Philosophy

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

Grand Traverse County, Clous, and The Nutty Left

by Jason • May 9, 2025 • 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.

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

The Case Against Zoning Enabling in Michigan

by Jason • May 7, 2025 • 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

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

Dodging the Bullet

by Jason • April 23, 2025 • 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

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

Teach A Man To Fish

by Jason • April 9, 2025 • 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?

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

Granholm Strikes Again – Lies, LNG, and Lousy Leadership

by Jason • March 21, 2025 • 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.”

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

The Fed Does More Damage Than Good

by Jason • February 12, 2025 • 1 Comment

Time to Fix Interest Rates ?

The Federal Reserve loves to tinker with interest rates like they’re a magic lever that controls the entire economy. But what do we get in return? Booms, busts, recessions, and instability—all because an unelected central bank insists on micromanaging the cost of money.

To be clear: The Fed does more damage than good.

The Problem With Constant Rate Manipulation

Every time the Fed messes with rates, it distorts the free market.

🔹 2008 Housing Crash – The Fed kept rates too low for too long, creating a housing bubble. When they finally hiked rates, the bubble popped, leading to the Great Recession. There were certainly other factors, but the FED’s role played a large part.
🔹 2020-2023 Inflation Surge – They printed trillions, suppressed rates, then panicked and raised them too fast—crushing small businesses and killing opportunity. Frankly, it was a great money shift into the pockets of the pockets of those with friends in government. With Small Business Destruction – Low rates helped Wall Street, but high rates crushed Main Street. Who really benefits here?

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Government Incompetence, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans

Budgets Back Baby

by Jason • February 8, 2025 • 0 Comments

I'm Not Stuttering .. You Are

Just worth the listen.

Enjoy!

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Education, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

When She Is Right

by Jason • February 6, 2025 • 0 Comments

Betsy DeVos: Shut Down the Department of Education

She is right.

Of course any while regulars here would have suggested that the federal dept of education needs an uprooting long ago, we know that if there was a time to see it happen .. It is now. From the Free Press (not the one you think either)

Since its creation in 1979, the Department of Education has sent well more than $1 trillion to schools with the express purpose of closing the gaps between the highest and lowest performers. Today, those gaps are as wide as they have ever been, and by many measures, even wider.

Last week, the latest Nation’s Report Card came out, giving us a clear assessment of where student achievement stands. The report, published by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), tells us that in reading and math, most students were even further behind than they were in 2022. Which was worse than where they were in 2019. Which was worse than 2013.

Its not going to get better either.

Schools need radical reforms, and one of those is the elimination of ‘leading’ grants that come with political agendas that actually take away from our kids’ education. The other is (As I have suggested previously) is a complete reworking of funding, and organization that is done in a way that rewards excellence in education and performance.

Step it up Trump admin!

And if our legislators are paying attention.. this will work.

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2026 Election, All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Constitution, Democrats, Elections, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans, Research & Analysis

Jocelyn Benson: From Election Fraud Adjacent to Aspiring Governor

by Jason • January 22, 2025 • 2 Comments

Jocelyn Benson - a name synonymous with 'election fraud'

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has declared her candidacy for governor in 2026. Yeah, this is the same Jocelyn Benson whose political ascent has been peppered with controversy, eyebrow-raising connections, and what some might call an opportunistic knack for ‘Teflon’ politics. Let’s take a little walk down memory lane and unpack her storied past.

2010: Fake Tea Party Shenanigans

You may recall that in 2010, Michigan witnessed a blatant attempt at election fraud: the creation of a fake Tea Party to siphon votes from legitimate candidates. Two Democratic operatives from Oakland County, Jason Bauer and Mike McGuinness, were convicted for their roles in this debacle. Bauer got probation and a slap on the wrist, while McGuinness faced perjury and forgery charges. Fun fact: both of these fine gentlemen were connected to none other than Jocelyn Benson.

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