Elections

Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Republicans

Bi-Annual Reminder

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Mackinac Island is always with great views, great fudge, and unforgettable politics.

As the Mackinac Island conference winds itself up, and the “drank” is consumed, we give our salute to the finest of the finest.

Six years ago, we witnessed the stunning display of so many of the ‘millennial’ generation.  When Cash was tossed around to get slick Rick some name recognition.  And a guy who for the price of a ‘drank’ and paid lodging, was willing to parade around in a free bright neon t-shirt with a Bill Schuette sticker.

The resulting hilarity is classic.

Indeed we are all laughing now.  Nothing is so funny, as expanded medicaid,  higher road taxes, reinventing ‘cool city’ utopias, a Granholm bridge, bigger and better authorities, Detroit bailouts, and payouts to crony friends.

And nothing so completely knee-slapping as a reinvention of the color green.

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Colbeck Reminds Us Why Snyder Is Poison

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We were clear in 2017 that state taxpayers would be paying dearly for Snyder's 'eager' participation in Obamacare.

colbeckLook no further than Obamacare in Michigan for answers to a lot of legislative licentiousness.

We are reminded of the tragedy that was the medicaid expansion vote in 2013.  Michigan State Senator Patrick Colbeck (Senate District 7) sends out a legislative update monthly.  In his latest offering, he  notes

OK…what does Medicaid have to do with roads?

The short answer is that some people in state government are relying upon a tax increase to backfill gaps in Medicaid funding with the same money that the House and Senate plans have already earmarked for roads. This problem becomes exacerbated in 2017 due to the passage of Medicaid Expansion (i.e. Section 2001 of HR 3590 otherwise known as Obamacare). In 2017, the Federal government will no longer provide 100% of the funding for the expanded Medicaid population.

So…if you are wondering why it is so difficult to fix our roads, look no further than Medicaid Expansion. The good news is that I have offered solutions to both Medicaid Expansion and our Roads that address the needs while protecting you from tax increases. See www.SenatorPatrickColbeck.com for more information.

Thanks for nothing, so-called ‘Republican’ majority at the time.

And where might we have seen the warnings about 2017 before?

“Michigan, indeed, would receive billions of dollars from Washington to pay for Medicaid expansion. However, this return of our tax dollars was only temporary. There were strings attached.

After three years, Michigan taxpayers would be forced to pay at least $300 million a year more than they’re currently spending on Medicaid. That’s money that won’t be spent on roads, schools or anything else.

Further, the Medicaid expansion proposal is an open-ended commitment and the Michigan Legislature cannot slow spending increases without Washington’s approval.

It was a classic `bait and switch.’

Bait and switch indeed.

And now that there are two fewer watchdogs on the state house side of the equation, we can expect all sorts of shenanigans to populate the Governor’s imagination.

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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.

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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

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Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Benishek ‘Frankly’ Wasting Taxpayer Money ..As Usual

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Michigan congressman expects post office to travel through time for his constituents.

We all know they do it.

But it hardly makes it right.  ‘Franking’ has been used by sitting politicians to expressly ‘inform’ constituents, and cleverly advantage their public budget in electioneering efforts.  Incumbency has its privileges.  Congressman Dan Benishek, holding true to DC assimilation, doesn’t even hide the abuse in any meaningful way.

In a recent ‘Franking’ mailer, his announcement of an upcoming event celebration arrives far too late for those he supposedly wishes to inform.

A reader sends this in:

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Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Republicans

Perhaps Rubio

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IMG_20150820_181330Sometimes, as Republicans, we have to think a little outside the box when it comes to presidential candidates.

Right now, the story line is that the most conservative among us must support Ted Cruz, the moderates among us must support Jeb Bush,  and the angriest among us must cheer for the unelectable Donald Trump.

Last week, I stretched a bit and traveled downstate to Livonia and attended a rally for Marco Rublo. I came away convinced that if he becomes the face of the Republican Party we can beat even the developing Biden-Warren ticket (Sweet Joe and Redistributor-in-chief Rebecca), let alone the duplicitous duo of Hillary and Bill.

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

Skewed priorities and reading between the lines.

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Don’t you know that “Take a vote, not a vacation” doesn’t apply to the man at the top?

“It’s essential that making Michigan’s infrastructure safer remains a top priority. While voters didn’t support this particular proposal, we know they want action taken to maintain and improve our roads and bridges. The ‘relentless’ part of relentless positive action means that we start anew to find a comprehensive, long-term solution to this problem.” – Gov. Rick Snyder after the crushing defeat of Proposal 1 on May 5, 2015

Unless of course, you are on yet another “vacation” to peddle blueberries to the Chi-Comms?

Or, maybe that’s what he wants everyone to believe.

{More below}

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Elections, Republicans

The Trump “mystique”…

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What's a RINO to do???...

The establishment Repubs are in a tizzy over what the attraction to Trump is by the American mainstream….Just proves how out of touch with reality they actually are…The ‘mystique’ surrounding “the Donald” is no secret to those of us who have been trying to convey the same message to people we can reach for at least a decade…He tells it like it actually is: America is in trouble, and Washington IS the problem….period…

Giving the GOP complete control of the US Congress has not helped the situation in the slightest…Campaign promises from the establishment are now falling on deaf ears…They are scrambling to ‘adjust’ their campaign rhetoric to mimic “the Donald”, acknowledging him whether they attribute the shift to him directly or not…They KNOW they are in trouble…

I just received a notice from the RNC that my membership has “now expired”, and would I PLEASE renew it immediately???!!!…Not a chance…Until the GOP acts like they have the principles described in the party platform, I will not send any of them one dime of my hard earned cash…They will only devise devious ways to steal it anyway…

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