All the Other Stuff

Ethics, Integrity, And Long Knives

wayne-afp009“He’s our hometown boy.” Said one of the executive committee members of a vote taken this last Thursday.

The vote, was one by the executive board of the Grand Traverse County Republican Party on whether to endorse State Senate Candidate Wayne Schmidt over Greg MacMaster in the 37th State Senate primary contest.  The vote to choose one candidate over another in partisan (GOP) races would normally be considered off the table except under extraordinary circumstances.  At least that is how it is designated in the by-laws of a number of other GOP county parties.

Questions must be asked.  Is it prudent or even a legitimate practice? Is it fair to the candidates?  Is it fair to the membership, and does it misrepresent the opinion of the party at-large?

You Betcha! (21)Nuh Uh.(4)

We Agree

One of the stupid things we do when applying the law, is to attempt to read minds.

Motivation is certainly a part of the considerations when determining guilt in circumstantial considerations, but applying a specific penalty to those motives?  Nolan Finley gets it right this time:

“It just doesn’t matter. No one should ever be charged with a hate crime.

For one thing, layering on the hate crime charge creates unequal classes of victims.

If you get murdered by a junkie who wants your wallet, or a jealous husband, or a maniac on a killing spree, you’re just as dead as someone who gets offed by a racist.”

And frankly if the punishment ought to be increased under the suspicion that the perpetrator(s) were doing a ‘hate crime’, then it ought to apply always.

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

AFP Major Tax Day Plans Across Michigan

Americans For Prosperity Engages For Tax Day Rallies In Michigan And Elsewhere

afp-LH_smallAmericans For Prosperity is not exactly bashful this tax season.

On Saturday April 12, AFP will be with activists to stage demonstrations across the country, and at a couple of places in Michigan.  In Livonia, AFP is holding a Tax Day Rally at the VisTaTech Center, Schoolcraft College from 11 AM  to 3PM The rally will feature speeches by Tony Katz, host of the radio talk show “Tony Katz Tonight” on 93.1 FM WIBC and contributor to Townhall.com; and Frank Beckmann, host of “The Frank Beckmann Show” on News/Talk 760 WJR and Detroit News weekly columnist.

Up North, In Gaylord, AFP will have a “Going After the Bucks” Tax Day Rally at Big Buck’s Brewery in Gaylord; 550 S. Wisconsin Ave Gaylord, MI 49735 to rally for our economic freedoms! If you register, AFP is buying lunch! You can register here! (we hear the food is really good) Time of the rally is 11:30 to 3pm

You Betcha! (6)Nuh Uh.(0)

Self Service & Jerky Knees

Detroit City Council's New Knee-Jerk Licensing Requirements Out Of Line

cctv-cameraOne would think there is a point where even the most oppressive government knows when to say when.

I sell security cameras, and the related security recorders. There are few people who understand the advantages of having a properly set up security camera system than myself.  One light think I would always advocate on behalf of my profession. However, like other mandatory (kaf kaf- Obamacare) ‘solutions,’ forcing a business to buy those systems is just plain wrong.  The Detroit news reports that the Detroit city council is doing just that:

“The City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to strengthen licensing requirements for self-service gas stations in the city and requires strategically placed indoor and outdoor digital surveillance cameras in the wake of a brutal beating on the city’s east side last week.”

“Licensing Requirements” are being used as an excuse to provide public policing tools (remember, police are there AFTER the events) on the back of the gas station owners.

You Betcha! (6)Nuh Uh.(0)

No Need for Public Concern

Because Indiana is the epicenter for earthquakes

Christchurch, New Zealand - March 20 2011: Fitzgerald Avenue Bridge Destruction.Right?

Saturday, a taxpayer funded exercise in preparedness was going on.  From the always-up-to-something folks in state government:

LANSING. In an effort to practice and test its emergency mobilization capabilities, the Michigan State Police (MSP) is participating in a simulated exercise tomorrow; Saturday, April 5, 2014.

 

The simulated preparedness exercise will test the department’s response to an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request for police officers to assist the State of Indiana with recovery operations in the aftermath of a simulated earthquake. The scenario will require the mobilization of 60 MSP personnel from across the state to the Lansing area. ..

 

Please note: This is not a media event but rather an advisory to the media to help prevent any public concern during the activities of this simulated exercise.

Nothing to see here.

Move along now folks.

You Betcha! (5)Nuh Uh.(1)

Stephen Henderson, why do you have a Free Press reporter playing fast and loose with the facts?

This is an update to a post that I wrote yesterday.

Let me start off by saying that sometimes I get feedback on what I write. Usually e-mail. Sometimes face-to-face. Last night/this morning it was different…someone actually called me. I didn’t recognize the number at first, but later found found out afterwards it was through a mutual friend.

I got some complements on what I wrote, but they wanted to know why I stopped where I did.

Truth be told, I was on the Eastside for most of that day. I didn’t have enough time for a more thorough follow-up because of my own schedule.

I spoke to them about what was missing and asked them to forward me some links for verification.

It’s amazing what gets “omitted” in a product put out by “professional” journalists. In this case, The Detroit Free Press’ own Niraj Warikoo.

You Betcha! (3)Nuh Uh.(0)

It’s called fellowship. Something someone practicing a “religion of peace” should easily understand. Fortunately it appears there are some who do.

It never gets tiring going after the PC crowd on the radio, online or in the rare instance face-to-face.

But what really sets me off is when they try to bastardize the meaning of the documents that they cite in an pathetic attempt to win an argument.

Dateline: Dearborn, Michigan

On Friday, a parent in Dearborn Public Schools blew a gasket when his children brought home a flyer from the local elementary promoting “Eggstravaganza!” at the Cherry Hill Presbyterian Church in Dearborn.

A copy of the “offending” flyer can be seen here.

Basically, the flyer for the April 12th event (not actually held on Easter), invited people to participate in egg hunt, relay race and egg toss (not actually tenets of the religious holiday of Easter). They were asked to RSVP if they wanted to attend along with an image of a Easter Eggs and a bunny (not actual symbols of the religious holiday of Easter).

You Betcha! (8)Nuh Uh.(1)

Saturday Wrap Up – And Other KrisAnne Hall Stops

Can't Miss Classes On The Constitution

KrisanneToday’s KrisAnne Hall presentation in front of 100 plus in Traverse City was nothing short of eye opening.

Hall offered to a ‘Constitutional Conservative Republican’ Senate leader in Florida, the way in which the state could ‘nullify’ provisions of the healthcare law. The Senate leader Don Gaetz replied in an email to Hall with a disturbing note:

don-gaetz“After sending Senator Don Gaetz my letter explaining the positions of James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton on State Sovereignty, Mr. Gaetz says that citizens who agree with the writer of the Declaration of Independence should be summarily shot and hanged.”

Summing up the attitude that makes up a greater part of the leadership in the country.

While I digest all of the class information, file away the epiphanies, and prepare for the next round of historical fact based blogging observations, It occurs to me that other Michigan folks might appreciate a heads up of what to expect.  First off, you might THINK you know the constitution, and you might even know of the documents that were ‘plagiarized,’ to form the basis of the constitution, but her presentation will fill in where it matters.

You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(0)