We’re thinking Michigan’s 104th district representative Wayne Schmidt doesn’t expect to win Michigan’s 37th state senate seat in 2014.

In fact, he might have had that realization for several months now. Perhaps an angel of mercy descended at that time from the polling pearly gates, because it was in September that Schmidt, authored a bill that has yet to make it out of committee. Schmidt appears to be trying to create a quasi-government highly paid position that will be ‘tailored’ for his haberdashery retail management (suit store clerk) background, and  government experience.

“And he’s buying a stairway to heaven …”

Representative Schmidt calls the position “entrepreneur-in-residence” and the bill would place that responsibility as one which grows the connection between government and small business. The legislation creates up to 10 new government positions, and gives the responsibility of hiring of those to the person who has benefited quite well from Schmidt’s prior legislative efforts;  The president of the Michigan strategic fund.

Sec 4 of The bill states:

(1) The president of the strategic fund shall appoint not more than 10 entrepreneurs-in-residence under the project during any year.

(2) The president of the strategic fund shall select an entrepreneur-in-residence for appointment based on all of the following qualifications:

(a) Success in his or her field of endeavor.
(b) Demonstrated success in working with entrepreneurs and small business concerns.
(c) Success in developing, inventing, or creating a product and bringing it to the marketplace.

(3) An entrepreneur-in-residence shall be a full-time employee of the strategic fund and shall serve for a maximum of 2 years.

(4) An entrepreneur-in-residence shall perform the following duties:

(a) Assist the strategic fund in improving outreach to small business concerns and entrepreneurs.
(b) Identify any inefficient or duplicative economic development programs of this state, including those implemented by local units of government.
(c) Provide recommendations to the strategic fund on methods to improve the efficiency of existing state and local economic development programs and incentives or for establishing new initiatives.
(d) Facilitate meetings and forums to educate small business concerns and entrepreneurs on state and local economic development programs and incentives.
(e) Facilitate in-service sessions with employees of the strategic fund or other state and local departments and agencies on issues of interest to entrepreneurs and small business concerns.
(f) Provide mentorship and technical assistance to small business concerns and entrepreneurs to aid in access to or participation in state and local economic development programs and incentives.

You gotta love growth in government.  In fact, crony capitalism games have been a favored pastime for Schmidt.  He has ‘authored’ a few of note, including but not limited to

1. 2012 House Bill 5246: Expand corporate research subsidies
2. 2012 House Bill 5477: Revise corporate subsidy program overhead cap
3. 2011 House Bill 4160: Spend more on tourism industry subsidies
4. 2012 House Bill 5646: Authorize “economic development” tax breaks on “land bank” parcels

Certainly his affinity for big government could be quite rewarding in the ‘political afterlife.’

‘Peace of mind’ is knowing that the faithful are rewarded, as was Kwame Kilpatrick,  Andy Dillon, every legislator who served a term until 2011, and a miscellany of others who have graced the halls of government in Michigan and elsewhere.

Once one has total and complete knowing that after political death, there exists a place where their souls can be at peace in gilded halls with taxpayer benevolence, they can relax and sell us out in other ways.  Next Wednesday, Wayne Schmidt is going to church.

House Standing Committee Meeting

Commerce, Rep. Frank Foster, Chair

DATE: Wednesday, February 12, 2014
TIME: 10:30 AM
PLACE: Room 519, House Office Building, Lansing, MI

AGENDA:
HB 4998 (Rep. Schmidt) Labor; public service employment; entrepreneur-in-residence program; create.
SB 427 (Sen. Walker) Employment security; benefits; eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits; exempt oil, gas, and mineral landmen.
HB 5273 (Rep. Jenkins) Trade; securities; local stock exchanges for transactions in Michigan securities; authorize and regulate.

Singing Hallelujah, and hoping to be ‘saved.’

You Betcha! (1)Nuh Uh.(0)