754 search results for "prop 2"

Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Stop Issuing Marriage Licenses Altogether.

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The Supreme Court has spoken!

States should no longer issue licenses for marriage whatsoever.

Already the federal government has determined whether we are capable of governing our own health choices.  The ACA made sure that we are to buy THEIR preferred type of insurance or pay dearly for the failure to do so. The executive office driven EPA has determined that the coal fired plants in Michigan are not worthy of our electric payments, and that we would be better off blacked out and without lights (wait until 2017 folks!)

After today’s ruling it is quite clear that the state of Michigan needs a hands (or paws) off policy with regard to marriage.  The federal government has assumed the responsibility for who is eligible for the license necessary to achieve marital bliss as of this morning. Logically it makes no sense to further burden the stae of Michigan’s legislative code with marriage requirements that have no meaning or cultural protections.  Reasonable people can agree that such language only occupies our books and takes up space.

Our appropriate place in this great experiment of AmeriKa has ended.

The occupiers of the white-house have made it clear that a living constitution CAN be achieved if the push is strong enough. And if the stacking of the court has been properly done, there are numerous goals that can be met, never before imagined.

Go ahead Michigan.

Cut out the middleman.

You Betcha! (21)Nuh Uh.(3)

Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Taxes

15 Million Dollars Worth Of Dark Sky

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Emmet County commissioners are apparently out of touch with the electorate.

I Could have predicted this.

Perhaps I would have; if I lived in Emmet County.  However, there should still be nothing surprising about an apparent divergence of priority between the voters and the elected numbskulls who ‘serve’ them.  The same type of thinking that drives the nonsense in DC can be just as bad locally, and have a more immediate financial effect.

Reading the bills, or allowing a real debate to happen before committing millions of dollars extracted forcefully from taxpayers should be paramount.  The latter option was never allowed to happen however.  A year ago, Emmet County commissioners jacked the electorate without the chance to object, leaving them to foot the bill for a $15 Million boondoggle.

As quick as a shooting star, Emmet County commissioners (pictured above) approved a sale of $15 million in bonds with nearly half of the proceeds being used to build an observatory and a new event building at the Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Mackinaw City.

Without the chance to object.

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You Betcha! (19)Nuh Uh.(2)

Conservative News, Democrats, Firearms, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Part Time Legislature, Republicans

Ready For A Crime Wave?

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Governor Snyder's 'Smart Justice' Improves The Risk/Reward Payoff For Armed Criminals

Jackson PrisonMichigan House Bills 4419/4420, Proposed Substitute H-3, gut Michigan’s 25 year old mandatory minimum sentences for crimes committed with firearms. Introduced by Republican Representative Kurt Heise (R-20th) of Plymouth and co-authored by 28 bleeding heart Republicans (4) and Democrats (24), these bills:

    1. Convert Michigan’s long standing mandatory 2/5/10 year minimum sentences for criminals using firearms into maximum sentences
    2. Allow ‘use of firearms’ sentences to be served concurrently with the underlying crime sentences for the first time
    3. Allow prisoners serving ‘use of firearms’ sentences to be paroled prior to completing even these sentences

Now the proponents of ‘Smart Justice’ are telling the public that their effort will:

    – reduce the number of ‘non violent prisoners’ held in Michigan prisons
    – reduce the price Michigan pays for incarceration

As you might imagine, this is quite attractive to Michigan politicians who just got slapped down on Proposal 1. The Michigan Department of Corrections consumes $ 2 billion in General Fund revenues every year.  Roughly 20% of the total General Fund.

Governor Snyder kicked off this issue back in early March with his Special Message to the Legislature on Public Safety. The primary public advocate driving his ‘Smart Justice’ sentencing reforms is one Barbara Levine, the Assistant Director of Research and Policy at the Citizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Policy and one of Governor Snyder’s appointees on Michigan’s new Criminal Justice Policy Commission. She just released a massive study titled “10,000 fewer Michigan prisoners: Strategies to reach the goal”. This could produce up to a 23% drop in prison spending, something on the order of $ 450 million a year. A lot of new Lansing office buildings with views and more idle train cars in Owosso. A Pavlovian metronome irresistibly beckoning our state politicians.

But how much would it cost Michigan residents in crime taxes?

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You Betcha! (11)Nuh Uh.(3)

All the Other Stuff, Cronyism, Democrats, Fees, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

$ 3 Gas Across Michigan: Warming You Up For A Gas Tax Ratchet?

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House Road Funding Package Puts Gas Tax Increases on Autopilot --- Tax on B5 Diesel for Heavy Trucks Cut 20%

Southfield, MI Gas Prices 12 June 2015

Southfield, MI Gas Prices 12 June 2015

Michiganders woke up this morning to discover that regular unleaded gasoline prices are now $ 3 per gallon, a $ .25 increase, or more, from yesterday. Refinery problems, summer driving season, and SE MI’s special fuel blend are blamed in the press, but really this price shock is an intended consequence the Federal Reserve’s zero interest policy and their determination to boost stock prices. Oil derivatives are cheaper than dirt when there is no cost to money.

Wall Street wasn’t happy early this year when plunging oil prices drove down stock averages. So someone is furiously selling off Treasury paper and buying oil & gasoline futures contracts. Treasury interest rates have been rising in lockstep with oil & gas prices, on the same days, even the same hours. Officially, no one knows who is behind these trades, but the Federal Reserve is sitting on $ 4 trillion in Treasury paper and is fighting any effort to audit their holdings. A coincidence? Not likely.

Your government extracting more money from your wallet.

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

All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Tom DeWeese AND KrisAnne Hall Event In Northern Michigan

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Property Rights and the US constitution in one blockbuster forum August 02!

property-rights-libertyProperty rights and Liberty are two of the legs of the three comprehensive rights we are granted by our creator.

As the leadership of our communities plod along with local ‘planning‘ efforts that make your town look like every-other-town, you might have noticed its getting harder to use your land or property in ways that have always been ‘allowed.’  And as the United States federal government marches on with an out of control executive branch usurping state and individual rights not granted to it by the constitution, the question that first comes to mind is “how is this happening?”

There are few folks who understand the scope and loss of property rights under agenda 21 as does Tom DeWeese. Likewise the study of the United States Constitution has become an unmatched professional pursuit by KrisAnne Hall.

Both are experts in their field and highly respected throughout our nation, giving speeches, offering seminars, and teaching effective resistance and methods of restoring our natural rights.

Join us Sunday August 02, 2015 at the Great Wolf Lodge conference center in Traverse City Michigan at 1:00 PM.  You can order tickets by sending a message through the ‘submit a tip‘ link above, OR print out tickets online at eventbrite.

This is a cannot miss event!

You Betcha! (20)Nuh Uh.(1)

Conservative News, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans, Taxes

A Dead Man Walking: Wayne County

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Your Least Loss is Your First Loss

Bankrupcy WC 2Wayne County Executive Warren Evans told the assembled self very important persons at the Mackinac Policy Conference last Friday that he now believes that his county government can avoid bankruptcy. “He is now comfortable with the options” was the report. Little did he know that, on the very same day, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Lita Popke gave the County 48 hours to pay its retirees $ 49 million dollars to restore their 2010 ’13th check’ retirement benefit. Wayne County told the court flat out that it doesn’t have the money.

The Wayne County Commission voted yesterday to tap most of the last remaining funds in the County’s much abused Delinquent Tax Revolving Fund, however Warren Evan’s subsequent veto threat all but assures that this summer’s county property taxes will increase 1.23 mils to pay this judgement. This property tax increase will not even require a vote of affirmation under the Headlee Amendments to the Michigan Constitution, because it is pursuant to a court order.

’13th checks’ are a devious method of looting pension funds which began in the 1980’s, in Michigan. When some Michigan public pension funds earned more than their targeted rate of return in a year, say 8%, the ‘surplus’ earnings got doled out to retirees in the form of a 13th check.  These 13th checks could amount to far more than the pension fund’s actually surplus.  Retirees never had to give back their prior 13th check payments when the pension funds dialed up a big loss, so the 13th check was an opportunistic form of looting – not an equitable form of risk & gain sharing. This practice has occurred in state pension plans, county pension plans, and city pension plans across Michigan. The particular problem in Wayne County is that Robert Ficano stripped his pension funds of the 13th check payment funds in 2010 to make his books look better. Worst of all, Wayne County’s pension funds are only about 44% funded and their OPEB’s (retiree medical care, etc.) are essentially unfunded.

Wayne County’s accounting is nebulous, to be charitable. A read of their 2014 CAFR (22 MB document, it took a lot of lipstick to make this dead pig look good!) shows that the County is carrying forward an unassigned deficit of $ 82.8 million, and only got it down to this awful level by diverting $ 91.7 million from their dwindling Delinquent Tax Revolving Fund to their General Fund in 2014. Then, depending upon whom in Wayne County government you are talking to, Wayne County is still losing another $ 4 – $ 5 million each month.

This amounts to something over $ 50 million per year.

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You Betcha! (19)Nuh Uh.(1)

All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

How about this for Plan “B”.

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Or, the “Right Michigan Solution for Fixing Michigan Roads”.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Soon enough, you’ve got the makings of a pretty good framework to work within.

If you’re really a Conservative, that is.

If not…well click below for more.

{Continued below the fold}

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

Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature

Coming to a City Near You…

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If Ricky Snyderbama has his way, even sooner than you think.

So, American Laws for American Courts still a bad idea? Nope. Only to those who play the Diversity (All Hail Diversity!)™ pandering “too divisive” Progressive game.

moHAMmed-piss-be-upon-himTo wit, one thing needs to be addressed here as was noted not long ago with this gentleman’s newfound *friend*.

He points to his friendship with Detroit Democrat Harvey Santana as proof he doesn’t let ideology get in the way of personal relationships. (Ironically, Santana is on the outs with his own party, after he accepted a position as minority vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee, against the recommendation of minority leader Tim Greimel.)

There should be no issues with Rep. Courser wanting to emulate a cannonball in Lansing. Cannonballs are a good thing, however, loose cannons are not. Sometimes the enemy of thy enemy is just that – an enemy. It would be highly suggested to Rep. Courser to emulate former Rep. McMillan.

Do recall the unhinged lunatic who is now Rep. Courser’s newest buddy.

Treachery is never fashionable.

H/t Jihad Watch

You Betcha! (16)Nuh Uh.(1)

Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion, Rent Seeking

Hello? This is America …we Don’t do Kings

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OK, so, after being pummeled by over 3 to 1 on Proposal 1, now is decided in the “states best interest”, while all kinds of bond issues are exploding on taxpayers across the state, so said *CPA* GoverNerd has time to make Mz. Granholm’s and Mr. Mulhern’s panties wet with jealousy?

Memo to the Snyder administration… this is America. This is a Constitutional Republic – not a democracy nor a monarchy. In other words, we do not suck kings or queens asses. Matter of fact, we the People have history of booting king’s asses out (see King George III – think about your pardon again, dickhead). Reread real American history, Snyder. Coming off as an uber-cozy bootlicker to the Van Andel, DeVos, and Prince family Wooden Shoe brigade is not welcomed by many others.

You Betcha! (12)Nuh Uh.(2)

Detroit, Michigan

Tuesday Divertere – Detroit Is The Graveyard Of Socialism

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Begging the question: "Why have Michigan taxpayers not been screaming bloody murder during the last bailout?"

Reality check.

Proposal 15-1 was likely cover for Snyder to get certain debts paid down so more of our resources could be poured into the failure that is Detroit. If it passed, it would have covered a lot of his issues including transportation (trains) infrastructure, existing bonds, and even a few more bucks for those schools that only know how to employ ‘effective teachers’

When will we stop tossing money into an open grave that seems to have unlimited capacity? From a few years back:

You Betcha! (7)Nuh Uh.(2)