Will Michigan continue to provide unchecked investments for unworthy results?
I would say that yes, we were indeed “Blown away” by the abuses of our state government allowing such abuse by the taxpayer.
Pure Michigan has become the key phrase for all thing corruptible and cronyist. According to Cap Con, much of the taxpayer largess spent on economic development has yielded zero benefit. They point out:
“.. In addition, some investment groups received millions through the fund but created zero jobs and no proceeds ..”
“Investment” ..It has a catchy ring to it, yes?
Certainly the gravy train doesn’t have to stop here however. It kept going right through the administration of the man who is quintessentially the father of government giveaways in Michigan. Snyder had bragged up other money giveaways that might actually include real employment, along with questionable results
A $million here, a $million there.. Ask any county administrator facing legacy pension obligations what they might do with an additional 7 figures worth of cash. Though Granholm was blissfully ignorant of real market economics and embarrassed herself with the blown away comment, the gravy didn’t exactly stop when he took office.
It still flows.
Perhaps its time to give up and work on that paperwork for the teleportation device development grant.
(10)Nuh Uh.
(0)
(Jason):
"...Ask any county administrator facing legacy pension obligations what they might do with an additional 7 figures worth of cash..."
Most today aren't doing anything until they meekly approach those (privately) making up THE BALANCE of that same unfunded (cough) 'liability' so that a no-vote-of-the-people-required pension obligation bond may be issued before 2018. Those benefitting from these POBs (statewide) are the only ones (left) who know where all the bodies are buried. Their longtime employers/benefactors have long standing community-wide investments to protect which desperately needed bankruptcies would....end of story.
Wasn't the Mackinaw Center solidly AGAINST pension obligation bonds (for years) until our kids were forced to work for far less at the exact same jobs made much more difficult by those riding off in to the sunset with THEIR pensions/benefits now (suddenly) in hand? Wasn't the MCP's flip flop (then) centered around just how 'great' defined benefit plans would be for our kids (only) vs outright bankruptcies/SHARED sacrifices in every single pension/benefit plan ever created?
Or was the Mackinaw Center covering pension/benefit fiascos statewide spawning POBs which corporate funded non-profits/foundations were tasked with 'making up the difference' on so that a POB could even be (realistically) issued???
...an oldie but goodie which never made the publicly/privately funded connection either:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-08-15/record-bonds-lure-michigan-cities-as-pension-plug-muni-credit
Cramming unprecedented generational theft in to the next two years so that every gray-haired selfish 'patriot' is effectively lifted OFF of our children's fast sinking ship: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(cv2sdfy0pfbmllg3qnmyooze))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-141-2518
"..(b) Evidence that the issuance of the municipal security **together with other funds lawfully available** will be sufficient to eliminate the unfunded pension liability or the unfunded accrued health care liability.
https://medium.com/@kathivaleii/kalamazoo-why-some-are-looking-a-70-million-gift-horse-in-the-outh-424847ee9e74#.5rt9rxe2o
"7 figures", Jason? (as you are well aware)
Pocket change.
When the 20th and 21st century history of this state is written, it will be in the context of these fast upcoming pension obligation bonds and those who continually feigned interest in illustrating the damning of generational theft in any proper, historical, or 'real time' context.
That sad chapter will be the hard/damning lesson learned in terms of freedom lost not through previous self-sacrifices preventing same but those which would NOT be made with freedom (period) starkly in the balance involving their own children and countrymen.
There is not a worse legacy to leave in terms of a free nation and those claiming the education, wealth or knowledge to keep it.
...."blown away" (defined) is my generation continuing to empty what's left of our state treasury (day -to -day receipts only) by way of both giveaways to their buddies (above) and all future receipts (first) addressed to themselves in a southern locale.
"Blown away" then becomes our grandchildren's FUTURE ignored by entire generations attempting to 'spoil them' vs very easily educating these doomed children to an approaching fate (again) very easily averted by simple sacrifice on their grandparent's part.
At least they'll have that "Nintendo" gram and gramps gave them (to sell) when they're calculating the cost of burials and dealing with reverse mortgages (if they're blessed).
Several questions, but don't expect answers:
1. Whose getting paid to thunk this garbage up? I want my $$ back.
2. Why is Granholm (who fled the state) who lied to so many (remember the students who agreed to take the MEAP for $600 in college tuition?; remember the employers who agreed to hire to be paid later with non-existent funds? etc.) so involved in the Clinton campaign? Is this Canadian-born citizen heading to the Supreme Court if Clinton's elected? Now that's a scary thought.
3. What would happen if we taxpayers placed our taxes (state and federal) into an escrow account until this mess get's resolved (which would be never). And, this money cannot be spent unless we owners of this escrow account allows it. In fact, we should immediately halt any payments to federal government and keep this money home. We could pull a Trump and renegotiate every federal dollar being taken and not returned; and give ourselves an Iran deal, refusing to release any funds until a plane filled with Billions lands here. -OR-immediately invoke the Tenth Amendment and tell the feds our money stays here (including the gas tax). These are our employees who need to be fired!
We need to stop funding all the mini oligarchy's permeating every aspect of gov. We need a constitutional amendment where no federal government funds are used by any agency (public and private) and if the State needs money, they can ask us, the owners of the state. I'm tired of just renting here, having absolutely no representation anywhere.
To all of us, the solutions are so black and white. Thanks for letting me vent!