Michigan Politics

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Michigan Politics

January 2018 Michigan State Senate Fundraising

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January 31 was the deadline for campaign finance reports for Michigan legislature.  Some races are already well-developed, while in others, candidates have only recently declared or have yet to declare.  Here are summaries of the total amount raised in Michigan state senate districts.  Totals include state house committees for state representatives. Cash on hand is in parentheses when significantly less than the total raised.

3. (D) Santana 91K Woronchak 2K
6. (D) Kosowski 69K Geiss 16K
7. (R) Cox 95K
8. (R) Lucido 130K
9. (D) Lane 101K Wojno 8K
10. (D) Yanez 66K
11. (D) Moss 23K (5K)
12. (R) Tedder 73K (36K)
13. (R) Knollenberg 143K (54K)
14. (R) Johnson 35K (21K)
15. (R) Runestad 190K (151K) Crawford 46K (18K)
16. (R) Shirkey 123K
17. (R) Zorn 143K (83K)
18. (D) Irwin 66K Zemke 22K
19. (R) Callton 242K (115K) Bizon 211K
20. (R) O’Brien 213K (147K) McCann 30K
21. (R) Pscholka 65K
22. (R) Theis 80K (51K)
24. (R) Barrett 61K Roberts 25K (7K) (D) Rossman-McKinney 180K (150K)
25. (R) Lauwers 47K
26. (R) Genetski 192K Nesbitt 74K
28. (R) MacGregor 181K (83K)
29. (R) Afendoulis 220K (D) Brinks 139K
30. (R) Garcia 172K Haveman 32K Victory 77K
31. (R) Glenn 115K Daley 61K (D) Luczak 9K
32. (R) Horn 186K (109K)
33. (R) Outman 14K
34. (R) Bumstead 137K (76K) Hughes 806K (300K)
35. (R) Franz 27K Rendon 57K (21K)
36. (R) Stamas 233K (109K)
37. (R) Schmidt 265K (60K)
38. (R) McBroom 27K (11K) (D) Dianda 100K (80K)

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2018 Michigan Gubernatorial Race, All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Meet the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players.”

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Meet the Not Ready for Prime Time Players.

…featuring, Gretchen Whitmer, Shri Thanedar, Abdul El-Sayed…

What?!?

We’re you expecting the likes of Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris or Chevy Chase.

Okay, I’ll give you that second lot wouldn’t been much more funnier.

Even though that quaint concept of “Rule of Law” comes into play here (with that whole proposing legislation and eventually signing it into law thing), it’s not as if that first group can’t provide us with some laughs as well.

{The hilarity ensues after the fold}

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Democrats, Elections, Humor in Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Where is everyone???

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We're ready to hear from the audience...all five of you.

After catching up on yesterday’s goings on up in Lansing, I just needed to share this (laugh) with everyone.

It’s yesterday’s “Michigan Democratic Party response to the 2018 SOTS”.

Don’t worry, I’m not here to torture everyone, the clip is already cued up to the best part of the entire speech.

Notice anything missing?

Submitted w/o any further comment.

 

 

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

The Wages of Sin

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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?

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Cronyism, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy, Taxes

Mo Money

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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.

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Michigan, Michigan Politics

SOTU 2018 Watch Party!

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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!

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Detroit, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Rewarding stupidity.

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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}

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Cronyism, Michigan Politics, Republicans

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

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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?

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Rent Seeking, Republicans

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

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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}

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Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Best Year Ever

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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..

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