Cronyism

Policy Or Purchased Privilege

Michigan Senate passes late night watering hole expansion.

I can keep this short.

Expanding hours for certain bars within cities is becoming a possibility.  OK, fair enough, if legislators feel that this could help serve a need of those business owners.  But perhaps we ask this question: Is it a special privilege when one licensed liquor seller can sell further into the night by purchasing a special license, or is it just plain good for the community?

We should probably recognize that good public policy is hardly the goal of our elected class any longer.

This one’s on the house.

beer-house

You Betcha! (8)Nuh Uh.(1)

Yeah, but can we trust him?

Dovetailing on the good news from Trucker Randy yesterday, according to today’s Detroit News, Speaker Bolger has declared that BOTH HB-5959 (Rep. Foster) and HB-5804 (Rep. Singh) to be dead this year.

***Side note to Chad Livengood: Both bills were written to create a protected class in Michigan, NOT prohibit discrimination. I will be more than happy to cite numerous examples in Kentucky, New Mexico, Oregon ,Texas and New York (just for starters) to prove you otherwise. I shouldn’t have to remind you that you are a reporter, not an editorial page writer.***

{Still, I’ve got more after the fold}

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Here’s your cue. Now, smile for the cameras!

Are we really getting our money's worth on roads? The real answer just might surprise you.

Hey, did you know that the sky is blue?

Okay, maybe not in your part of Michigan and maybe not at this exact moment, but just go with me on this.

Did you know that if I were to spill coffee on my lap that it would hurt? I mean really, ,really, really hurt…a lot.

Hmmmmm, I wonder if I can get anything for the suffering I’ve endured?

And did you know that Michigan Roads are in terrible shape?

I’m so glad that we have a governor who is just so well-versed in the obvious.

{Oh, you’re going to love where this is going after the fold.}

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Seems About Right

The Michigan Senate Majority Leader gives 'honest cops' a good name.

And we haven’t even started the ‘Cotton’ picking.

When we start wondering about the passage of hospital related legislation in the state senate, perhaps we simply consider the source of the new legislation to be only as old as government itself. Something as simple as power brokering through backroom deals and a few well placed donations can alter public policy.  We have seen how the $100,000 given to Jase Bolger has brought about the threat of the unthinkable changes to the Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act.  Even now we should be looking at the reasons for our gas taxes being raised as well.

Though I disagree with bed counts and certificates of need, pushing legislation for ‘good friends’ specific projects violates the spirit of equal opportunity under the law.  Specific legislation that benefits donors as a result of donations offered, ought to be considered criminal if not already.

So when we see 2014 Senate Bill 1073 (Granting medical facility rationing exception to McLaren Health Systems Introduced by Sen. Randy Richardville (R) on September 11, 2014)  to authorize a special exception to the health care facility rationing imposed by the state’s “Certificate of Need” law?  We should be concerned.

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Get Uncle Carl A Towel

Carl Levin's use of the IRS to punish his political enemies may yet see the light of day.

That man is likely sporting a sweaty brow by now.

We know Michigan’s senior US Senator, Carl Levin has had a hand in the IRS shenanigans of the last few years. Using his power as one in one hundred, he guided one of the recent criminal activities seen during the reign of this ‘administration.’

Lie No. 9: Lerner says that there was no political pressure to investigate tea-party groups. In fact, Senator Carl Levin (D., Mich.) repeatedly pressed the agency to investigate conservative groups falling under Lerner’s jurisdiction. What we have, then, is this: Under a Democratic administration, the IRS was under pressure from Democratic elected officials to investigate political enemies of the Democratic party. The agency did so. Its commissioner lied to Congress about its doing so. When the inspector general’s report was about to make these abuses public, the agency staged a classic Washington Friday news rollout at a sleepy American Bar Association tax-law conference, hoping to minimize the bad publicity. Lerner lied to the public about the nature, scope, and extent of the IRS intimidation campaign.”

It came as no surprise that he would bail out of his current seat before the fire is turned up too high.

His Letter of 072712,  May only provide cover (though showing a significant aggressive stance towards tax exempts) for the underlying pressure he was putting on IRS officials to directly target conservative organizations which carry the 501(c)4 designation.  There is now the possibility that more of his involvement comes to light, and that records thought to be lost forever, have now turned up.

Bill Still talks about a recent discovery of Lois Lerner emails found conveniently AFTER the elections.

We’ll be waiting for the media dump right here.

H/T Stephanie at FedUpUSA

 

 

 

 

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So, why aren’t we being more direct? And is this a good place to start? (see item linked at end of post)

Because we’ve seen Gadsdens flooding Lansing, over the State Income Tax hike? Medicaid expansion? The non-bailout Detroit Bailout A/K/A DIA Bailout? Doubling Tipping Fees (garbage collection tax for the mouthbreathers)?

With an alleged Republican executive branch? – Corinthian Scales November 14, 2014″

I’ll be 100% honest here, this comment from Corinthian Scales (along with Kevin Rex Hines’ follow-up…linked here) on the Snyder(Calley)/Richardville Gas Tax Hike, really bothered me over the weekend.

Despite 1,200 miles of driving and numerous other issues I’m currently juggling this weekend that aren’t exactly going according to “Plan ‘A’ “, both gentlemen’s very direct comments regarding this issue gave me reason to pause over the weekend.

Ultimately, I feel that this is a guestion that should to be addressed if the Conservative Movement here in Michigan (and elsewhere) is to have any long-lasting relevancy.

{More below the fold}

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Hey, would you look at that? We’re right back where we started from.

Betcha didn’t see this coming:

“Today, Detroit’s five state senators stood united in supporting a major road funding package. This bill will allow us to speed up repair of Detroit’s roads and make major improvements to the bus service for our 100,000 passengers daily. With their support HB 5477 passed the Senate by a 23-14 vote. Be sure to thank Senators Virgil Smith, Coleman Young, Jr., Burt Johnson, Morris Hood III, and Tupac Hunter for their leadership and encourage your representatives in the State House to support this important legislation.”

Did anyone catch anything earlier about paying more at the pump to support mass transit?

Me neither.

Oh, and it gets better.

{Story continues below the fold}

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And So It Begins

Taking no chances that the grassroots come out in opposition, the Progressives strike.

The Michigan State Senate nearly doubles our state gasoline taxes.

Voting to raise the gas taxes by 17 cents at legislative maturity, RINO Senate Leader and tax raiser Randy Richardville’s bill will create even more hardships on those who are already struggling to put fuel in the tank.  Much of it earmarked for mass transit too?  Wonderful.  The Ivory Tower reports:

The bill from Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, was passed quickly and without debate, by a 23-14 vote, after a number of false starts earlier in the day.

The Senate took “a big step to show people we’re serious,” Richardville said. “If you’ve got an alternative, we’re going to take a look at it.”

Emphasis provided to demonstrate what double speak is

those-guys

Cowards and thieves.

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Senator Richardville: You are not a stupid man.

So, let’s see if I got this straight:

You have a “conservative” majority in the Michigan Senate.

You have a “conservative” majority in the Michigan House.

You have a guy who only slapped on a republican moniker after his name because he knew that was the only chance that he had of ever getting elected governor back in ’10.

And with only 9 scheduled days left in your term (after today), you want to literally relieve yourself in the punch bowl and gleefully hand out samples to Michigan Motorists telling them it actually is Dom Perignon because…

…help me out here?

{Continued after the fold}

You Betcha! (11)Nuh Uh.(3)

Cuban and Gilbert On HB5606

Perhaps it takes a rent seeker to know a rent seeker?

I have spoken to a couple of representatives about the passage of HB5606, disappointed with the way that they voted.

One says “It was not at all presented to us in this way,” remarking that he would have voted differently if he had only fully understood it.  This of course revealing that sleight of hand, obfuscation, and maybe a little laziness by representatives is easily exploited in Lansing. Should there be any wonder why a certain amount of time must pass before bills are voted on in their finality?

This competition limiting act is perhaps a little rent seeking at its best, and flat out corruption by those who designed the changes.

Two folks whom I regard as rent seekers in their own right are correct in this video; Dan Gilbert in particular. But when he says “Man up and compete” with regard to the automakers? 

Woof.

Oh, and thank you Representative Tom McMillin for actually paying attention.

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