Elections

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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You Betcha! (15)Nuh Uh.(2)

Cronyism, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1

Prop 1…Detroit’s ‘River’ of Opportunity

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Prop 1 is for roads???...Hardly...

Detroit is deadDetroit’s ‘Core’ a ‘Common’ problem…

Being a ‘newbie’ senior citizen, I’ll have to rely on the ‘old school’ math, but…let’s at least try to sum this up, shall we???

We don’t have to go back too far, let’s just start with the Guv’s 2012 budget, and it’s expansion since then… http://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_state_budget_%282011-2012%29#Deal_negotiated

$47 billion for 2012, and now asking $53 billion…and an estimated $2 billion more each year in tax increases proposed in Prop 1…Just where is all this money going???…Let’s follow some (most) of it…I have…

Starting with the Detroit bankruptcy bailout, $195 million, our State tax money…We’ll try (try, that is) to keep a running total…Stay with me here, the ‘River” gets murky in some spots…http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/detroit-bankruptcy/2014/11/08/detroit-bankruptcy-timeline/18680129/…Speaking of rivers, let’s cross this one… http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/snyder-canadian-leaders-urge-washington-to-fund-dric-customs-plaza. The $550 million Canada has promised for the bridge construction is a loan, to be repaid from tolls, but that’s another story entirely…So Detroit has $195 million in State money to get itself out of Court…

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You Betcha! (17)Nuh Uh.(0)

Cronyism, Democrats, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

MITA is Indeed Scraping the Bottom of Its Barrel – Updated Sunday

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SafeRoadsYes! Morphing Into A Very Expensive White Elephant - Big New Money Going Down the Drain!

Out of Money ImageAnother day, another $ 105,000 delivered to SafeRoadsYes! Here are the latest contributions made to SafeRoadsYes! on 28 April and posted by the Michigan Secretary of State today:

  • MITA gave another $ 25,000, new total circa $ 5.42 million
  • Michigan Aggregates Association gave $ 20,000, their first act of obeisance
  • PVS-Nolwood gave $ 25,000, new total $ 75,000
  • Operating Engineers Local 324 gave $ 35,000, new total $ 135,000

The motives of three late contributors are pretty obvious. PVS-Nolwood is a chemical company in Detroit specializing in acids and their disposal. As [a very profitable] part of this business, they unload neutralized acid byproducts on wastewater treatment plants as clarifiers. Those wastewater treatment plants just happen to be owned by various units of government which, in turn, use their water billings to rape the public at large. PVS-Nolwood have a long history of sucking up to Michigan’s power elites to further their very lucrative business interests.

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You Betcha! (21)Nuh Uh.(0)

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

So what exactly is going on here?

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This better have something to do with Plan “B”.

 

‘Nuff said!

You Betcha! (5)Nuh Uh.(1)

Cronyism, Democrats, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Lucido Clear On Proposal 15-1 Power Grab

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Why would we need to tax ourselves more at the pump or otherwise???

Don’t even start with me on government honeypots.

There’s a problem with those big ol cash reserves set up for specific issue.  They WILL get raided for something else someday.  Recall the tobacco settlement which has been re-purposed at least a couple of times since the award.   Remember the BCBS Three and a half $Billion of ratepayer/Taxpayer (by reason of contract with state)  money that has disappeared.

Peter Lucido says not necessary. While most lawmakers are cowering in fear lest someone learn how they stand, he is as clear as glass on the issue. In this case, its a $20,000,000,000.00 pile of dough that earns nearly a billion a year?    Given the planned obsolescence of such a fund in the wake of ‘insurance reform,’ why on earth would we NOT consider its use for paying down current and immediate needs.

$20 billion? holy guacamole.

Oh and someone stand watch over Rick’s ‘stash’ ok?

You Betcha! (20)Nuh Uh.(0)

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

Cost of Lies Rising – Has the Threshold of Pain Been Reached?

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Has MITA's Spending Now Slammed Into Its Members' Financial Limits?

liar-liar-pants-on-fireMITA (Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association) just added $ 205,000 to the SafeRoadsYes! war chest yesterday.  Not much when you consider that they have already lavished $ 5.19 million on SRY. The Detroit Regional Chamber‘s ‘Powering the Economy’ PAC political committee, on the other hand, went one better and added $ 250,000 to the SafeRoadsYes! war chest yesterday. Dwarfs their $ 125,000 in contributions during the regular reporting period. The Detroit Regional Chamber contribution far exceeds the $ 17,105 DRC reportedly had on hand only a few days ago. Someone has given Powering the Economy a lot of money this week, but we won’t be privileged to know whom for three months. Both of these contributions were made to SRY on April 27th, three days after the closing date for the SafeRoadsYes! pre-special general report.SRY Late Contribution Report - 2015-04-28

SafeRoadsYes! has evidently burned through the $ 8 million plus they received in contributions during the regular reporting period and is now heading towards a $ 9 million cash burn.  Hard to tell how much SRY have spent with any exactitude, the latest figures from April 24th show expenditures of $ 7.212 million.  But they had a balance of $ 843,482 on that date which is presumably gone or going quickly.  Expect more thrilling stunts and stimulating advertising in any event.  Their war chest just got reloaded.

The paltry late contribution from MITA, taken together with the outsized contribution from the Detroit Regional Chamber, suggests that MITA is scraping the bottom of their member’s bank accounts.  Or that they are employing a new form of campaign contribution concealment, feeding contributions through DRC’s Powering the Economy so contributors’ identities won’t be reported until after the election.  Their servants in Michigan’s media reported the outsized involvement of road constructors in pushing Proposal 1 this week and it hasn’t played well with the voting public.

Will the Proposal 1 fight decapitalize Michigan’s road constructors?  Will they raise their bids to recoup their political expenditures, further draining Michigan’s road funding?  Are MITA and DRC gaming Michigan’s campaign finance laws to avoid any further embarrassing disclosures?  Or have we just found out what $ 1.2 billion in additional annual contracts are really worth in profits to Michigan’s road constructors?

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

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

Snyder’s People Really do Struggle to Keep Their Lies Straight

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Check out the latest installment from MediaNews Group who appears to have taken on a pro Prop 1 slant.

McLellan_Mac_Cen_Vote_Yes_man-behind-the-sceneWith one week until the special statewide election next Tuesday, the Safe Roads Yes ballot campaign is deploying teams of volunteers to call voters and track down unreturned absentee ballots over the proposed constitutional amendment linked to boosting road funding $1.2 billion annually [No it DOES NOT. That is disinformation, Chad.]. The campaign wouldn’t divulge who will be on the bus. [maybe an AFSCME stooge?]

“I don’t care what side you’re on, everyone agrees Michigan’s roads have gone from bad to worse, and they’ve got to get fixed,” said Roger Martin, spokesman for the Safe Roads Yes campaign.

“It is the only solution before us.”

That so, Roger? Your boss doesn’t think so.

You know, it’s become typical of these creeps who get elected to office. They always start believing the lies they spin and overload their asses.

Some of us out here do have memories, you know?STOP-167

You Betcha! (26)Nuh Uh.(0)