Democrats

Democrats, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans

Three Cheers For The B Team

by  •  • 4 Comments

House Democrat turns on the heat.

Steudle-GranholmKirk Steudle was appointed long before Rick Snyder was the new sheriff.

Jennifer Granholm appointed Steudle to the Michigan Department of Transportation post in 2006. He did such a bang up job leading to our current road conditions across the state, that no local communities have had to pursue their own millages for road fixes, and the trunklines, bridges and arteries are in top notch shape.  In fact, we have been able to lower taxes, return money to taxpayers and by-golly, put shock absorber companies at risk due to lack of business.

Now, [SARC OFF] a Democrat legislator is doing the job that any one of dozens of Republicans should have done LONG before ever asking taxpayers to bend over last May.  From the Lansing State Journal:

In a news release late Wednesday, State Rep. Scott Dianda, D-Calumet, a former MDOT employee and state employee union official, said he’d introduced a bipartisan resolution citing numerous issues — from idle railcars that cost millions of dollars to state auditors’ repeated warnings about weak oversight of MDOT’s warranty program — that he says show Steudle is “unfit to lead the department.”

Huh, I wonder where we have seen that before?

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(0)

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

Get a load of the latest Michigan republican party spin

by  •  • 3 Comments

Does anyone even proof this before it gets posted?!?

As if they were not already utterly clueless regarding what they allegedly stand for (Hint: I’ve included a small sampling below of what they have obviously forgotten/willfully chosen to ignore (source)):

I BELIEVE free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity.

I BELIEVE government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money they earn.

You need to see what came in my e-mail this morning on how the “conservative” republicans are trying to cover up the massive stench from their latest batch of stink-burger bills pertaining their road funding “solution” by releasing this nifty little informational graphic so that we can all drink the kool aid all look the other way and pretend that there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between Michigan republicans and the democrats.

{No, you will not be able to un-see the horror, er, I mean, stop laughing at the patent hypocrisy below the fold}

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (22)Nuh Uh.(1)

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

Arlan Meekhof needs to go and pound sand!

by  •  • 4 Comments

I cannot help but wonder if Sen Meekhof was ever given a copy of the MIGOP "Principles"?

“The senate passed a road funding plan this summer.  The senate plan prioritizes state spending, generates new revenue for a long-term solution and returns tax dollars to hardworking taxpayers. ” – Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof (October 20, 2015).

Is it just me, or does that highlighted part of his quote contradict itself?

I’m going to keep this one short today.

{Click below to read more}

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (15)Nuh Uh.(0)

Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Fees, Flint Water Fiasco, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

The Only Genuine Flint Water Expert: Josiah Willard Gibbs

by  •  • 15 Comments

Albert Einstein Called Him "The Greatest Mind in American History."

Josiah Willard Gibbs 1839 - 1903

Josiah Willard Gibbs
1839 – 1903

The second phase of Governor Snyder’s plan to restore Flint’s damaged water infrastructure was announced today. Michigan’s taxpayers will pay the pirates at Detroit Water & Sewerage $ 6 million to reconnect the Flint water system to DW&SD’s Lake Huron water supply. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation will ante up $ 4 million more and the City of Flint will will pay $ 2 million extra as well. Governor Snyder said: “The technical experts helping the city on its water advisory all agree this move back to the Great Lakes Water Authority provides the best public health protection for children and families.”   Note that our devious Governor gives you the impression that the funds will be going to the GLWA.  No, they will all be going straight to the pirates at DW&SD unless Flint’s new Karegnondi water pipeline is seriously delayed.

As we pointed out last week, the Flint water distribution system has been seriously damaged by 17 months of amateur chemistry and government incompetence after resourcing their water supply to the Flint River. Incompetent control of water chemistry after April 2014 has dissolved protective pipe linings, allowing lead, iron and steel corrosion which has released lead and iron compounds into Flint’s water on its way to customers. A process called leaching. The finished water coming out of the Flint Water Treatment Plant is seemingly fine, but it certainly isn’t by the time it arrives at their customer’s taps.

Because the damage to Flint’s water infrastructure commenced with this resourcing, a hue and cry went up to reconnect Flint to Detroit water. A logical fallacy. Detroit water did not damage Flint’s water infrastructure when it was used prior to April 2014, at least as far as we know. (Do we really know?) However it cannot – by itself – repair the damage done since. Flint pipes may not have been corroding before April 2014, but they certainly are now. Detroit water is controlled just enough to prevent damage to water infrastructure, but not enough to repair damaged infrastructure.  Flint is going to require a distinctly different water chemistry than Detroit.

The technical experts are touting corrosion control plans to stop the corrosion in Flint’s water distribution piping. By corrosion control, they intend to load up Flint’s water with orthophosphate forming chemicals to prevent further corrosion and attempt to restore the protective scale linings in Flint’s water piping. This is the EPA’s stock recommended practice, derived from their statistical analysis of water systems across the nation. The problem here is those statistical analyses were made of more or less functional water distribution systems. Not a heavily damaged system like Flint’s. Flint’s water problems are an ex novo case. The only recent case of lead pipe leaching even close occurred in Washington, DC, but is enough different in its particulars that Washington’s corrective actions do not provide an assured plan of action for Flint.

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (25)Nuh Uh.(0)

All the Other Stuff, Democrats, Michigan, Republicans

Nuff Said.

by  •  • 1 Comment

Carl Levin honored for being like Bill Milliken.

sencarllevin-jokerBegin Clip

“Former U.S. Senator Carl Levin will be recognized with the annual Milliken Distinguished Leadership Award at a reception in Traverse City this Saturday hosted by the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities. The award recognizes leaders who embody the legacy of Governor William Milliken and the late Helen Milliken ..”

End Clip.

You Betcha! (11)Nuh Uh.(0)

Cronyism, Democrats, Fees, Flint Water Fiasco, Government Incompetence, Humor in Michigan, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Flint Water Quality – Michigan Taxpayers Are Going To Pay For It

by  •  • 22 Comments

Amateur Chemistry, MDEQ Lies, All Around Government Incompetence, Social Justice Warriors => Everything Goes Wrong

Mad Chemistry Image 1
Usually, when the words ‘Flint’ and ‘lead poisoning’ are used in the same sentence you get a mental image of homicides by gunshot. Likewise, in Michigan, ‘amateur’ and ‘chemistry’ conjures up images of an illegal meth lab fire. Now, however, we have allegations that the City of Flint’s amateur drinking water chemistry is causing high lead levels in children.  This story has exploded over the last week and, as usual, the ignorati in the main stream media and Michigan politics are clueless.

Flint’s emergency financial manager switched the city’s drinking water source to the Flint River in April 2014, an attempt to save the ruined city $ 30 million a year – the vigorish being extracted by the pirates at the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department. The same extortion which motivated the Detroit suburbs to create the Great Lakes Water Authority. Using river water was an intermediate step, with the ultimate goal of Flint joining the new Karegnondi Water Authority and resuming Lake Huron sourcing after the new KWA pipeline is completed in 2016.

Unfortunately, Emergency Financial Manager Ed Kurtz did not realize that river water would require much different preparation than the Lake Huron water they had been supplied by DW&SD. He rose in life as the leader of a business school, not as a chemist. It doesn’t appear that Flint Water Treatment Plant’s staff water chemists had a clue, either. Comments made by Governor Snyder at the presser for his Supreme Court nominee Joan Larsen suggest he was neck deep in this decision and also completely oblivious to the technical issues.

Flint residents protested immediately, complaining of poor taste, foul odors, and turbidity (lack of clarity). Much of this unrest was part of a long term drive to oust the emergency financial manager running Flint, the paramount goal of the city’s social justice warriors. It didn’t help that Ed Kurtz raised water rates about 50%, emulating DW&SD’s obscene fees on top of maximum taxes piracy. Public outrage has increased in Flint ever since. Genesee Circuit Court Judge Archie Hayman enjoined Flint’s water rate hike, throwing Flint’s finances back into disorder. Since Judge Haymen’s order was left in place by the Appeals Court and went into effect, Flint water collections have dropped by $ 1.75 million a month.

In all fairness to EFM Kurtz, part of his rate increase was intended to replenish $ 15.7 million which had been transferred from the Flint water fund in 2007 to pay a sewerage overflow settlement. However this entire situation was almost certainly an attempt to quickly balance Flint’s books and wrap up emergency financial management. Lansing was certainly sweating EFM Kurtz to conclude Flint’s restoration in order to shut down the social justice warriors before our 2014 election.

So what is happening here, technically? Will Detroit water fix Flint’s problems? (Hint: No)

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (30)Nuh Uh.(3)

All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Democrats, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans

Smooth move there, Bonehead!

by  •  • 4 Comments

"You resigned dude! I don't know what we're doing here?"

Last night, Fox 2 Detroit aired a very interesting “Let It Rip” featuring host Huel Perkins, a VERY unusually reserved Charlie Langton (I have not seen him this quiet for so long…ever), Charlie LeDuff (who was on his “A” Game last night), and disgraced ex-Michigan Representative (and now candidate for Michigan 82nd District) Todd Courser.

The interview went much better than last week’s “Off the Record” where Tim Skubick uncharactisticly put on the kid gloves and lobbed softballs, while Chad Livengood was strangely absent from the panel.

As I alluded to above, LeDuff got in more than a few good questions for Courser (I won’t spoil them if you haven’t clicked on the link to last night’s show above).

I will save everyone some time by mentioning that the first segment is the only one featuring Courser. The “Let It Rip – On The Road” segment dealt only with the made-up Ben Carson kerfuffle from last week’s Meet the Depressed.

‘Nuff said…for now.

 

 

 

 

You Betcha! (3)Nuh Uh.(0)

80th District Special Election (2015), Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Removing The People’s Voice

by  •  • 15 Comments

Can Two Wrongs Make a Right?

Recall by constituents would have been a more appropriate option in the Todd and Cindy debacle.

In the hours leading up to what finally happened, deals were likely made that will hardly resonate later as good policy decisions.  “get your merry caucus of non voting dems to do their job, and I’ll make sure you get  …,” the highly probable statement from house speaker Kevin Cotter to house minority leader Tim Greimel.  Greimel apparently held out for the ‘investigation’ carrot as well.  Democrat Floor Leader Singh implied this after Roll Call 295, when he motioned to send the entire matter back to committee.

The House Democrats wanted – and got – more than just a couple of scalps. Their blackmail was effective because all of our representatives were bone tired after 13 plus hours of ‘Rule 32’ imprisonment and ready to go home for the weekend.   A Michigan State Police investigation of this sorry situation will almost certainly embarrass House leadership far more than the behaviors of Representatives Courser and Gamrat. They made mistakes, but weren’t sufficiently connected or protected politically to extract themselves once exposed.

Apologies NOT accepted.

Gamrat believed she and her lawyer and all involved understood that it would be ‘censure, not expulsion’ if she prostrated herself in a very public mea culpa. Three hours of intense discussions between her, the House Majority counsel, and her own attorney fleshed out what she considered conditional admittance. According to Gamrat, Hassan Beydoun, Majority Counsel, told her “we can control our side ..” when sealing the ostensible censure deal.

Gamrat says the House leadership did not want to go all the way through removal. Leadership did not want to own an expulsion, which would encourage voters to examine other Lansing shenanigans. Approached multiple times by different legislators and implored to resign, Cindy Gamrat refused. She says the pressure was beyond intense. Gamrat’s resolve held all the way out to 4 AM when it became clear that the House leadership could not, or would not ‘control their side’.

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (47)Nuh Uh.(7)