Michigan Politics

Michigan Political considerations.

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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Democrats, Michigan, Michigan Politics

The Most Powerful Office in the State

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Fellow Michganians, try to keep in mind that we still have 1,335 days remaining with smear merchant, Dangerous Dana.

Nessel’s revelation of the complaint against retired Michigan Court of Claims Judge Michael Talbot is problematic, experts said, since such accusations are usually kept confidential by the Attorney Grievance Commission until and unless public admonishment is deemed necessary.

The gravity of the disclosure is compounded by the fact that the complaint against Talbot had been dismissed months before — something the Attorney General’s office initially did not reveal. One expert said the result of such disclosures is “besmirching reputations,” while another called Nessel’s conduct an “unseemly inconsistency” between two separate parts of government.

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Hmmm, exactly where do I recall such reprehensible tactics used in the past?

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Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Hating Evil

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Do some churches willfully ignore their mission to fill seats?

A few days ago, I wrote a prayer.

My suggestion that hate is addictive does not mean we cannot oppose the ideas of those who mislead us.

Clearly, there are areas in which the Christian can focus negative energies battling the subversion of our cultural norms.  The further away we get from traditional family and positive standards of behavior, the easier it becomes to allow others to become our life surrogate. Government easily fills the vacuum left with an absence of the standard core of mother and father.

We know how well that works.

But where is the Christian at risk?  We attend our churches, express our faith in Christ, and depending on which congregation it is, may find ourselves listening to nonsense.  The pastors and church leaders too often overlook or misrepresent the teachings of Christ so as not to offend those who fill the seats for each service.

Many speak to the desired message instead of that which is clearly laid out in the bible, often offering excuse for what is clearly sin and an offense to God. Why? Because we are to love.  The implication that we be permissive and forgiving of acts that are biblically abominable.

A friend puts it this way: “The Heart is the door in which the devil steals our souls.”

On April 27, 2019 the MICPAC hosted several pastors and conservative thought leaders as part of it’s event.  Pastor Christopher Thoma speaks to this topic.  With conviction.

Enjoy.

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