ICYMI - Highlights from the Battle Cry event.
If like me you were not able to attend this year, here is the first of a few highlights from the Battle Cry event this last weekend.
Ted Patterson serves as the Executive Director for the Foundation for Applied Conservative Leadership, and is a national consultant who has used the confrontational model to grow grassroots organizations and lead successful political projects around the country.
(6)Nuh Uh.
(0)Departmental self promotion is apparently nothing new.
Oh.
I guess Kirk Steudle wasn’t the first propagandist within the roads department. Apparently some of his predecessors also made films to let us know what a grand job the highways departments are doing. From “gay holiday crowds where everyone is having a good time” to the storm blasted snow drifting over our roads, this film teaches us what Michigan is all about.
How could we possibly know otherwise?
Enjoy.
(8)Nuh Uh.(0)Someone needs to impress upon the MRP legislative and executive leadership that “NO” means “NO” . . . period.
Roughly nine months ago, We the People of Michigan, by a record-breaking 4-to-1 statewide margin, told our elected nobility in Lansing “HELL NO” on a proposed tax increase, which they’d tried to sell as a road proposal, but which the voting public saw clearly as a political sausage job that produced a cronyist’s grab bag of goodies. Thus, every single county in this state, without exception and in no uncertain terms, clearly delivered a mandate-level message that we are no longer interested in extending the legislature a taxpayer-funded line of credit, until such time as they get their spending priorities in order. You would think that a statewide vox populi shellacking, with a turnout rate typical of the biennial congressional primaries, would clue in the GoverNerd, and the rest of the MRP/MIGOPe professional political establishment, that We the People are done being their ATM.
You would think that . . . but you would be wrong. Six months after that ballot box rejection, while most of us were tucking our children into bed (or monitoring local election results), the lords and barons in the Michigan Legislature essentially told we the proletariat that our opinion is irrelevant, and that “no” really means “don’t ask again” – which, of course, they didn’t – by passing a “road funding” tax package that was nearly identical to the core of Proposal 15-1, less the elements required to force it onto the ballot. In doing this, they flatly rejected the clear will of the people, imposed through legislative fiat that which they couldn’t persuade the electorate to publicly ratify, and took yet another step toward government by aristocracy.
(31)Nuh Uh.(6)If there is any doubt whether or not the children are responsible enough to have been handed the keys to Detroit. This piece alone should put ANY doubt to rest.
I’ve commented numerous times in the past regarding how I (or any rational-thinking person for that matter), would not (/should not) buy into the Kool Aid that Gov. Snyder & Co. have been doling out is massive quantities pertaining to the Detroit Bankruptcy and subsequent Michigan State Government forced takeover (and more importantly Michigan Taxpayer paid) “turnaround” of Detroit.
To even suggest that DECADES of ingrained, multi-generational self-destructive personal behavior was going to instantaneously disappear simply because a spreadsheet was balanced (sort of) is just naiveté taken to the Nth degree.
Unemployment is still a major problem within Detroit.
So is the marked lack of a stable family structure.
And let’s not forget the woefully under-reported, long-anticipated collapse of the Detroit Public School System.
A new detail came out yesterday that should make everyone’s BP shoot up through the roof (and give you yet another reason to oppose giving the children running ANY level of Detroit government any more of our hard-earned money).
{More below}
(15)Nuh Uh.(0)Michigan Political subscription newsletter drives into the ditch.
On the left side.
Susan Demas has hardly ever pretended to be fair or balanced, much less a fan of conservative or GOP causes in the state. Her liberal bent was often on display in her distorted reporting style, so when Bill Ballenger sold the subscription based newsletter he founded in 1987 to her it seemed to many, that the end had come to his labor of love.
Demas’ statement upon taking the successful newsletter Inside Michigan Politics on its last ride was
“Inside Michigan Politics is the gold standard for political journalism in Michigan. I look forward to ensuring that IMP continues its tradition of fair and non-partisan reporting and analysis. Most of all, I look forward to the opportunity of working with Bill, who has been a friend and mentor to me for many years.”
A friend indeed.
She fired him for having an opinion that was not in line with her view of the Flint Water crisis.
(16)Nuh Uh.(2)Its that time of the year again.
Oh boy.
Last year’s spectacle included such lofty goals as improving third grade reading, talking about Michigan’s energy future, and a bit of in-your-face breaking the law. Certainly, there isn’t much that could be done to put such a performance to shame.
Unless something actually happened in the meantime.
I suppose we could expect him to talk up the miserable failure of the tax increase package which happened on May 5th. An 80-20 loss in these strange times must certainly be the new ‘winning’ formula. Up is down and down is up, and obviously the citizens wanted it so bad they voted “NO.” So a new roads tax package was crafted from ..the old tax package.
But, 2016 is going to be different. I can feel it. Things are looking up. Well, of course we have to get by the Detroit schools issue. I know he will talk about making that a priority. Maybe the impending doom in Wayne county finances? Perhaps the collapse of ‘Healthy Michigan,’ due to its incredible and unpredictable success?
Maybe it might be concentrated on all the good things that are about to happen to Flint?
Michael Moore may be calling for the guv’s head right now, but I guess he must not understand the new standards of bizzaro progressivism. Truth is, Snyder is more personally responsible for poisoning the Republican party brand than he is any of the chilluns in Flint. It was at RightMichigan where the original warnings were issued for that anyhow. But we couldn’t possibly have known how bad it could be.
(12)Nuh Uh.(0)In advance of the State of the Union address MiGOP attempts to 'rally' the team.
I received this from the Michigan Republican party yesterday.
Fair enough, it is the standard partisan preparation used when the opposing party has the soapbox. Tonight, the president delivering the final state of the union speech of his tenure happens to be a Democrat, thus the Republicans must attack. The co-conspirator who the GOP identifies is not Joe Biden as you will see, but Hillary Clinton, the former Bolshevik diplomat apparatchik of Obama, and the presumptive nominee of the Democrat party.
I take some issue with the presentation of this, as Obama and Clinton, and the Democrat party have done only what they have been allowed to do by Republicans. Our state Republicans included. It begins:
Friends,
In our ongoing effort to arm you with information, we are pleased to send you talking points on the failed policies of President Obama and Hillary Clinton in advance of the State of the Union address tomorrow. It is vital to our nation’s future that we point out of the failures of the Obama presidency and all join together to elect a Republican who can defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016. As always, thanks for all that you do!
Naturally, the choir has assembled and is going to get its first sermon.
The stage is set; Obama/Clinton equal failure. Don’t forget however, that we must elect a Republican who can defeat Hillary in 2016 (assuming she is not wearing stripes). Of course this must be mentioned, as most certainly that person has not yet risen to the top of polling. Yet.
(18)Nuh Uh.(5)If you are gullible enough to buy into Gov. Snyder’s, along with the Michigan GOP’s (working behind the scenes, of course), hype surrounding the “saving” of Detroit through a massive Michigan Taxpayer bailout via the “Grand Bargain“, a little more than a year later you would think things were humming along wonderfully and everything in The D was just swell.
Well, let me be among the first to smash those rose-colored glasses they have been distributing to the masses, knock that cup of Kool Aid in your hands to the ground and show everyone why it all is about to come crashing down…hard…again.
{Continued after the fold}
*** Quick Note: I’ve received a few messages asking me why I referred to EX-Detroit Federation of Teachers President as being “recently reinstated“.
There is an upcoming “hearing” with the American Federation of Teachers next week to consider the matter of his reinstatement. I’ve been told that hearing is nothing really more than a formality at this point, but that he is not currently officially back in his old position.
It should also be noted that the size, scope and frequency of these “sickouts” are next to impossible to orchestrate and coordinate without significant union involvement. So take Steve Conn’s “official” status with the DFT for what you will.***
(11)Nuh Uh.(0)Lt Governor Julie Calley looking to ignore the responsibilities of home?
What about binkies and blankees?
there is news that the wife of L.t Governor Brian Calley will be making a run for a Michigan House seat this year. Commissioner Julie Calley has created a campaign committee to run in the 87th House District, a safe Republican seat that includes Barry as well as part of Ionia County. While Calley is already engaged in the political theater, perhaps she doesn’t understand the time investment difference between duties as a commissioner, and that of a state rep.
And yeah.. I get it. The title is a little provocative.
I realize the life of a housewife (or beta male) isn’t all laundry, cooking, and washing dishes. Though we hope the Calley household has some of those things taken care of (for the sake of the chilluns and hygiene), a realistic life at home is far more fulfilling. Even while the National Organization for Women (see picture of iron-Clad logo at right) might suggest to impressionable young mothers’ (or other less dominant members of our species) minds that getting out of the house away from the kids is good, perhaps there ought to be an examination of the whole situation first.
The family unit needs to be a little more traditional to produce good results. Focus on the Family’s Jill Savage outlines some of the most important facets regarding why a stay at home parent is a good thing.
(16)Nuh Uh.(13)RightMi.com top stories for 2015
We’ve reached the end of 2015.
Running the gamut from man eating roads to bald face lies, Michigan politics is a ‘special’ place. RightMi.com highlights certain aspects of our system by bringing certain aspects not typically examined by the mainstream to the forefront. With writing from folks in all parts of the state, we have been able to add perspective not found elsewhere. Please enjoy, be active, and keep coming back!
Coming out of 2014, that session’s legislative knuckleheads carved out a wonderful political battle extending right up to a special vote May 5, which was soundly defeated 80 to 20. Add to this the cost of the special election that could be as high as $10,000,000, and the resources necessary on both sides to fight it.
In RightMi.com’s opening salvo for 2015, KG One says
“But, I’ve also heard that very same sales pitch before (going back at least several decades, in fact), and have been very disappointed by the outcome each and every time.”
And he was hardly wrong in hedging his optimism as disappointment has once again begat the theme with the political class we have learned to trust so implicitly. <sarc=off>
The ‘safe roads’ nonsense was replete with payoffs to just about every single constituency, and the majority GOP legislature made sure that those ‘po folk’ would get their due if the tax hikes would pass.
The PowWow happened, and we promoted, then reported on it. The Mackinac Center made an unexpected decision to withdraw from the opportunity to reach 400 or so Michigan activists. Apparently, Dave Agema, a white haired old veteran ‘racist’ (seen on the right with one of his ‘mortal enemies,’ Pastor Phil Smith) was too overwhelming and politically incorrect that he might rub off in some way. We gave them a “bad doggie” award and moved on. (I still love you guys.. just don’t do that again, OK?)
A shame they didn’t show up. One guy who did however, was Lt. General William G Boykin.
Now that guy was the real deal. He offered an inspirational speech (click the link above), and was later used as an example of concern about the lack of will by a couple of ‘tea soldiers’ to fight in Michigan’s legislature. Though with a couple of highlights, the powwow takeaway in the end, was less than stellar from the perspectives of attendees and some organizers.
(20)Nuh Uh.(1)
