Beware the unintended consequence of shallow thinking.
Sometimes, folks want to have an impact in their communities.
They might oppose a millage, pass out literature and information about proposed spending by their local governments. Some might simply try to engage their neighbors in a campaign process through simple means. They might try to encourage certain priorities as well, and may do so by only spending a few bucks at the local copy mart.
All of this free speech is protected, right? In fact, such expression is legally permissible without a legal regimen, allowing up to $1000 to be spent currently. Candidates for public office, as well as ballot advocacy groups can opt out of reporting requirements if they do not reach that $1000 spending threshold.
However, as long as there are men occupying government, this too can change.
2016 Senate Bill 841: Repeal low-spending exemption to comprehensive campaign finance regulatory regime was Introduced by Sen. David Knezek (D) on March 3, 2016,
to repeal an exemption from state campaign finance reporting mandates that applies to political campaigns that raise and spend $1,000 or less. The bill would have the effect of imposing the full state campaign finance regulatory regime on any individuals or citizen groups who wish to organize small scale campaign activities.
Why?
H/T to Rose Bogaert on this. She writes:
” The only purpose that this legislation can serve is to make it harder for citizens to inform the public. We are already paying government to tell their side. Unless they have made a drastic change in the software they use for campaign reporting it is a lot of nonsense for tracking and perhaps harassing those who may not agree with the administration or unions.
They just past a law and had to change it because it did not allow government to inform the public after sixty days prior to the election. That was insanity. They changed it to not allow any indication of how to vote on an issue. That was the old law just not enforced. This bill is just another attempt to limit the information to the voters.
She is right.
And I wonder if such advocacy would be tested in the free speech of bloggers, opposing such things as road proposals, medicaid expansion, and simply professing an opinion of favorability for a candidate in such a venue?
In any event, the arguing for full and complete transparency this must be based upon is near sighted and imprudent. The very nature of casual activism and participation would be diminished as cheap-to-free engagement in any political endeavor becomes chilled with a new regulatory process never before experienced.
Take Rose’s advice. Make a contact or two.
Senate Elections and Government Reform Committee
David Robertson (R) Committee Chair, 14th District
Patrick Colbeck (R) Vice Chair, 7th District
Judy K Emmons (R) 33rd District
Mike Shirkey (R) 16th District
Morris W Hood III (D) Minority Vice Chair, 3rd District
Committee Clerk | 517-373-1721
Please Call them and tell them to vote NO!
This kind of nonsense is right up there with registering ‘journalists’
(13)Nuh Uh.
(2)
Hilarious! Wayne 'Red-light Cameras' Schmidt and, Margaret 'regulate the vaps' O'Brien are cosponsors of this horse shit- http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2016-SB-0841
Wayne- http://rightmi.com/old/www.rightmichigan.com/story/2013/6/3/142815/0477.html
Large Marge- http://rightmi.com/nurse-ratched-saith-your-children-belong-to-us/
Red light cameras and/or some photo-copping 'cause it's fo dah chil'rens- http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/22247
I believe this bill violates the US Constitution commerce clause (Hey, if they can call Nobama care a tax, I can call my campaigning "commerce") and Wayne's co-sponsoring of this bill IS THE EXACT REASON HE NEEDS TO BE RECALLED!!!!! Trump is self-funded and we need to take a lesson from him. He incorporated his campaign and sells Trump stuff through this company, which presumably pays for the employees necessary, etc. This keeps his spending records close to the chest. Romney did and does the same thing. In fact, he's been financing a whole bunch through his corporation. Where's his campaign statements? The very first mailing I got from Scott Walker was paid for by the Mitt Romney corporation.
Let me remind Wayne "Red-Light District" (did I get that right?) Schmidt that the cost of his smear campaign of August 2014, does not show up on his campaign finance report, not even as a "services in kind" and I'm certain this was required under the law that currently exists. Here's what I see happening really--Wayne Schmidt is nervous about his recall--unable to tie it to anyone other than the guys who showed in Lansing to get the language approved. He knows that "Recall Wayne Schmidt Signs" surfaced in the Kasich event--Hey they said "raise your signs" and then got upset that the wrong sign got raised--go figure! He knows that at least 300 signatures were collected at the Bernie event somebody had to be funding this. Lastly, he knows that 3000 plus petitions are being circulated, many in his own back yard. So, all this had to cost money and he wants to know from where. So, this whole exercise is an attempted preemptive strike--just as the change in the recall law was. Shouldn't we be prosecuting Wayne for breaking the law in 2014? That plus his ongoing violation of the public trust (people get prosecuted for this) why isn't he gone?
Hey now, there is no such thing as Obamacare. It is SCOTUScare. Scalia even said Ted Cruzs' boy Roberts, made it so with his two decisions.
If anybody really desired true transparency (which has never been a 'conservative'-led platform demand for grassroots movements tied inextricably to the MiGOP in recent times)..then the most critical issues AFFECTING those exclusively forced to meagerly support the grassroots 'privately'?..should have been placed front and center for DEBATE years ago. "Nobody saw this coming" is not frankly possible when so much has been done legislatively to hide the LARGE donor money involving so many historic issues to date directly affecting the grassroots.
Similarly ignored failures of assumption involving part-time legislatures and term limits (believing that a grassroots movement can solve decades of corruption 'part-time' or compete with billionaires to field term-limited candidates 'full-time') only serve to highlight how 'simple' transparency never is.
"...In any event, the arguing for full and complete transparency this must be based upon is near sighted and imprudent..."
Perhaps we should have been arguing what $1000 really means to this movement (all along) vs waiting for someone 'else' to define that figure's value for us (our kids probably would have preferred that THEY not be taught this lesson 'the hard way' in terms of valuing grassroots leadership platforms).
Conversely, we could have been way further along on this Cuck blog, sitting behind KEYBOARDS (while doing nothing but bitching) and calling out (Piety based faggotry, oops! Hypocrisy), which scores points for frauds like Gary Glenn, (JD at least he cares about your CHILDREN) who wants to be more than a one term wonder who shitcanned two reps who voted to The Right of him in exchange for the one who he (also) voted for, COTTER for Speaker, the term limited ASSHOLE.
See that, JD? I am able to write as fucked up as you. Low energy.
You.
You sure spend an excessive amount of time engaging with the "f*ggots" on this "cuck blog." Why not just spend all of your time over at Stormfront?
Aw, did Milo trigger you back into commenting with his University of Michigan visit last month?
https://youtu.be/MWuLTCb-O8M
See that, Archie? Milo described to a letter the SJW cuck you are. Here's the relevant difference between you and I, Archie. I could care less what one does in their privacy, however, if I'm going to side with healthy opinions for our nation, then I like my faggots to be the dangerous variety that destroys the narrative of your handpicked DeVos funded Common Core promoting and, Barb Byrum circus event sodomite "marriage" faggots.
Yep- http://rightmi.com/old/www.rightmichigan.com/story/2011/11/30/115844/36.html
So, go ahead, virtue signal away, ^ faggot.
God, you're like a 12 year old who just learned a dirty word for the first time with that term. Congratulations.
I find it laughable that you think you side with "healthy opinions for our nation" given that your "Alt Right" (fancy name for Neo-Nazis) advocates for shredding the constitution in favor of fascism. Your spokesman, Ramsey Paul, waxes nostalgic about Hitler.. I guess what I'm saying is it's wonderful that you've finally admitted you want nothing to do with conservatism. Good luck with bringing fascism back, Nazi boy.
LOL! There it is, Cuckboy. Projection and avoidance like a whiny Grrrlpower broad. You're just like the rest of the manlets who are going to have a real hard eight years ahead of you.
Avoiding what? Your 3rd grade insults cut and pasted from the 4chan /pol/ section? Projection? That's ironic coming from the guy who parrots all of his talking points these days from Nazi gamers tweeting from Mom's basement. Could it be that all you Nazi gamers are repressing something with your never ending obsession with homosexuality and dildos? Nahhhh....after all, Hitler and his Third Reich buddies weren't hiding anything...
Alert: archiespeck Cuck Corner Hot Take.
You're a real gem, arch. The 1880s were the Gilded Age. You're the 2010s Gelded Age.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/03/disgusting-hundreds-of-anti-trump-protesters-taunt-jews-at-aipac-with-nazi-imagery/
Amazing, you sound just like them, Cuckboy.
Hey Archie--ain't free speech great?
It sure the hell is!