Michigan Politics

Michigan Political considerations.

Pay Attention Lansing

Is It Possible For The State To Make This Right?

pighuntMark Baker and his family were terribly wronged.

Period.

It was his courage to stand up against the formerly unimaginable wanton persecution by state agencies like the (feral) DNR and the AG’s office. IT was the support of people who were aware of what was going on that allowed him to survive, and cause the Attorney General’s office to fold under the weight of a huge, easily recognizable, mistake.  It was his willingness to suffer the loss of business as the state threatened his customers, and cut off his sole income.

And all throughout this process other farms were shut down and forced to slaughter their livelihoods because they had no means to fight ‘city hall.’

You Betcha! (4)Nuh Uh.(0)

A State Bank: The Solution for Michigan Economic Stability and Prosperity By Dan Osterman

Bank top left(Comment: by R Al Bain, Our legislators in Lansing continue to advocate and promote capital cronyism through the “Friends and Family” program along with the “Business Buddies” fund that’s not a good return on investment for the taxpayers of Michigan and only benefits the aforementioned and politicians in a pay to play scheme.) 

When it comes to the economy, government does have a necessary and proper role to protect a functioning free market and the rights of individuals to pursue their economic interests, maintenance of public infrastructure, and the undisturbed flow of commerce across borders. 

Essential to these functions is to support a banking system that seeks to serve the community, act as an incubator for businesses, and to protect the system from those who attempt to abuse it.

You Betcha! (0)Nuh Uh.(2)

Yep, it’s an Election Year

The tax hiking surrender monkey majority in Lansing, led by none other than a duplicitous twit from Livonia, lets the retaliation cat out of the bag.

Unionized police and firefighters could again receive retroactive pay raises through new contracts under legislation being considered in the state House that would exempt them from a 2011 law.

The Legislature three years ago outlawed retroactive pay raises for unionized local government workers for time periods when they were working under an expired contract.

But state Rep. John Walsh, R-Livonia, said the law was meant to be aimed only at public school employees and was not intended to cover police and firefighters, whose unions are governed by a different collective bargaining law.

Because those within the union of First Responders are Heroes™ propaganda, oh, say like this example here, have way more enforcement value to a politician than those within the MEA?

You Betcha! (11)Nuh Uh.(2)

The Rural Michigan Squeeze

chainedIt took a little time for it to sink in, but Michigan’s legislature may have made the same mistake with ATT, that was made with BCBS.

Consider the decades of [government enforced] monopoly protections and the ability to hang their lines exclusively prior to deregulation. A compact that allowed ATT to profit heavily through its stand alone status, was then modified to ATT’s desires during the breakup of the bell system in 1974. Also consider the effects on small rural operators that rely on ATT for service access.

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

Falsities About SB789 Being Spread

SB789, sponsored by Mike Green, would make numerous positive changes to the statutes concerned with concealed pistol licensure. This would include such things as:

  • Eliminate the county gun boards – requirements verification shifts to Michigan State Police
  • Count Clerk becomes the licensing authority
  • Remove the requirement to provide two references
  • Reduce the application fee $15 from $105 to $90
  • 100% of court costs and attorney fees to the appellant if a denial gets overturned
  • Shorten and cement the timeframe for a go/no-go in regards to the application

NO WHERE does it remove the fact that the licenses shall be issued assuming the applicant passes the more or less objectively defined standards in 28.425b. In fact, the striking of 28.425b(7)(n) (shown below) further solidifies the the shall-issue aspect:

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

The 2013 RightMi.Com Scorecard

scorecardMost folks actively watching the goings on in Lansing might already be aware of the MichiganVotes.org site run by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Nowhere else can you find a more complete collection of legislative efforts.  Easily referenced, and with a record of votes by legislator, party, the chambers the votes were taken in, and legislative sessions. It is an incredibly useful tool when trying to find out how your legislator voted on any particular issue of interest.  Its a great way of keeping these ‘servants’ in check when they claim to be conservative, but vote like the liberals or something even worse.

How cool is that?

One feature often overlooked however,

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

Companies Lay-Off Thousands, Close Stores, Affects “Michigan Workers”

Recovery? Reinvention? Yeah Right!

A Tsunami of Store Closings LayoffsA Tsunami of Store Closings and Layoffs

I’ve been posting and reporting this for months with some choosing to downplay my reports and even going as far as saying the economy is doing much better!

The day of reckoning, some say, has arrived, with one retail watcher predicting a “tsunami” of store closings and lay-offs this year.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140308/BIZ02/303080019

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

Sunday Round up

Here is a different take on the culture war. Contagious transformation – Genocide Alert: Homosexuality Systematically Killing Black Americans!

Indeed it is. Grassroots in Michigan – A Tax by Any Other Name is Still a Tax

True Story – Steve’s been talking about this. Motor City Times –  Detroit News behind the MCT curve on the impending ‘tsunami’ of retail store closings

Fear deregulation of electricity in Michigan! Or maybe not. The Other Club – Citizens for Enervating Michigan’s Economy

Those stupid ‘selfies.’ The Shekel – Snapping ‘n Sharing Selfies Snares Stupid Scoundrel

Izzy Sez take a look at the different perspectives here. Watchdog Wire – Hot topic: What Should Lansing Legislators Do With Michigan’s $1 Billion Surplus?

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

The Arlen Specter Model for Hiking our Fuel Tax and Registration Fees

Folks, let’s begin by refreshing our memories with example of what a Pennsylvania Republican did for Obamacare by clicking HERE. Got it? Good. Now, let’s refresh our memories with looking at a career of being fed from the taxpayer’s wallet produces with this Lefty fear-mongering creep Bill Rustem, by clicking HERE. Got it? Good.

Now, BOHICA.

Snyder’s strategy director, Bill Rustem, said the state may try to follow a road funding game plan that was recently executed in Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled state government.

In November, lawmakers in the Keystone State boosted annual road funding by $2.3 billion through a gas-tax hike and gradual increase in vehicle license fees, said Bradley Mallory, deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

“The price of doing nothing is higher than the price of not addressing the problem, including delay, detours, safety and including death,” Mallory said. “Doing nothing is not free. It is, in fact, enormously expensive.”

Pennsylvania’s success “gives us hope,” Rustem said, and “gives us a game plan for seeing this achieved sometime this year.”

Ah, the smell of Hopium™ and fear fills the atmosphere in Lansing, as the Obama and Milliken-esque is strong in this one guiding Dear Leader, the Progressive Nerd. Finding $200M of “shared sacrifice” with repealing Prevailing Wage from the union brotherhood to fix our roads?

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