MDoC prison population down 18%. Democrats love criminal justice reform because it gets one of their major constituencies back on the streets, and voting. Republicans love criminal justice reform because it cuts prison spending, which has become a bottomless pit with all the various mandates. Both of these views are decidedly near term.
The question for non criminal Michigan residents is longer term: will crime rates rise as more prisoners spend less time incarcerated and more time in your neighborhood?
A study just released by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics undermines the case for criminal justice reforms intended to reduce prison populations. This study contradicts previous studies which showed much lower rates of recidivism, probably because it better tracks released prisoners who have moved to other states and also looks at a longer time frame.
This BJS study followed 67,966 state prisoners released in 2005, in 30 states, over the 9 year period following their release. This was a statistically representative sample (16.8%) of the 404,638 prisoners released that year in those 30 states. The BJS study included 2,603 Michigan individuals; sampled from the 12,177 releases from MDoC custody during 2005.
(9)Nuh Uh.(0)
Recently, I received an email showing all of the “conservative leaders” throughout the state of Michigan who support House Speaker Tom Leonard for Attorney General. This list of leaders assured me that Leonard’s leadership record in the House was impeccible and that he is a man who “truly understands our issues and stands up for our values.”
Then I saw that he voted for House Bill 5325 (HB5325), legislation that hikes property taxes on homeowners for the purposes of crony giveaways to well-connected private interests. This scam is called a “special assessment” and a similar scheme may be on a local ballot in your municipality in the near future. This fraud is now picking up steam because of Leonard’s actions.
(15)Nuh Uh.(2)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.
(10)Nuh Uh.(0)Michigan has the least elite elites in the nation
Who exactly is going to pay the $ 500 million that MSU just agreed to pay to 332 victims of Dr. Lawrence G. Nasser?
MSU says they can’t tap their $ 3 billion endowment, which was the focus of former President Lou Anna K. Simon (and why she wasn’t paying any attention to Nassar and Strampel).
This bleed will probably eclipse that of the Flint water fiasco. From the Detroit Free Press:
The settlement, which covers all 332 current claimants, will cost Michigan State $500 million. The school will pay $425 million now and hold $75 million in reserve in case other Nassar victims come forward.
MSU will now work on how it will pay the settlement, MSU spokeswoman Emily Guerrant told the Free Press.
Survivor attorney James White said this is a chance for the survivors to begin to move forward.
“I don’t think they can ever be made whole, but this is a step in the right direction,” he said.
The settlement was announced Wednesday, after the Detroit Free Press published news of the settlement, following two days of closed-door mediation sessions between lawyers for the university and the survivors.
Terms of the settlement are as follows:
• $425 million dollars will be paid to all current claimants
• $75 million dollars will be set aside in a trust fund to protect any future claimants alleging sexual abuse by Nassar
The settlement was approved by the MSU board in a conference call Tuesday night.
Strampel’s cases are not part of this settlement, so there is more bleeding to come.
This disaster is on the Democrats, exclusively.
Michigan has the least elite elites in the nation.
(12)Nuh Uh.(1)
The Macomb County Republican Assembly will be hosting the first gubernatorial debate to be held in Macomb County in 2018.
Sen. Pat Colbeck, Dr. Jim Hines and LG Brian Calley are all scheduled to attend.
Citing yet another “scheduling conflict” AG Bill Schuette will not be attending this event.
The event will take place at Macomb Community College University Center on June 7th. Doors will open at 6:30 pm and the debate begins at 7:00pm.
The debate will be moderated by Charlie Langton along with Kathy Hoekstra and Nolan Finley.
Tickets for the event will be free, but there is a limit of two and must be reserved here first before attending. There will be no tickets available at the door.
(7)Nuh Uh.(0)Michigan’s legislature is considering a bill that would allow the Great Lake State to join a growing roster of states that have legalized online gaming. Legislators would be right to ignore the scare tactics of legislation opponents, much of which, ironically, is funded and supported by gaming interests in Las Vegas.
For decades, the Department of Justice (DOJ) imposed a blanket ban of states legalizing online games of chance. Thanks to pressure from states and some court cases, the DOJ in late 2010 reversed course and allowed states to make the determination themselves. New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada were the first to legalize online gaming for their residents.
Opposition to the effort has been funded almost exclusively by Las Vegas billionaire and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Speaking of which do not miss out of The Biggest Trade Shows in Las Vegas 2020 if you want to see how trade shows add value to a product or service being marketed, as one of these shows will be taking place at Mr.Adelson’s venue. Mr. Adelson has funded an organization dedicated to fighting legalized online gaming. A group called the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling magically appeared. Lobbyists, like former Democratic Senator Blanch Lincoln, were hired and poll-tested and focus group language were employed to restore the federal prohibition.
(0)Nuh Uh.(1)...or worse yet, when Taxpayers aren’t even made aware of it by a complicit local media.
Even though this is affecting strictly Macomb County, I would HIGHLY recommend that readers contact their local clerk’s office to see if there is anything similar occurring in their part of Michigan.
Despite the fact that their current millage hasn’t even expired yet, the local community college not only decided to place a millage hike/renewal on the ballot, but they have done a slam-bang up job of letting everyone know about it.
I cannot imagine why?
{Continued below the fold}
(6)Nuh Uh.(0)Not arguing the final outcome (nice shot, BTW), but I would’ve thought that the 30mm gun could’ve been equally effective.
Submitted w/o any further comment.
(6)Nuh Uh.(5)With County leaders going off-script and not following the established speaking points. When your (possible) PR-firm goes and takes a page from the Coleman A. Young (The First) Playbook and employed a time-worn (and easily recognizable) tactic which hopelessly backfired. When The Bridge Magazine (of all people), comes out and tells people that the latest iteration of mass transit, the Q-Line, over-promised its potential and hilariously underperformed when it comes to paid ridership and maintaining schedules. Now comes the Michigan Legislature throwing yet another log on the fire that is the RTA.
{You’ll need to click below to find out what that is}
(5)Nuh Uh.(0)
