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Conservative News, Democrats, Firearms, Michigan, Pensions & Retirement Benefits, Republicans

Michigan Gun Control Update

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Extreme Risk Protection Orders and Very Expensive Virtue Signaling

Above the fold headlines in both Gongwer and MIRS today suggest that RINO Rick is launching an intense effort to secure passage of Representative Robert Wittenberg’s HB 4706 and HB 4707. These bills create a new category of judicial proclamation – ‘Extreme Risk Protection Orders’ – which direct police to confiscate the firearms of anyone who is denounced to a Michigan court “without written or oral notice” to the victim. These ERPO bills have been rebranded as ‘red flag laws’ after the Parkland, Florida high school shooting. Both of Wittenberg’s bills received their first reading (of three) last year and were languishing in the House Judiciary Committee. No longer.

Here are the headlines:

Gongwer

Snyder Preparing Gun Control Proposal

MIRS

Snyder Considers Waving The Red Flag; Sheriffs Want Cops Back In Schools

These stories are behind a paywall, but RINO Rick’s spokesperson Tanya Baker floated a trial balloon on AP three days ago. The Democrats have been all in for a while, so whether ERPOs come to Michigan will be determined by the Republicans in the Legislature soon.

Here is the problem: Some clown you hardly know can petition a judge to issue an ERPO which orders the police to seize your firearms, CPL, knives, baseball bats, golf clubs, etc. You only find out that an ERPO has been issued when the police break down your door to effect the seizure. You have no opportunity to contest the initial issuance of an ERPO in front of the judge. It is a bolt out of the blue. The police get to throw your valuable collector firearms into a dump trailer willy-nilly without any responsibility for the condition or safekeeping of your property. You, the restrained individual, then have 14 days to file a counter action. Good luck with that.

Stalinism meets civil forfeiture.

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You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(1)

2018 Michigan Gubernatorial Race, All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Republicans

Going where other Republicans fear to tread – Follow up

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Let me start off by being honest here.

For 75% of the candidates speaking last weekend at the Michigan United People’s Governor Forum, I could’ve very easily just stayed home and wrote this piece out and included their responses even before they made them. They are ridiculously simple to predict and I would’ve easily gotten it pretty darn close to what they actually said with no one being the wiser.

I WOULDN’T do that because that’s not the kind of person that I am.

I also didn’t go to hear what those 75% had to say (although to be fair…some of what those other candidates actually said and how they said it was significantly far more concerning than even I would’ve initially suspected…more on that later).

I went to hear only one person.

Specifically, I wanted to see how he handled himself. More importantly, would he “modify his message” to placate the hostile masses.

Let me just say that what I saw should change your mind (if you haven’t already) regarding this particular candidate for Michigan Governor.

I’ll also get to why I waited this long to post this.

{And those answers are below the fold}

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You Betcha! (7)Nuh Uh.(1)

Elections, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Where is Bill Schuette? Chasing Feral Ducks?

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States Sue/ Contend Obamacare Unconstitutional - Michigan's presence in suit noticeably absent.

What a missed opportunity for a highly probable next governor!

Bill Schuette has failed miserably on two high profile United States Supreme Court cases already.  As simple as telling the federal government that the constitution still matters, and that Michigan invokes the 10th with appropriate and legal prejudice.  Defending Michigan’s Marriage LAW, and fighting the last Obamacare suit should have been easy work for any attorney/former judge/congress critter, but here we are years later living with the failure on those fronts.

And now another opportunity pops up, and the state attorney general is nowhere to be seen?

Cmon Bill!  It’s not as-if you are spending time going out and meeting the folks.  Get with the plan, and don’t take your current lead for granted.

Michigan needs better than this.

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

Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

February 26 Gubernatorial Townhall Forum In Traverse City

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GOP town hall event

The stage is ready.

The candidates who are serious about reaching out and communicating with the public have been traveling the state holding town-hall events, and answering the questions on Michiganian minds.

Join the 2018 Republican Gubernatorial candidates lt.governor Brian Calley, State senator Patrick Colbeck, Dr. Jim Hines, and (invited – not confirmed) Bill Schuette as they offer their insight into better government and state management issues.

I will be the moderator.

Monday February 26, 7PM Traverse City.

Streeters Center 1669 S Garfield Ave, Traverse City, MI 49686

 

 

You Betcha! (11)Nuh Uh.(0)

2018 Michigan Gubernatorial Race, All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Going where other Republicans fear to tread.

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“My son, we're pilgrims in an unholy land.” - Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery) “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

Admit it.

You’ve got to hand it to Sen. Pat Colbeck credit on this one.

It’s one thing to take on the party kakistocracy and challenge not only their hand picked heir apparent to the Michigan Governor’s Office, but the wanna-be as well.

This is taking up a notch.

Honestly, more like two or three given the venue and locale.

Curious as to what this just might be?

Then click below to continue.

{Continues after the fold}

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You Betcha! (7)Nuh Uh.(3)

Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Fees, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans, Taxes

What Is Going On Here?

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Governor Snyder is attempting to resuscitate his reputation by benevolently raising your taxes.

Our ace Governor is not going quietly into the night as his governorship slides into the twilight zone. He launched two tax proposals last week which he touted as environmental initiatives. Neither raises enough funds to even remotely achieve his stated environmental objectives, unless the taxes he proposed skyrocket in the future. Both proposals are actually designed to expand our hopelessly inept (and periodically corrupt) bureaucracy. The environmental angle is just eyewash to sell higher taxes to the gullible. And those tax rates he proposes will skyrocket – bet on it.

First up is an increase in the current landfill tipping tax from $ 0.36 per ton to $ 4.75 per ton. Snyder claims this tax increase will raise $ 79 million for recycling programs. It won’t. The incremental revenue will be something less than $ 70.7 million, because 769,000 tons of solid waste from other states with lower tipping taxes will no longer be land filled in Michigan (pdf). Michigan landfills will suffer a 4.5% volume drop, which will be consequential. They will either curtail operations (read: lay off workers), cut workers’ wages or raises, and/or adjust tipping fees. Local units of government, which also collect revenue from their landfills, will suffer revenue losses as well. Environmentalists will applaud, but the trash is just being diverted to different land fills. There is no environmental benefit to playing musical chairs with garbage.

Governor Snyder implies in his press release that his proposed tipping tax increase will diminish Michigan’s solid waste imports from his Canadian buddies; the ones who are building his bridge. It won’t. Ontario landfill tipping fees start at $ 75 CAD per metric ton ($ 55 USD per short ton). Comparable Michigan landfill tipping fees are in the low $ 30 USD range. Snyder would have to raise the Michigan tipping tax by $ 25 USD, not the $ 4.39 he proposes, to materially reduce Canadian solid waste exports to Michigan. Keep in mind that the Canadians will ignore their transportation costs; they need to feed tolls to that fancy new bridge as cross border truck traffic otherwise declines.  Our Canadian neighbors didn’t pay for the Gordie Howe Bridge out of the goodness of their hearts.  It was cheaper politically than opening land fills.

A tipping tax which would actually impact Canadian trash exports would wipe out Michigan land fills and their workers. And all of our solid waste would be exported to other states, making Michigan many new friends across the Midwest. Yet tipping tax proponents will imply that the tipping tax increase will curtail Canadian trash exports to Michigan.

It won’t.

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

The Wages of Sin

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Pucker Up Michigan Taxpayers, Larry Nassar Will Cost You More Than $ 180 Million

Some 144 155 victims of MSU Sports Medicine doctor Lawrence Gerard Nassar are making victim impact statements at his sentencing hearing in the Ingham County Circuit Court. From the tenor of their coverage, our depraved media are – for once – siding with the victims of crime rather than the criminals. Kiddie diddling is probably the last moral taboo acknowledged across our entire society.

What our media has not mentioned is the cost of Dr. Nassar’s crimes and who is going to pay for them. MSU is now facing over 140 civil lawsuits, along with the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, and Dr. Nassar. Just one such suit has been settled, by USA Gymnastics, reportedly for upwards of $ 1.25 million. Its particulars are concealed from the public by a Non Disclosure Agreement, a legal device made famous by Harvey Weinstein’s defense lawyers. The plaintiff in the settled suit, McKayla Maroney, still has a lawsuit pending against the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University and Dr. Nassar. Dr. Nassar is the only defendant who will not pay much. His few remaining assets after paying off his lawyers will almost certainly be shielded when his wife divorces him.

MSU has set aside $ 10 million to counsel women and girls who say Larry Nassar abused them. This ‘Healing Assistance Fund’ will be available to “MSU health clinic patients and student-athletes whom Nassar abused, as well as the parents of these victims” according to MSU. The sanctimonious leftists who run MSU have the utter gall to still be billing some of Dr. Nassar’s victims for their ‘treatment’, but that is not what this fund is for.  This fund is actually intended as a legal settlement fund

This fund is ridiculously inadequate. MSU management must think that USOC and USAG will bear the brunt of the Nassar settlements, or their hot shot lawyer Patrick Fitzgerald’s sovereign immunity defense will work.  MSU has not one, but two, high dollar white shoe law firms lined up to attack Dr. Nassar’s victims.  They won’t succeed. Dr. Nassar was an MSU employee. USOC and USAG made referrals to Dr. Nassar, but MSU was his employer and should have been providing proper supervision.  They didn’t.

Each of those lawsuits against MSU will settle out for $ 1 million or more. McKayla Maroney’s first settlement sets the standard. And the antics of MSU’s Board members should provide the plaintiffs with healthy increments in their final settlements.  Those white shoe lawyers need to have a talk with their idiot clients.

Who is going to pay?

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You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(1)

All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Detroit, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Rewarding stupidity.

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Come and meet the news boss…same as the old boss.

OPM.

Isn’t it grand to not be responsible for money.

Large sums of money, even.

Money that you would’ve thought SOMEONE would’ve learned their lesson after having their fat pulled out of the fire multiple times in the past.

Same characters played by different actors.

{This week’s stupidity players are revealed below the fold}

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You Betcha! (9)Nuh Uh.(1)

Cronyism, Michigan Politics, Republicans

House Speaker Tom Leonard Can Kill Senate Bill 97 If His Funders Let Him

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All of us who have been following the saga of Senate Bill 97 (SB97) are beyond disgusted. It’s one of the most egregious legislative power-grabs in recent memory. According to MichiganVotes.org, the measure if passed would give “state and local government agencies the power to enter into joint operating arrangements for building hospital and transportation businesses” and would allow private operators to “benefit from tax exemptions and its governmental partner’s power to impose property taxes, borrow, take private property using eminent domain and more.” This is as anti-free market as it gets.

The bill predictably sailed through the Senate without much debate and discussion. Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, known for his lack of spine and principle, fast tracked it last year. The Senate committeemembers who approved SB97 were all bought off by the hospital and transportation industries that will make a killing off the legislation, and all but four Senators voted to approve it during the full Senate vote. Sens. Colbeck, Hune, Emmons and Shirkey were the only hold-outs.

The House committee that approved SB97 was similarly bought off by the monied interests that will benefit from the bill. This is how the Lansing swamp operates. Right now, the fate of SB97 is in the hands of House GOP leadership. House Speaker Tom Leonard has the reputation of being a staunch conservative. He is running for Attorney General right now off of his conservative bona fides.

To his credit, Leonard is no Arlan Meekhof. He seems far more fair-minded than his predecessors, but who is funding Leonard and the rest of the House GOP leadership?

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Now, how do you suppose HIS name got there???

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Politics and corruption are practically synonymous here in Southeastern Michigan.

Recent names (for most readers here, anyways) include such notables like Coleman Young (the first), Kwame Kilpatrick, The (almost) entire Conyers Family, etc.

Excluding VERY rare circumstances, they have been allowed to go pretty much unchecked by state and local officials since there apparently is some “unwritten” rule prohibiting county prosecutors and Attorneys General from investigating fellow politicians, regardless of party affiliation.

No, I don’t get it either.

Fortunately, this hasn’t stopped the Feds though from doing the job that local and state officials have been reticent to do.

I’ve honestly lost track of the number of investigations on Coleman Young (the first). Kwame Kilpatrick will be a guest of the Texas Penal system for at least two-and-a-half decades (obviously pending the outcome of another appeal attempt). Monica Conyers got to relax for several months after spending some quality time in Camp Cupcake. John Conyers got caught literally with his pants down around his ankles.

And then there is this guy???

Now, who is it you may ask?

{Continued below the fold}

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