Conservative News

Conservative News, Elections, Michigan Politics, Republicans, Taxes

House Speaker Tom Leonard’s Support of ‘Special Assessment’ Tax Hike Shows Leadership Unbefitting of an Attorney General

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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.

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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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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Rent Seeking, Taxes

Quis Solvet? MSU Settles With Nassar Victims For $ 500 Million

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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.

I underestimated the costs here by $ 25 million, when adjusted for the additional claimants who have come forward.

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.

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

Macomb County Gubernatorial Debate – June 7, 2018

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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.

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Liberty, Michigan Politics, Opinion

SEN. RICK JONES: Why Regulated Online Gambling Is Right for Michigan

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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.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Taxes

Employing a tried and true tactic…holding a tax hike vote during the lowest voter turnout.

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...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}

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Government Incompetence, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Republicans, Research & Analysis, Roads, Taxes

Oh no! This doesn’t look too good.

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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}

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Trump Rally – Washington Township, April 28, 2018 (Follow up).

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I had mentioned earlier about this little shindig happening over in Washington this weekend (Michigan, NOT  DC). I also alluded to the fact that I’m not some mindless political cheerleader or brain-dead party apparatchik. If I see that something isn’t right, I have no qualms in saying it. Conservatives have already lost far too much ground by being “polite”.

On the flip-side, I do have several friends who still think rather highly of Pres. Trump. One of them convinced me to mention it here on Right Michigan (and on a side note, persuaded me to attend with him, along with a few others).

Unfortunately, he got delayed in getting out of Indiana. To make matters worse, he ran out of hours and there was no way (legally) for him to make the return part of his run back to Michigan in time to attend.

Even though I may not be part of the aforementioned apparatchik, I do try to look after my friends whenever I can.

So as a courtesy to him (I told him I‘d have this up this evening), along with other Right Michigan readers who were unable to attend, I have included material from last Saturday.

{Continued after the fold}

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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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