Rent Seeking

Cronyism, Firearms, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Taxes

Happy Deer in Michigan

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Michigan Hunters Not So Happy

Happy Deer

DNR just slyly reported that Michigan hunting license sales dropped to 729,000 in 2014, a 4.2% drop from 2013 sales and the all time low in data extending way back to 1958. This drop is even worse than the numbers suggest, since the new HB 4668 hunting license rules require base licenses for hunting activities which did not require licenses in previous years. And if you believe President Obama and his statistical mathmagicians, the U.S. economy surged at a 5% GDP growth rate in 2014Q3 just before Michigan’s traditional firearms deer season. Michigan’s population increased by 11,684 people in 2014, the third consecutive annual increase. So the number of hunters should have increased in 2014? But the number of hunters in Michigan dropped, and hunter numbers declined because license fees skyrocketed under HB 4668 of 2013.

The most popular hunting license prices increased 50 – 100 % under the new 2014 fee schedule, although a direct comparison is not possible because the licenses were restructured under HB 4668 to ‘simplify’ the license schedule. Even though the DNR has not released license sales dollar amounts yet, we can still sketch out the doleful effect of the DNR hunting license fee increases on Michigan’s staggering economy.

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2015 MIGOP State Convention, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Opinion, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Overloaded Your Asses, huh?

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Think that EITC part of the Proposal 2015-1 equation isn’t a fool’s errand? Look at what $9,400,000,000 gets us just to maintain floundering employment while buying poverty moocher’s votes.

“The goal should be to try to honor these agreements or, in the context that if there are changes, they’re mutually agreed to,” Snyder [Mr. Avalon, founding chair. Yes, that John Truscott] said in a Detroit News editorial board interview. “These are major job creators. They’ve helped bring us back economically [what Team Obama says] in the state and we shouldn’t overlook that fact.”

NerdandJohnSnyder said he wants to work with companies holding the business tax credits to “bring better visibility” and “transparency” [a Snyder priority. No, seriously.] to the tax credits, which will consume more than $500 million a year in general fund tax revenue until 2029. The final tax credits awarded under the Michigan Business Tax [thank Brian] don’t expire until 2031, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

The MEDC [Snyder’s Mini-Me] has asked companies to agree to redeem their credits in the year they were issued and give the state a three-year forecast on using tax credits to help governors and legislators budget for the subsidies.

But Snyder did not rule out pursuing legislation to put new rules in place for when the tax credits could be cashed in. [here, pull this finger.]

“I think the starting point should be what we can do in a mutually agreed-upon fashion,” Snyder said.

Mike Johnston, vice president of government affairs for the Michigan Manufacturers Association, said his members, which include Detroit’s three automakers [$3,000,000,000 yes, Ford too], are open to helping state officials know when they will seek tax refunds.

The games all these mother******* play with other people’s money is downright obscene.

We now return you to your regular Team R points its collective finger’s at Granholm programming…

You Betcha! (32)Nuh Uh.(0)

2015 MIGOP State Convention, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Opinion, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Now it’s $51,000,000 to $70,000,000 for a “Better View of the Capitol”?

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via WXYZ

Hmmm, now where have we seen these money grab pay-to-play schemes before? Oh! That’s right, Wayne County. And that worked out just swell, yes?

Marshal_Arlan_Randy_Ficano_ShawarmaI’ve long said that Ross Jones, is the only reporter in Michigan, worth following. Unfortunately, there’s a new Senate Marshal in Lansing (heavy on the marsh part), and he goes by the nickname of, Sen. Arlan Randy Ficano.

With obscene waste above nonchalantly endorsed by Boji’s Engler era chatterbox, and the $54B budget Snyder/Calley presented, are folks beginning to understand why his SOTS “Vote Yes” propaganda completely ignored by “Chief election Officer” Ruth Johnson, is little more than a Republican Majority instituted Jizya tax?

I, for one, sure as Hell hope so.

Ps. for those who may be unaware, the same folks involved with the Boji building shenanigans are also behind another $88,000,000 unnecessary project in, Lansing.

You Betcha! (33)Nuh Uh.(0)

Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Rent Seeking, Republicans

MEDEFCO Meeting Reminder: former US Rep Kerry Bentivolio – A View from the Inside

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Tonight MEDEFCO will be hosting former US Rep. Kerry Bentivolio at their monthly meeting in the Bruce Post VFW Hall located on 28404 Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores.

You may remember him as the deciding vote for Pres. B.O.’s CROmnibus bill, that Speaker Boehner jammed through before the Winter Break.

The meeting starts at 7:00.

 

 

You Betcha! (8)Nuh Uh.(0)

Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Taxes

AgitProp in the 21st Century

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Mercenary Research in the Service of Greed

News stories on the Michigan road tax proposal are replete with compelling, eye popping factoids about the costs poor roads impose on Michigan drivers. These factoids are so compelling that our colorless Governor cites them to sway voters in the upcoming sales tax proposal debate. Some examples:

  • An inadequate transportation system costs Michigan residents a total of $7.7 billion every year
  • Driving on rough roads costs Michigan motorists a total of $2.3 billion annually in extra vehicle operating costs
  • Driving on rough roads costs the average Detroit urban area motorist $536 annually in extra vehicle operating costs
  • Driving on rough roads costs the average Michigan motorist $357 annually in extra vehicle operating costs

You are expected to conclude that a 16.67% sales tax increase is a just trifle to escape these ghastly financial burdens. These factoids are always attributed to “TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research organization”. Sounds like an independent, credible source – right? The adjectives ‘nonprofit’ and ‘research’ give you a high level of confidence in their pronouncements? Perhaps you should dig a little deeper than our conniving politicians and their lazy media scribes.  The TRIP report they are mining for these factoids is: MI_Transportation_By_The_Numbers_TRIP_Report_Jan_2014

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All the Other Stuff, Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Rent Seeking, Republicans

We’re Still Watching

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Before the ink is put to paper, we should be on record.

Just so no one forgets, we called this one before it happened.

And NO, it has not yet happened, but to be sure, the water boy is owed his paycheck.  From the Ivory Tower:

“Novi District Court, one of the busiest in Oakland County, will see two new judges seated in January — one who has promised reform after a series of scandals and another yet to be appointed by the governor.”

Appropriate link and reminder above provided as a free public service.

You Betcha! (12)Nuh Uh.(1)

Conservative News, Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Rent Seeking

A Letter To Amazon

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An open letter to Amazon.com Owner Jeff Bezos on the Main Street Tyranny tax.

Regulars have seen the attempts here to correct the misinformation about the main street fairness act.

Michigan lawmakers were snookered by Kowall and Verheulen into passing their tyranny in the lame duck; a time when there would seem to be no voter backlash.  We call that cowardice, and reprehensible.   This morning I penned (typed) a letter to Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon.com:

Jeff,

I am an online retailer.  I have been fighting the mainstreet fairness taxes for several years now.  Recently, Michigan legislators in a lame-duck session voted to address nexus issues in the state in an attempt to collect use taxes from out of state vendors such as Amazon and other drop shippers.

Clearly you have been arguing that the commerce clause is the remedy to what the states are trying, and frankly you are right.  Quill v North Dakota settled the matter, and if there was EVER a reason for Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3, this is it.  The states cannot use tariffs or taxes to discourage (or encourage) trade with other states.  It is one of the enumerated powers of the congress, and the states have little business attempting to work around it.

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans

I think that it is time to begin filling out a scorecard before May 5th.

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Otherwise known as “What's good for thee, but not for me (con’t).

Breaking from the republican kakistocracy’s latest rope-a-dope on the Grassroots (aka Dave Agema’s “controversial comments” brouhaha), it is important to note that Governor’s Snyder’s plot to raise the Michigan Sales Tax 16.7% is beginning to pick up a few supporters.

On the plus side; So is the opposition.

And what interesting bedfellows are beginning to appear.

{Continued below}

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Puppy Training

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Why the Mackinac Center decided to weigh in this way is somewhat of a mystery, but we learned from them ...

Mr Lehman, (with whom I have had little argument in the past) premises a decision made to be based on politics, though policy is really their game.

Gratuitous picture of Dave Agema to 'prove' he is not an insensitive Racist

Gratuitous picture of Dave Agema with ‘black’ tea folk

He makes a brief statement, which essentially claims that fact, and then implies clearly that (We cancelled our sponsorship of the Pow wow because we don’t like Dave Agema) “The reason the Mackinac Center withdrew from the event was Mr. Agema’s prominent role there” And stopping there. Fair enough.  Its not my money, resources, or political ties to the Snyder administration that is going to stop them.

OK, taking a page from the book of Mackinac, I figured it would be appropriate to deal with disagreements in policy or politics in the way they have previously suggested.  For this exercise, I have located two articles from the Mackinac Center.

The first article was written by a guy who once worked for MCPP, and now spends his time stalking a particular retired Air Force Captain hoping to find SOMETHING that can be used to further defame the many time honored veteran.   Ken Braun during his time at the Mackinac Center wrote:  (I have made critical edits to update)

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