Michigan Politics

Michigan Political considerations.

Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Don’t Say We Didn’t Tell You So

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The fallout from Michigan's prop 2 is clear as milk.

Prop 2 was a disaster in the making.

Controlling the process was never going to be neutral, and clearly the control would be in the hands of whichever party controls the elections, the questionable Jocelyn Benson.

We have pointed this out in the past with a series of videos, and now the outcome draws near.  The Michigan Republican Party in trying to ascertain the nature of the process being designed by our current Secretary of State for the NEW Gerrymandering schemes is being stonewalled with ridiculous FOIA fees. From the Detroit News:

The Secretary of State’s office estimated it would cost $45,904 to process an initial Freedom of Information Act request that sought “a vast amount of information” from the department, Chief Legal Director Michael Brady told the Michigan GOP in a June 7 letter.

The state used a “conservative” labor estimate to calculate a $10,049 fee for a “narrowed, but still very broad” second request, Brady said in a separate letter denying a Republican Party appeal.

All they want is an unadulterated explanation from documents addressing the process being formulated from the Sec of State.

Real transparency.

And as many who are familiar with FOIA might know, the cost is supposed to be premised on the labor rates of the lowest paid clerical workers who can perform the task.  This suggests one of two possibilities; that the clerical workers in the state are grossly overpaid, OR that Benson’s office isattempting to keeps it’s motivations and early planning from the people of the satet for political reasons.

One or the OTHER.

 

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Michigan Politics

Independence Day – The Declaration

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Happy Independence Day Michigan.

A Transcription from the national archives.

 

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

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Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

So Then Nessel Kicked Herself In The Coconuts.

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Dana Nessel's most important issue sets new tone on AG opinions.

Who knows?  She may have coconuts.  We aren’t supposed to consider such things as impossible anymore, right?

But Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is certainly committed to her true passion. One might think that she might wish to respect the office she holds, if only to protect her own opinions going forward.  Clearly, that is not the case.

Using federal government activity to upend a legitimate AG opinion barely a year old, Nessel puts perhaps every opinion of her own in jeopardy.  It also points out how completely political the AG’s office has become.  From the State Ministry Of Propaganda:

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Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Guilty?

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Inman likely no more guilty than many others in the legislature.

I was driving through St. Louis when I got the news that Larry Inman had been indicted.

It was pretty big news.  Disappointing, yet it didn’t surprise me.  In fact, there has been so much ‘questionable’ activity going on in Lansing for decades that it was not surprising that a representative with a record of poor instincts would be the victim of a sting operation.

At least that is my assessment of what happened.  Clearly there is pay for play in our state politics.  The existence of the MEDC, and by extension any organization that profits from doing business with the state would have incentive to fill campaign coffers.  Ask any one who still raises money after they have been term limited why they do so.  If they don’t tell you directly, then look at their campaign statements on the debt side.

It’s not for charity.

Mistakenly express the the wrong sentiment, in a way that is contextually vulnerable, to the wrong people, in the wrong format. Then whammo!  You get a Representative Larry Inman indictment.

But the GOP led house, wishing to remain unscathed in a (heavens forbid) scandal of such magnitude would prefer to let Larry off the bus, ask him to inspect the rear brake lights, and …well as one might see by now, the bus does have reverse.

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2018 Michigan Gubernatorial Race, Cronyism, Democrats, Economy, Elections, Fees, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Governor Whitmer Thanks You For Your Political Donations

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A bunch of crazies were elected on Whitmer's coat tails in the 2018 election cycle. Thanks to the largesse of your electric utility. And you.

Anyone with DTE electric and gas service donated about $ 1 towards Governor Whitmer’s election last year. DTE donated $ 840,000 to the Progressive Advocacy Trust and the Michigan Democratic State Center.  The Progressive Advocacy Trust is an ill disguised front for the Ingham County Democrats, Ms. Whitmer’s home base.

Both groups supported Whitmer in 2018 through cascade contributions made in turn to Build A Better Michigan in the 2018 primary election and A Stronger Michigan in the 2018 general election. All these groups gamed Michigan election law, laundering corporate contributions and transforming them into political advertising supporting Whitmer.

The laundering was quite effective. You would never know that DTE was contributing to Whitmer by looking at BABM’s financial disclosures. Whitmer concealed the corporate contributions further by using snail mail to file her campaign finance reports.

These contributions eventually wound up at Whitmer’s media shop, Great America Media, a Democratic campaign management outfit on K Street in Washington which placed all her mass media advertising.  They paid for her TV ad campaign.

Build A Better Michigan was actually found to have violated Michigan campaign finance laws. Only because they were screwing other Democrats in the primary election cycle.  No one of importance would have cared if only Republicans were being screwed. BABM got a sweetheart deal from our new Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, paying only $ 37,500 and agreeing to dissolve itself.

Tu quoque

A Republican group, Michigan Jobs and Labor Foundation, was fined $ 18,000 for identical campaign law violations in 2014 The MJALF fine equaled its illegal 2014 advertising expenditures. Build A Better Michigan spent $ 1.8 million in its illegal 2018 advertising campaign, so its $ 37,500 fine was 2.1% of its illegal expenditures.

Governor Whitmer and DTE got a sweetheart deal from our new Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson.

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Michigan Politics

Justin Amash Acolyte Praises Primary Challenger Jim Lower on State House Floor

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Just one day after state Rep. Jim Lower (R-Greenville) announced his primary campaign challenge to ‘Never Trumper’ U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Cascade), one of Rep. Lower’s most conservative colleagues, Rep. John Reilly (R-Oakland) gave strong praise for Lower on the House Floor as well as on Facebook.

The remarks from Reilly carry some significance because he shares much in common with Amash. Like Amash, Reilly is one of only a few lawmakers to post explanations for each of his votes on Facebook. And Reilly often votes against the majority of his own party when he feels it violates his liberty-oriented principles.

According to various scorecards at MichiganVotes.org, Reilly has one of the most conservative voting records of any of his colleagues.

Yet Reilly saluted Lower the very day after the Congressman announced his bid to unseat Amash on the occasion of Reilly’s first bill of the year passing the House.

“This common sense bipartisan legislation has faced surprising hurdles at every step, but throughout the process, Local Government Chairman Representative Jim Lower helped move this legislation forward to do the right thing for these needy children,” Rep. Reilly posted on Facebook. “Thank you Representative Lower for your hard work and support for this bill.”

Reilly’s legislation, which would increase the number of children permitted in foster homes located on large properties of 20 acres or more from 6 to 10, had passed Lower’s committee last year, but was vetoed by then-Governor Rick Snyder. Rep. Reilly re-introduced the bill, which was referred again to Lower’s committee. After passing in the Local Government Committee, the bill was re-referred to the House Ways and Means Committee, where Lower testified in support of the bill alongside Reilly. The bill then passed that committee unanimously.

It is therefore possible that Reilly was simply thanking his colleague for his support of the bill. However, given that Lower announced his candidacy just the day before, Reilly may have went out of his way to signal his support for Lower. Reilly’s office declined to comment.

It is worth nothing that Reilly is an outspoken Trump supporter, for his nationalist ‘America First’ economic policies and restoration of U.S. sovereignty. Reilly is probably the liberty movement’s most shining legislator in Lansing. The fact that Reilly stands with Trump and not with Amash in his impeachment crusade shows that Amash’s hostility toward the President is alienating liberty supporters.

On the House floor, Reilly thanked “the chairman and representative of the 70th district” for his patience and support for the bill. House rules forbid members from naming one another in speeches.

Also, check out the first edition of my biweekly video blog series, “Cronyism in the Capitol.” It is about the legacy of Arlan Meekhof and the hidden costs of auto insurance reform!

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2020 Presidential Election, All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Economy, Education, Elections, Firearms, Immigration, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy, Religious Freedom, Roads, Taxes

SE Michigan Tea Party Meeting – May 21st (Utica)

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It’s not on the website yet, but the next meeting of the SE Michigan Tea Party will be featuring former Michigan State Senator Pat Colbeck who will be discussing the Michigan Grassroots Alliance which is an organization to coordinate interactions with elected officials, community leaders and candidates for public office with vendors and PACs.

The event will be held on Tuesday, May 21st at the Dave and Busters in Utica at the corner of Hall Road & the M-53 expressway. Doors open at 6:00pm and the meeting starts at 7:00pm.

If anyone is interested in learning more about the Michigan Grassroots Alliance, you can read more about them at their website or on Facebook.

 

 

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Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Part Time Legislature, Rent Seeking, Republicans

There Goes the Neighborhood

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It appears one of our straying pachyderm within Lansing’s Recucklican Majority believes that an ever overreaching State government knows best for how your local community functions than you– the homeowner.

Local bans on short-term rentals in Michigan could be barred themselves under controversial legislation being considered by a Republican-controlled state House committee.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jason Sheppard, R-Temperance, said the local zoning rules created to ban short-term rentals such as those available through Airbnb, Homeaway and VRBO infringe on private property rights and are an abuse of Michigan’s Zoning Enabling Act.

Now, bare in mind folks, this is the same jagoff that wants to ban boating for the majority of a 24 hour day on all inland lakes. Sell that one in a Pure Michigan ad campaign? Yah, Jason is a real deep thinker.

Furthermore, I smell a rat.

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