Opinion

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

Timing Is Everything

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The overturning of the Sixth Circuit Court may have positive impact on other Michigan imperatives.

Supreme_Court_US_2009The US Supreme Court decision today was probably an easy one.

In a 6-2 ruling. (see KG’s article for a link) the court upheld the ban enacted by Michigan voters in 2006; Proposal 2, the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.  Race shall NOT be used in admission policies in our colleges and public institutions, or for purposes of employment or contracting through government. From the Detroit News

The ruling championed the right of the voters to set policy in writing their own state constitutions.

“Perhaps, when enacting policies as an exercise of democratic self-government, voters will determine that race-based preferences should be adopted. The constitutional validity of some of those choices regarding racial preferences is not at issue here,” Kennedy wrote. The decision here “is simply that the courts may not disempower the voters from choosing which path to follow.”

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who appealed the appeals court ruling, hailed the justices decision.

That was a free promo, Bill. Lets start working on the next battle shall we? – JG

There is no doubt Michigan’s Attorney General carried this one across the finish line, but the argument was simple on a number of levels.

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

Ethics, Integrity, And Long Knives

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wayne-afp009“He’s our hometown boy.” Said one of the executive committee members of a vote taken this last Thursday.

The vote, was one by the executive board of the Grand Traverse County Republican Party on whether to endorse State Senate Candidate Wayne Schmidt over Greg MacMaster in the 37th State Senate primary contest.  The vote to choose one candidate over another in partisan (GOP) races would normally be considered off the table except under extraordinary circumstances.  At least that is how it is designated in the by-laws of a number of other GOP county parties.

Questions must be asked.  Is it prudent or even a legitimate practice? Is it fair to the candidates?  Is it fair to the membership, and does it misrepresent the opinion of the party at-large?

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Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Opinion

The “New Normal” Nation Within America

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Little did the Founding Fathers know that only 237 years after giving George III a boot ride out of America, that a new empire surpassing Britannia’s size would now occupy America.

The number of Americans who were enrolled in Medicaid at any time during fiscal 2013 exceeded the entire population of the United Kingdom, according to new data published by the federal government’s Medicaid and CHIP Payment Access Commission (MACPAC).

Were Medicaid a nation instead of a U.S. entitlement program it would be the 20th most populous country on earth.

“The estimated number of individuals ever covered by Medicaid remained steady at 72.7 million in FY 2013, compared to 72.2 million in FY 2012,” said MACPAC’s statistical report, released on April 1.

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Congratulations Nerdpublicrats, and Mr. “Take a vote, not a vacation” – You ALL helped Obama grow that!

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Michigan, Opinion, Philosophy

Article V Debate In Traverse City

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What is an Article V Constitutional Convention and why did the Michigan Legislature apply for it?

912TBIn recent months, there has been an interesting divide in conservative politics on the efficacy of holding an Article V constitutional convention.

Points have been made vigorously on both sides of the issue. Some argue that an article V could get out of hand, while others see it as a way to harden  constitutional principles firmly with specific goals.  The fact is, that average Joe hasn’t a clue of what it entails, what the risks are, or what might be unexpected outcomes.

Here is an opportunity to hear both perspectives presented in a debate format among good friends; each, who are solidly on either side of the question.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Michigan, Opinion

Stephen Henderson, why do you have a Free Press reporter playing fast and loose with the facts?

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This is an update to a post that I wrote yesterday.

Let me start off by saying that sometimes I get feedback on what I write. Usually e-mail. Sometimes face-to-face. Last night/this morning it was different…someone actually called me. I didn’t recognize the number at first, but later found found out afterwards it was through a mutual friend.

I got some complements on what I wrote, but they wanted to know why I stopped where I did.

Truth be told, I was on the Eastside for most of that day. I didn’t have enough time for a more thorough follow-up because of my own schedule.

I spoke to them about what was missing and asked them to forward me some links for verification.

It’s amazing what gets “omitted” in a product put out by “professional” journalists. In this case, The Detroit Free Press’ own Niraj Warikoo.

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Democrats, Detroit, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

When is a hate crime not really a hate crime.

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Detroit, Michigan – During an unprecedented show of civic unity, community activist groups and civil rights organizations in conjunction with the Detroit Police Department made their strong presence known this weekend during a recent sweep apprehending all of the individuals involved in the brutal assault and robbery of a suburban motorist last week.

Taking part in this weekend’s events was civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson along with his Rainbow-PUSH Coalition. “We are here to fight for the dignity and integrity of all Americans. No one should have to suffer for doing the right thing,” said Jackson after visiting the victim’s family at St. John’s Hospital.

Also taking part was the Rev. Al Sharption. Host of nationally syndicated “Keepin’it Real” and “Politics Nation” along with his National Action Network.  While watching the last of the assailants being taking away in a squad car, Sharpton said, “I cannot imagine how an upstanding, hardworking father of three, is beaten to within an inch of his life by thugs and hooligans simply for stopping and doing what any decent human being would do.”

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Conservative News, Elections, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans

Oh Bouchard, you haz Some ‘Splaining to do

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Interesting series on local government invasion of privacy events in the Detnews.com

Now, though, some privacy advocates question why one of the safest counties in Michigan needs the super-secretive Hailstorm device that is believed to be able to collect large amounts of cellphone data, including the locations of users, by masquerading as a cell tower.

“I don’t like not knowing what it’s capable of,” said county Commissioner Jim Runestad, R-White Lake Township, who has met in recent weeks with sheriff’s officials about his concerns.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is one of about two dozen forces nationwide — and the only one in Michigan — with the $170,000 machine. So little is known about Hailstorm that even national experts will only speculate about its capabilities. The technology from Florida-based defense contractor Harris Corp. is believed to be an upgrade of Stingray, a suitcase-sized contraption that is installed in cars and used to trick nearby phones into connecting with it and providing data to police.
….

Undersheriff Michael McCabe said, “Hailstorm helps us capture fugitives from the law, people wanted for murder and rape” and can be used only with a search warrant. He said the federal Homeland Security Act bars him from discussing Hailstorm, but he elaborated at length about what it doesn’t do.

“It’s not a tool to spy on people, unequivocally,” McCabe said. “It does not record cellphone conversations … Hailstorm does not capture personal information on anyone or store unintended target data. It does not take photos of anyone. It doesn’t take videos or fly in the sky. It’s a tool used for criminal investigations and it’s legal and lawful.”

McCabe recently gave similar assurances to county commissioners. He was prompted in part by persistent, anonymous emails that have been sent to county officials and others about the system, but also questions from Runestad.

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Sure… like why would anyone question the on record judgement calls from the Oakland County Sheriff?

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