Standing

I see a similarity here. “Standing.” That magical word judges love to toss around when they want to clear their…

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Michigan Politics

Where Did Lorence Wenke’s Votes Come From?

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The closest state legislative race in Michigan in 2014 was in state senate district 20, which is coterminous with Kalamazoo County. The district was vacated by Republican senator Tonya Schuitmaker, who ran for reelection in a neighboring district due to redistricting.

The Republican candidate was 61st district state rep Margaret O’Brien of Portage. The democrat candidate was 60th district state rep Sean McCann of Kalamazoo. Both are fairly typical representatives of their parties.

Aside from the closeness of the race, there was another complicating factor. Former state rep Lorence Wenke ran as a Libertarian after having originally filed to run in the Republican primary. Wenke was a moderate Republican state rep 2002-2008. He had an eclectic platform emphasizing support for gay rights and support for cutting government employee benefits. In the course of the campaign, he announced support for several tax increases and other un-libertarian policies.

The election results, after a recount, were

O’Brien 36645 (45.6%)
McCann 36584 (45.5%)
Wenke 7171 (8.9%)

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Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Taxes

Another Glitch in the ‘Road’ Tax Package

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Crying CEO or managerA week ago we found out that the new road tax package vehicle registration fee system would end its Federal tax deductibility.  Now Gongwer News Service is reporting another glitch, this time in the gasoline sales tax provisions of the road tax package:

Fix Planned to Correct Sales Tax Problem in Roads Plan

The administration of Governor Rick Snyder will seek legislation to correct a potential problem in the road funding plan that as written would lift the sales tax off of gasoline only for motor vehicles, but not for boats, snowmobiles and other non-road purposes like generators and gasoline-powered equipment.

As currently constructed, that would create a mess for retailers who theoretically would have to determine whether or not to charge the sales tax and even ask customers filling up a gasoline can what the intended use of the purchase is. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, as part of a broad analysis it is conducting on the road funding plan, noted the quirk and provided the information to Gongwer News Service.

It will be interesting to see how Governor Snyder fixes this.  Purchasing gasoline for your boat or ORV could become a really entertaining bureaucratic exercise. Ready for the ‘Gasoline Police’? Think of the new forms to be filled out.

CRCoM is a collection of the usual corporate interests orbiting Michigan government. Not certain why they would have ratted out this bungle to Gongwer, but it does suggest a certain degree of unease among the establishment.

You Betcha! (17)Nuh Uh.(0)

Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1

Northern Resistance

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STOP-167Antrim and Grand Traverse County Republicans have said “nope.”

Last Thursday (February 5, 2015), a couple of Northern Michigan county conventions had the opportunity to vote on a resolution in opposition to the 17% sales tax increase.  With only ONE dissenting in the Antrim County convention, and NO vocalized dissent in the Grand Traverse County convention, both county Republican parties made it clear that the tax increase was unacceptable.

The GTGOP event had about 70 voting delegates present. Antrim had 43 signed in

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Michigan Politics

Unity???…

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I’ve been following THIS soap opera…

 

What is going on with Alan Arcand? Can anyone shed some light on this? This is literally all I know.
Iron County, Michigan Elected Precinct Delegate Fights Back!
Heading to the Iron County, Michigan Republican Convention on February 5, 2015 I was talking with Alan Arcand who won the August 2014 Primary and was elected…

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Tom Backers Here ya go!!! MICHIGAN ELECTION LAW (EXCERPT)
Act 116 of 1954
168.608 Certifying and recording names of delegates; filing; notification of delegates; certification of delegates to county conventions; definition.
Sec. 608.
(1) The board of primary election inspectors shall certify to the county clerk the names of the electors elected as delegates, naming the political party upon whose ballot the delegates were elected.
(2) The county clerk shall record the names of the delegates elected in a book kept for that purpose and shall file the book among the records of the clerk’s office.
(3) No later than 7 days following the primary election, the clerk shall notify each delegate elected of his or her election as delegate.
(4) The county clerk shall certify the following to the chairperson of the committee of each political party of the county:
(a) The delegates elected by the political party as delegates to the county conventions.
(b) The names of all persons nominated as candidates of a political party for county office and for state legislative office who are delegates at large under section 599(5), when those names become available to the county clerk.
(5) As used in this section, “persons nominated as candidates of a political party for county office and for state legislative office who are delegates at large under section 599(5)” means incumbent county officials, incumbent state legislators, and unsuccessful candidates for county offices and state legislative offices who were candidates at the last prior regular or special election held for the respective office.

NOTE:
“and unsuccessful candidates for county offices and state legislative offices who were candidates at the last prior regular or special election held for the respective office.”

Tom Backers You ARE an “at large” delegate to the convention in any case…Why not press this issue with your County Chair, who is in violation of State Election law on several levels…

You Betcha! (4)Nuh Uh.(1)

Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Proposal 15-1, Republicans

The King Says Vote Yes On May 5th

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That’s right, ‘the king’ dictates a yes vote.

Enjoy the commercial Rick Snyder has made with taxpayer dollars. All we did was add the funk for all the junk in Lansing’s trunk.

When the bureaucracy cannot (or WILL NOT) tell the difference between an opinion and a directive (express advocacy), no citizen protections are left in play. The Bureau of Elections had already tipped its hand that a denial of my complaint was coming prior to receiving it. The spokesguy Fred Woodhams made that announcement even admitting they had not yet seen it.

How could it possibly be doing its job if it had already made the decision without review of the facts? How could the process be properly run, if the denial of the complaint had to be crafted and spun to fit a predetermined outcome? Strangely enough, Woodhams himself has previously said that no statements about such things should happen prior to review.  In 2012:

“Secretary of State Spokesman Fred Woodhams said that the office had received the complaint as of Friday. Woodhams said the Secretary of State’s office does not comment on allegations until they have an opportunity to review it.”

Pretty FUNKY, yes?

Indeed.  Something stinks in Lansing, and it ain’t the Red Cedar Drain.

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All the Other Stuff

A Brave New Warrior

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Owen-RobertLife.

I still recall the day I held my son in my arms, and thought “there is nothing and no-one as beautiful as this boy.” A thought that I carried through well beyond his first temper tantrum, or worst smelly stinky changing. Candy and I have done what we can to guide him, and we couldn’t be happier. He has made us proud, married a smart and beautiful woman, and they have now brought us even greater news.

Candy and I are now celebrating with tears of JOY at the blessing given to us with the birth of our grandson Owen Robert Gillman tonight.

GipperHe is a healthy 6 lbs 12 Oz, and seems ready to take on the world.  May God bless him, watch over him, and guide him.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

~ (Psalm 127:3-5)

 

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