Via WXYZ
Gotta keep them public sector union benefits and pensions funded, you know?
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(17)Nuh Uh.(0)Rent Seeking
Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes
Did Proposal 1 Decamp to Washington?
by 10x25MM • • 2 Comments
Spectacular Death in Michigan No Bar to Success in Washington
While Michiganders were being entertained and infuriated by the lies of Proposal 1 proponents, few of us noticed that the very same roads funding strife is reaching a crescendo in Washington. The Federal Highway Trust Fund spends about $ 50 billion dollars on ‘transportation’ across the U.S.A. each year. Michigan received $ 1.39 billion from the HTF in Fiscal Year 2014 for new construction of roads and bridges, along with mass transit activities. As a point of reference, Michigan spent an additional $ 2 billion of funds raised within the state for the same ‘transportation’ purposes. The Federal HTF paid for 40.9% of Michigan ‘transportation’ spending in FY 2014.
Funded in the past by an $ 0.184 per gallon Federal gasoline tax ($ 0.244 per gallon on diesel fuel), the Highway Trust Fund’s traditional fuel tax revenues have fallen to about $ 34 billion. The Federal government has been supplementing the Highway Trust Fund from general deficit spending revenues since 2008. In Fiscal Year 2014, the Federal government supplemented the Highway Trust Fund with $ 11 billion in general revenues.
How did this happen?
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From each according to their ability…to each according to their need – Part, oh, whatever
by KG One •
First off, I’d just like to thank those who have sent in suggestions so far for “The Right Michigan Solution for Fixing Michigan Roads” (and yes, I have gotten a few already). I’ve got an update that I like to pass along after the fold.
And for the record, the title of this post isn’t referring to these “poor” schemps.
{More below the fold}
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(4)Nuh Uh.(0)Michigan, Michigan Politics, Part Time Legislature, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking
Really?
by Jason • • 1 Comment
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?
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(12)Nuh Uh.(0)Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Rent Seeking
Forget it, Duggan, Your Bailout Subsidy Answered the Door Naked
by Corinthian Scales • • 1 Comment
Slick Rick’s clown-car of gimme, gimme, gimme actors in Detroit, are completely delusional.
Mayor 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.
Ya, right. Below is a glaring representative example why insurance rates are higher in the City of Detroit.
Prosecutor charges Sen. Virgil Smith with charged with Felonious Assault, MDOP $20,000 or more, Domestic Violence A&B and Felony Firearm.
— Gongwer News Service (@GongwerMichigan) May 12, 2015
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.
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(14)Nuh Uh.(1)Cronyism, Humor in Michigan, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Rent Seeking
Tesla Motors: Round 2
by Corinthian Scales • • 3 Comments
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.
The 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.
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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Weasel Words? Really? We can do much better than that!
by KG One • • 4 Comments
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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(7)Nuh Uh.(1)Cronyism, Democrats, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Rent Seeking, Republicans
Day by Day the Irony Grows Thicker
by Corinthian Scales • • 0 Comments
Prop 1 Unpopularity to Voters was Unprecedented
‘We can elect Democrats and get that result’
Go read for yourself.
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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(16)Nuh Uh.(1)Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes
Plan B – A Philosophy
by 10x25MM • • 7 Comments
Spending Money Is Not Leadership
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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Not in today’s market.
by KG One • • 0 Comments
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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