Cronyism

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

Clash of Titans, EPA Wrecks the Electricity Grid

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Feds Step In, Things Get Much Worse

godzilla electrical lines 2
Part II

Things may have quieted down in Michigan after Proposal 3’s demise in 2012, but President Obama’s EPA were furiously developing their ‘War on Coal’ to dramatically increase the cost reduce pollution of electricity generation. The Mercury and Air Toxics (MATs, also known as MACT) rule requires scrubbers on all coal-fired power plants nationally, costing something north of $ 1 million per steam boiler. The Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) requires Michigan coal-fired power plants to reduce their thermal efficiency during peak summertime generating periods to reduce oxides of nitrogen at a yet to be determined cost.

In 2014, EPA’s ‘Cooling Water Intake Structures’ rule finally went into effect after a decade of legal wrangling, requiring that Michigan’s electrical utilities take some very expensive steps over 8 years to protect the Great Lakes’ beloved zebra mussel and round goby populations.

At the end of 2014, EPA imposed newly restrictive rules on the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCRs), commonly known as coal ash, from coal-fired power plants. Almost unique in the history of Federal regulation, EPA admitted in their final CCR rule that it had a negative cost-benefit ratio. Fly ash, the most abundant CCR, is actually a remedy for the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) which causes premature failure of many MDoT concrete structures. So EPA managed to simultaneously increase Michigan’s cost of electricity generation and reduce the lifespan of our roads and bridges. An Obama ‘two fer’.

EPA expects to finalize its ‘Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category’ in September 2015. Known by the acronyms SEEG or ELG, these rules will change the way all electrical power stations handle cooling, process, and steam condensate water. These rules cover all steam powered turbine operations, but will most severely affect coal-fired power stations whose MATs required scrubbers and CCR required ash handling systems will generate a lot of waste water.

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Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Taxes

So… Safe Roads, yes?

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Michigan traffic deaths fall 8% in ’14

Even the helmet-less motorcyclists strawman numbers are down. So much for the alleged ‘untouchable’ $18,000,000,000.00 *fund* that Lansing politicians are protecting for their insurance industry lobbyist friends, huh? It’s on the table for discussion now, governor Snyder.

You also have noticed that Snyder’s Martin Waymire, and McLellen is now pushing the repair cost meme, right?

GasTaxRegistrationFreesHikeDave Waymire, a spokesman for the Safe Roads Yes ballot committee campaigning for the measure’s passage, said most residents do not claim itemized deductions on federal returns. Crummy roads cost drivers an extra $539 a year in vehicle operating costs [Snyder’s people really cannot keep their figures straight, can they?] due to repairs, tire wear and increased fuel consumption, according to the proposal’s proponents who cite a report from the transportation research group TRIP [another quasi-governmental organization like PASER – that’s a Fact].

“Many Michigan residents today pay a hidden tax for our poor roads by virtue of [incompetency bordering criminal intent] the high cost of repairs that are incurred due to potholes, extra wear and tear on their vehicles,” Waymire said. “If you consider the hidden tax [or the BIGGER hidden tax on top of the 16.7% hike that is Proposal 1], which our opponents refuse to acknowledge, this is a substantial [Zero] savings for Michigan.”

Stop-100Another “unadvertised feature” of the plan is that taxes on fuel sold for boats, off-road vehicles and lawnmowers would rise significantly because the fuel would not be exempt from the sales tax, Anderson said. The new 7 percent sales tax [hike of 16.7%] would only be removed from fuel used to operate motor vehicles on public roads, raising compliance issues [see Here and Here] since the vast majority of fuel is sold by gas stations without regard to whether someone is filling up a car, boat or gas can, according to the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan.

“Some promise it will be fixed. It’s not fixed now, so we included it,” said Anderson. He said he is not a “fan” of Proposal 1 but when his research company crunches numbers, “we do them straight.”

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You do realize that you are being lied to by Snyder’s cabal of *safe roads yes* pushers, right?

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Clash of Titans Coming to Michigan

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After Proposal 1, After Plan B, Electricity Front and Center

godzilla-biollante
Part I: Background

Later this year, Michigan’s electrical utilities are expected to satisfy the 10% Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements of PA 295 of 2008. Partial reregulation of electricity in Michigan under the same PA 295 of 2008 denied choice of supplier on 90% of electricity consumption, while exempting large, politically potent, electricity consumers. At the same time, the U.S. EPA is progressively tightening their noose around the neck of the coal industry with an array of ever more restrictive regulations upon coal-fired power plants. A political clash of titans is looming in Michigan.

Taken together, these circumstances will trigger a wild four-way donnybrook pitting electrical utilities, electricity consumers, and environmental wackos against one another later this year. But this is only three parties, so why do you say four-way? Large industrial consumers have substantially escaped the consequences of PA 295, while smaller Michigan consumers – including residential consumers – have experienced the fifth highest rate of electricity cost increases in the nation. These two electricity consuming groups’ interests do not coincide.

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Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion, Taxes

Then What do our Taxes Really Pay For?

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Nope. Not a crook, move along pedestrians. Thanks for volunteering us all for your cause, Lt. “conservative voice” inside the Snyder administration™. Lord knows how Brian and his family love to promote the spirit of collectivism.

Not to mention Medicaid expansion and fuel tax hikes.

OABTW, 75 days and counting, Lt. “conservative voice” inside the Snyder administration™.

Lots more to that than is being allowed to meet the public eye.

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

Breaking Wind: Oh it’s a Gas Alright

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Busy weekend so, short and sweet.

Natural Gas to Wind Energy: You’re Nothing Without Me

Been saying it for years, “so, when you going to cut off its gas supply?” All should go brush up on this stuff before we all get stuck with more of it. A good starting point can be found here, and here.

Yep. Now, add this monolith of government control in the pipeline, which has already spawned it’s new Tsaritsa, and if this outrageously schemed package of theft and redistribution embedded with fraud passes on May 5, I am relatively sure that I will be putting my place on the market before others figure out that they cannot give away a house in this state due to the exorbitant cost of living expenses from higher taxation reinvented by a Republican governor with every lever of power in Lansing, dominated by the same Party.

I certainly don’t relish the idea, however, I’m tired of being fleeced by those sent to Lansing.

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All the Other Stuff, Cronyism, Democrats, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Republicans

Say No To Proposal 15-1 Rally April 15

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Opposing proposal 15-1 are the overtaxed citizens from BOTH sides of the spectrum.

Traverse City-Protest

Photo from actual Traverse City Protest.

It could possibly be an unusual gathering April 15.

Given the fact that most conservative Republicans and the left-of-center Democrats agree that the May 5th proposal is an unmitigated disaster, its possible they might actually walk side by side at 11AM in Front of the Traverse City Post Office on Tax Day. If one watches the polling results, follows through by reading the comments on the major media pro 15-1 shill attempts, one might walk away thinking the only the political class centrists are the ones who really really want this garbage.

Holding breath on working together? Not entirely.

However, what a treat it would be to shove this bad medicine down the throat of the cronyist Snyder and his milquetoast minions.  The mantra of there being “no plan B” is worn out already.  Putting taxpayers into a corner might elicit thoughts of the wolverine that is threatened once this play is done.  Higher taxes hurt the left as much as the right, and passage of this boondoggle is a constitutionally guaranteed increase of taxes every single year.

Where:  In front of Traverse City Post Office on Union and State St. 
When:   11 am till 1 pm or as long as you can.  April 15th tax day (Depending on size we may walk to the Parkway and Union St.)     Appropriate signs please.

If you are in the area on April 15 at 11AM, join 15-1 opponents to say NO to higher taxes.

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

Michigan Budget At A Glance

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As we go forward, these tools will be made available for a spot check on the Governor’s priorities.

This chart represents most of the Michigan spending based on Rick Snyder’s 2015 budget. The only section missing is the $5 million spent on the executive office.  The amounts shown here represent the TOTAL spending in any one area.  Additional charts showing more complete breakdowns of moneys spent and the sources will be made available as there is time.  The chart will also be modified to note the changes from the time Snyder took office in 2011 all the way through the 2016 desired numbers. (click on the image to enlargen)

Mi-Budget-3year

Note the significant increases in the community health (medicaid expansion), Treasury (MEDC, revenue sharing)  and school aid areas.

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Cronyism, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Opinion, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Taxes

Proposal 1 Comment Of The Day

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Well, yesterday’s, as I just noticed today but, it is noteworthy: Click here.

You see, once one moves past what I call Chuck’s cutesy outhouse-genius mentality of telling wondering tales, it all comes down to the $116,000,000.00 baked into Proposal 1 that Chuck & Co. would like to get their hands on for Rick Snyder’s perpetual Detroit bailout and his Utopian moving of chattel schemes.

einstein_simpleThere are many viable Plan B options in the works, and we all know that. The end.

Ps. we all should thank our lucky stars for term limits. Moving to a part time legislature is way past its needing, too.

Pps. does one wonder why Chuck is so sensitive about protecting the insurance lobby sitting on $18 Billion without ever opening up their books for audit?
GasTaxRegistrationFreesHike
Just sayin’…

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