873 search results for "Detroit"

Southeastern Michigan Water Fight

Last Act of the Detroit Bankruptcy Stumbles Behind a Wall of Secrecy

Water is Money Image 2The final Detroit bankruptcy plan established a 14 June deadline to reach an agreement transferring operating control of the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department’s (DW&SD) assets outside of Detroit to the newly created Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). The State of Michigan, Detroit, Wayne County, Oakland County and Macomb County all signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) creating the GLWA late last year, subject to a 200-day due diligence period. Under the MoU, the City of Detroit would receive a $ 50 million annual lease payment from the GLWA while retaining full control of DW&SD assets and operations within the city. Erstwhile DW&SD customers outside Detroit were promised a 4% cap on annual water and sewerage increases for a 10 year period, which have been running above 10% per annum, in residential bills, in most Southeastern Michigan communities.

In point of fact, what has actually been occurring are secret negotiations over future tax increases across Southeastern Michigan. Water rates have become a surrogate form of incremental taxation. These negotiations will set tax fee increment rates for decades into the future. For taxpayers ratepayers who haven’t even been born yet. How are these negotiations going?

No one who knows is talking. Why?

You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(0)

A Dead Man Walking: Wayne County

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.

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

How about this for Plan “B”.

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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Coming to a City Near You…

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

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

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)

Cannot fix the Roads but the DNR has Advertising Money for Penske Isle

Actually, let’s rethink the title of this post. Somehow, our state government found a way for our tax dollars to fix the roads (see page 7) where Roger Penske’s and Government Motors’ crap rolls, and now the DNR has another share of $6,600 in bait monies to throw at the Nerd’s playpen and ongoing money pit.

crony-capitalismThis Saturday, 600 more vehicle owners (and their friends and family in the vehicles) will get the opportunity to explore Belle Isle Park free of charge – courtesy of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.

The Recreation Passport giveaway begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 23, at the White House (administrative building) lawn, located at 2 Inselruhe Avenue across from the Belle Isle Aquarium. Grand Prix officials and the Department of Natural Resources will distribute the Passports (normally priced at $11 for Michigan residents) to the owners of the first 600 Michigan-registered vehicles that currently don’t have the Recreation Passport. Complimentary Recreation Passports will be distributed through 2:30 p.m. or until 600 have been given away.

REST

Bread and circuses, folks. Bread and circuses.

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

Because Michigan’s First Congressional District Is Supposed To Be Stupid

Its as-if this is the first term for the third term Dr. Dan Benishek

benishek-mailThe picture at the right came in this morning

When opening it, I sat for a moment snickering at the sheer audacity of the Benishek re-election team in sending such a message in the fifth year of his ‘service’ to Michigan’s CD1 voters.  Suggesting that Dan Benishek  would raise a finger to fight for us is a hoot.

“We must raise $5,000 this month to show Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats that we will be ready for the fight ahead in 2016”

Nancy Pelosi?

Gosh Dan, this is the second session in a row (third starting) where the congress has been held by Republicans.  Truly, it is terribly embarrassing that you have not figured out that the opponent is actually in the executive seat.  Its been over 4 years Doctor B, and you haven’t yet lived up to a single promise made in 2010 with regard to the ACA, immigration, and a litany of other issues where you actually have some say.

While Dr. Dan fights Pelosi and the other shadows in the halls of congress, the EPA is shutting down our power, regulating our puddles, and the Liar in chief is going to import ISIS into Michigan with the help of our worthless governor.

Way to be on guard Mr. “We don’t control the money”

You Betcha! (24)Nuh Uh.(4)

Mackinac Policy Conference At The Grand Hotel: Protect Your Wallet!

Detroit Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference 2015 Starts Today - You Won't Like The Outcome

Is that a donkey in front of the Grand Hotel?

Is that a donkey in front of the Grand Hotel?

Later today Michigan’s Self Very Important Persons start checking in at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference held on Mackinac Island. At $ 2,150 per person for Chamber members and $ 2,925 for Chamber wannabees, average Michiganders will not be much in evidence. The attendees list reads like the last itemized contribution report for SafeRoadsYes!, along with the clueless Michigan politicians who endorsed Proposal 1.

The Detroit Regional Chamber’s “Vision and Pillars” for the 2015 Conference is innocuous enough, but the Conference’s agenda is far less oblique. A host of left luminaries and crony capitalists orbiting Michigan government will be plotting higher taxes, bigger spending, and more vexatious regulations.  When they are not drinking.

The official agenda is all about Detroit, Michigan schools, alternative business subsidies, and the roads, but there is also the transformation of Detroit Water & Sewerage Department into the Great Lakes Water Authority lurking in the background. Roads are the most interesting part of the official 2015 Conference agenda, given the near universal support for Proposal 1 amongst the attendees. Despite touting ‘vision’, expect the Conference to endorse new taxes over improved efficiencies and better engineering.

You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(0)

Be Proud of Yourself Detoilet

Because Teh #ComebackCity and “Reserve your judgment.

Imagine that

Johnson has a list of past financial issues including a foreclosure, unpaid child support, evictions, bad debts, unpaid income taxes and he even bounced a check to himself.

Yep. Aren’t y’all glad that RINO Ron and Slick Rick flushed our money down the drain bailing out that cesspool? Me? I’m ecstatic about it, and the next bailout in the wind.

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