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Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy, Republicans

Reconciliation To End Obamacare

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Dear Congressmen, you have not done everything in your power yet. The End.

Lying liars.

Frankly that is the first description I have for the Republican Congress critters who have assumed their positions of power in the last few years.  Especially given that there have been several ways to stop Obamacare in its tracks; up to, and including impeachment for executive authority run amuck.

Heritage makes a point that there is STILL a way to effectively repeal the ACA, aka: Obamacare.  It is called reconciliation, and it merely requires a majority vote in the Senate.

Dan Benishek – Put Up Or STFU.  I name you specifically, because you are my congress critter. You are also arguably the most ignorant in Michigan of the power that congress wields.  Get this message across to the senate Republicans or get lost.  If you leave office and have not even tried to own up to the multiple promises you have made with regard to appeal of the ACA, then you are as much of a worthless liar and cheat as the president.

H/T Abigail

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

Plan B – A Philosophy

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Spending Money Is Not Leadership

Kwame's and Bobbie's 'Bridge of Bucks' over Telegraph Road

Kwame’s and Bobbie’s ‘Bridge of Bucks’ over Telegraph Road

Now that Michigan voters have mercilessly dispatched Proposal 1 to the garbage can of history, lets talk a bit about the philosophy of a truly effective plan to get Michigan’s roads and bridges up to par. This will provide a proper foundation for developing a ‘Plan B’ which will actually improve Michigan’s roads and bridges, and be acceptable to the population as well.

The underlying premise of Proposal 1 was that the only action required to fix up Michigan’s roads and bridges was injecting big money into the Michigan Transportation Fund. The depraved philosophy of modern American government. Not true and the voters knew it. But Michigan’s power elite believed that opposition could be neutralized by icing a pile of feces with chocolate frosting. Didn’t work despite a lavish $ 10 million effort.

The condition of Michigan’s roads and bridges has only a casual relationship with the funds available in the MTF. In 2014, 11% of MTF funds were siphoned off by various State of Michigan Departments in the form of charge backs for ‘services’ rendered to the MTF, as well as priority grants that have little to do with roads and bridges. Debt service is also a component of this 11%, but that is effectively a payment for previous time preferences of bureaucrats and politicians. Then 9.5% of the remainder was diverted to the Comprehensive Transportation Fund for mass transit. Finally, the MTF was partitioned amongst the State Trunkline Fund (36%), county road agencies (34.6%), and cities (19.8%). In each partition, further funds are siphoned off by charge backs, pension payments, and OPEBs. What’s left for the roads is more a function of politicians and bureaucrats preferences at every level than the amount of money front loaded into the MTF.

So how do we proceed? First develop a philosophy to frame and inform the ‘Plan B’ debate.  After the fold.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Not in today’s market.

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While still remaining cautiously optimistic on the results of today’s vote, I would still like to take the high road here and avoid doing “a victory lap”, even one that is well deserved.

That been said, one of the pat responses that I can practically guarantee will come from Lansing in the coming days is the worn out lament that “there is nowhere to cut”.

You know that this is bunk.

I know that this is bunk.

The answers are there.

The clip below is just one example of where substantial savings can be found from Lansing.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

So, this was what we were missing?

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Just dusting off one of a few old projects that I’ve had one hell of a time trying to finish up over the past few weeks.

Composing a post on a tablet is relatively easy compared to trying to edit something on video. Even moreso when the truck is moving

Watching the local news this afternoon gave me the final push to finish things up before tomorrow.

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Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Humor in Michigan, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

The Editor’s Choice Awards

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RightMi.Com editors weigh in on their favorite anti-prop 15-1 articles.

GasTaxRegistrationFreesHikeWe’ve had plenty to say about proposal 15-1.

In fact, there was so much to be said that we had to create a special category for it, and all things leading up to, and related have been edited by Kevin to reflect their importance to the issue.  While the traditional media sources play the equal opportunity game with both proponents and opponents of HR UU (proposal 15-1), it’s been our position to not do so.  We have maintained that equal opportunity is already a function of those who would lie about its ‘advantages,’ and it needs no further promotion to make it one of the most dangerous options Michiganians have ever faced at the ballot box.

As we wrap up the arguments with only 2 days left before the polls close, RightMi.com editors thought it important to offer up a few ‘MUST READS!’ As you make a special trip to the polls for an election day that you wouldn’t have if the last legislative session would have done its job we have highlighted the most compelling.  The editors have selected 5 or more articles from RightMi.com directly, and one other from anywhere else, traditional or otherwise.

Let the review begin!

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Cronyism, Democrats, Michigan, Opinion, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

Just Going Around the Neighborhood….

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Because the special interest root cause of Proposal 1 makes this timely.

Wood stoves? Close your school? This is our state government in action, folks. Lansing’s Republican majority dare touch the insurance industry’s $20B slush fund? Nyet.

Think this kind of government endorsed behavior has no effect on you?

reddy-the-shiv1Just wait until Lansing starts working on Snyder, Bloomberg, and Obama’s energy policy in Michigan.

Well informed RightMi.com readers cannot say they were not warned here, here, here, and here.

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

MITA is Indeed Scraping the Bottom of Its Barrel – Updated Sunday

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SafeRoadsYes! Morphing Into A Very Expensive White Elephant - Big New Money Going Down the Drain!

Out of Money ImageAnother day, another $ 105,000 delivered to SafeRoadsYes! Here are the latest contributions made to SafeRoadsYes! on 28 April and posted by the Michigan Secretary of State today:

  • MITA gave another $ 25,000, new total circa $ 5.42 million
  • Michigan Aggregates Association gave $ 20,000, their first act of obeisance
  • PVS-Nolwood gave $ 25,000, new total $ 75,000
  • Operating Engineers Local 324 gave $ 35,000, new total $ 135,000

The motives of three late contributors are pretty obvious. PVS-Nolwood is a chemical company in Detroit specializing in acids and their disposal. As [a very profitable] part of this business, they unload neutralized acid byproducts on wastewater treatment plants as clarifiers. Those wastewater treatment plants just happen to be owned by various units of government which, in turn, use their water billings to rape the public at large. PVS-Nolwood have a long history of sucking up to Michigan’s power elites to further their very lucrative business interests.

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

So what exactly is going on here?

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This better have something to do with Plan “B”.

 

‘Nuff said!

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

Lucido Clear On Proposal 15-1 Power Grab

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Why would we need to tax ourselves more at the pump or otherwise???

Don’t even start with me on government honeypots.

There’s a problem with those big ol cash reserves set up for specific issue.  They WILL get raided for something else someday.  Recall the tobacco settlement which has been re-purposed at least a couple of times since the award.   Remember the BCBS Three and a half $Billion of ratepayer/Taxpayer (by reason of contract with state)  money that has disappeared.

Peter Lucido says not necessary. While most lawmakers are cowering in fear lest someone learn how they stand, he is as clear as glass on the issue. In this case, its a $20,000,000,000.00 pile of dough that earns nearly a billion a year?    Given the planned obsolescence of such a fund in the wake of ‘insurance reform,’ why on earth would we NOT consider its use for paying down current and immediate needs.

$20 billion? holy guacamole.

Oh and someone stand watch over Rick’s ‘stash’ ok?

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