Opinion

Conservative News, Constitution, Firearms, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Government Transparency and Gun Rights: A Win in Washtenaw County

by  •  • 0 Comments

Michigan Open Carry notches one in the win column.

Full disclosure: Michigan Open Carry, Inc.’s  (MOC) website is hosted by yours truly. I support its mission to normalize lawful open carry, ensure gun owners understand their rights, and demand adherence to the rule of law—especially by those sworn to uphold it.

Michigan Open Carry, Inc. Applauds Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Decision to Cease Illegal Preapplication Forms for Firearm Licenses

Michigan Open Carry, Inc. (MOC) is pleased to announce that the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) has discontinued the use of preapplication forms for License to Purchase (LTP) firearm applicants. This significant change comes after MOC obtained the forms through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and subsequent legal action.

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (2)Nuh Uh.(0)

Conservative News, Constitution, Immigration, Michigan, Opinion

Birthright?

by  •  • 1 Comment

Before the Supreme court now

As you may know, this is going on now.    Most have felt that it is a tall order for the solicitor to argue the government’s case that NO- Illegals cannot visit and pump out American Citizens.

When asked for an objective analysis, the AI instance I used produced this fascinating argument.

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (3)Nuh Uh.(0)

Conservative News, Firearms, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Grand Traverse County, Clous, and The Nutty Left

by  •  • 0 Comments

The Irony of the "Chilling Effect" on display.

The bat guano crazy left won one this time.  And it’s not a good look on local government.

TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County has settled a long-running lawsuit involving former Commissioner Ron Clous for $100,000, according to plaintiff attorney Blake Ringsmuth.

The settlement of the case likely came from a desire to end the nuisance suit and get back to the work they were supposedly elected to do.  However, the core of the lawsuit against Commissioner Ron Clous revolves around the claim that his display of a rifle during a virtual meeting had a “chilling effect” on free speech. Yet, the ensuing legal action itself arguably exerts a chilling effect on expressive conduct, particularly when it pertains to constitutionally protected rights.

The “chilling effect” refers to the inhibition or discouragement of legitimate exercise of natural and legal rights by the threat of legal sanction. In this case, Clous’s action—while perhaps ill-advised (and maybe a little funny at the time), was a form of expressive conduct. The lawsuit, and the subsequent $100,000 settlement, could deter public officials from engaging in similar expressions, fearing legal repercussions.

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (9)Nuh Uh.(0)

Constitution, Economy, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Religious Freedom, Taxes

The Case Against Zoning Enabling in Michigan

by  •  • 0 Comments

How Did We Ever Survive Without Zoning?

So .. In Lansing, there is great ballyhoo about Lansing “returning zoning power to the local governments.”

All well and fine .. but

There was a time when homes were built by families with sweat, timber, and willpower. Before the advent of bureaucratic overreach, people lived in homes they designed, worked in businesses they created, and adapted their communities through mutual interest and common sense. Today, we’re told we cannot build like our parents did. We’re trapped in a maze of restrictive zoning laws enabled by the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (MZEA) of 2006—a law that stifles private property rights, innovation, and natural development.

As a real estate agent working in Northern Michigan, I see firsthand the impact of these constraints. Buyers are fighting for affordability while sellers—who must often become buyers again—face a new market skewed by government-imposed scarcity. My goal is to ensure both sides find the best value, despite a system that increasingly works against them.

Private Property Is a Natural Right

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (5)Nuh Uh.(0)

All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Harvard vs. the Feds

by  •  • 1 Comment

When Elites Sue to Cut the Cord, We All Win

You all should know by now, my disdain for government funded adult education, right?

Stop the presses: Harvard .. the crown jewel of smug, ivy-covered federal favoritism—is suing the government because it doesn’t like the strings attached to its free money.

Let that sink in.

The same Harvard that churns out regulatory drones faster than a PCR test lab at peak COVID… now wants federal dollars without federal oversight. And the Biden administration, doing its part to weaponize DEI bureaucracy like a rusty scythe, is suddenly being challenged by one of its own ideological darlings.

Delicious.

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (6)Nuh Uh.(0)

All the Other Stuff, Democrats, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Dodging the Bullet

by  •  • 2 Comments

The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results

There’s a saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In Lansing, they’re not just paving the road—they’re zoning it for mixed use, demanding affordability quotas, and handing out pamphlets on how to organize a tenant union.

Let’s talk about the so-called “Tenant Empowerment Package” and the other housing policy boondoggles our Democrat-led legislature has been salivating over. If they had succeeded in passing the full suite of 2023–2024 proposals, the rental housing market in Michigan would be a scorched field of “For Sale” signs and padlocked doors.

Fortunately, some of these landmines didn’t make it to detonation. We dodged a few bullets—but the gun is still loaded.

The Bill That Almost Was

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (6)Nuh Uh.(0)

All the Other Stuff, Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion

The Federal Reserve

by  •  • 1 Comment

Power Without a Mandate

You will hear people say “End the Fed!” or “Audit the Fed!”

It’s probably time.

A Creature of Convenience

The Federal Reserve—affectionately known as “the Fed” by economists and loathed by anyone who’s watched their savings devalue—was born in 1913 under the guise of stability. Market crashes and banking panics were frequent, and Congress, with the help of elite bankers, cooked up a hybrid beast. It would be part-government, part-private, entirely powerful, and almost totally unaccountable.

Why the Fed Exists (The Rationale)

READ MORE ►

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

All the Other Stuff, Liberty, Michigan, Opinion, Philosophy

Teach A Man To Fish

by  •  • 1 Comment

Why Tariffs Matter More Than You Think

Big picture, long term.

Imagine you’re running a small fishing business. You’ve got nets, boats, a crew, and years of know-how passed down through generations. Then one day, imported fish starts showing up in your market — dirt cheap. Tastes okay. Looks the same. Your customers love the price. You can’t compete, so you cut costs. Maybe lay off a few folks. Eventually, you hang it up.

Now what?

Let’s zoom out. This isn’t just about fish — it’s about everything we make. Microchips, textiles, tools, technology, even baby formula. When goods from overseas flood the market at prices lower than domestic producers can match, it feels like a win for the consumer… at first.

But over time, we risk forgetting how to fish.

Wait — Isn’t That What Antitrust Law is For?

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (6)Nuh Uh.(0)

All the Other Stuff, Economy, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Trump Tariffs – More Than Money

by  •  • 4 Comments

Economics is more than Money - Michigan is still relevant.

I have always been a free market guy. But..  Sometimes it’s more than that.

In the 1940s, Michigan stood tall as the arsenal of democracy. Factories from Detroit to Lansing didn’t just build cars—they became the beating heart of the world’s greatest war machine. General Motors alone cranked out 206,000 aircraft engines, over 13,000 Navy planes, 38,000 tanks, and more than 850,000 military trucks. This was more than manufacturing—it was an industrial miracle powered by resources we had right here at home, by skilled workers, and yes—by the original Rosie the Riveters who stepped up when America needed them most.

Michigan was ready. Our factories could pivot. Our people were trained. Even years later, one of my brothers, combing through a closed Oldsmobile plant in Lansing during the 1980s, stumbled upon engineering drawings—blueprints—for fighter aircraft tucked away on the factory floor. That legacy wasn’t just steel and grease—it was readiness. Cool stuff.

Fast-forward to today, and the picture is starkly different.

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (8)Nuh Uh.(1)

All the Other Stuff, Democrats, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Granholm Strikes Again – Lies, LNG, and Lousy Leadership

by  •  • 0 Comments

Hiding more than facial deformities.

It’s always the “smartest people in the room” who think you won’t notice when they hide the truth in the bottom drawer.

Turns out Canada’s favorite export, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm during her stint at the DoE, buried a Department of Energy report that completely torpedoed the justification for Biden’s 2024 LNG export pause. The same pause that crippled U.S. energy leverage during a time of global instability and emboldened our enemies.

Why? Because facts weren’t politically useful. Can’t have reality contradicting the climate cult narrative, now can we?

According to HotAir:

“The Energy Department has learned that former Secretary [Jennifer] Granholm and the Biden White House intentionally buried a lot of data and released a skewed study to discredit the benefits of American LNG… the administration intentionally deceived the American public to advance an agenda that harmed American energy security, the environment and American lives.”

READ MORE ►

You Betcha! (6)Nuh Uh.(0)