Michigan Politics

Michigan Political considerations.

The Wages of Sin

Pucker Up Michigan Taxpayers, Larry Nassar Will Cost You More Than $ 180 Million

Some 144 155 victims of MSU Sports Medicine doctor Lawrence Gerard Nassar are making victim impact statements at his sentencing hearing in the Ingham County Circuit Court. From the tenor of their coverage, our depraved media are – for once – siding with the victims of crime rather than the criminals. Kiddie diddling is probably the last moral taboo acknowledged across our entire society.

What our media has not mentioned is the cost of Dr. Nassar’s crimes and who is going to pay for them. MSU is now facing over 140 civil lawsuits, along with the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, and Dr. Nassar. Just one such suit has been settled, by USA Gymnastics, reportedly for upwards of $ 1.25 million. Its particulars are concealed from the public by a Non Disclosure Agreement, a legal device made famous by Harvey Weinstein’s defense lawyers. The plaintiff in the settled suit, McKayla Maroney, still has a lawsuit pending against the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University and Dr. Nassar. Dr. Nassar is the only defendant who will not pay much. His few remaining assets after paying off his lawyers will almost certainly be shielded when his wife divorces him.

MSU has set aside $ 10 million to counsel women and girls who say Larry Nassar abused them. This ‘Healing Assistance Fund’ will be available to “MSU health clinic patients and student-athletes whom Nassar abused, as well as the parents of these victims” according to MSU. The sanctimonious leftists who run MSU have the utter gall to still be billing some of Dr. Nassar’s victims for their ‘treatment’, but that is not what this fund is for.  This fund is actually intended as a legal settlement fund

This fund is ridiculously inadequate. MSU management must think that USOC and USAG will bear the brunt of the Nassar settlements, or their hot shot lawyer Patrick Fitzgerald’s sovereign immunity defense will work.  MSU has not one, but two, high dollar white shoe law firms lined up to attack Dr. Nassar’s victims.  They won’t succeed. Dr. Nassar was an MSU employee. USOC and USAG made referrals to Dr. Nassar, but MSU was his employer and should have been providing proper supervision.  They didn’t.

Each of those lawsuits against MSU will settle out for $ 1 million or more. McKayla Maroney’s first settlement sets the standard. And the antics of MSU’s Board members should provide the plaintiffs with healthy increments in their final settlements.  Those white shoe lawyers need to have a talk with their idiot clients.

Who is going to pay?

You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(1)

Mo Money

Eight years of tax increases.

Michigan taxpayers shelled out an extra $32.6 billion in state taxes over the last eight years.

Money collected in state tax revenue per Cap Con and their associated graphic:

The eight year total increase in taxes amounts to an aggregate of roughly $3,400 for every legal man, woman and child in the state of Michigan.

You Betcha! (7)Nuh Uh.(0)

SOTU 2018 Watch Party!

Making America Great Again and coming to a really big screen in TC.

January 30 will be the State of the Union given by the guy who has pulled the pants down on the praetorian guard for the Democrats party.

The state of the nation is certainly the best it has been in the past eight years, and probably going much further back when looking at the rollback of the federal regulatory clime. Add to this tax reform that begins the simplification of the code, and a bureaucracy that will be more friendly to the individual and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Judges, walls, and a return to international respect through proper foreign policy etc., all of which has been accomplished in only a single year with the Donald as the CEO of USA inc.

In Traverse City, we will be having a party.

10 Bux.  Snacks provided, and drinks are on the guy next to you. (he/she will be looking your way)   Proceeds will be distributed to the local county GOP parties as we wind up for a busy election year.

See you there!

You Betcha! (8)Nuh Uh.(0)

Rewarding stupidity.

Come and meet the news boss…same as the old boss.

OPM.

Isn’t it grand to not be responsible for money.

Large sums of money, even.

Money that you would’ve thought SOMEONE would’ve learned their lesson after having their fat pulled out of the fire multiple times in the past.

Same characters played by different actors.

{This week’s stupidity players are revealed below the fold}

You Betcha! (9)Nuh Uh.(1)

House Speaker Tom Leonard Can Kill Senate Bill 97 If His Funders Let Him

All of us who have been following the saga of Senate Bill 97 (SB97) are beyond disgusted. It’s one of the most egregious legislative power-grabs in recent memory. According to MichiganVotes.org, the measure if passed would give “state and local government agencies the power to enter into joint operating arrangements for building hospital and transportation businesses” and would allow private operators to “benefit from tax exemptions and its governmental partner’s power to impose property taxes, borrow, take private property using eminent domain and more.” This is as anti-free market as it gets.

The bill predictably sailed through the Senate without much debate and discussion. Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, known for his lack of spine and principle, fast tracked it last year. The Senate committeemembers who approved SB97 were all bought off by the hospital and transportation industries that will make a killing off the legislation, and all but four Senators voted to approve it during the full Senate vote. Sens. Colbeck, Hune, Emmons and Shirkey were the only hold-outs.

The House committee that approved SB97 was similarly bought off by the monied interests that will benefit from the bill. This is how the Lansing swamp operates. Right now, the fate of SB97 is in the hands of House GOP leadership. House Speaker Tom Leonard has the reputation of being a staunch conservative. He is running for Attorney General right now off of his conservative bona fides.

To his credit, Leonard is no Arlan Meekhof. He seems far more fair-minded than his predecessors, but who is funding Leonard and the rest of the House GOP leadership?

You Betcha! (10)Nuh Uh.(1)

Now, how do you suppose HIS name got there???

Politics and corruption are practically synonymous here in Southeastern Michigan.

Recent names (for most readers here, anyways) include such notables like Coleman Young (the first), Kwame Kilpatrick, The (almost) entire Conyers Family, etc.

Excluding VERY rare circumstances, they have been allowed to go pretty much unchecked by state and local officials since there apparently is some “unwritten” rule prohibiting county prosecutors and Attorneys General from investigating fellow politicians, regardless of party affiliation.

No, I don’t get it either.

Fortunately, this hasn’t stopped the Feds though from doing the job that local and state officials have been reticent to do.

I’ve honestly lost track of the number of investigations on Coleman Young (the first). Kwame Kilpatrick will be a guest of the Texas Penal system for at least two-and-a-half decades (obviously pending the outcome of another appeal attempt). Monica Conyers got to relax for several months after spending some quality time in Camp Cupcake. John Conyers got caught literally with his pants down around his ankles.

And then there is this guy???

Now, who is it you may ask?

{Continued below the fold}

You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(1)

Best Year Ever

It sure has been a good one!

The title might be just a tiny exaggeration, but any thinking person might understand what we’re talking about.

2017, the year where the unimaginable played out in the U.S.A.  When Republican Donald Trump took the reins back from the ultra left wing Democrat party, the Hillary apologists in the media were humiliated daily, and the desperation of the left to regain it’s power led to the #MeToo ‘movement’ and subsequent self destruction of key left wing politicos and personalities.

The new Donald Trump reality is one that has proven to be fruitful for retirement accounts with unheard of new highs in market confidence and new commitments to American industry and innovation.  As regulatory burdens have been lifted, the promise of full employment, and income increases are now appearing to be the next sure thing.

Its the Economy stupid.

Or at least it was 25 years ago, when Bill Clinton’s campaign said so. Now with all the most positive news about the American work and manufacturing sector happening, pollsters would tell us that the president is only enjoying the lowest polling numbers, but of course same said pollsters predicted a Hillary win in November of 2016 as well, so..

You Betcha! (14)Nuh Uh.(2)

Swamp Party!!!…

Drain the Swamp Michigan is one year old in January...

Happy Birthday Swamp Drainers!!!…

Come all members, curiosity seekers, RINOs (if you have the nerve), and Constitutional Liberty supporters…

We are celebrating our successes, and planning our agenda for the 2018 election year…

Food, door prizes, a birthday cake and cash bar…and a few laughs at government expense…

Hear our ads, and support us in our efforts to Drain the Swamp!!!

Tickets are $19.75 at EventBrite, $18 by mail, and $20 at the door..

Tickets may be ordered by mail at:

PO Box 5122
Cheboygan, MI
49721

Make checks payable to: DTS Michigan

 

You Betcha! (7)Nuh Uh.(1)

The Echo Chamber

Well, it took them long enough.

The first so-called “major revision” in the tax code in roughly 30-years.

Jason touched on this a little earlier with the statement released by Chairwoman Romney-McDaniel.

Speaking for myself, I’m going to hold off final judgment until I get a chance to read exactly what was in final bill. On the plus side, at least it doesn’t touch the continuing resolution.

But where I want to go with this is a little differently from where I have gone with in the past. This time I’m going to focus on the other side…Team “d”.

Not so much in what they have said, but in what they are doing. Or, more specifically, not doing.

{More below the fold}

You Betcha! (7)Nuh Uh.(1)

Karma and Hypocrisy

Karma: Fate or destiny resulting from one’s previous action.

Hypocrisy: The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess.

The supremely unctuous Stephen Henderson, Managing Director of Opinion and Commentary at the Detroit Free Press, got canned Friday for sexual harassment. Free Press Editor and Vice President Peter Bhatia has elected to shield us from the lurid details, a courtesy not afforded by the Free Press to the many others accused of sexual harassment during the current national feeding frenzy.

The allegations originally surfaced in a press conference the Reverend W. J. Rideout III, pastor of Our God’s People Church in Detroit, held last week. Reverend Rideout got suspended from his radio show on WFDF 910 AM for his efforts. Steve Neavling, a former Free Press reporter who was fired for his contretemps with homosexual teen groomer Charles Pugh in 2012, pursued the story on his own WFDF radio show as well as his Motor City Muckraker web site. Neavling had to enjoy the predicament of the Free Press, and probably Henderson too. Henderson was already a big shot at the Detroit Free Press when Neavling got railroaded.

You Betcha! (19)Nuh Uh.(1)