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He really must not be looking very hard!

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Don't bother me. I'm letting people think that I know what I'm doing.

Don’t bother me. I’m letting people think that I know what I’m doing.

 

When he’s not busy assuaging his troubled conscience with other people’s money or letting terrorists into Michigan for the very same reason, Gov. Rick Snyder (along with his BFF’s Lil’ Guv Calley, Sen. Meekhof and apparently Speaker Cotter) are still working diligently behind the scenes to shake down Michigan Motorists and businesses to fix the perpetual joke that is Michigan Roads.

I should stress how important the latter is, because the guv’s crew often “forgets”  that goods actually get onto those shelves at your local store via truck…not some transporter beam from Star Trek or magical fairies daintily waving their wands.

I also shouldn’t need to remind anyone here of Basic Econ 101, where my boss isn’t going to eat the cost of higher fees & taxes Gov. Snyder & Co. will eagerly impose on him. He (and I’ll venture a guess every other business as well) will pass most, if not all, of that cost along to you.

Just something to keep in mind the next time you run out to your local store for anything.

So where is MDOT flushing more of your hard-earned road funding down the toilet this week?

{Continued below the fold}

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80th District Special Election (2015), Conservative News, Elections, Fees, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Philosophy, Republicans

Ain’t No Learnin’ in the Fifth Kick of a Mule

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The Horrendous Campaign Finance Mess of Another Republican Candidate for the 80th House District Seat

Forgetfullness Image 2

This is, without a doubt, the single most convoluted political mess I have ever encountered.

Allegan County Commissioner James M. Storey was one of the first to announce for the special election in the 80th District of the Michigan House of Representatives and one of the last to file. Just before he actually filed, several media stories explained that Mr. Storey was late to file because he discovered outstanding fines against his campaign committee assessed by the Secretary of State. Mr. Storey “discovered a forgotten 33-year-old open campaign account with the Michigan Secretary of State’s office stemming from Storey’s failed 1982 state House bid to represent the eastern UP.”

Mr. Story “said he agreed to amend the reports for that committee and pay a $2,500 fine to the Secretary of State as a result.” His actual predicament is far more recent than his statements suggest and his old ‘Jim Storey for State Representative’ committee still exists and still is noncompliant with Michigan election finance law.

Mr. Storey’s unextinguished State Representative committee did indeed incur an initial $ 25 fine for failing to file its 1998 annual statement (covering 1997) which eventually grew to $ 1,000 in 2001 when it was finally paid. This may have occurred because Mr. Storey moved from Saginaw to his present Holland residence during this time frame. He might not have filed an address change with the Secretary of State and missed their notices. Understandable, but expensive.

However, he filed his committee’s 1999 statement (covering 1998) on time from his current Holland residence, but then failed to file his 2000 statement (covering 1999). Somehow the Secretary of State’s Bureau of Elections overlooked this failure to file for 14 years.

Mr. Storey’s real problems with Michigan’s campaign finance law began in 2012, the year he ran for the Allegan County Commission’s 2nd District, a race which he won. He filed his 2012 annual statement (covering 2011) late, then fails to file his next four required statements until the eve of his 80th District filing.

The filing he did make with the Secretary of State in 2012 referenced 105th District state representative race.  Then on 15 September 2015 he created the ambiguous ‘Jim Story for Allegan County’, referencing his 80th District State House candidacy.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Democrats, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans

Smooth move there, Bonehead!

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"You resigned dude! I don't know what we're doing here?"

Last night, Fox 2 Detroit aired a very interesting “Let It Rip” featuring host Huel Perkins, a VERY unusually reserved Charlie Langton (I have not seen him this quiet for so long…ever), Charlie LeDuff (who was on his “A” Game last night), and disgraced ex-Michigan Representative (and now candidate for Michigan 82nd District) Todd Courser.

The interview went much better than last week’s “Off the Record” where Tim Skubick uncharactisticly put on the kid gloves and lobbed softballs, while Chad Livengood was strangely absent from the panel.

As I alluded to above, LeDuff got in more than a few good questions for Courser (I won’t spoil them if you haven’t clicked on the link to last night’s show above).

I will save everyone some time by mentioning that the first segment is the only one featuring Courser. The “Let It Rip – On The Road” segment dealt only with the made-up Ben Carson kerfuffle from last week’s Meet the Depressed.

‘Nuff said…for now.

 

 

 

 

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Republicans

Bi-Annual Reminder

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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.

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans, Taxes

Glad To See The Free Press Still Reads RightMi.com

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Sometimes it just takes the 'B' Team to get the conversation going.

SnydercaidA 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

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Colbeck Reminds Us Why Snyder Is Poison

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We were clear in 2017 that state taxpayers would be paying dearly for Snyder's 'eager' participation in Obamacare.

colbeckLook 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.

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80th District Special Election (2015), Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Removing The People’s Voice

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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’.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Humor in Michigan, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics

Does EMU Have a Guilty Conscience?

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Ivory Tower Finances in Michigan: No Pocket Left Unpicked, Other People's Crumbs for the Students!

Greed Image 2
In June, the EMU Board of Regents unanimously voted a 7.8% increase in tuition for students. Their new tuition rate for Michigan residents is $ 10,417.00 per year. This $ 754.00 annual increase – about four times the rate of inflation – was justified on the grounds that EMU’s tuition was thirteenth among Michigan’s major public universities. Its not like EMU’s past tuition increases had been held below the rate of inflation, its just that they had been more circumspect about raping forcing their students into perpetual debt slavery.

EMU specializes in disciplines which don’t command especially high wages, but they do generally qualify for our fearless leader’s Income Driven Repayment (IDR) debt forgiveness plans. So the EMU President and Regents probably figure that it is long past time time to tap the federal taxpayers for their grand delusions ambitions through their victims students. Who would notice a few millions more in delinquencies in a program which already has $ 187 billion in delinquencies?

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Conservative News, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

AFP Says “Show EPA The Door”

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AFP: Michigan Should Join States Refusing Compliance with EPA’s Power Grab

afpmi“Any regulatory road we choose leads to the same federally defined destination,” says Lund

Lansing, Mich. – Michigan can and should join other states that are refusing compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s power grab. That was the message from the grassroots free-market group Americans for Prosperity-Michigan in response to an announcement from the Michigan Agency for Energy that the state would develop a blueprint for reaching “targets” imposed by the Obama Administration under the so-called Clean Power Plan.

“Michigan shouldn’t put up with the Obama Administration’s regulatory bullying tactics at the expense of energy consumers,” said Pete Lund, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Michigan. “It is just ridiculous to believe Michigan can maintain control of our energy future if we cave to the EPA’s demands. Any regulatory road we choose to include in our state blueprint leads to the same federally defined destination—one that even President Obama acknowledges will result in higher prices for consumers.”

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Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Benishek ‘Frankly’ Wasting Taxpayer Money ..As Usual

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Michigan congressman expects post office to travel through time for his constituents.

We all know they do it.

But it hardly makes it right.  ‘Franking’ has been used by sitting politicians to expressly ‘inform’ constituents, and cleverly advantage their public budget in electioneering efforts.  Incumbency has its privileges.  Congressman Dan Benishek, holding true to DC assimilation, doesn’t even hide the abuse in any meaningful way.

In a recent ‘Franking’ mailer, his announcement of an upcoming event celebration arrives far too late for those he supposedly wishes to inform.

A reader sends this in:

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