Michigan Politics

Michigan Political considerations.

Study: 40% of Michigan Families Can’t Cover Basic Survival Expenses

Huge Decline in Wages for Michigan’s Working Families

Pay Falls for Low-Wage Men yet Women Still Far Behind,” found that real wages of Michigan workers have fallen by more than ten percent since 1979 for broad sections of the working class.

Hourly pay for low-wage workers of “prime working age” in Michigan fell 13.4 percent between 1979-2013, while pay for mid-wage workers of prime age fell 12.7 percent.

The collapse of wages in Michigan also illustrates president Obama’s and Governor Snyder’s “insourcing” policies, which involves pushing for lower corporate taxes and lower living standards and wages for workers in order to make American cities “attractive” for business. Snyder Obama Meet

Speaking at a Milwaukee factory in 2012, Obama celebrated the results of his and Snyder’s “bailout” policies in Michigan as a model for the rest of the country: What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other cities.

Declining work rates, stagnant wages, the rise of female-headed families, inferior education, and the arrival of millions of “immigrants” with poor education and low skills are little engines pushing up the poverty rate.

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Bridgewalk Timelapse

Labor Day 2012 from the office of Michigan's department of propaganda.

Because it gave me an opportunity to point out something notable.

The MDOT appears to be better at producing video than it is in maintaining our road infrastructure.

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More Than You Might Be Led To Believe

A great deal of support on the floor of the GOP convention in Novi Michigan for challenger Nakagiri

“I appreciate your enthusiasm” Says Candace Miller as the 300 Nakagiri volunteers do the sign walk.

There were so many, that the next nomination was delayed a moment. (yeah THAT’s the ticket) Truthfully, the video camera work was a little sloppy because I was looking around trying to gauge how many Snyder/Calley supporters were sporting new trouser cookies.  As we have known for a week however, signs unfortunately don’t equal votes.

It was just plain fun as a people watcher however. As a takeaway, we don’t have to think there are no folks actively seeking to better the party. We are NOT alone, nor are we done yet. 

Please enjoy the video.

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And On Monday

New Minimum Wage for Michigan Employees Kicks in .. and

We slide a little deeper into the fiery pit of progressivism

Because everyone knows that ALL employers are filthy rich.

Because everyone knows that ALL employers are filthy rich.

Beginning September 1, 2014, Michigan employers will face an increase in the minimum wage rate from $7.40 to $8.15. The first rate increase since Granholm jacked employers in 2008, this new change to state law marks the beginning of a gradual 25 percent increase of the minimum wage resulting in $9.25 per hour by 2018. The State of Michigan makes new online resources available at www.Michigan.gov/miosha to help workers and employers face the facts as the new rate takes effect.

On May 27, 2014 the ‘Workforce Opportunity Wage Act,’ Public Act 138 of 2014 (Act 138), took immediate effect replacing the Michigan Minimum Wage and Overtime Act (Act 154).  Act 138 is enforced by the Wage and Hour Program within the Technical Services Division of the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA).  And we know No-One enforces like MIOSHA.

Act 138 applies to employers in Michigan that have two or more employees age 16 and older.  A copy of Act 138, along with guidelines and the required poster may be downloaded from the Wage and Hour Program website.

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Thursday Around Michigan

Plenty to talk about before the weekend.

logo-sphereThere is a lot of chatter still going on regarding the convention results, campaign polling, and Frank Foster peddling destructive behavior as a ‘civil right’ throughout the house to those who will cosponsor it.

Before our convention in Grand Traverse County, some of us were advised to video tape the proceedings to prevent shenanigans.  Fortunately, we nipped the chair election in the bud, and any screw ups were honest and dealt with properly. (I have never seen a convention go perfectly as planned.)  Ottawa County apparently had some issues.

West Michigan Politics – Ottawa County GOP Chaos: Meekhof + Huizenga Involved? What You Need To Know & The Follow up

And while we all are arguing among ourselves, the heir to the heavily taxpayer subsidized fortune is ‘crankin.’

Channel 7 (WXYZ) – Ronald Illitch Arrested, snorts equivalent to Detroit property tax revenues.

Folks have until Oct 30 to file as a write in for the Nov 4 election. Is Greg MacMaster going to play spoiler or could he pull it off? (above my pay grade)

Antrim County Republicans – MacMaster Considering Write-in Campaign for 37th State Senate – Gongwer News Service

Peters is being accused of hypocrisy for paying women less and being a part of the group that has jammed the Lilly Ledbetter nonsense down our throats. Forget about all that (seriously Terri, fergetaboudit) and concentrate on the workable populist nonsense.  Like the “right To Have Drinking Water!”

Washington Free Beacon – Peters Profits from Detroit Water

Rick Snyder .. well hell I am not even sure how to present this one.  Yeah, we get it, reach out to everyone (except the base)!  Good luck with that.

Allen B West – Jimmy Carter to Keynote Detroit Muslim Convention (with Rick and friends)

 

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Labor Freedom Rally September 1 2014

JOIN US FOR A LABOR FREEDOM RALLY & FREE CONCERT!

Blaskapelle, a 47 piece band from Gimmengen, Germany will be in concert

4:00 PM September 1, 2014
American Legion
4819 Mary Sue St., Clarkston, Mi 46819

On beautiful Lake Oakland

The concert is free.Come early for the beach, horseshoe pits, ball fields and great outdoor fun. Limited pavilion seating. Please Bring chairs

Blaskapelle has a youth band and an adult band that is known for its concerts at the Jagermeister festivals. The 30 piece youth orchestra will begin at 4:00 PM.

Food and refreshments will be available with dinner at 5:30. Beer and Brats and accompaniments or hamburger and trimming, etc. and Soda, $10. Hot dogs and soda, juice or milk for youth, $6.Family $25. Additional beverages and food ala carte; cash bar.

Register here, please!

The adult band will play about 6PM Labor Day September 1, 2014 until we will hear no more

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MI GOP Joins Progressive-Pride Parade

Pride Parades have become the vogue for the “Look at me, I’m a celebrity” crowd that now rules pop-culture and its romance with Reality TV.

The MI GOP Convention last weekend, staged like a mindless reality TV show, solidified the MI GOP squarely in the ranks of the Progressive-Pride Parade marching across America.

Scripted to look genuine but only if you believe that professional wrestling and reality TV are real – Much ado about Nothing – No mention of the MI GOP’s repeated violations of the Republican Party Platform – Little if any grappling with the important threats to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that we face as citizens of Michigan.

A token gesture to the heroic campaign of Wes Nakagiri and his Constutionalist supporters may have been the last hurrah for the Tea Party/Libertarian coalition within the Progressive GOP, calls for unity notwithstanding.

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Franchise Envy

The power of government can be instructive AND abusive.

When an operation hosted in publicly owned property is as successful as what might be considered only in ‘wildest dreams,’ it is then eyed with a lust that is found only within the failure of bureaucracy.

baseball1I’ve seen it first hand.  In Grand Traverse County in 2010, a highly successful  baseball program run by veterans was quite literally confiscated, and taken over by the landlords.  An empire building, bureaucratic strategist, coupled with a misunderstood management glitch in the popular 62 year old program opened the door to it being taken over by the county.

The PRIVATE program which began more than a half century earlier by veterans building ball fields was summarily sequestered because the landlord didn’t like the way ‘management’ of the program was operating.  The county board was convinced to back a parks decision to take the program away from the vets, and the participation dropped by 30%.

In the end, a newly elected county board (including myself) in the beginning of 2011 convinced enough of the old to give it back.  In the end as well however, we should note that it was a government entity (the parks department) trying to justify its existence, (programming beyond rental of properties) show a profit (a stated argument during the takeover) and be a controlling authority.

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35%…How do we really know???…

35%ers...

The conservative base has never truly measured itself in Michigan nor anywhere else. Perhaps some sort of yardstick is in order, say…in November. True conservatives I tend to network with have had enough of the establishment definition. An organized effort to measure the strength of the disenfranchised base might therefore be in order. I have a suggestion.

An accurate ‘head count’ of the principled portion of the MIGOP can only be had in one way…an organized ‘boycott’ by vote. Staying home doesn’t count in the final tallies, neither does a blank spot on any particular space on any ballot. What is required for a ‘hard count’ is a place on the ballot to voice an objection. That place would be a “Write-in” space in certain particular races where the only principled choice might be “None of the above”. The name would be irrelevant, the space on the ballot totally relevant.

This exercise in democracy might prove very interesting indeed, as many Democrats of basic conservative values might find the spaces in those races appealing also. It should be noted that in the last election (a Presidential election) Dr. Dan beat Gary McDowell by less that 2,500 votes. Now our illustrious VA doctor has a real veteran challenger running against him, Jerry Cannon’s warts aside. Imagine the damage this cycle could inflict on a RINO incumbent, facing a real and money backed (Lon Johnson’s in charge, remember)  challenger, with Mr/Ms Brand X also running as a write-in.  There are many advantages to this plan of action, the first being an officially recorded count of dissatisfied  voters…of all ranks.  The second would be the forcing of a hand count of ballots,  electronic “Tom Foolery” foiled.  In the end, the official results would show just how strong in numbers “Brand X” really is.

For the candidates, it is a no brainer…no funds to raise, speeches to give, dinners to pretend to enjoy…just a day trip to Lansing to formally file.  All anyone would need would be some gas money and a name folks could remember and spell correctly.  The internet would take care of the rest.  Maybe some of the more radical activists could throw a BBQ or two to have a few signs printed up that read:  “WRITE IN (your name here) for Congress/State Rep/State Senate/Governor

“paid for by the committee to elect no one”

 

Let’s see the establishment find a way around that.

 

 

 

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