Michigan Politics

Michigan Political considerations.

Colbeck Reminds Us Why Snyder Is Poison

We were clear in 2017 that state taxpayers would be paying dearly for Snyder's 'eager' participation in Obamacare.

colbeckLook no further than Obamacare in Michigan for answers to a lot of legislative licentiousness.

We are reminded of the tragedy that was the medicaid expansion vote in 2013.  Michigan State Senator Patrick Colbeck (Senate District 7) sends out a legislative update monthly.  In his latest offering, he  notes

OK…what does Medicaid have to do with roads?

The short answer is that some people in state government are relying upon a tax increase to backfill gaps in Medicaid funding with the same money that the House and Senate plans have already earmarked for roads. This problem becomes exacerbated in 2017 due to the passage of Medicaid Expansion (i.e. Section 2001 of HR 3590 otherwise known as Obamacare). In 2017, the Federal government will no longer provide 100% of the funding for the expanded Medicaid population.

So…if you are wondering why it is so difficult to fix our roads, look no further than Medicaid Expansion. The good news is that I have offered solutions to both Medicaid Expansion and our Roads that address the needs while protecting you from tax increases. See www.SenatorPatrickColbeck.com for more information.

Thanks for nothing, so-called ‘Republican’ majority at the time.

And where might we have seen the warnings about 2017 before?

“Michigan, indeed, would receive billions of dollars from Washington to pay for Medicaid expansion. However, this return of our tax dollars was only temporary. There were strings attached.

After three years, Michigan taxpayers would be forced to pay at least $300 million a year more than they’re currently spending on Medicaid. That’s money that won’t be spent on roads, schools or anything else.

Further, the Medicaid expansion proposal is an open-ended commitment and the Michigan Legislature cannot slow spending increases without Washington’s approval.

It was a classic `bait and switch.’

Bait and switch indeed.

And now that there are two fewer watchdogs on the state house side of the equation, we can expect all sorts of shenanigans to populate the Governor’s imagination.

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Removing The People’s Voice

Can Two Wrongs Make a Right?

Recall by constituents would have been a more appropriate option in the Todd and Cindy debacle.

In the hours leading up to what finally happened, deals were likely made that will hardly resonate later as good policy decisions.  “get your merry caucus of non voting dems to do their job, and I’ll make sure you get  …,” the highly probable statement from house speaker Kevin Cotter to house minority leader Tim Greimel.  Greimel apparently held out for the ‘investigation’ carrot as well.  Democrat Floor Leader Singh implied this after Roll Call 295, when he motioned to send the entire matter back to committee.

The House Democrats wanted – and got – more than just a couple of scalps. Their blackmail was effective because all of our representatives were bone tired after 13 plus hours of ‘Rule 32’ imprisonment and ready to go home for the weekend.   A Michigan State Police investigation of this sorry situation will almost certainly embarrass House leadership far more than the behaviors of Representatives Courser and Gamrat. They made mistakes, but weren’t sufficiently connected or protected politically to extract themselves once exposed.

Apologies NOT accepted.

Gamrat believed she and her lawyer and all involved understood that it would be ‘censure, not expulsion’ if she prostrated herself in a very public mea culpa. Three hours of intense discussions between her, the House Majority counsel, and her own attorney fleshed out what she considered conditional admittance. According to Gamrat, Hassan Beydoun, Majority Counsel, told her “we can control our side ..” when sealing the ostensible censure deal.

Gamrat says the House leadership did not want to go all the way through removal. Leadership did not want to own an expulsion, which would encourage voters to examine other Lansing shenanigans. Approached multiple times by different legislators and implored to resign, Cindy Gamrat refused. She says the pressure was beyond intense. Gamrat’s resolve held all the way out to 4 AM when it became clear that the House leadership could not, or would not ‘control their side’.

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Breaking – Uh Oh.

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:

Courser-expulsion

Perhaps it is time to REVERSE THIS???

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Courser Gamrat Expulsion Will Mean Higher Taxes

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.

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Does EMU Have a Guilty Conscience?

Ivory Tower Finances in Michigan: No Pocket Left Unpicked, Other People's Crumbs for the Students!

Greed Image 2
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?

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Who’s Missing?

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

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.

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AFP Says “Show EPA The Door”

AFP: Michigan Should Join States Refusing Compliance with EPA’s Power Grab

afpmiAny 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.”

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Happy Anniversary

Today marks a whole year of additional expense levied on Michigan employers.

min-wageIts 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.

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Benishek ‘Frankly’ Wasting Taxpayer Money ..As Usual

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:

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Second Hoax at Kalamazoo College

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.

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