Michigan

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’.

You Betcha! (47)Nuh Uh.(7)

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.

You Betcha! (19)Nuh Uh.(1)

Why They’re Called Michi*ganders*

To read about more stupidity originating from Lansing, GO HERE.

The money quote.

Michigan Liquor Control Commission rules say “an advertisement or label affixed to a container, covering, carton, or case of containers of alcoholic liquor shall not depict or make reference in any manner to minors.”

Ironically, didn’t the House just recently OK saying “F*** you” in front of children? Why yes, yes they did: unanimous.

Time for the MLCC to get a big F*** you! either by decimation or elimination. It’s nothing but a ripoff agency full of overcompensated state lackeys, anyway.

Baby-Drinking-Beer

Cheers! {clink}

You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(0)

Click-it or Money-Grab “laws” Often Effect Such Hostility

Oh noes! It’s the great “bleed out” of 2015.

Remember back in 1985, when this was never to be used as a device to stop you for revenue? I do. This garbage started as a Secondary Offense. Today, the ‘bleed out” is written expressly for the purpose to make a grant-gamed, quick shakedown buck with occasional extra perks.

However, the Thin Blue Line sure do get their panties in a bunch, don’t they? So, who is forcing any of them to become LEO? Nobody. Does anybody ever see LEO lobbying our Lansingcritters to get rid of such money-grab “laws” as Click-it or Ticket? Hell no. Actually, LEO is behind most of our invasive quick-buck “laws” because they’re the departmental arm who provide Tough On Crimecampaign propaganda for our Lansingcritters as well as elected Municritters. Perhaps, the alleged doctor should’ve directed some of his frustration there, too.

Frankly put, Haddad needs to STFU, and quit being such a whiny li’l bitch, because as we all know, Officer Safety often tells lies and/or shoots pets, especially, if there’s a Reserve Note involved for a State government $74+ Billion in the hole.

Ps. Mrs. Russell, go find something better to do with your life other than playing sensationalized “gotchya games” with Private Citizen’s employment because your daddy was Redford Po-po. WXYZ should know better than to air such crap. Seriously, some dude rationalizing a hypothetical scenario when he’s frustrated with a frivolous money-grab stop is a whole world of difference from when LEO loses their shit.

OABTW, Wagner never lost his job, did he? Nope.

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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?

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

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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