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All the Other Stuff, Michigan Politics

Cronyists Line Up To Smack Down The Little Guy

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Reposted from RightMichigan.com

The main street crony action force is out.

What better way to insure higher prices, less competition, and bigger bureaucracies than to pass the so-called “MainStreet Fairness Act”?

A letter being sent today to the Michigan Congressional Delegation makes the following claims:

  • “The signatories consist of a wide spectrum of constituencies, including small business owners, members of state retailers associations and chambers of commerce, local elected officials, and consumers, all who want to see this commonsense highly oppressive solution signed into law.”
  • “This is a critical issue for small businesses. They not only struggle to match the tax-freeShipping and logistics added prices their customers can find online, but also frequently find themselves in the frustrating position of having their stores used as showrooms by online shoppers. Their time and resources are being used up to make sales for their out-of-state competitors.”
  • “Opponents of the Marketplace Fairness Act have tried to argue that it imposes a new tax on consumers. But that is simply not true. The Marketplace Fairness Act will impose no new tax or tax increase of any kind, but merely create a method that states and communities can use to collect taxes they are already owed. An incredible bureaucratic nightmare for low volume sellers who are struggling to deal with increasing regulatory conditions already. For over two decades, the Internet sales tax loophole has prevented these taxing entities from receiving the legitimate revenue they need to fund essential public services for our residents leaving a revenue hole that taxpayers have had to fill.”

Strike out emphasis and editing mine.

It is an increase in the cost of business. An increase in the complication of business. An Increase in the growth of government. An increase in prices as the big box stores and larger internet retailers regain their advantage over the mom and pop enterprises.

Its cronyism. Pure and simple. BIG MONEY pushing the little guy out, and using the hammer of government to do it. Because he keeps competition in place.

I have said before, that there IS a way to solve this, and for the states who collect sales tax to get their revenues, but this cluster foxtrot is not a good path. Any congressman worth his or her salt would recognize a disaster in the making for what it is.

Tyranny waits for no one. Contact your rep now.

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Have A Drink On Me.

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Put down the muscatel.

Lets hear a story over a stiff shooter.

SHOT: 
@RepGaryPeters: We must act to prevent student loan rates from doubling July 1. Find out how an increase would affect MI families: Uhhhh… .

CHASER:
Gary Peters Voted Against A Bill To Extend A Lower Rate For Student Loans. “Passage of the bill that would tie student loan interest rates to the 10-year Treasury note rate. Interest rates on all federal student loans (except Perkins loans) issued on or after July 1, 2013 would be set each year at the 10-year Treasury note plus 2.5 percent. Rates for graduate and parent PLUS loans would be set at the 10-year note plus 4.5 percent. Overall interest rates would be capped at 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively.” (H.R. 1911, CQ Vote #183: Passed 221-198: R 217-8; D 4-190, 5/23/13, Peters Voted Nay)

If Gary Peters was actually worried about student loan rates, why did he oppose a bill to prevent the rates from doubling for Michigan students and then hide it from voters?

ahhh..

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Second Class Lion Taming

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The question of whether or not to ‘allow’ marriage to persons who identify based on their activities is absurd.

Is that not what the supreme court is being asked to validate? In the case before our Nation’s highest court, the justices are being asked to determine whether California’s 2008 Proposition 8 as enacted by voters is constitutional.  they are being asked to either affirm the decision of United States District Court Judge Vaughn Walker,  who overturned it on August 4, 2010; his argument being a violation of both the Due Process clause, and Equal Protections clause of the 14th amendment.

A inaccurate understanding of the 14th amendment if ever there was one.

Due Process guarantees a process under which something might be taken.  It allows the imposed upon person or class to prepare a defense or answer to actions being used to deprive an individual, or group, a particular thing.  It also requires law to be sufficiently understandable or substantive.

So is language prohibiting marriage between same sexes vague or understandable?

The ballot text reading “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.“ should be considered clear.  Based upon that, voters by a 52-48% margin agreed to it.  The motivations of the voters nor understanding of the full ramifications of passage cannot be legitimately parsed by a court and if so, under only the most subjective terms.  Being clearly stated, the language defines well enough the result of passing such a measure.

The other possible Due Process violation is the depriving from one class by law; something to which it is entitled, or has a right to. Jim Crow laws which forbid public services that whites enjoyed, to blacks, would be a classic and easily understood example.  The argument was then presumably, heterosexual partners enjoy a recognition of marriage, not afforded to homosexual couples.  In fact the conclusion by the judge:

“Plaintiffs challenge Proposition 8 under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Each challenge is independently meritorious, as Proposition 8 both unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and creates an irrational classification on the basis of sexual orientation”

And he then uses an explanation of Due process, as that which

“protects individuals against arbitrary governmental intrusion into life, liberty or property. “

Except, there is no intrusion.

The “Right To Marry” as demonstrated by the citations in the decision, has been recognized.  However, Judge Vaughn purposefully sought to ignore the more broadly accepted definition of marriage, which would have settled the matter without further argument; the part being that marriage is defined as between a man and a woman.  Plaintiffs in the case were essentially arguing that the judiciary must redefine that which has thousands of years of tradition, and has no reason to be changed except to suit their desired outcome; one that voters in the state of California deemed to be illegitimate.

The Plaintiffs were never denied due process, as their arguments were heard, and simply rebuked as non conforming to the definition they wished to have assigned to their relationships.  They were never denied equal protections, as they too could exercise marriage, which by definition is a covenant between a single man and a single woman; but not something they ‘desired’.   They could still seek another of opposite sex for marriage as anyone else might.

The burden of reaching any particular designation rests squarely upon the person seeking it.  If ‘Marriage’ is what a woman wants, then there is nothing that government can do to prevent her from seeking and marrying a man; and a man likewise seeking a woman for said purpose.  No unfair burden has been placed on the persons seeking marriage, except that for it to be recognized that they should be of opposite gender.  Their rights are IDENTICAL to those who would naturally seek out such a relationship.

Because calling it marriage doesn’t automatically make it so.  No more than calling me “Dr. Gillman. ”

I haven’t earned the title.  I haven’t the prerequisite skills, or knowledge, yet under the redefining of institutions nothing like this should be off the table.  Its my ‘RIGHT’ to be a doctor. I demand my title! Oh and by the way, Catholics are Jews, and Jews are Catholics.  And any freak who thinks they can sing can be called Lady Gaga.  And while we are at it, Dennis Lennox is a lion tamer.  No experience necessary, just toss him in there, because defining him as such makes it so.  No really.. do that, and I buy the argument.

Right?

The judge in his ruling is attempting to DEFINE marriage based on his own subjective analysis, when it’s recipe has been a clearly established static since before the destruction of Sodom.  It simply IS what it IS.  Up is up, down is down, and water is wet.  Imaginative claims that redefine our language, and thus, our cultural norms, do not become more relevant because we are more accepting or tolerant.  Words have meaning, and in this case, it is no different because of an immature refusal to accept what it is.

Immaturity so quickly displayed with the language used toward anyone who might challenge the assertion that homosexuality is normal, and particularly now as rational people decline to agree with a broad brush of definitions re-casting standards in our culture, for the sake of the 2%. Displayed too easily when  temper tantrums might well be celebrated by media outlets, and make great reporting.  Immaturity and name calling tantrums that hardly advance any socially redeeming discussions.  Should we craft policy and change our language to suit those who throw them?

MarriageClubAdditionally, under Judge Vaughn’s ruling, the right to marry carries over into other bizarre possibilities.  His opinion and published claim of “irrational classification on the basis of sexual orientation” might well meet a new threshold of tolerance someday when a judge who uses Vaughn’s decision as precedent, declares his own claim of “irrational classification on the basis of mammalian orientation” with a man or woman in love with their dog, or wildebeest.

Or whatever it is that Mooooves them

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Midland exparte courtesy? Outrageous.

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Commentary by Kenneth A, a witness to the events: On the morning of April 8th, in the Circuit Court of Midland County, the Department of Environmental Quality had scheduled a hearing date and time for their Submitted Motions. The Department of Environmental Quality was the moving party.

At the Scheduled time of 10:30 Am, the State of Michigan, sitting as the Department of Environmental Quality did not show for the hearing IT had scheduled.

The Plaintiff then moved for a Default on the moving party which is and was the State of Michigan sitting as the Department of /Environmental Quality.

Stephen J. Carras the presiding Judge in response to the Motion for Default, stated he would adjourn Court for Ten Minutes to afford the MISSING moving party “time to show”.

Unbeknownst to the Plaintiff, whilst sitting in Chambers under the color of a “ten minute recess”, the presiding Judge moved an ex parte communication to the missing Defendant to discuss a substantive issue.

This ex parte communication was a telephone call made to the missing moving party, the State of Michigan..

This fact of the ex parte communication by telephonic contact was discovered following the questionable actions of the presiding judge later in the day by the party Plaintiff.

Upon Returning to the Court Room, the Presiding Judge stated “As a Courtesy” to the missing moving party, the State of Michgian; he would reschedule the hearing that said Defendant had failed to attend.

The Judge mentioned in a round about off handed way that the Missing Moving Party had stated it thought the hearing time was for 2 pm. How would a Presiding Judge know that fact, unless he had discussed the issue ex parte in Chambers during the Ten Minute Recess with the missing moving party!

The actions of the Presiding Judge granted the delinquent moving party a procedural and tactical advantage, for as a matter of law, said moving party should have been defaulted for failure to properly prosecute its action.

The Michigan Rules of Court are clearly written wherein the actions of the Presiding Judge in this instant case are at best questionable, and at its worst a deliberate action by a presiding judicial officer to knowingly violate the Michigan Rules of Court as clearly annotated in the Code of Judicial Conduct , Cannon 3(4)(a)(i)& (ii).

The failure of the moving party to attend ITS Scheduled hearing is a substantive issue.

The moving party, The State of Michigan, who failed to show, is the Party that pays a large percentage of the presiding Judge’s Salary. This action of the presiding judge to knowingly hold ex parte communications on a substantive issue brings to mind a point annotated in “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America”

“He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.”

All stand equal in the law, unless they are the State of Michigan, who in the judicial eyes of the Circuit Court in Midland County is more equal than others!  By Kenneth A. Ration   theionian@charter.net

 

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Motivational Posters

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We’ve all seen the motivational posters that truly inspire excellence.

Even a ‘De-motivational’ line has appeared inspiring laughter from all who recognize their own weaknesses, and failings.  Even the low resolution versions of those became ‘viral’ for a time, and caused many to try and duplicate based on their own version of irony and truth telling. Alas, we are not immune to the allure of entertainment with the truth, and nothing but the truth.

payback

Glass houses indeed.

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RightMichigan.Com Endorses Blake Edmonds For Michigan Republican Party Youth Chair

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Though we apply a decent dose of critique and praise at times, we don’t always officially endorse from here.

History will demonstrate that its hard to do so, without a near guarantee at some point that we eat crow.  Some folks make mistakes, and we might even be associated with those mistakes when, and if, that time comes.  In fact, associations are often a good indication of a candidate’s character, or at the very least, his or her ability to discern the good from the bad.  An occasional judgment lapse doesn’t define a person, and as well, a minor success or effort does not either. However, we must embrace those who bring the whole package in a productive manner.

We must look at the big picture.

Today, we start with the recognition that our young voters have not only been misled by current political events, but their indoctrination in our failing public education system completes the corrosive understanding of government and politics.  Folks, we recognize the need to concentrate first and foremost on that big picture by stepping up our outreach to our younger voters and activists. We need to embrace them.  Not only to rebuild their trust in traditional conservative values as espoused in our Republican platforms, but get them involved as it is THEIR future we are fighting for.

blake-edmondsTo reach them, RightMichigan.Com endorses the selection of Blake Edmonds for the Michigan Republican Party Youth Chair.

Blake has been fortunate enough to have had a solid family values background, a sense of self reliance, work ethic, and skills that have allowed him to develop a college Republican organization that has kept the interest of his peers for more than a single meeting.  He is willing to expand upon those skills statewide with a realistic strategy of growth by inclusion and involvement.  This last point cannot be over-emphasized. Without a sense of belonging, its hard to rally the effort needed to win elections and spread a constitutional Republican message. A history of his efforts point to a likelihood of success as youth Chair.

We note the clearly conservative voices in support of Blake as well with Jen Gratz (HERO of Michigan’s MCRI effort) Sarah Ledford, (incumbent youth chair) Jeff Sakwa, (2012 candidate, MSU trustee) and Dave Agema, who has demonstrated that there is room in the Republican party for ethical conservative leadership.  On Blake’s site one can find some quite favorable commentary.   Association with these conservative stalwarts, along with a well considered plan of action, complemented by results already achieved by bringing a conservative Republican message to our youth, seals the deal.

A last word needs to be said however.  for Blake, and others whom we may endorse in the next few days, it is important that he is allowed to accomplish what needs to be done.  That requires a commitment to a party environment that fosters inclusion.  Clearly, it would be helpful to consider a change at the top of our state party, so that such talent is not held back by a repressive central control.

And THAT, We will address shortly.

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Jobs Jobs and More Jobs

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Things are looking brighter in our great lakes state.  Unless, of course, one wants to use a light bulb to make it so.

A demand for engineers in Michigan:

“Andrew Watt says he figures the shelf life of an auto engineer looking for a job in Michigan is about three days. Companies that wait longer than that will have to get back in line for the next candidate.

“If their skills are even on the edges of automotive, they can get a job,” said Watt, whose iTalent LLC in Troy finds engineering and information technology workers for companies in nine states. “There’s an extreme shortage. There’s way more demand than supply.”

This might be true, but if 25×25 is approved by voters, we can kiss Michigan manufacturing goodbye

Demand, Supply ..  Funny how such things work.

The long term effect of our emerging technical interaction with each other will continue to create demand for such things as better engineered automobiles, heavy equipment and other manufactured goodies.  But the most important thing that ties it all together is electricity.  Cheap, abundant electricity that will continue to power the goodies, toys, and necessary equipment that keeps us healthy, mobile, and interactive.

Environmentalists in Michigan, need to mature into the continuing reality of our still relatively industrial state.  Those idealists growing up and believing the world of The Lorax exists around us need to stop believing in the fairy tale promises of such efforts as the United Nations 25×25 plan which will appear on your Michigan ballot in November.

DR. Seuss is dead.

And yes, I DID say, the United Nations plan.

Continued below ~

The 25×25 number is no coincidence.  In fact even proponents would likely point those who are curious to 25×25.org, to get their curiosity sated.   What is barely discernible from the outward front of the site is its United Nations Related ownership. (note the contact email for the connection)  The UN of course, has been steadily promoting its globalization platform to equalize all the population into an equal state of misery with its Agenda 21.

Even as people are awakening to the UN Agenda 21, and its effects on private property and the way we live our lives, its still plodding forward slowly driven by the inertia of roughly 20 years.  In 1992, we were told that the rest of the world was poor.  And poor, not because of their own despotic governments, central planning, or inefficient socialist tendencies, but rather as a result of our (U.S.A.’s) own successes.

And Bill Clinton couldn’t wait to sign on.

And on June 29, 1993, The “President’s Council on Sustainable Development” was established by Executive Order No. 12852.

Its mission described as “solely advisory in nature” though since that time, countless federal grants and incentives to local governments through COG functionaries (‘Council of Government’ – Non government organizations, but partnered with government) have been given.  Those non profit NGOs have then acted to finance the implementation of zoning and planning rules that wouldn’t have had the interest without the seed money feeding planners and local officials who express a desire for cool cities, village centers etc..

A21 and its accompanying Rio Declaration are pretty clear.

“Principle 8

To achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all people, States should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and promote appropriate demographic policies.

What is Unsustainable? And who decides the ‘demographics?”  And it likely cannot be done without an excessive amount of planning.

We have been wondering up here in the hinterland why some rural communities and townships would EVER consider hiring urban planners to work full time.  Perhaps it was the free money to start doing so?  One of those MSU trained planners locally developed an ordinance for campgrounds locally that restricted the ability of a family to live on the campground they built to only September.  Stating “It would be a Residence then..”, the planner pointed to it as a zoning argument.

Yeah, because an owner living on his own camping property violates everyone else’s rights.

And in the upper peninsula, the ongoing concern for a coal plant should be ringing the alarm bells like a catholic church on Sunday morning.  I wrote about it last December:

“And manufacturing is what Michigan has always been about. No Utopian vision of cool cities and green ‘great societies’ where we are all fed like pigs with a trough, can undermine the fact that Michigan’s secret to success has always been its ability to craft, create, or build, and its secret to recovery will be the same.  A higher cost to manufacturers translates directly into either higher cost of goods, a few less people on the line, or even more devastating a loss of a company altogether.  According to a September SMU study, energy could be particularly hurtful to Upper Michigan’s core industry, paper.

“For each manufacturing job lost, many other dependent jobs will also exit the economy. One in eight private sector jobs rely upon our manufacturing base. For energy intensive manufacturing industries, the relationship is even higher. For example, models show each job lost in iron and steel, 12.3 jobs are lost elsewhere, pulp and paper, 9.7 jobs and refining, 36.3 jobs”

A higher cost of energy in the Midwest, means higher costs to mine ore, produce steel, means losses of jobs there, and results in double whammy to the upper peninsula paper producers.Oh, and costs WILL be higher.  Even directly to the consumers in the UP by the actions of this administration’s EPA, the cost of electricity will likely increase by 4 cents per KWH.  A shutdown of this particular plant in Marquette will require the building of a transmission system from Wausau, WI at a cost of a Billion bananas.

Typically, those costs are passed along to buyers of electricity, ya know?

When considering the cause and effect of such overreaching regulatory efforts on Michigan’s working class, one might consider such factors to be important. If overall health concerns are truly paramount, then the cause and effect might matter to a discerning leader.  If  economic health concern is a part of the equation then any leader who feigns ignorance of such effect is derelict in his or her service representing us.

And therein lies the problem.”

Indeed.

And now, under the guise of a local environmental initiative, the 25×25 plan is trying to force us out of even more. The initiative would mandate that by 2025, 25% of the state’s electricity must come form renewable resources. In one of the strange twists of the environmental movement, those resources by the way, DO include hydro electric power,   yet all the previous enviro-babble (25×25.org does not) has stated it is NOT a renewable.  The proposal was filed by Michigan Energy, Michigan Jobs on January 12, 2012, and turned in July 6 for the November ballot. Indeed it follows the UN Rio Declaration principles and guides us toward a more complete compliance with A21:

Principle 15

In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.

You know, if someone were to point out that space debris and mind control waves enters our atmosphere daily, shouldn’t we as a precautionary measure wear tinfoil helmets when outdoors?  Certainly lack of scientific certainty should not be used to hinder our absolute safety.  I am sure they  could be purchased cheap, or made with your left over thanksgiving baked bean covering.

The radical  25×25 initiative is a way to get us out of the manufacturing business. (A global agenda) And it is unworkable. The Environmental Council has the MSU Green sheet Jobs report states:

” … Beginning no later than 2025, at least 25% of each electricity provider’s annual retail electricity sales in Michigan shall be derived from the generation or purchase of electricity produced from clean renewable electric energy sources. The foregoing clean renewable electric energy standard shall be implemented incrementally and in a manner that fosters a diversity of energy generation technologies. Facilities used for satisfying the standard shall be located within Michigan or within the retail customer service territory of any electric utility, municipally-owned electric utility or cooperative electric utility operating in Michigan.

Consumers shall be charged for electricity from clean renewable electric energy sources in the same manner and on the same basis as for electricity from other sources.

To protect consumers, compliance with the clean renewable electric energy standard shall not cause rates charged by electricity providers to increase by more than 1% in any year. Annual extensions for meeting the standard may be granted, but only to the extent demonstrated to be necessary for an electricity provider to comply with the foregoing rate limitation.”

1% increase in cost limit? Yeah..  Good luck with that.  The chart below gives an example of the comparisons.

And the claim of jobs creation has already been debunked.  Spain tried it, and has since suspended its support for such things:

“The results in Spain were even more stark than in Germany: a study conducted in 2009 found that for every 1 “green” job that Spain created, 2.2 jobs were destroyed elsewhere.”

Expensive energy (no way we would see 1% increases) will certainly not increase jobs as THIS release would lead you to believe:

“At least 74,495 Michigan jobs will be created if the Michigan Energy Michigan Jobs renewable energy ballot proposal passes in November, according to a new report from researchers at Michigan State University.

The study also found the higher renewable electricity standard would create more than $10 billion in new investments. “

First off.  It would certainly create jobs in the green sectors.  But the lesson Spain gives us should give pause to voters stupid enough to sign on to this.  Secondly, $10 billion might be accurate as well, however, $100 billion or more in withdrawn or depreciated investments in manufacturing just (barely) negates this gain.  Third, there is this little problem with how the job creation is represented:

“The Michigan Environmental Council’s press releasesaid that the Michigan Energy, Michigan Jobs renewable energy ballot proposal would create 74,495 jobs.However, the report never said it would create 74,495 jobs, but instead said it would create that many “job years.” It’s an important distinction in economic analysis that the MSU report acknowledges.

OK, then on the backside, we would only see a “Spain effect” job loss of 163,889 job YEARS.  Funny how some things are measured that way.  Is a Job year similar to the “President’s Council on Sustainable Development’s  person-years? (see number 5)

Yep, things are indeed looking up.

Up, as in Cost to produce goods, unemployment, wealth and technology transfer overseas, and overall misery index.

Forget about it.

The 25X25 Ballot initiative would be more like a 2×4 on the back of the heads of job creators in Michigan.

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