Rent Seeking

Michigan, Michigan Politics, Part Time Legislature, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking

Really?

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There is enough evidence to demonstrate pay increases have not been earned.

Perhaps we take a different look at how we compensate our legislators (and maybe most of the top level bureaucrats)

Perhaps we do away with all of the term limit nonsense, and decrease the salaries of those who remain in government (YES including those who are high dollar appointees) by 10% each year to encourage them to return to the private sector.

Maybe THAT would be the direction pay should go in the future?

Check this out.

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Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Rent Seeking

Forget it, Duggan, Your Bailout Subsidy Answered the Door Naked

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Slick Rick’s clown-car of gimme, gimme, gimme actors in Detroit, are completely delusional.

Money SwirlMayor Mike Duggan says he doesn’t expect his proposal for low-cost auto insurance in Detroit to be derailed by the legal troubles of the bill’s planned sponsor, state Sen. Virgil Smith.

According to an article I read while going through Safeco insurance reviews, Duggan told City Council members on Tuesday he is pressing forward with his January timetable for the plan, which would allow auto insurance companies to sell Detroiters lower-cost policies with a maximum of $275,000 in medical coverage for auto-related injuries.

Smith, D-Detroit, who last month announced he would sponsor the proposed legislation, was arrested in connection with an assault and shooting involving his ex-wife.

The mayor stressed Tuesday that Smith’s challenges will not jeopardize the proposal. The next stop, he added, will be to seek a Senate hearing.

“We’re going to do what we’ve got to do and line up our votes,” Duggan told reporters, adding he’s confident that he’ll ultimately gain the support of the Michigan Legislature.

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Ya, right. Below is a glaring representative example why insurance rates are higher in the City of Detroit.

So, which legislator would like to sign his name to Duggan and Snyder’s special carve out? Better yet, which legislator would like to put his name next to a vote for that?

Good luck.

You Betcha! (14)Nuh Uh.(1)

Cronyism, Humor in Michigan, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Rent Seeking

Tesla Motors: Round 2

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Slick Rick along with Joe and Marcia Hune stepped in it this time.

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday strongly urged the Michigan state legislature to reconsider its ban on Tesla Motors Inc. and other automakers from directly selling vehicles to owners.

In a 10-page letter to Michigan State Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart, three senior FTC staff members urged the state to drop its long-standing bar to automakers selling vehicles directly to consumers, saying “Michigan’s consumers would more fully benefit from a complete repeal of the prohibition on direct sales by all automakers.” The commission voted 5-0 in favor of the comments.

rick-snyder-the-calley-crusherThe letter came after Booher asked the FTC about a pending Michigan Senate bill that would create a limited exception to state law that would allow manufacturers of “autocycles” — enclosed three-wheelers that are more like cars than motorcycles — to sell vehicles in some circumstances. But the FTC said the Senate bill “does not go far enough,” and would “largely perpetuate the current law’s protectionism for independent franchised dealers, to the detriment of Michigan car buyers.”

Booher’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The bill was introduced April 15 and referred to the state Senate economic development committee, which has taken no action.

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But, I don’t want everyone to get too down on our Lansingcritter’s moronic displays of legislative prowess. Remember, they went to public schools.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Weasel Words? Really? We can do much better than that!

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You people in Lansing are supposed to be Conservatives. Why not try acting like a Conservative for a change?

There is an axiom that everyone has probably heard numerous times already that goes something like this: “Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.”

A friend of mine would add in a second line to that to make it a little bit more interesting…”Those who fail to learn the lesson of history correctly, well they are just plain doomed.”

It strongly looks like were seeing that second line play out here in Michigan after the defeat of Proposal 1.

This time around, though, it doesn’t have to end that way.

{More after the fold}

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Cronyism, Democrats, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Day by Day the Irony Grows Thicker

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Prop 1 Unpopularity to Voters was Unprecedented
‘We can elect Democrats and get that result’

Go read for yourself.

kermit

All I’m going to say about Snyder’s SRY Team is, does it take a $100k contribution to sit at the table?

Now, we return you to regularly scheduled blame the other Party programming…

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Plan B – A Philosophy

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Spending Money Is Not Leadership

Kwame's and Bobbie's 'Bridge of Bucks' over Telegraph Road

Kwame’s and Bobbie’s ‘Bridge of Bucks’ over Telegraph Road

Now that Michigan voters have mercilessly dispatched Proposal 1 to the garbage can of history, lets talk a bit about the philosophy of a truly effective plan to get Michigan’s roads and bridges up to par. This will provide a proper foundation for developing a ‘Plan B’ which will actually improve Michigan’s roads and bridges, and be acceptable to the population as well.

The underlying premise of Proposal 1 was that the only action required to fix up Michigan’s roads and bridges was injecting big money into the Michigan Transportation Fund. The depraved philosophy of modern American government. Not true and the voters knew it. But Michigan’s power elite believed that opposition could be neutralized by icing a pile of feces with chocolate frosting. Didn’t work despite a lavish $ 10 million effort.

The condition of Michigan’s roads and bridges has only a casual relationship with the funds available in the MTF. In 2014, 11% of MTF funds were siphoned off by various State of Michigan Departments in the form of charge backs for ‘services’ rendered to the MTF, as well as priority grants that have little to do with roads and bridges. Debt service is also a component of this 11%, but that is effectively a payment for previous time preferences of bureaucrats and politicians. Then 9.5% of the remainder was diverted to the Comprehensive Transportation Fund for mass transit. Finally, the MTF was partitioned amongst the State Trunkline Fund (36%), county road agencies (34.6%), and cities (19.8%). In each partition, further funds are siphoned off by charge backs, pension payments, and OPEBs. What’s left for the roads is more a function of politicians and bureaucrats preferences at every level than the amount of money front loaded into the MTF.

So how do we proceed? First develop a philosophy to frame and inform the ‘Plan B’ debate.  After the fold.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Not in today’s market.

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While still remaining cautiously optimistic on the results of today’s vote, I would still like to take the high road here and avoid doing “a victory lap”, even one that is well deserved.

That been said, one of the pat responses that I can practically guarantee will come from Lansing in the coming days is the worn out lament that “there is nowhere to cut”.

You know that this is bunk.

I know that this is bunk.

The answers are there.

The clip below is just one example of where substantial savings can be found from Lansing.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

So, this was what we were missing?

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Just dusting off one of a few old projects that I’ve had one hell of a time trying to finish up over the past few weeks.

Composing a post on a tablet is relatively easy compared to trying to edit something on video. Even moreso when the truck is moving

Watching the local news this afternoon gave me the final push to finish things up before tomorrow.

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

MRP Extreme Games: Proposal 1 Damage Control™

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Or, is it? Is this just how slippery Michigan’s modern-day Republicanism works, and how easily seen through their actor’s have become?

Some well informed RightMi.com readers may have thought this poke at the Lt. Gov. was just in jest – it’s not.

Turkish_proverbIt is no secret that Rick Snyder’s political career is washed up in 2018. The further Snyder drifts his term limited “apolitical” Agenda to The Left, the more credence he lends to the Progressives in the Democratic Party. Face it, nobody buys Democrat-lite when the real thing is available for the price of a vote. It’s also no secret that I will not hesitate to take a poke at Rep. Barky when he deserves it for his hypocrisy.

So, what has Snyder’s SRY Team, and the Party’s apparatchik decided to do with young Justin’s #BFF?

Hide Brian Calley in Bogota, on a MEDC junket until the May 5th election fallout is over on the 36 hour news cycle.

Yet, corporate welfare, Rep. Barky says? Gas tax hikes and Medicaid expansion? Brian Calley cheer-led that.
rick-snyder-the-calley-crusher
It is what it is.

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Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Humor in Michigan, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

The Editor’s Choice Awards

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RightMi.Com editors weigh in on their favorite anti-prop 15-1 articles.

GasTaxRegistrationFreesHikeWe’ve had plenty to say about proposal 15-1.

In fact, there was so much to be said that we had to create a special category for it, and all things leading up to, and related have been edited by Kevin to reflect their importance to the issue.  While the traditional media sources play the equal opportunity game with both proponents and opponents of HR UU (proposal 15-1), it’s been our position to not do so.  We have maintained that equal opportunity is already a function of those who would lie about its ‘advantages,’ and it needs no further promotion to make it one of the most dangerous options Michiganians have ever faced at the ballot box.

As we wrap up the arguments with only 2 days left before the polls close, RightMi.com editors thought it important to offer up a few ‘MUST READS!’ As you make a special trip to the polls for an election day that you wouldn’t have if the last legislative session would have done its job we have highlighted the most compelling.  The editors have selected 5 or more articles from RightMi.com directly, and one other from anywhere else, traditional or otherwise.

Let the review begin!

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