Republicans

Democrats, Detroit, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Republicans

Karma and Hypocrisy

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Karma: Fate or destiny resulting from one’s previous action.

Hypocrisy: The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess.

The supremely unctuous Stephen Henderson, Managing Director of Opinion and Commentary at the Detroit Free Press, got canned Friday for sexual harassment. Free Press Editor and Vice President Peter Bhatia has elected to shield us from the lurid details, a courtesy not afforded by the Free Press to the many others accused of sexual harassment during the current national feeding frenzy.

The allegations originally surfaced in a press conference the Reverend W. J. Rideout III, pastor of Our God’s People Church in Detroit, held last week. Reverend Rideout got suspended from his radio show on WFDF 910 AM for his efforts. Steve Neavling, a former Free Press reporter who was fired for his contretemps with homosexual teen groomer Charles Pugh in 2012, pursued the story on his own WFDF radio show as well as his Motor City Muckraker web site. Neavling had to enjoy the predicament of the Free Press, and probably Henderson too. Henderson was already a big shot at the Detroit Free Press when Neavling got railroaded.

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Conservative News, Democrats, Firearms, Michigan, Republicans

Albion College Charges Student Republican For Firearms Humor

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We Will Raise A Loyal Generation Of Communists!

Albion College student Alexander Tokie emailed a political position paper on the subject of ‘white privilege’ to his fellow College Republicans in September. The email concluded with a very funny reference to a .45 ACP pistol and putative hunting permits for Antifa and ISIS:

….Take the liberal tears from the idiot you just destroyed in your debate, dissemble your American made Springfield M1911 .45 caliber handgun and apply the tears in order to clean the mechanism, reassemble and proceed to purchase ANTIFA and ISIS hunting permits and max out on tags.

Mr. Tokie’s position paper leaked and the entirely humorless administration of Albion College has charged Mr. Tokie with violating Albion’s policy against the ‘use of, or threatened use of, physical force or violence’.

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Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

No Longer Boring?

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The race is finally shaping up like we would expect.

The mix is in.

Lt. Governor Brian Calley has gone for the brass ring.  An email from the inbox today:

“Dear Jason,
Today I formally announce that I am a candidate for Governor of Michigan. I am running for Governor to finish Michigan’s Comeback and make Michigan the most prosperous state in the country.

Please take a moment to watch my announcement video, and consider joining the team.

etc…”

And not to miss an opportunity to get a little rush from the announcement is political newcomer Jim Hines, who in his own email blast says:

“I welcome Brian Calley to the race for Governor. We now have three term-limited Republican politicians seeking their next job, all pretending to be outsiders.”

etc…”

Each of those term limited guys could probably write their own check quite well.  So I am not sure how the term limited fact will sway anything, but Calley’s engagement in the process does shuffle the political support deck, bringing the not-Schuette candidate class into higher probability realm.

Header image merely a temporary courtesy.

More to follow..

 

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

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

Sleight of Hand

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Fast Times At The Detroit Public Schools Community District

Norman Shy, the Detroit Public Schools vendor who stole $ 3 million with the capable assistance of 12 DPS principals and one DPS administrator, has begun paying his court-ordered restitution. The Detroit Free Press reported today that the Detroit Public Schools Community District has received $ 1.5 million from Mr. Shy, out of the total $ 2.7 million in restitution U.S. District Court ordered Mr. Shy to pay in September 2016.

The problem here? Mr. Shy’s scam looted the pre bailout/bankruptcy Detroit Public School District, not the new Detroit Public Schools Community District. The new Detroit Public Schools Community District was created in July 2016, before Mr. Shy’s sentencing but well after his 13 year long scam concluded.

The legacy Detroit Public School District still exists as a ward of the State of Michigan to pay off more than $ 500 million in ‘operating debts’. Debts which, in part, are directly due to Mr. Shy’s scam and dozens of other thieves. Michigan taxpayers at large are paying down those debts of the legacy DPS District, and will be paying until 2025 – if not longer.

Mr. Shy’s restitution payments should be paid to the legacy DPS District, not the new DPSC District. Its not like Michigan taxpayers owe these monies to the new DPSCD. Michigan taxpayers fronted the DPSCD $ 617 million as part of the 2016 bailout/bankruptcy, and the new, ‘debt free’ district is now being financed just as generously as every other school district in Michigan.

$ 1.5 million is real money.  Restitution should be directed to those financially damaged.  In this case, it is the taxpayers of Michigan – not the new Detroit Public Schools Community District – who were looted by Mr. Shy.

Anyone still wonder why Michigan residents are so ill disposed towards Detroit and its very creative government accounting practices?

You Betcha! (10)Nuh Uh.(0)

Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Fees, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Republicans, Taxes

Decision Time: DW&SD Rain Tax Comes To A Head In Court

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Detroit Water & Sewerage Division Has Colluded With Trial Lawyers To Avoid A Constitutional Test Of Their Outrageous 'Stormwater Fee'

The Detroit Water & Sewerage Department’s Non Residential Drainage Rate became a political hot potato in 2013 when the City finally started applying this breathtaking, disguised tax to all non residential properties within the City.  Mayor Duggan is scraping the bottom of the barrel for every revenue dollar he can find.

Prior to 2013, the City of Detroit only extracted this rate from 12,000 non residential property owners, although 41,237 non residential property owners should have been paying it. They also extracted this rate from the State of Michigan and Wayne County for roads in Detroit, after a lengthy appeals process which ended in the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Detroit shielded politically preferred and connected property owners from this tax for 35 years, notably the politically powerful black churches.  But that ended in 2013 when the City of Detroit “discovered….that there are some errors with respect to our billing of stormwater charges”.

This rate, which is often referred to as a stormwater fee or the rain tax, is not inconsequential. It is now $ 660 – $ 750 per acre, per month. Run of the mill churches with on site parking were rudely surprised with $ 3,500 monthly charges in 2015, on top of their already expensive water bills. They thought as religious entities they were tax exempt. Tee-hee.  No one in Michigan is truly tax exempt!  Michigan Public Act 178 of 1939 (MCL 123.161 et seq.) converts unpaid DW&SD stormwater fees into a property lien, same as unpaid property taxes, so these fees quickly result in property foreclosures.

Ever wonder why Detroit has such a problem with commercial property blight? Now church blight is in the offing.

Non residential property owners in Detroit have just received a legal notice in the mail announcing a proposed settlement of a Wayne County Circuit Court class action case filed by Michigan Warehousing Group LLC and Midwest Valve and Fitting Company against the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department over the DW&SD’s outrageous stormwater fee. This case is identified in the Wayne County Circuit Court as 15-010165-CZ. The parties reached a settlement agreement which is carefully constructed to cripple legal challenges to the constitutionality of the stormwater fee in higher courts and handsomely pay off the trial bar.

The settlement notice fails to inform non residential property owners that another, far more comprehensive class action law suit is progressing in the Michigan Court of Appeals. Detroit Alliance Against The Rain Tax v. City Of Detroit in the Michigan Court of Appeals, Case Number 339176, just got consolidated with a similar suit on 24 October and appears ready for litigation – also as a class action.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Fees, Firearms, Government Incompetence, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons.

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“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin

This piece started off when I was asked for my $0.02 this weekend on something in the local paper (which I freely admit that I do still read), written by someone whom I consider an absolute imbecile (which I’d told my friend on multiple occasions what I thought of this particular writer).

Still, if this wasn’t coming from a friend of mine, it probably would’ve ended differently.

{Post continues below the fold}

 

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Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Republicans

Something In the Water

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Incumbency protection planning gone wrong?

If Karen Weaver survives the Flint Mayoral ‘recall’ contest,will anyone be particularly surprised?

Weaver, supposedly a solution to decades of infrastructure neglect and poor city service planning, became the target of big city politicos because of the normal big city shenanigans.  From Global financial Market Review:

” Mayor Karen Weaver sailed into office two years ago promising to clean Flint’s lead-tainted water and to restore trust in government, after previous leaders brought poisoned water to the city and ignored residents when they complained. Ms. Weaver declared a state of emergency, met with the president and made the rounds on cable television, quickly becoming one of America’s most visible mayors.

But as her celebrity grew, so too did a revolt within her own City Hall. She now faces City Council members accusing her of corruption, a court battle over Flint’s long-term water source and, on Tuesday, a recall election that could snuff out her four-year term at the halfway point.”

Once upon a time, a recall actually meant something however.

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Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Taking It Back

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True Conservative to get back in the game for 2018

One of the most compelling curiosities of Michigan politics is the 11th congressional district.

In the 2012 election cycle, a little known veteran, farmer, and teacher, Kerry Bentivolio  challenged the popular Thaddeus McCotter for the 11th congressional seat in the Republican primary. Bentivolio was largely ignored and on his own with barely a notice even as he set up a Kiosk just outside the 2012 State convention in Detroit.

McCotter was not going to lose a primary to this particular unknown and things moved along as they do. Of course “as they do” can become crazy real fast in Michigan politics. The long [to NO] shot challenger soon found himself thrust into the position of defending a GOP seat in congress when things fell apart for McCotter.

Establishment types freaked out.

McCotter at first thought a write-in campaign would work, but then decided to roll with fate and pursue the next stage of his career.  At the same time, money players in the 11th sought out someone they thought might be ‘a better choice’ to defend the seat (and perhaps serve their ends) for the general election.

Even though write in campaigns are seldom successful, it was seen as the only way to keep a constitutional conservative, tea party guy from ‘screwing up’ the system.  Nancy Cassis was selected to challenge the new found politico Bentivolio for the primary, but as write-ins go, was easily trounced by the under funded and on the ballot new-pol by a margin of two to one.

Bentivolio served with honor and earned a 95% rating from freedomworks, 92% from the ACU, 91% from club for growth, and 83% from Heritage. Bentivolio was second only to Amash in constitutional on the Heritage rating and earned the top spot from a number of smaller conservative and small business organizations.

It wasn’t enough for the swamp however.  In 2014, there was already a challenge planned and fully funded, and with the establishment blockade placed on the newly installed congressman’s reelection coffers, he wasn’t able to survive a political fight with the well funded David Trott, who won easily with his own two to one margin.

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Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Rent Seeking, Republicans

It’s The Constitution .. Stupid.

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The US Constitution being ignored is not a compelling reason for a Con-Con.

Donald Trump did (with a pen) what we asked for our GOP legislature to do for the last 6+ years of controlling the house.

Whether he realized it or not, he might well have set the tone for examining presidential actions, and more importantly how the bureaucracy interfaces with the public going forward.  Citing the constitution, the Trump administration has declared it will no longer pay for health care subsidies, period.  From ABC news:

”  the White House said the government cannot legally continue to pay the so-called cost-sharing subsidies because they lack a formal authorization by Congress.

However, the administration had been making the payments from month to month, even as Trump threatened to cut them off to force Democrats to negotiate over health care. The subsidies help lower co-pays and deductibles for people with modest incomes.

Halting the payments would trigger a spike in premiums for next year, unless Trump reverses course or Congress authorizes the money. The next payments are due around Oct. 20. “

Unless he “reverses course?”

He cannot reverse course.  It would be as illegal as Obama making the payments in the first place.  In fact, this very act was already preceded by a declaration that the very payment of those subsidies was unconstitutional, not just yesterday, but actually in APRIL of this year by US attorney general Jeff Sessions:

” Sessions said during a Fox News interview that the payments to insurers, which reimburse them for lowering the cost of copays and deductibles for low-income Obamacare customers and are the subject of a House lawsuit, should be appropriated by Congress.

Sessions’ comments come as insurers are concerned whether the Trump administration will continue to reimburse them for the cost-sharing reductions.

Insurers are required under federal law to provide the reductions for Obamacare and have been getting reimbursed by the federal government. They are expected to receive $7 billion this year.

But Sessions said a lawsuit filed by the House against the Obama administration in 2014 “has validity to it.”

The lawsuit argues that the Obama administration illegally bypassed Congress and didn’t get an appropriation for the payments.

Nobody could say they didn’t see this coming.

But where is the Michigan angle you ask?

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You Betcha! (14)Nuh Uh.(1)

Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Because GOP Voters Are THAT Stupid?

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The Draft Roger Penske campaign cannot be for real, can it

Only in Michigan could we nominate a Republican who donated to his opponent’s war chest.

It would be one thing if Roger Penske and his wife donated to Debbie Stabenow 10 years ago, had buyers remorse (who wouldn’t), and then decided to rectify by running for the US senate seat to correct it.  It is quite again another to donate $30,000 aggregately, less that a year ago, and expect to be nominated.

Kathryn Penske

2555 Telegraph Rd Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48302

. / Homemaker

 

12/08/2016

15000.00

15000.00

Roger S Penske

2555 Telegraph Rd Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48302

Penske Corporation / Chief Executive Officer

 

12/06/2016

15000.00

15000.00

Good grief.

Take off the top-hat and tuxedo and pay attention. Even rich penguins remain to this day, birds that cannot fly.

Who comes up with these crazy ideas?

 

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