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Cronyism, Detroit, Humor in Michigan, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Republicans, Taxes

State Of The State Program Guide Contest Announced

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Pure Michigan student creativity unfolding before our eyes.

sotsprogramcoverdesigncontest_cropHey kids, get your art skillz on!

The Michigan State of the State address by governor Rick Snyder is coming soon!  You can watch him get away with breaking the law, tell little white lies (or little dark ones), and learn how much you are already in debt in under two hours!  Gosh, what a treat! (or a trick)

But wait, there is more!

From the Michigan State Department of Propaganda comes a new contest: Design The State of the State Program Cover!

“Students can submit their designs today through Jan. 3. The top five designs – judged by their creativity and originality – will be announced through social media on Jan. 5 and posted on Snyder’s Facebook page. The winning design will be determined by which one receives the most ‘Likes’ on Facebook by the end of the day on Jan. 8.”

Gosh what fun!

To make it easier for our precious snowflakes, here is what the winning entry should look like.

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Part Time Legislature, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Lie of the Month: “We’re talking about introducing an entirely new industry to Michigan”

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Pandora's Box Has Been Opened

Pandoras Box Image 2Actually, no. There are at least 28 third party data centers already up and operating in Michigan. The House Fiscal Agency thinks there are 40, but didn’t specify them. None of these 28+ existing data centers required the tax breaks just reported out of the Michigan House Committee on Tax Policy to get up and running.  But Switch SuperNAP does? Why?

The promoters of Switch SuperNAP’s tax break package launched their campaign back in November with a heavy emphasis on the ‘new industry’ angle. This whopper seems to have been originated by Switch’s spokesman Roger Martin:

“It is a tough issue,” Switch spokesman Roger Martin said. “There’s no question about it. We’re talking about introducing an entirely new industry to Michigan, something that is the future of this country and of this world. It’s a good, vigorous debate.”

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Cronyism, Democrats, Fees, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Another Deceitful Michigan Tax Scam Exposed

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Desperate Local Politicians Seek to Preserve Surreptitious Business Activities Tax

Tax Image 1Less noticed during this year’s roads tax furore, a roiling commercial property tax dispute has exposed a widespread, sub rosa business activities tax hidden in commercial real property taxes. A hidden tax you have been paying with every purchase at big box chain retailers who occupy stores they themselves own. Big box retailers have been exposing and successfully challenging this corrupt assessing practice through the Michigan Tax Tribunal and local units of government are howling over the loss of their ill gotten revenue.  Michael B. Shapiro of Honigman, Miller has been leading the charge against these bloated assessments.

Local units of government are demanding the Michigan Legislature overturn long standing real estate valuation principles and the Michigan court rulings which hold that assessed true cash value (i.e. fair market value) for tax purposes be based upon what a property would be sold for at arm’s length. They want true cash value to effectively incorporate the retail success of current owner-occupants. This artificially jacks up the property’s true cash value, its taxes, and the prices you pay at the store. Remember that businesses don’t pay taxes, customers of those businesses – in this case you – do.

Michigan’s nitwit media have deceitfully relabeled traditional true cash value assessment the ‘Dark Stores Loophole’. Local government organizations are screaming about lost revenues.  Even MoveOn.org is right in there with a petition to support their favorite spenders.  This is a devious effort to stampede our state’s legislators into codifying creative assessment methods solely intended to extract surreptitious revenues from shoppers. A follow on to the more blatant ‘Amazon Tax’ campaign of 2014. The State of Michigan got into your pocket last year, now it is your local government’s turn.

The term ‘Dark Stores Loophole’ was created to suggest that vacant big box stores have lower, fire sale values when compared to occupied stores. True enough, but we are discussing assessments used to determine real estate, i.e. property, taxes. Not taxes on business activity. The two creative assessment methods used most often to loot shoppers are ‘construction cost‘ and ‘imputed lease‘ calculations. Each might be valid under some very limited circumstances, but both are entirely invalid when assessing big box retailers.

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80th District Special Election (2015), Conservative News, Elections, Fees, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Republicans, Taxes

You Don’t Say?

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Inside Michigan Politics ranks its most conservative and most liberal legislators, and guess what?

HB4736Susan Demas, not exactly known for sympathy to conservative causes must be having fun.

Recently editing the Inside Michigan Politics scoring of conservative and liberal state representatives, she gets to shame Republicans with their own rhetoric, and as a bonus, can gloat over the self inflicted loss of true conservative voting in the Michigan house. Her report:

Inside Michigan Politics has compiled the definitive rankings of the “Most Liberal and Most Conservative” members of the House of Representatives for 2015. The rankings are based on 28 litmus test roll-call votes this year.

“Most Conservative” winners Courser and Gamrat both notched 4.8% liberal voting records. Following them is Rep. Gary Glenn (R-Midland) with a 7.1% liberal record. Reps. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) and Lana Theis (R-Brighton) tied for third by posting 10.7% liberal voting records.

Snap.

A reminder BTW, that such ‘diehard’ conservatives Glenn, Runestad, and Theis all voted yea on the expulsion of Gamrat, and the expected expulsion of Courser prompted him to resign prior to expulsion.  Gosh, they could have used a vote or two of support on HB4736, as each voted correctly to deny the government beast more of our kibble.

Hello Birthday Tax.

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Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Michigan, Rent Seeking, Republicans

The City Of Perpetual Gifting

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Detroit Public Schools continues the fiscal drain on Michigan Taxpayers.

mich-holeThe gravity exerted by SE Michigan is nothing short of incredible.

Bailouts of Arts, Pensions, Water systems, and of course the cherry on the sundae, school debt.  From today’s Cap-Con, Summarized here:

“Various bailout plans are currently under discussion in Lansing as an alternative to entering federal bankruptcy court. One plan pitched by Gov. Rick Snyder comes with a $710 million price tag.”

Don’t make any plans with that mattress money folks.

 

 

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Part Time Legislature, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Switch SuperNAP Michigan Data Center: Chaos in the Offing

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A Few Details Michigan's Legislators Might Want to Consider

Steelcase Pyramid Image 3
Michigan’s nitwit media have been gushing over the announcement last Thursday that Switch, LLC will purchase the erstwhile Steelcase Pyramid southwest of Grand Rapids and convert the site into one of their state-of-the-art SuperNAP cloud computing data centers. The ‘information economy’ has been touted as Michigan’s future by no less than Michael Dell. He was in Detroit to address the Economic Club after his company purchased EMC Corporation, another major data center operator with three facilities in Michigan, in a blow out $ 67 billion buyout. Switch SuperNAP promoters, notably The Right Place, Incorporated, are touting 1,000 new jobs in Gaines Township, but this should be regarded wth the same skepticism as any other MEDC clone employment prediction. No one has said anything about financing, but there is good reason to believe that Michigan will be asked to ‘participate’ here as well.

Steelcase vacated their distinctive Corporate Development Center in 2012 and sold it to to Norman Properties in May. Norman Properties, in turn, has agreed to sell this property to Switch LLC, pending the approval of State tax breaks. Those tax breaks have been introduced in the Michigan House by Representatives VerHeulin, Yonker, and Schor. Identical tax break legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Hildenbrand, Schuitmaker, and MacGregor. These legislators are targeting quick passage in the legislative session which convenes after their Thanksgiving break. They might want to consider a few details before they lunge further forward.

This being RightMI, you might think this post is about those tax breaks. You would be wrong. There is actually a critical flaw in this project which will injure Consumer’s Energy electricity customers all across West Michigan. A couple of other issues exist as well, but they pale in comparison to the electricity consumption of this project.  Those tax breaks are a lost cause in American politics today – not even worth protesting.

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80th District Special Election (2015), Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are!

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The Election's Over, Your 10 Days Are Up, File Your Damned Campaign Finance Statements

Richard D. McLellan

Richard D. McLellan

A scratch corporation named Michigan’s Voice (LARA 71630M) was registered with Michigan’s Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Department on 26 October by a connected lawyer, Richard D. McLellan. He signed the Articles of Incorporation on 15 October.

Michigan's Voice Flyers

Michigan’s Voice Flyers

Just in time to mail two obnoxious, lying flyers knifing Jim Storey, the second place finisher in the 80th House District special primary held on 03 November. The address used for the Michigan’s Voice LARA filing and printed on the flyers was not Richard McLellan’s, rather it was that of Eric E. Doster’s law firm Doster Law Offices, PLLC.

Close Up, Michigan's Voice Flyer

Close Up, Michigan’s Voice Flyer

 

 

The Michigan Campaign Finance Act, PA 388 of 1976, requires all committees engaged in Michigan politics to file a Statement of Organization within 10 days of being formed. MCL 169.221 Section 21(9) also requires all committees to designate a Treasurer before receiving and disbursing funds. MCL 169.232 Section 32(9) further requires all committees to report late contributions [those received after 18 October in this election] be filed with the SoS within 48 hours of receipt as well. Michigan’s Voice has done none of this.

Committees are defined in MCL 169.203, Section 3(4) as:

“a person who receives contributions or makes expenditures for the purpose of influencing or attempting to influence the action of the voters for or against the nomination or election of a candidate,………., if contributions received total $500.00 or more in a calendar year or expenditures made total $500.00 or more in a calendar year.”

The word ‘person’ in this act is used in the legal sense and most definitely refers to a corporation registered at LARA, fiddling in politics. Michigan’s Voice is assuredly a committee under the MCFA.

Michigan's Voice Articles, Page 1

Michigan’s Voice Articles, Page 1

Twenty-one days have passed since Richard McLellan signed Michigan’s Voice’s Articles of Incorporation and 10 days have passed since those Articles of Incorporation were officially filed by LARA. I received the first Michigan’s Voice flyer on 28 October, so arrangements and payments must have been made days before that. Arena Communications of Salt Lake City, the Michigan’s Voice mailings’ designer and printer, isn’t that quick and the U.S. Postal Service certainly isn’t. So the MCFA 10 day grace period has been sorely abused.

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Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Republicans, Taxes

I’ve Heard It Snows In November

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Natural disasters, or 'states of emergency' CAN happen in our Great Lakes State.

circled-wagonsMichigan is not immune to the effects of nature, and the SoS may have once again missed an opportunity to protect the electorate.

“Once again,” I say because when it mattered, Ruth Johnson sided with the governor in his lawbreaking. In the Proposal 1 (loser by 80%-20% statewide) leadup, the governor broke the law in front of Johnson, Schuette, and nearly every single lawmaker and judge in the state.

Nothing was done, and in-fact there was an effort to circumvent the process that had been defended only years before.   Even the Michigan GOP’s pet poodle Greg McNeilly noted the infraction saying “.. it was “inappropriate” for Snyder to use the televised speech to advocate for a “yes” vote on Proposal 1.” yet stopped short of calling a misdemeanor what it is. Flame Hard indeed.

But this recent failure by the SoS is a little more local, yet profound.  When a natural disaster prevents voters from reaching the polls, ought not the top elections official be a little more proactive?  In the case of an Elmwood township millage question, Johnson’s office went from a failure to uphold the law to negligence and simple abject failure.

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Fees, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

More weasel words from Gov. Rick Snyder

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It’s all about the roads!

Remember: It’s about the roads.

Say it with me again so there’s no forgetting: It’s about the roads.

No, it’s not. And I’ve got it straight from the horse’s mouth on why this actually isn’t.

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Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Republicans, Taxes

Uh-huh, sure Pete

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Yet, another way to reach into resident’s pockets without a shred of accountability.

Yessirree, that is, as chair, one helluva record you got going, Pete.

Pettalia-lite

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