Michigan Politics

Michigan Political considerations.

Because It Works So Well

Lansing politicos promoting more racial divisiveness, and now?

Due to a groundswell of race related denial of service, access restrictions and increasing public pressure, lawmakers are going to act!

Recognizing the tongue planted firmly in cheek above, we can only speculate the reasons that State Senator Rick Jones (R) Might be the primary sponsor for such an effort as Senate Bill 90, “A bill to create an African-American affairs commission, an office of African-American affairs,” etc.. Maybe there is a trade off for something he wants, a job for a dear friend, or simple ‘white guilt?’  Perhaps he is lost in a time warp?

I mean really, doesn’t he know that ‘ghey’ is the new ‘black?’

The reality is that the last thing Michigan needs is another way to blow taxpayer resources by promoting the divisive cataloging of its citizens by race.  At some point full equality means equal blindness by lawmakers and bureaucrats with regard to how public resources are used and allocated.  It also demands an equal responsibility for each individual to stand on his own merit for an equal treatment under the law.

And we cannot understand why Jones and several other GOP sponsors would AGAIN want to grow government. We get the view of the Democrat sponsors, as race baiting and divisive pandering is an established platform of their party, but from the party which believes “that the best government is that which governs least?” It makes no sense to add a new department that requires new office space, full time administrative staff, and all for the express purpose of continuing to validate the absurd idea that any one racial population still needs special dispensation from the government.

You Betcha! (14)Nuh Uh.(0)

Where Did Lorence Wenke’s Votes Come From?

The closest state legislative race in Michigan in 2014 was in state senate district 20, which is coterminous with Kalamazoo County. The district was vacated by Republican senator Tonya Schuitmaker, who ran for reelection in a neighboring district due to redistricting.

The Republican candidate was 61st district state rep Margaret O’Brien of Portage. The democrat candidate was 60th district state rep Sean McCann of Kalamazoo. Both are fairly typical representatives of their parties.

Aside from the closeness of the race, there was another complicating factor. Former state rep Lorence Wenke ran as a Libertarian after having originally filed to run in the Republican primary. Wenke was a moderate Republican state rep 2002-2008. He had an eclectic platform emphasizing support for gay rights and support for cutting government employee benefits. In the course of the campaign, he announced support for several tax increases and other un-libertarian policies.

The election results, after a recount, were

O’Brien 36645 (45.6%)
McCann 36584 (45.5%)
Wenke 7171 (8.9%)

You Betcha! (4)Nuh Uh.(0)

Another Glitch in the ‘Road’ Tax Package

Legislative Craftsmanship at its Finest

Crying CEO or managerA week ago we found out that the new road tax package vehicle registration fee system would end its Federal tax deductibility.  Now Gongwer News Service is reporting another glitch, this time in the gasoline sales tax provisions of the road tax package:

Fix Planned to Correct Sales Tax Problem in Roads Plan

The administration of Governor Rick Snyder will seek legislation to correct a potential problem in the road funding plan that as written would lift the sales tax off of gasoline only for motor vehicles, but not for boats, snowmobiles and other non-road purposes like generators and gasoline-powered equipment.

As currently constructed, that would create a mess for retailers who theoretically would have to determine whether or not to charge the sales tax and even ask customers filling up a gasoline can what the intended use of the purchase is. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, as part of a broad analysis it is conducting on the road funding plan, noted the quirk and provided the information to Gongwer News Service.

It will be interesting to see how Governor Snyder fixes this.  Purchasing gasoline for your boat or ORV could become a really entertaining bureaucratic exercise. Ready for the ‘Gasoline Police’? Think of the new forms to be filled out.

CRCoM is a collection of the usual corporate interests orbiting Michigan government. Not certain why they would have ratted out this bungle to Gongwer, but it does suggest a certain degree of unease among the establishment.

You Betcha! (17)Nuh Uh.(0)

Northern Resistance

Two Northern County parties on record in opposition to proposal 15-1.

STOP-167Antrim and Grand Traverse County Republicans have said “nope.”

Last Thursday (February 5, 2015), a couple of Northern Michigan county conventions had the opportunity to vote on a resolution in opposition to the 17% sales tax increase.  With only ONE dissenting in the Antrim County convention, and NO vocalized dissent in the Grand Traverse County convention, both county Republican parties made it clear that the tax increase was unacceptable.

The GTGOP event had about 70 voting delegates present. Antrim had 43 signed in

You Betcha! (20)Nuh Uh.(2)

Unity???…

Ever get the feeling things are being 'manipulated'???

I’ve been following THIS soap opera…

 

What is going on with Alan Arcand? Can anyone shed some light on this? This is literally all I know.
Iron County, Michigan Elected Precinct Delegate Fights Back!
Heading to the Iron County, Michigan Republican Convention on February 5, 2015 I was talking with Alan Arcand who won the August 2014 Primary and was elected…

Like · · Share
Tom Backers Here ya go!!! MICHIGAN ELECTION LAW (EXCERPT)
Act 116 of 1954
168.608 Certifying and recording names of delegates; filing; notification of delegates; certification of delegates to county conventions; definition.
Sec. 608.
(1) The board of primary election inspectors shall certify to the county clerk the names of the electors elected as delegates, naming the political party upon whose ballot the delegates were elected.
(2) The county clerk shall record the names of the delegates elected in a book kept for that purpose and shall file the book among the records of the clerk’s office.
(3) No later than 7 days following the primary election, the clerk shall notify each delegate elected of his or her election as delegate.
(4) The county clerk shall certify the following to the chairperson of the committee of each political party of the county:
(a) The delegates elected by the political party as delegates to the county conventions.
(b) The names of all persons nominated as candidates of a political party for county office and for state legislative office who are delegates at large under section 599(5), when those names become available to the county clerk.
(5) As used in this section, “persons nominated as candidates of a political party for county office and for state legislative office who are delegates at large under section 599(5)” means incumbent county officials, incumbent state legislators, and unsuccessful candidates for county offices and state legislative offices who were candidates at the last prior regular or special election held for the respective office.

NOTE:
“and unsuccessful candidates for county offices and state legislative offices who were candidates at the last prior regular or special election held for the respective office.”

Tom Backers You ARE an “at large” delegate to the convention in any case…Why not press this issue with your County Chair, who is in violation of State Election law on several levels…

You Betcha! (4)Nuh Uh.(1)

The King Says Vote Yes On May 5th

No level of protection for the taxpayer is left, as any defining lines to cross are swept away like sand.

That’s right, ‘the king’ dictates a yes vote.

Enjoy the commercial Rick Snyder has made with taxpayer dollars. All we did was add the funk for all the junk in Lansing’s trunk.

When the bureaucracy cannot (or WILL NOT) tell the difference between an opinion and a directive (express advocacy), no citizen protections are left in play. The Bureau of Elections had already tipped its hand that a denial of my complaint was coming prior to receiving it. The spokesguy Fred Woodhams made that announcement even admitting they had not yet seen it.

How could it possibly be doing its job if it had already made the decision without review of the facts? How could the process be properly run, if the denial of the complaint had to be crafted and spun to fit a predetermined outcome? Strangely enough, Woodhams himself has previously said that no statements about such things should happen prior to review.  In 2012:

“Secretary of State Spokesman Fred Woodhams said that the office had received the complaint as of Friday. Woodhams said the Secretary of State’s office does not comment on allegations until they have an opportunity to review it.”

Pretty FUNKY, yes?

Indeed.  Something stinks in Lansing, and it ain’t the Red Cedar Drain.

You Betcha! (36)Nuh Uh.(1)

The Detroit Bailout

The sausage making…

A comprehensive look and timeline of the Detroit bailout…You may want to read this…

http://www.freep.com/…/detroit-bankruptcy-rosen-o…/18724267/

Other articles are live linked throughout…

My thoughts…we owe Detroit nothing more in the future, and didn’t owe it the money we gave them…they broke it, let them fix it…

You Betcha! (10)Nuh Uh.(0)

THIS Is Why

Should the new MIGOP Chair have credibility, and a proven track record?

Experience is critical.

We have already suggested the best course for the Michigan Republican Party is to choose Norm Hughes to be Chair.  So are we biased?  Only that we want it to be an EFFECTIVE platform for conservative Republican values.  Name should mean far lass than the ability to bring in fresh blood, get people excited, and hold our Republican politicians to the platform with which they cloak themselves.

From a post by Norm Hughes on FB today:

“Last night at the 7th Congressional District Republican meeting in Jackson, Ms. Romney-McDaniel said she moved to Michigan from California seven years ago, She did help in a couple local elections, was a surrogate for uncle Mitt in 2012, elected to the Republican State Committee in 2013, the Republican National Committee in 2014 and in 2015 seeks the State Party Chair. That seems like a pretty fast track.

There are lots of things an effective member of the RNC can and should do for Michigan Republicans. She has a forum to speak and represent the Party, work with the grass roots and raise money. Let’s see her perform as a great RNC member. As your next state chair I will do all I can to enable and resource Ronna to be great in the important roll she was entrusted just a year ago.

The mechanics of effectively running a state Party takes lots of experience and contacts. We need someone who has shown the ability to recruit, train, inspire and lead grass roots. Someone who has run a district and county Party and knows what that entails. Someone who has run major campaigns and has experience helping the GOP win presidential elections and send REPUBLICAN presidential electors.

That is why I answered the call and seek the Chair. Together we can re-build the Reagan big tent, unify the Party and expand our base.

Bingo.

You Betcha! (16)Nuh Uh.(2)

Resolution to ban “Winner take all”…

Think this will fly???

Just sent this out to a few Chairs, and posted it on FB…bring on the comments…

Resolution

Resolution on the restoration of apportioned convention delegates for the 2016 Republican National Convention

Whereas the State Rules Committee, after to 2012 Presidential primary election, did amend the rules of the Michigan Republican Party to award all Republican National Convention delegates to Mitt Romney over the protests of the party members;

Whereas this decision did cause and effect a change in the 2012 Presidential campaign due to the favoring of one candidate over another;

Whereas a significant portion of the Michigan Republican Party and 2012 Presidential primary voters were summarily ignored as a direct result of this decision; and

Whereas “winner take all” Presidential primaries affect candidate campaign strategies to the detriment of lesser financially viable candidates, thus stifling serious debate; now therefore be it

1. Resolved, that the Michigan Republican Party (MIGOP):

1. adopt a rule establishing the State Presidential primary contingent of Republican National Convention delegates as apportioned by county result;

2. establish such rule by floor vote of 50% plus one of the delegates to the February 20th, 2015 State convention, effective immediately upon approval of said delegates;

3. require a two-thirds majority of a full State convention to revoke apportioned national Presidential delegates.

So moved by:_____________________________________
Position:_______________________________
Phone:______________________
E-mail:___________________________

Supported by:_____________________________________
Position:_______________________________
Phone:______________________
E-mail:___________________________

Supported by:_____________________________________
Position:_______________________________
Phone:______________________
E-mail:___________________________

Adopted by majority vote, this ______ day of _______________________, 2015

_____________________________________________________Chairman,
___________________County Republican Party

You Betcha! (8)Nuh Uh.(2)

Presumptive Bureaucracy And Wagon Pi.

Why would our public servants feel compelled to offer opinion on a matter that is not yet before them?

There are 9.9 million people living in Michigan.

Of that number 77% are of voting age, and most are legally able to cast a ballot. And of those who can and do cast their preferences, most have no clue of their responsibilities beyond placing their mark, and walking out from the curtain a couple of days a year.

Indeed, the roughly 7 million registered voters of Michigan will in their lifetime: Miss votes, Make uninformed Votes, Will unknowingly vote in opposition to their interest, and never truly hold their elected officials accountable to promises and integrity of office. They will not complain when lied to, or even call out their own party’s elected when the situation demands it.

But this one will.

Why on earth would we have platforms, rules, and constantly repeated promises of action when at most we might get lip service and disappointment? Why would we have laws to protect the public from abuses of government, when the slight of legalese is used to exempt the perpetrators from culpability?

And why will so few actually speak up against it? Perhaps it should come as no surprise that those few might not want to be told they are wrong, and won’t try in the first place.

You Betcha! (25)Nuh Uh.(2)