Michigan Political considerations.
Embattled representatives may only face censure after all.
The Democrats have kept Todd Courser from being expelled.
As this is being written, it’s hard to imagine that Michigan house leadership is not making deals with the Democrat caucus to rally up the additional 7 votes necessary to remove Todd Courser from his seat. From House TV:
Perhaps it is time to REVERSE THIS???
(18)Nuh Uh.
(0)Loss of two legislators will have fiscal policy consequences.
In all likelihood, any replacements for the Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat positions will be inclined to lean leftward and distance themselves away from ‘Tea’ political positions.
The vote by committee this morning didn’t go well for Gamrat and Courser. An upcoming vote by the full house would close the deal. The wife sends me this:
Well there goes the road tax. We pay more
http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2015/09/10/gamrat-courser-hearings-michigan/71993248/
She may be right
And NOT simply at the pump.
(19)Nuh Uh.(1)Ivory Tower Finances in Michigan: No Pocket Left Unpicked, Other People's Crumbs for the Students!
In June, the EMU Board of Regents unanimously voted a 7.8% increase in tuition for students. Their new tuition rate for Michigan residents is $ 10,417.00 per year. This $ 754.00 annual increase – about four times the rate of inflation – was justified on the grounds that EMU’s tuition was thirteenth among Michigan’s major public universities. Its not like EMU’s past tuition increases had been held below the rate of inflation, its just that they had been more circumspect about raping forcing their students into perpetual debt slavery.
EMU specializes in disciplines which don’t command especially high wages, but they do generally qualify for our fearless leader’s Income Driven Repayment (IDR) debt forgiveness plans. So the EMU President and Regents probably figure that it is long past time time to tap the federal taxpayers for their grand delusions ambitions through their victims students. Who would notice a few millions more in delinquencies in a program which already has $ 187 billion in delinquencies?
(14)Nuh Uh.(0)Governor Snyder's New Pipeline Safety Advisory Board: Long on Bureaucrats & Special Interests, Short on Technical Talent
Ruptured Section of Enbridge Pipeline 6B Recovered from Calhoun County, MI. NTSB Image
Governor Snyder filed Executive Order 2015-12 with the Secretary of State yesterday to create a Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board under the aegis of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. A response to the disastrous 2010 Enbridge Pipeline 6B rupture in Calhoun County and the agitation against Enbridge Pipeline 5, which transects the Straits of Mackinac.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Schuette completed a binding legal agreement with Enbridge to prevent Enbridge Pipeline 5 from being used to transport ‘heavy crude oil’ under the Straits of Mackinac. This agreement formally implements the first recommendation of the Michigan DEQ Petroleum Pipeline Task Force Report released in July to ban heavy crude oil in Line 5. Sounds good, but Enbridge Pipeline 5 does not now have the pumping horsepower for heavy crude transmission, and the weight of the crude has very little to do with pipeline integrity. Corrosive constituents in the crude, biofouling, and a host of other technical issues are far more important determinants of pipeline integrity. This agreement has great optics, but little consequence.
(22)Nuh Uh.(0)AFP: Michigan Should Join States Refusing Compliance with EPA’s Power Grab
“Any regulatory road we choose leads to the same federally defined destination,” says Lund
Lansing, Mich. – Michigan can and should join other states that are refusing compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s power grab. That was the message from the grassroots free-market group Americans for Prosperity-Michigan in response to an announcement from the Michigan Agency for Energy that the state would develop a blueprint for reaching “targets” imposed by the Obama Administration under the so-called Clean Power Plan.
“Michigan shouldn’t put up with the Obama Administration’s regulatory bullying tactics at the expense of energy consumers,” said Pete Lund, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Michigan. “It is just ridiculous to believe Michigan can maintain control of our energy future if we cave to the EPA’s demands. Any regulatory road we choose to include in our state blueprint leads to the same federally defined destination—one that even President Obama acknowledges will result in higher prices for consumers.”
(24)Nuh Uh.(0)Today marks a whole year of additional expense levied on Michigan employers.
Its been a whole year since the new minimum wage law (crafted by ‘republicans’) required employers to ante up a little more.
Sept 1, 2014 was the demarcation point for the stepped increases signed into law by Rick Snyder that will eventually bring the minimum outlay for the entry level workforce up to $9.25 and hour.
The rates are as follows:
| Effective Date | Minimum Hourly Wage Rate |
Tipped Employee Hourly Wage Rate |
85% of Minimum Hourly Wage Rate |
| Before September 1, 2014 | $7.40 | $2.65 | $7.25* |
| September 1, 2014 | $8.15 | $3.10 | $7.25* |
| January 1, 2016 | $8.50 | $3.23 | $7.25* |
| January 1, 2017 | $8.90 | $3.38 | $7.57 |
| January 1, 2018 | $9.25 | $3.52 | $7.86 |
Nothing says conservative ‘Republican’ like statist moves forcing it’s small business to pay more than a person’s labor is worth. Next stop is January 1, 2016. If they cannot raise taxes on you one way, they will do it in so many others.
Congratulations Michigan.
Pass the party favors.
(18)Nuh Uh.(1)Michigan congressman expects post office to travel through time for his constituents.
We all know they do it.
But it hardly makes it right. ‘Franking’ has been used by sitting politicians to expressly ‘inform’ constituents, and cleverly advantage their public budget in electioneering efforts. Incumbency has its privileges. Congressman Dan Benishek, holding true to DC assimilation, doesn’t even hide the abuse in any meaningful way.
In a recent ‘Franking’ mailer, his announcement of an upcoming event celebration arrives far too late for those he supposedly wishes to inform.
A reader sends this in:
(12)Nuh Uh.(2)Back in March, this blog covered a race hoax at Kalamazoo College.
Race Hoax at Kalamazoo College
There were actually two related hoaxes. The first was a false accusation by a student government leader of racist threats by an advocate for open carry. This was quickly debunked when the actual recording of the meeting showed nothing of the sort.
The second hoax was a threat anonymously posted to a student commission Google doc on March 4.
K-College officials learned early Wednesday that a “highly inflammatory entry” had been posted in the Student Commission Google Doc, an online collaboration tool that allows for group sharing and anonymous editing, according to an email to the campus community.
“The entry is racist, anti-Semitic, sexist and homophobic” and included a direct threat to K-College faculty, the email stated.
The post, which included “vitriol aimed at a wide range of campus members,” included the following line, according to another email, this one from the president’s staff to K-College faculty and staff: “At 900AM 3/5/15 I am going to start systematically executing faculty at Kalamazoo U, that will teach them the value of campus carry.” Neither email repeated the entire posting.
(5)Nuh Uh.(0)
Sometimes, as Republicans, we have to think a little outside the box when it comes to presidential candidates.
Right now, the story line is that the most conservative among us must support Ted Cruz, the moderates among us must support Jeb Bush, and the angriest among us must cheer for the unelectable Donald Trump.
Last week, I stretched a bit and traveled downstate to Livonia and attended a rally for Marco Rublo. I came away convinced that if he becomes the face of the Republican Party we can beat even the developing Biden-Warren ticket (Sweet Joe and Redistributor-in-chief Rebecca), let alone the duplicitous duo of Hillary and Bill.
(8)Nuh Uh.(13)Don’t you know that “Take a vote, not a vacation” doesn’t apply to the man at the top?
“It’s essential that making Michigan’s infrastructure safer remains a top priority. While voters didn’t support this particular proposal, we know they want action taken to maintain and improve our roads and bridges. The ‘relentless’ part of relentless positive action means that we start anew to find a comprehensive, long-term solution to this problem.” – Gov. Rick Snyder after the crushing defeat of Proposal 1 on May 5, 2015
Unless of course, you are on yet another “vacation” to peddle blueberries to the Chi-Comms?
Or, maybe that’s what he wants everyone to believe.
{More below}
(12)Nuh Uh.(0)
