754 search results for "prop 2"

Michigan, Taxes

Do The Dance

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It's that time again. Beg your king for tax forgiveness.

Perhaps someday, we won’t have to ask permission to opt out of buying our business equipment over and over.

For the time being however, if the business related property you own is less than $80,000 in true cash value, you must.  IF you don’t feel like paying property tax on it.  Our benevolent overlords have made it possible with Michigan Department of Treasury form 5076; that ‘golden ticket’ for small business which relieves them of the perpetual financial burden of fixture ownership.

Of course it is hardly an everlasting gobstopper of taxation relief. the 5076 form must be filed annually, and specifically with your local township, city or village taxing unit.

You have until February 10 to turn this sucker in.

You’re welcome

You Betcha! (11)Nuh Uh.(0)

Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Republicans

A National Model

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Governor Snyder doesn't want to give up the federal money.

Right.

On the eve of the elimination of the greatest disaster spawned by [a Democrat] congress in our lifetime, we still have to fight ‘our own’ to get relief.  One should understand that the road tax passed by the legislature, after it was unceremoniously trounced by voters, was not intended for roads, but rather to pay for for the very thing that Governor Rick Snyder claims should be used as a “national model.”

Don’t doubt for a minute, that careless handling finances so fungible don’t have consequences.

Frilliant, .. yes?

 

You Betcha! (8)Nuh Uh.(0)

Michigan, Philosophy

Behold the Bared Arm of God!

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The LORD laid bare his arm, in plain view of the nations, to ensure our salvation.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of a herald,
who announces peace and preaches good news.
He announces salvation and says to Zion, “Your God is king!”
The voice of your watchmen – they lift up their voices.
Together they shout for joy,
because with both eyes they will see it
when the LORD returns to Zion.
Break out, shout for joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem,
because the LORD is comforting his people.
He is redeeming Jerusalem.
The LORD lays bare his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation from our God.

Isaiah 52:7-10 (EHV)

(In advance, I’ll credit my good friend Aaron Frey, who originally preached this sermon on Christmas Day 2006, as the source of much of what is written following the break, and as the inspiration for the rest of it.)

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You Betcha! (7)Nuh Uh.(0)

Fees, Fees, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Rent Seeking, Taxes

More Trouble With TIF

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Traverse City enables more cronyism in its latest money grab.

Does a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) scheme really work?

It seems that each year, special TIF districts are set up throughout our state in order to promote growth or development of a particular economy or industry.  The revenues raised through a TIF scheme are theoretically targeted, specifically for the district raising the value of that district over a specified period of time.

But does it work well enough and is it worth the effort, and goodwill lost, as it continues to be abused by those who hold the authority?  As voters look at the millage requests on the ballot, they now see the language that reminds them that not-all-of their voted in millage will go where it is intended.

A TIF scheme is done by

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You Betcha! (14)Nuh Uh.(0)

Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics

Human Error?

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Plausible deniability of the year tale comes with "machines bumping up against each other"

I probably could have commented on this several times since the recount nonsense.

The unintended consequences of the Jill Stein recount, was to officially put the Michigan Secretary of State on notice that there are irregularities with the voting in the motor city. Of course the unspoken truth has always been known, but proof of such shenanigans was elusive and considered inconsequential for most elections.

Given the revelation of fraud, and the incredible magnitude which it has appeared, it would seem only proper to fully investigate all of those who are entrusted with our voting responsibility in these precincts.  Criminal sanctions are likely warranted in some cases revealed by Stein’s efforts, yet the players caught with their hands in the cookie jar are not going to admit culpability too easily.  From the New American

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You Betcha! (12)Nuh Uh.(0)

Michigan, Michigan Politics

Energy Policy – Dear Legislator

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As you grapple with a perceived need for a new or modified long term energy plan, please allow me some observations.

First, there is no shortage of energy and there will not be.

Energy is plentiful in numerous forms, some you may not have heard of yet. The question is, which technology to use when? That should be decided by a free market – supply and demand. When (if) solar and wind becomes cost effective and solar panels repairs afforded by everyone, it will be used without government force. End monopolies and regulations that protect favored suppliers, and unleash technology, investment and alternatives.

In effect, SB 437 and SB 438 would perpetuate, extend and exacerbate the equivalent of Michigan’s OPEC. Two companies that charge Michigan energy users much more than appropriate, want you to sanction their monopolistic practises and lock in failed energy policies. DTE, e.g., is selling energy in Ohio at about half the amount they charge Michiganders.

The voters spoke on November 8, for a President-elect who promised to deregulate the very scare and radical policies that these bills would lock into place for decades. It is bad policy, and we ask you to reject it. Allow the new Republican Administration to look at and change policies before to close out our options, please!

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You Betcha! (14)Nuh Uh.(0)

Conservative News, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics

And … Cut!

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The recount was over when the appeals court said Stein had no standing.

That’s a wrap, everyone can go home.

As I said yesterday, when the Michigan court of appeals demonstrated the logic we expect from our best legal minds, it was a done deal.  Tonight, the big news is that judge Goldsmith followed the constitution, and responded properly to the state court decision of recount propriety. From ABC news:

U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith agreed with Republicans who argued that the three-day recount must end a day after the state appeals court dealt a blow to the effort. The court said Stein, who finished fourth in Michigan on Nov. 8, didn’t have a chance of winning even after a recount and therefore isn’t an “aggrieved” candidate.

“Because there is no basis for this court to ignore the Michigan court’s ruling and make an independent judgment regarding what the Michigan Legislature intended by the term ‘aggrieved,’ plaintiffs have not shown an entitlement to a recount,” Goldsmith said.

Clearly, he recognized his role was not to determine standing in this case.

The image on the right btw, is for those who think the GOP is forcing them into a safe space.

You Betcha! (11)Nuh Uh.(1)

Michigan, Michigan Politics

The State wants in…

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Follow the Money

The State wants in…

The new “marihuana” law…

Does a difference of one letter mean something in legal terms????…Can’t wait to find out…Anyway, back to the point…

As a Planning Commission member, the new medical marijuana (mariHuana???) laws directly affect my responsibilities a keeper of the Zoning Ordinance…The new laws take effect December 20th of this year, so we all might want to know what’s in them…As much as I hate wading through pages of legislative ‘legalese’, I have begun a cursory inspection…So far, looks like a great deal….for the State of Michigan…

So my being fairly conservative, I approached it from that perspective….To be blunt….the State wants in!!!…Seeing a thriving revenue stream go ‘untapped’ seems to be a cardinal sin to our State legislature, so they ‘fixed’ it…10 new licensing ‘fees’, two brand new taxes, two new ‘boards’ creating a total of 22 new government jobs would seem to do the trick…and I can plainly see more of this coming…Let’s do the “Readers Digest” version first, and we can discuss the issues later…

Five new licensing ‘fees’ (think tax) from the State, five again for any ‘municipality’ that decides to allow (and tax and regulate) any commercial operation connected with the industry…The legislature grants itself permission to ‘raid’ the “Michigan mariHuana registry fund, creates two ‘new’ regulatory boards (more later), and then actually ’taxes’ the commercial end of this…and puts the onus of implementation on the Townships, hence MY involvement…

I welcome any and all discussion here…should we be asked to write a new ordinance governing ‘commercial’ marijuana enterprises within our bounds, what safeguards should we insist be included???…I can make ‘private property rights’ arguments all day, but those need to be transmitted on a personal level to make them really ‘sink in’…I do not wish to suppress any committed commercial endeavor within my Township, but in order for that to happen, we must be ASKED to write the accommodating ordinance, which is why I post this….Please make this thread a topic of serious discussion…

Does one letter make a difference???…

I leave you with this, borrowed from a Libertarian post I saw recently…

“Any license or permit is simply the government stealing an individual liberty, in order to sell it back to you.”

More later…

Tom B…

You Betcha! (3)Nuh Uh.(0)

Conservative News, Democrats, Flint Water Fiasco, Government Incompetence, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Religious Freedom, Sports

Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste

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Flint Lead Remediation Effort Morphs Into An Attack On Hunting, Target Shooting, Fishing, And Even Churches

brian-calley

Michigan’s elites have clearly not absorbed the lesson of November 8th, yet.

The Michigan’s Child Lead Poisoning Elimination Board issued their final report last week. Chairman Brian Calley and his team of 14 politicians experts were empanelled by Executive Order 2016-09 to demonstrate that Governor Snyder actually cared about the Flint children exposed to lead, by his previously empanelled team of professional incompetents experts. The CLPEB’s recommendations are a liberal wish list of expensive dreams mostly unrelated to the underlying cause of the Flint water fiasco: government incompetence.

But the CLPEB did put forth the effort to launch an attack on hunting, target shooting, sport fishing, and even religion. Recommended on page 22 of their final report:

Prohibit lead in fishing tackle, establish a fishing tackle trade-in program to encourage consumers and industries to transition away from lead-based tackle, and encourage further study of lead in fishing tackle.

Establish regulations to protect against lead exposures through the use of firearms by:

o Establishing an ammunition trade-in program.
o Establishing a wild game meat testing program for donated products.
o Developing a health education program and public education materials for lead exposures in hunting and wild game consumption.

Recommended on page 26 of their final report:

In post-1978 homes, dust, soil, and water testing should be conducted at the time of transfer of the property or upon the occurrence of some other reliable event, or whenever there are indications of a high-risk activity, such as stained-glass window work or ammunition reloading, being done in the home.

Here we have the elites punishing their subjects for the mistakes of the elites. Michigan government at its finest.

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

Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Old Men Throwing Tantrums – A Sad Account of the Oakland County Republican Party Convention

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Although Trump may have won the state of Michigan in unexpected and dramatic fashion, it didn’t feel like that was the case at the Oakland County Republican Party Convention yesterday. Whereas we should have been singing Kumbaya and toasting the imminent demise of liberalism, there was instead strife, turmoil and mayhem due in large part to many dubious local swamp rats chomping at the bit to be drained.

Let’s cut straight to the chase, I will cover the insipid bureaucratic squabbling later. The conquering heroes did all they could to keep order during the event. The chairman was put into place fairly, and he was immediately confronted and challenged by the fringe minority. This unhinged minority presented confusing and contradictory motions. They yelled obscenities. They staged histrionics designed to trick unwitting delegates into siding with them in the frenzy of the madness they artificially created.

Chairman Matt Maddock entertained the motions of the crybaby minority, going out of his way to hear concerns that were frankly rude, unnecessary and embarrassing. This fringe minority called division on a motion to stop discussion that took roughly thirty minutes to sort out amidst constant chatter in the audience and poor audio quality staged throughout the venue. Old men were throwing tantrums like little children. Obviously, egotistical infighting had taken precedence to party unity and crushing liberal scum within these petty, desperate individuals.

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You Betcha! (16)Nuh Uh.(2)