Michigan

Michigan, Philosophy

State Of Our Union

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Isaiah 32:1-8; Matthew 5:1-18

This Independence day message is from this last Sunday’s Sermon

Well, we celebrate Independence Day this week.

It is always a very patriotic time, at least for most of the nation. So, I have once again changed our readings around so that I might talk about the State of the Union. And I am going to start with the Pledge of Allegiance.

The first thing we should know about the pledge is that it was not composed by the Founding Fathers. It was written especially for children in the summer of 1892 to commemorate that year’s celebration of Columbus Day.

The pledge first appeared in print on September 8, in The Youth’s Companion, an educational publication. In its original form, it read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which is stands — one nation indivisible– with liberty and justice for all.”

Its author was Francis Bellamy, an assistant editor of The Youth’s Companion, who intended it for a one-time recitation by public school children across the country. But its immediate popularity transformed it first into an annual Columbus Day tradition – and then into a daily classroom ritual. It became one of the earliest verses memorized by students.

Since its debut, Bellamy’s pledge has undergone two major alterations. In 1923, the National Flag Conference of the American Legion replaced the somewhat ambiguously personal “my Flag” wording with the more explicitly patriotic “the Flag of the United States of America.” And in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill that added the words “Under God.”

The pledge of allegiance, then, comes to us in its present form after having been shaped and transformed over time. So too, ours is a nation which has had its character shaped by specific factors over time.

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Michigan, Philosophy

Should We Be Surprised?

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Idealism don't pay the bills too well, do it?

Several years ago, crockumentary maker and liberal activist Micheal Moore said “I think I will start a film festival in Traverse City”

As a part of the effort, it required renovation of the downtown State Theater, so Moore found people willing to cough up money to do so.  Mind you it wasn’t HIS money, but rather the folks who thought that it would be cute to have the old decrepit theater fixed up and operational again.

In addition to Moore and Wilson, Richard and Diana Milock of Torch Lake, The Herington Fitch Foundation, and a person wishing to remain anonymous have collectively contributed $600,000 in recent months. Moore expects another $100,000 to come in from the opening weekend ceremonies. And he remains busy seeking out another couple of angels who might be willing to contribute the final $150,000 to complete the renovations, in what will be only $850,000 in restoration costs versus the three to nine million dollars people kept telling Moore it would be.

Note that the “In addition to Moore” reference was to how he was acquiring free things from those who thought he was bringing them something.

The theater renovated, and then a briefly raised question of the non profit being able to run new releases in competition with the other local movie houses.  It was full steam ahead, and the film festival was on.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Democrats, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Fractured Fairy Tales and other flights of fancy finding their fantastic and far-fetched fables in a Michigan Classroom near you very soon.

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Did you know that Harvey Milk and Huey Newton were very important figures in early American History?

Even moreso than the likes of say Dr. Joseph Warren or Patrick Henry?

Did you know that the federal government is not actually a creation of the states and is therefore superior to them?

Did you know that the Southern Poverty Law Center is an unbiased and trustworthy source of information ?

Did you know that the MDE actually proposed expanding a study of Islam in public schools (despite the fact Christianity has been essentially removed from the classroom beginning in the 1960‘s)?

And my personal fav: Did you know that America was founded as a democracy?

Yeah, that one surprised me, too.

If the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has their way, THESE are changes that you might see in the K-12 curriculum in a classroom near you.

Unless you do something about it.

{Find out how after the fold}

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Conservative News, Humor in Michigan, Michigan, Opinion

Return Of The Clown Car

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CS sent me a heads up on one of our favorite swamp critters.

Already famed #TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) sufferer Nolan Finley has begun his anti #winning campaign on behalf of all those who are sad that their #surrender days are over. Penning what is probably not the last of such chicken pecked screed, Finley suggests that maybe Donald Trump should just go home and play with his billions in 2020.

The guy has $3 billion, and what good is it doing him? He can’t jet set around the world anymore, and he’s no longer welcome at the chi-chi Manhattan soirees. No more languid summer days on yachts surrounded by half-naked super models he could squeeze without a single #metoo worry. Washington can’t be as much fun for a player like Trump as was Miami.

Izzatso?

There are some of us who relish the frequent lefty head splodes and RINO suicide watch parties. The president appears to be even more enthralled with it all.  I suspect there could be no more fun for the man who clearly loves God, loves his country, loves power, loves attention, and loves the game as much as The Donald.

But as always, Finley and company cannot grasp this.  Call it a shallow pool of perspective, maybe a sheltered life, or just plain deficiency in pattern recognition, but clearly, he doesn’t yet get it.  Finley continues with the nonsense:

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2018 Michigan Gubernatorial Race, Michigan, Michigan Politics

They Called Him ‘Biff’

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Shuette ads will next hit Jr Agent Calley on his secret decoder ring application.

Its pronounced ‘Haaaavahd’

Not just spending time away from his well compensated position, but also Buffy his ‘gal,’ and those precious (and most certainly precocious) offspring, Brian ‘BIFF’ Calley polished up his business credentials and possibly pushed about in a game of polo.

Splendid.

So do you like game shows?  Family Feud now has a new champion possible, as long as at least one of the topics on the board is “things a rich Harvard douchebag might say”

Like ..

“I don’t take financial advice from a man who uses a pine tree air freshener hanging from the mirror of his Porsche”

Show us “pine tree!”

Ding ding ding

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2018 US Senate Race, All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Elections, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Rent Seeking, Republicans

You do know that whole “The Wall”- thing could’ve stopped all of this (or at the very least significantly reduced it).

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So in the latest distraction in our 24-hour News Cycle World, the latest “outrage” is coming from a surprising source?

And just whom that might be, you may ask yourself?

{Click below to learn the answer}

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Cronyism, Detroit, Michigan, Michigan Politics

Pardon Me?

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Former Detroit mayor seeks unlikely relief from well earned berth.

Things that make you go hmm..  Many times over.

[Former?] Thugmaster K wants “to go home.”  He says he doesn’t like prison, and is now praying for a pardon from the president. He is a changed man:

Our country has always been the land of 2nd Chances! I am hoping, confidently expecting, that I will have the opportunity to boldly move into the next season of my life; outside of these prison walls. Also, that I will have the opportunity to help someone else get off the floor of despair, failure, brokenness and calamity…then walk courageously, confidently, and powerfully into their own new season, their own destiny.

By God’s grace, I have received a pardon from Him, through Christ Jesus. I pray that I will receive the opportunity for Pardon/Clemency from the President of the United States as well.

Changed.

“White Jesus” notwithstanding, change carries with it some personal responsibility, yes?  Just a couple months ago, we saw how he is willing to own up to his former life as a corruptotician.  From Click on Detroit

Kilpatrick was also ordered to pay  $1,637,087 in restitution. He told the court in February that he doesn’t believe he should have to pay because it’s impossible to calculate the amount of money he took from taxpayers.

No comment necessary.

Other than even the folks out West aren’t writing scripts as good as this.

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Detroit, Humor in Michigan, Michigan, Opinion

The Michigan Connection

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Maybe North Korean efforts might have been more difficult if not for a former Detroit athlete?

As you know, these pages have been primarily for Michigan based political discussion and opinion.

I thought this might be an opportune time to offer some credit to an unlikely recipient of praise for anything ‘diplomatic.’ The strange path to regained world prominence continues with a historic effort by Donald Trump’s administration and possibly bolstered by a former Detroit (among others) basketball player.

The effort by our president and his team in Singapore appears to have borne fruit.  Removing the nuclear threat from North Korea is now a very real possibility, and even better, the possibility of continued human rights abuses by that regime will be lessened as economic growth and wealth realization appeals to its leadership.

Kim Jong Un, who came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-il in 2011, an heir to a dictatorship has always had a taste for western luxury.  A private yacht akin to a Disney ride, and port turned into a private resort. Former Piston Dennis Rodman described it as a Seven Star Party:

“He’s got 50 to 60 around him all the time – just normal people, drinking cocktails and laughing the whole time. …If you drink a bottle of tequila, it’s the best tequila .. Everything you want, he has the best.”

And Rodman was laughed at by many folks (including myself) for his attempt at personal diplomacy.

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Firearms, Michigan, Michigan Politics

The MSP has some ‘splaining to do

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The Backstory

MCL 28.425e(5)(m) mandates that by January 1st of each year, the Michigan State Police must issue a report containing “A list of expenditures made by the department of state police from money received under this act, regardless of purpose.”

Emphasis mine.

Up to this point, the expenditures reported on the annual reports (https://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,4643,7-123-1878_1591_3503_4654-77621–,00.html) were aggregated into categories. It’s not a list of expenditures, but up until this point, no one has called them on it.

So we (Michigan Open Carry) filed a FOIA request for the list of expenditures for FY16 last fall. One of the key factors is the fact that out of a reported take of $8,020,921 (and this is excluding fingerprinting fees), $5,425,305 was spent on “Support systems utilized by the CPL unit” – or just over 2/3 of their non-fingerprinting CPL revenues.

What?

To make things short, in responding to our request, the MSP basically pointed us towards the FY16 annual report. Clearly not what we wanted.

So we appealed, with a subsequent response of, well, nothing.

Time to initiate a litigatory beatdown.

Lawsuit

In March of this year, we filed suit.

At this point, by way of the discovery process, we can start getting a bit intrusive (read our discovery request here).

When we got our discovery documents (Part 1 and Part 2), we realized something interesting – the revenue numbers they claimed were short of what they would have actually recieved based on the number of applications.

The Shenanigans

And by short, I’m talking millions of dollars.

Even with the most conservative estimate (based strictly on the amount they received prior to PA 3 of 2015 going into effect on December 1st 2015), the MSP is under reporting almost $3.5m of revenue, though we estimate that figure to be closer to $5.3m. Again, keep in mind this isn’t taking into account fingerprinting fees.

But the fun doesn’t stop there.

The discovery we received also seems to indicate their actual expenses were closer to $1.8m, not the $8,020,921 reported (isn’t it magical how their publicly reported expenses match exactly with their publicly reported revenues?).

I certainly can’t think of a reason why these numbers would be mis-reported. When asked (prior to us getting discovery), the MSP punted with a lame response of “The fees are set by the legislature”.

Yeah, good luck weaseling out of this now.

For our most recent release (and it goes into slightly more detail about the revenues and expenses post discovery acquisition), take a look here.

To view all court filings (which also include the actual FOIA request and appeal), follow along here. I update that index as filings come in.

I do highly recommend reading our Response to the Motion for Summary Disposition. It’s a work of art.

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Michigan, Michigan Politics

Prevailing Wage Repealed.

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Michigan's prevailing wage law no longer will hamstring local government construction efforts that use state dollars.

Let this soak in for a few days.

From MLIVE:

LANSING, MI – The Michigan House joined the Senate in voting to repeal prevailing wage Wednesday afternoon, officially unraveling a law that had guaranteed union-level wages on public construction sites for half a century.

And the most ‘progressive left’ Republican governor since Bill Milliken cannot even veto it.

More later.

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