Cronyism

Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

MDOT Station Hosts Wild Party

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Perhaps we ask the MDOT why the May 5th question failed so badly.

MDOT-BloodThe 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.

 

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Detroit, Michigan, Opinion, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Republicans

And Even More

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blight-eliminationAs 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.

 

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Liberty, Michigan, Opinion, Philosophy, Rent Seeking

Re-Writing Welfare In Michigan

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Read between the lines or around the 'strikeouts.'

blight-eliminationDon’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.

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Fees, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Proposal 15-1, Republicans, Taxes

Another tale of not learning from the lessons of history…

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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…

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All the Other Stuff, Cronyism, Democrats, Elections, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Republicans

Misrepresentation

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Is University Indoctrination Really a Qualification Required for Political Office?

Programming ConditioningSunday, 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

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.

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Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Taxes

Reaping What ya Sow

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Hey, when all you have is garbage like Bush/DeVos Common Core©, the only difference becomes what the household instills.

Bosco-countday“We can’t support choice without supporting their desire to return to their home district if it’s not working out for them,” Naeyaert said. “People are looking for a better outcome, and they think a change of scenery might be better. But the grass isn’t always greener.
….

Those higher-achieving schools, however, don’t appear to be the answer for the majority of school of choice students in Michigan. The same low-income, mostly African-American students who were struggling in their home school districts are the students most likely to switch back out of school of choice, according to the study.

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Personally, I’ve never been an advocate for this School of Choice crap. It’s an exercise in futility at best, and at worst, it just goes to demonstrate what abject whores districts have become, especially, when it’s headcount day.

Besides, all them gatecrashing illegal aliens are just playing Nation of Choice, right?

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Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Let’s Call a Spade a Spade

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Sure, we’ve seen Lt. Nerd post his bloviating nonsense on Facebook, however, what you won’t see is Lt. Nerd, much less any official within the MI-GOP apparatchik call out The Nerd himself for his rather unseemly profitable actions.

Think there isn’t big money in dead babies? Try $24,250 for a vial of 5 million cells. That is fact.

Now, do you want to know what else you won’t see the MI-GOP apparatchik do? You won’t see any within the Party give the Nerd’s mentor, this doddering old Leftist tool, a boot ride out of the Party.

Bill-the-baby-killer

Folks, I’m beyond tired of the quislings in the “big tent”. It’s past time to start booting their treacherous asses out to where they belong.

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Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Bankruptcy Stalks the Guardian Building

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Dead Man Walking JPEGThe ball is now in the Governor’s court, so to speak.  The report is not public yet, but the press release is out.  It only took the State independent review team 18 calendar days to figure out what everyone knows: Wayne County is in a ‘Financial Emergency’.  Here is the money shot from the Michigan Department of Treasury press release:

The team’s extensive report indicates that numerous conditions led to the determination that a financial emergency exists in the county. Those conditions include the following:

  • The county’s last four annual financial audits re­­vealed notable variances between General Fund revenues and expenditures as initially budgeted, as amended, and as actually realized. In addition, County officials underestimated actual expenditures in three of the fiscal years by amounts ranging from $16.7 million to $23.7 million.
  • County officials engaged in unbudgeted expenditures in violation of Public Act 2 of 1968, the Uniform Budgeting and Accounting Act.
  • Although there was agreement among county officials that existing de­tention facilities are inadequate, there is no consensus about whether to complete construction on a new jail or to renovate existing facilities.
  • According to the county executive’s recovery plan, unfunded healthcare-related liabilities were estimated to be $1.3 billion as of the last actuarial valuation with funding set aside for this purpose of less than one percent of liabilities. Healthcare-related liabilities represent 40 percent of the county’s long-term financial obligations.

The Governor now has 10 days to take one of five actions: do nothing, conduct another ‘neutral’ evaluation, arrange a consent agreement, impose an emergency manager, or file the County for Chapter 9 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

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Cronyism, Democrats, Michigan, Republicans

Want to Have Nukes in Cuba?

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BJ-and-NoKo

Today: http://www.ibtimes.com/under-kim-jong-un-north-korea-may-launch-new-nuclear-test-october-2013393

Also, a reminder of what is wrong with both Party’s.

The Foreign Relations committee’s top Republican, Sen. Richard Lugar, praised Clinton, calling her “the epitome of a big leaguer” whose presence could open new opportunities for American diplomacy.

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A second reminder? Sure, liberal Lugar is gone but, longtime pandering losers like McCain, Graham, Hatch, McConnell, et al., are not: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00006

Do you understand, yet?

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