Hate to say I told you so but… told you so.
Representatives Courser and Gamrat should immediately resign http://t.co/Q1wifvqFss
— Ronna RomneyMcDaniel (@RRMGOP) August 31, 2015
However, Little Ronna campaigning for her uncle Willard? That is just okie dokie…
Because, you know, road funding vote$ is priority or, “unity” or, whatever smoke you’d like blown up your posterior.
H/t Me
(28)Nuh Uh.
(1)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:
(12)Nuh Uh.(2)Don’t you know that “Take a vote, not a vacation” doesn’t apply to the man at the top?
“It’s essential that making Michigan’s infrastructure safer remains a top priority. While voters didn’t support this particular proposal, we know they want action taken to maintain and improve our roads and bridges. The ‘relentless’ part of relentless positive action means that we start anew to find a comprehensive, long-term solution to this problem.” – Gov. Rick Snyder after the crushing defeat of Proposal 1 on May 5, 2015
Unless of course, you are on yet another “vacation” to peddle blueberries to the Chi-Comms?
Or, maybe that’s what he wants everyone to believe.
{More below}
(12)Nuh Uh.(0)And maybe check on a few of his investments?
C’mon, with China’s economy in a tail spin, what else might we expect?
From the office of state propaganda
LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder will lead an eight-day investment mission to China, focusing on promoting continued job-creating business growth and investment for Michigan, and the state as a tourism destination.
Snyder is meeting with government officials, industry executives and key media in in China, departing Michigan on Friday, Aug. 21, and returning Saturday, Aug. 29.
“We have built strong relationships in China since our first mission in 2011 and we will continue to make the case that there is no better place in North America for Chinese companies to expand than in Michigan,” Snyder said. “Chinese travelers are now going all over the world and the United States, and this is a great opportunity to tell people about Pure Michigan tourism. We will also be working to open more doors to new markets in China for businesses from across our state.”
Snyder will visit Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Shanghai, where he will promote Michigan business opportunities, make a series of company visits and connect with senior government leaders. As part of the trip, he will also meet with several automotive organizations including Chinese Association of Automotive Manufacturers (CAAM) and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Auto Committee (CCPIT-Auto).
….
Company visits. Check.
Nothing says tourism promotion like checking out the local manufacturing facilities.
Who knows, maybe he’ll pick up a Buick while he’s there?
(13)Nuh Uh.(1)Speaker Kevin Cotter's antics in Lansing may reveal an underhanded effort to raise taxes.
Michigan House speaker Kevin Cotter is turning out to be a real turd in the punch bowl.
Personal ‘Impropriety,’ and the lack of ‘qualifications’ are two very different things. Of course the State Constitution allows each house to determine the qualifications to occupy a seat as a representative. It ALSO allows the house under certain circumstances to (remove) “expel” sitting representatives with a two thirds majority vote.
§ 16 Legislature; officers, rules of procedure, expulsion of members.
Sec. 16.
Each house, except as otherwise provided in this constitution, shall choose its own officers and determine the rules of its proceedings, but shall not adopt any rule that will prevent a majority of the members elected thereto and serving therein from discharging a committee from the further consideration of any measure. Each house shall be the sole judge of the qualifications, elections and returns of its members, and may, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members elected thereto and serving therein, expel a member. The reasons for such expulsion shall be entered in the journal, with the votes and names of the members voting upon the question. No member shall be expelled a second time for the same cause.
Qualifications, elections, returns, are all specific to the elections, and the follow up is the expulsion clause.
(28)Nuh Uh.(4)Perhaps we ask the MDOT why the May 5th question failed so badly.
The Michigan Department Of Transportation continues to ‘effectively’ use transportation monies provided by the richest state citizenry in the nation.
But a “wild party?” OK, maybe just because its usually accompanied by cookies and orange juice. And yes, as some readers might suspect, I have the sarc switch on. ‘Effective’ use of our taxpayer dollars might actually mean that we don’t have to face the crony machine kicking into full gear tomorrow. The Steudle led MDOT does indeed continue to spin its wheels and waste our resources in areas not reflected in their mission.
There is no question the good works provided by our blood letting missions will save lives, and continue to provide our hospitals with the perishable commodity that we all share. Indeed we have need for those organizations who will accommodate blood drive efforts, and we hope those needs will be met.
However, it is neither the mission or responsibility of the Michigan Department of Transportation to manage,, aid, provide assistance, or promote such efforts. Yet they think it is:
August 17, 2015 — The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) encourages state employees and the general public to give the gift of life by donating blood at the Ishpeming Transportation Service Center (TSC) Aug. 26.
The Upper Peninsula Regional Blood Center will have its mobile collection vehicle at the facility from noon to 2 p.m. The TSC is located at 100 S. Westwood Drive in Ishpeming.
“Making the decision to donate blood can save lives, it’s really just that simple,” said Harmony Michaud, the MDOT employee coordinating the event. “We sometimes take for granted that there will always be blood readily available in an emergency, but what if no one donated? It only takes 10 minutes to donate and it could help save a family member or friend – or someone else’s family member or friend. There are a lot of people who need long-term treatments and donated blood is their lifeline.”
Harmony’s paycheck is from the state (taxpayers), not the UP Regional Blood Center.
Perhaps her time might be best spent filling out the warranty orders?
Policy Changes:
Making MDOT accountable.
What good are road warranties, if you won’t enforce the ones you have already?
Given that literally MILLIONS were wasted when it was recently reported that MDOT let road warranties expire without any action being taken, legislation should be implemented to hold those accountable. No one would tolerate an employee who simply walked off in million in Michigan Taxpayers money, so why should hiding under the guise of being an appointed official and not doing the job you were hired to do, be any different?
Exactly.
Some things are hard to change, yes?
Some folks expect action to fund more of the same to happen this week.
(9)Nuh Uh.(0)
As I pointed out the other day, the flow of federal funds used for welfare is, and has been huge in our state.
I also hinted at the ka-ching of ‘excess moneys that local communities get to use. It keeps them on board and in line. For example, in this case:
In July 2010 Michigan received $498.6 million in federal Hardest Hit Funds (HHF) in response to the housing crisis that led to an unprecedented decline in home prices and high unemployment. MSHDA created the Michigan Homeowner Assistance Housing Corporation (MHA) to oversee distribution of the funds through a program called Step Forward Michigan.
“The Step Forward program has helped unemployed and under-employed people remain in their homes and in our state as they searched for new jobs as our state recovered,” Gov. Rick Snyder said. “That’s important for families who were struggling as our state started its recovery.”
While the title reads:
“Michigan’s hardest hit families have received $241M worth of assistance since 2010″
Efficient distribution, yes?
Just sayin.
(11)Nuh Uh.(0)Read between the lines or around the 'strikeouts.'
Don’t get me wrong. I personally like some of the players in the bureaucratic mess we know as state government.
Elsenheimer in this story for example, is a relatively right of center guy. Yet he has to feed the family, and the overly high taxes on his estate in GT County have to be paid. It would be an extraordinary act of courage to sit as executive director of a redistribution agency and wind it out of existence. Even declining such an appointment might actually lead to worse people occupying the position and if market forces work, perhaps even be paid more.
How we can eliminate this type of government interference and theft, and return the high wage lackeys of ‘social justice’ back to honest wealth creation is the hard part. In the meanwhile, ‘givers’ gotta give, and making the inexcusable seem oh-so-reasonable is just part of the job.
As an example of how words matter, one might look only as far as the most recent press releases propaganda from MSHDA.
(10)Nuh Uh.(1)For a so-called conservative, “Republican” Rick Snyder sure does have this thing for imposing a tax hike on Michigan Motorists (along with the aid of his BFF Sen. Arlan Meekhof).
He even thinks that his own story is proof positive that it can be done.
I just love it when Mr. “relentless positive action”, conveniently forgets to include several glaring details.
Oh well, those who fail to learn from the lessons of history…
(9)Nuh Uh.(0)Is University Indoctrination Really a Qualification Required for Political Office?
Sunday, the Detroit News ran a charming agitprop piece bemoaning the fact that 20% of Michigan’s legislators “lack a formal higher education degree, ….. raising the question of whether a college degree is a prerequisite for leadership and political office”. The snide implication of this stooge for the university left is that 20% of Michigan’s legislators are ignorami, but her devious political subtext is that 20% of Michigan’s legislators have missed the political indoctrination necessary to be good left wing robots.
May I remind you of MSU Professor William Penn’s 2013 creative writing class, as recounted by the great Walter Williams in Townhall two years ago:
MSU Professor William Penn
William Penn, Michigan State University professor of creative writing, greeted his first day of class with an anti-Republican rant. Campus Reform, a project of the Arlington, Va.-based Leadership Institute, has a video featuring the professor telling his students that Republicans want to prevent “black people” from voting. He added that “this country still is full of closet racists” and described Republicans as “a bunch of dead white people — or dying white people”. To a student who had apparently displayed displeasure with those comments, Professor Penn barked, “You can frown if you want.” He gesticulated toward the student and added, “You look like you’re frowning. Are you frowning?” When the professor’s conduct was brought to the attention of campus authorities, MSU spokesman Kent Cassella said, “At MSU it is important the classroom environment is conducive to a free exchange of ideas and is respectful of the opinions of others.”
That mealy-mouthed response is typical of university administrators. Professor Penn was using his classroom to proselytize students. That is academic dishonesty and warrants serious disciplinary or dismissal proceedings. But that’s not likely. Professor Penn’s vision is probably shared by his colleagues, seeing as he was the recipient of MSU’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 2003.
(12)Nuh Uh.(0)
