80th District Special Election (2015)

80th District Special Election (2015), Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Philosophy, Republicans

Do You Miss Her Yet?

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House GOP membership toes the line like good little minions.

gamratAs the inflation protected taxes and unnecessary fees are imposed, the shame of those who ‘unelected’ a particular representative from Allegan County should be pronounced and clear.

Cindy Gamrat would have provided you with cover Representative Gary Glenn. I don’t see you bragging this one up like your near-miss confiscation legislation. You voted to remove her to keep your house overlords happy.  Aren’t you proud?

Farm bureau will still love you Triston Cole, as the fuel taxes and registration don’t hurt your lobbying buds.  Never mind the rest of the suckers who bought the AFP nonsense in the last election cycle that you would fight for the taxpayers.

Oh yeah those guys..

Sure enough, something must have happened to AFP along the way to the bank.  Ever since Scott Hagerstrom was departed from the ranks of the organizing 501(c)4, it seems to have lost its way. What was once the messenger of a clearly recognizable message of no new taxes, or growth of government, has now apparently blessed this newest blasphemy of conservative principle. Representative *Larry Inman says in a response to a text:

“Hi Jason, Pete Lund says he will accept our package, mostly coming from the General fund and user fees. We needed some gas tax. Senate and Governor told us to do it to fix the roads.”

So now AFP calls the shots along with the RINO governor?

Pete Lund of the AFP says “he will accept” the package.   How special. Why do we bother sending anyone to Lansing anymore if they cannot abide by the principles they campaign on.  Why do we bother with pretenders?

What about it Lee Chatfield?  Is the same moral compass which drove you to throw out due process last month pointing North now?  Are you happy to have been pushed into a corner where you can no longer appropriately represent your district; many of whom in it cannot afford the trivial increases you just voted to support in ever increasing perpetuity?

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80th District Special Election (2015), Conservative News, Elections, Fees, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Philosophy, Republicans

Ain’t No Learnin’ in the Fifth Kick of a Mule

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The Horrendous Campaign Finance Mess of Another Republican Candidate for the 80th House District Seat

Forgetfullness Image 2

This is, without a doubt, the single most convoluted political mess I have ever encountered.

Allegan County Commissioner James M. Storey was one of the first to announce for the special election in the 80th District of the Michigan House of Representatives and one of the last to file. Just before he actually filed, several media stories explained that Mr. Storey was late to file because he discovered outstanding fines against his campaign committee assessed by the Secretary of State. Mr. Storey “discovered a forgotten 33-year-old open campaign account with the Michigan Secretary of State’s office stemming from Storey’s failed 1982 state House bid to represent the eastern UP.”

Mr. Story “said he agreed to amend the reports for that committee and pay a $2,500 fine to the Secretary of State as a result.” His actual predicament is far more recent than his statements suggest and his old ‘Jim Storey for State Representative’ committee still exists and still is noncompliant with Michigan election finance law.

Mr. Storey’s unextinguished State Representative committee did indeed incur an initial $ 25 fine for failing to file its 1998 annual statement (covering 1997) which eventually grew to $ 1,000 in 2001 when it was finally paid. This may have occurred because Mr. Storey moved from Saginaw to his present Holland residence during this time frame. He might not have filed an address change with the Secretary of State and missed their notices. Understandable, but expensive.

However, he filed his committee’s 1999 statement (covering 1998) on time from his current Holland residence, but then failed to file his 2000 statement (covering 1999). Somehow the Secretary of State’s Bureau of Elections overlooked this failure to file for 14 years.

Mr. Storey’s real problems with Michigan’s campaign finance law began in 2012, the year he ran for the Allegan County Commission’s 2nd District, a race which he won. He filed his 2012 annual statement (covering 2011) late, then fails to file his next four required statements until the eve of his 80th District filing.

The filing he did make with the Secretary of State in 2012 referenced 105th District state representative race.  Then on 15 September 2015 he created the ambiguous ‘Jim Story for Allegan County’, referencing his 80th District State House candidacy.

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80th District Special Election (2015), Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Philosophy, Republicans

Running for Money in the 80th

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An Establishment Republican Candidate Seeks Lobbyists' Love

Love-Money-Image

The special election underway in Michigan’s 80th House District is a consequence of forbidden love. Now one candidate in this special election is running for the entirely legal love of Michigan’s political money class.

Michigan’s campaign finance laws do not require financial reporting by candidate committees in the November 3rd special primary until October 23rd, but three of the filed candidates have active campaign committees whose past financial statements are open for public review.

Mary P. Whiteford came in second to Cindy A. Gamrat in the 2014 regular primary election, a hotly contested four-way race. Ms. Gamrat went on to win the general election in the 80th and then got expelled from Michigan’s State House a year later – in no small part because she antagonized the Lansing political establishment.

Ms. Whiteford was clearly the establishment Republican candidate in the 2014 race. Vice Chairman of the Allegan County Republican Committee and a significant contributor to other county Republican committees and all the correct Republican establishment candidates. Ms. Gamrat, on the other hand, has a far more modest contribution record focused on Tea Party candidates.

Ms. Whiteford spent $ 87,400 in her 2014 primary effort, an unremarkable sum by Michigan State House race standards. Ms. Gamrat spent $ 54,150 in her primary victory, so there is no story here.

Both candidates’ committees were in debt at the end of the hotly contested August 2014 primary. Ms. Gamrat’s committee owed $ 7,933.47 – all to herself and members of her immediate family. Ms. Whiteford’s committee, on the other hand, owed $ 67,701.57 – all to herself.

A Year Later…..

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80th District Special Election (2015), Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Apparently We Need More Popcorn

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Shakespearean tragedy, or phoenix rising from the ashes? At least now the voters will get the final say.

Clearly, she was serious about giving the voters in her district the final say in the matter. Just in case you’ve spent the past six days or so completely incommunicado, according to the Detroit News, WKZO-AM 590, WOOD-TV8, WXMI-TV17, the Lansing News, WWMT-TV3, the Detroit Free Press, WDIV-TV4, WXYZ-TV7, the Holland Sentinel, WZZM-TV13, and the Chicago Tribune, around 2:30 Thursday afternoon last, Cindy A. Gamrat has filed to run in the special election for the seat she was expelled from a week ago, as confirmed by the Allegan County Clerk’s Office. (Ironically, Chad Livengood got to be the one to break this story as well.) The joint opinion of the Grand Rapids Press and Kalamazoo Gazette editorial boards, whose newspaper coverage areas include the 80th District, was short and on point, but not necessarily shared by all of their readers.

Popcorn, anyone?

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

Removing The People’s Voice

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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’.

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80th District Special Election (2015), Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Republicans

Breaking – Uh Oh.

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Embattled representatives may only face censure after all.

The Democrats have kept Todd Courser from being expelled.

As this is being written, it’s hard to imagine that Michigan house leadership is not making deals with the Democrat caucus to rally up the additional 7 votes necessary to remove Todd Courser from his seat.  From House TV:

Courser-expulsion

Perhaps it is time to REVERSE THIS???

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80th District Special Election (2015), Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Courser Gamrat Expulsion Will Mean Higher Taxes

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Loss of two legislators will have fiscal policy consequences.

In all likelihood, any replacements for the Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat positions will be inclined to lean leftward and distance themselves away from ‘Tea’ political positions.

The vote by committee this morning didn’t go well for Gamrat and Courser.  An upcoming vote by the full house would close the deal. The wife sends me this:

Well there goes the road tax.  We pay more

http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2015/09/10/gamrat-courser-hearings-michigan/71993248/

She may be right

And NOT simply at the pump.

You Betcha! (19)Nuh Uh.(1)

80th District Special Election (2015), Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion

Yep, it’s a Farce

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Hate to say I told you so but… told you so.

However, Little Ronna campaigning for her uncle Willard? That is just okie dokie…

Because, you know, road funding vote$ is priority or, “unity” or, whatever smoke you’d like blown up your posterior.

H/t Me

You Betcha! (28)Nuh Uh.(1)

80th District Special Election (2015), Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans, Taxes

Michigan House Leadership Off-The-Rail Witch Hunt

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Speaker Kevin Cotter's antics in Lansing may reveal an underhanded effort to raise taxes.

kevin-cotterMichigan House speaker Kevin Cotter is turning out to be a real turd in the punch bowl.

Personal ‘Impropriety,’ and the lack of ‘qualifications’ are two very different things. Of course the State Constitution allows each house to determine the qualifications to occupy a seat as a representative.  It ALSO allows the house under certain circumstances to (remove) “expel” sitting representatives with a two thirds majority vote.

§ 16 Legislature; officers, rules of procedure, expulsion of members.

Sec. 16.

Each house, except as otherwise provided in this constitution, shall choose its own officers and determine the rules of its proceedings, but shall not adopt any rule that will prevent a majority of the members elected thereto and serving therein from discharging a committee from the further consideration of any measure. Each house shall be the sole judge of the qualifications, elections and returns of its members, and may, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members elected thereto and serving therein, expel a member. The reasons for such expulsion shall be entered in the journal, with the votes and names of the members voting upon the question. No member shall be expelled a second time for the same cause.

Qualifications, elections, returns, are all specific to the elections, and the follow up is the expulsion clause.

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80th District Special Election (2015), Michigan, Part Time Legislature, Republicans

Remember This When Party Jagoffs Call for “Unity”

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I’m starting to develop a real disdain for this smarmy, slimy, term limited p****.

full-retard

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