Michigan Politics

Michigan Political considerations.

80th District Special Election (2015), Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Flint Water Fiasco, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Part Time Legislature, Proposal 15-1, Republicans, Taxes

RICO !!!

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It's Spring and Lawsuits Are Busting Out All Over

Blind Justice Image 3Just a few short weeks ago, it appeared that the Presidential race and State House elections would dominate political news in Michigan for the rest of the year. Now it appears that courtrooms in Detroit and Lansing will provide compelling political drama as well. Drama which is going to cost Michigan taxpayers a bunch of money.

There have been a number of lawsuits filed over the Flint water fiasco (over 71!), but yesterday a consortium of law firms filed a Federal class action lawsuit on behalf of Flint residents using the 1970 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. This represents a whole new level of legal pain. Civil RICO provides for treble damages when a pattern of racketeering is proven to have occurred over time. It also guarantees the plaintiffs’ lawyers fees, a small fact which assures that civil RICO lawsuits will be pursued with enthusiasm to the bitter end. Conviction applies the stigma of typical previous RICO defendants, such as mobsters and drug kingpins, to a losing defendant. Michigan, at large, is a defendant in this suit. Capisce?

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

Theresa Antoinette Proclaims “Let Oakland County GOP Delegates Eat Cake!”

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There is much to be excited about in today’s Republican Party. Enthusiasm is at a fever pitch. There is an influx of new supporters into the movement. Records were shattered for participation during the March primary election, with the majority of the new people coming into the Republican fold. It’s truly miraculous how many new people are active and interested in the cause!

At this point, common sense would seem to indicate that we should build the delegate base, and create a stronger, more invigorated Republican Party that is built for victory to take the country back in November. It is time to strike while the iron is hot, and make the most of the momentum building in our favor. That is how we can take full advantage of this enthusiasm to secure victory when it counts. That is exactly what the Michigan Conservative Coalition called for back in February, and for good reason.

However, Oakland County GOP Dictatress Theresa Mungioli has other plans for her little fiefdom.

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Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature

The Pig You Are Stuck With

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Good luck on getting rid of THAT one.

1444000527v0f4pSome people think that a recall is the wrong way to remove bad actors from our elected positions.

So much so, that the Michigan legislature fundamentally changed the recall process from a difficult process into a bad running gag. The rules change to the recall process enacted in 2012 Became a more limited operation with shorter windows, an unconstitutional ‘factual’ requirement, and then an automatic insertion of the candidate back on the ballot as the default party candidate.

IMHO, those who voted for the recall provision changes are political reprobates.  The changes made the extremely difficult into the insurmountable, removing a tool in the tool box of the electorate. (Just the way non responsive big government types want)

Example?  Current efforts in Michigan to recall Rick Snyder now a total of four signature gathering operations, and other recall efforts (state senators) total about six more. With the window of 60 days (it was 90) to collect 790,000 signatures for any one of the Snyder recall efforts, it is likely an impossible task.  Add to that number, about 20% (150,000 signatures) more as a buffer.

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Michigan, Michigan Politics

DPS Down Payment A Major Mistake.

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What are these legislators thinking?

shackles copyOperation ‘Can Kick’ In Full Swing. (re-posted from jasongillman.com)

Its for the children, right? HB5296, a $48.7 Million bill to get DPS through the school year, met little resistance from our state legislature, with seven senate, and only four house members opposing the final package. How could anyone vote to essentially close the doors? Its a valid question, and the intent should be considered honorable. However, an honest assessment of the overall situation can only remind us that it is with the best intent that we fail our children once again.

If the vote to hand over the money eradicated all debt, and set the course for district solvency, it would be hard to argue against such logic. However, the greater debt and liability still exists, and the precedent is set for the remaining $700,000,000 bailout that is next to come for DPS. Even that number is of questionable sufficiency, and is likely to be higher. Even with a bailout of this magnitude, it would be foolish to think it would be the end of hands out from a district that has produced 25% graduation rates, all the while receiving the highest per capita foundation payments.

And then there is the question of mismanagement being simply benign, or instead as a purposeful quest, evidenced by new indictments of a dozen prominent administrators within the district. Surely this is merely the tip of the iceberg.

Let us not forget also, that Detroit Schools represent only a part of the state’s public education apparatus. To be sure, it is not the only school district in Michigan that is facing obligations that seem insurmountable. What are we to do next when Grand Rapids Schools, Lansing, or even Traverse City Area Public Schools cry “No Mas!” throwing up their hands in futility?

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Michigan, Michigan Politics

Gross Incompetence or Corrupt Lawman?

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While Gov. Rick Snyder’s Relentless Poisonous Actions are discovered to be increasingly insidious, he’s not the only political cockroach running for cover when the disinfecting light of day occasionally penetrates the dark, dank recesses of the Lansing oligarchy.

The Michigan Attorney General’s duties are clearly mandated, and he is REQUIRED to represent the best interests of the citizens of Michigan, and to uphold the State and US Constitutions- not the Governor or his wants and needs.

Sadly, five years worth of opportunities to choose right over wrong has shown us a disturbing pattern of bad choices made by Michigan Atty General Bill Schuette.

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Firearms, Michigan, Michigan Politics

Michigan’s 1st Incarcerated State Senator?

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So much for the plea?

Gosh.

Senator Virgil Smith is headed to the hokey pokey.  Not removed PRIOR to being criminally charged, Smith is now heading to jail with full pay and bennies?

And he actually endangered people.

Smith was allowed to plead guilty to malicious destruction of property greater than $20,000 for allegedly firing shots at his ex-wife’s Mercedes Benz in May 2015. The charge, a felony, carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Guess he never threatened THESE GUYS, right?

Whatever.

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Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Abysmal Oakland County GOP Leadership Embodies Nationwide Epidemic of Failure

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Pictured: The modern-day GOP in its present state.

It seems as if we cannot go a day without the Republican Party, for one reason or another, disgracing itself in shameful, infuriating fashion. That has certainly been the case with the latest Oakland County GOP Executive Committee meeting, which was canceled and then scheduled mere minutes before important county convention proceedings.

Although Oakland GOP Chairwoman Theresa Mungioli will surely say she had nothing but the purest of intentions scheduling the Executive Committee meeting 20 minutes before a county convention, that is nothing but bunk. This is apart of a long trend of despicable maneuvers to disenfranchise, subjugate and demean the individuals she is meant to be representing. This is no isolated incident, far from it.

This is a palpable, conniving maneuver to sweep a great deal of urgent business under the rug. There are resolutions on the key issues that face our nation that need to be considered. GOP activists are leading the charge on these fronts. They are trying to lead the party by doing yeoman’s work promoting the solutions that will actually restore the republic. However, the country club establishment elite won’t even acknowledge these individuals, much less devote time, energy and resources toward their efforts. Instead, villainous party ‘leaders’ who poisoned an entire town’s water supply and caused national infamy are championed.

The controversy over Chairwoman Mungioli and Secretary Williams’ egregious power-play over the vacancy in the 8th district is still raging as well. Last December, the duly-elected county executive committee members called a lawful meeting to attend to pressing business. Because Chairwoman Mungioli goes out of her way to have as few meetings as possible, we were unable to take care of business so we had to take matters into our own hands. The rogue leadership responded by arbitrarily and illegally canceling our meeting. We didn’t respond to their petty, divisive tactics and held our meeting anyway. This entire fiasco was meant to be addressed during the next Executive Committee meeting, but it’s hard to imagine we will even be able to touch upon it in 20 minutes.

It is always a shell game with Mungioli. We can never get a fair shake. We are never treated like we are members of a party whose input is respected and considered, but rather subordinates groveling beneath a dictator.  It is not just a local problem. This is endemic of the GOP as a whole. The establishment gang never seems to quit, no matter how many times they are disgraced. Remember that they have entire teams filled with golim, funded with taxpayer money of course, working overtime to take away your rights. There is no limit to the tricks they have up their sleeves.

The GOP establishment must think that their cheap parlor tricks are fooling anyone. Hello?!?!? Look at who the front runner for the President is. It has never been more apparent that the ‘Emperor Wears No Clothes’ moment has arrived for these gonifs. What will it take for these tone-deaf, arrogant cretins to get the picture? Will it need to involve pitchforks and torches? Will it need to be blood on the streets? What is the end game here?

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Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans

Proportional Backfill

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Did the Michigan Republican Party pull another fast one with RNC delegate allocation?

Those of us who’ve been hanging around RightMichigan since prior to 2014 likely remember well the Michigan Dele-Gate Fiasco of 2012. As a quick refresher, on Tuesday, February 28th of that year, Mitt Romney defeated Rick Santorum in the statewide popular vote, 41.10% to 37.87%. However, because 28 of Michigan’s 30 post-penalty delegates were awarded on a district-by-district basis (Romney and Santorum splitting the state at 7 districts each), and because the statewide vote totals were so close (requiring the two at-large delegates to be split one each), the resulting 15-15 delegate tie didn’t exactly square with the RNC/GOPe’s preferred media narrative that Romney won his native state. Thus, in the telephonic equivalent of a late-night, backroom deal, the MIGOP Credentials Committee (then consisting of Bobby Schostak, Sharon Wise, Saul Anuzis, Holly Hughes, Bill Runco, Mike Cox, and Eric Doster) voted 4-2 – Hughes was not present at the meeting – to creatively interpret State Party Rule 19C, and award both at-large delegates to Romney. The resulting backlash fueled an eleven-week effort that culminated in a two-day Showdown in Motown, with the end result being the ballot box blowout ouster of the national committeeman regarded as the chief engineer of the ex post facto railroad job.

It’s probably not going to draw much attention (likely because damn near no one noticed), but the potential for a Grand Theft Delegate con job similar to the Michigan Dele-Gate Fiasco of 2012 was averted, largely due to one person explaining a key state party rule in a way that eliminated the possibility of applying that rule by political discretion, and instead imposed a resolution rubric according to plain mathematics.

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Michigan, Michigan Politics

Too Big To Fail

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The stage is set for more mis-'appropriations' ..

malfeasanceHow on earth could any legislator demand accountability after voting to pay for the ongoing malfeasance of the DPS?

With a vote of 104-5, the Michigan House of Representatives cleared the deck for the ultimate prize of over $700 Million for continued operations.

Passed 104 to 5 in the House on March 17, 2016, to appropriate $48.7 million to keep the insolvent Detroit school district afloat until the end of the current school year. This is essentially a “down-payment” on a larger bailout package whose details have yet to find a consensus (the House majority wants more education reforms). The bill essentially “borrows” the money from a state account used to pay for college scholarships, and also places the Detroit school district under the same state oversight commission created to oversee the city after its 2014 bailout(see House Bill 5385).
Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No”

“we just need to get em to the end of the school year,” right?

Anyone who thinks there will be a plan from the current legislative slurry to fix the fundamental problems with the DPS is lying to themselves.

Even worse, they are lying to the kids who suffer under the inability of the DPS to teach.

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