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Michigan Politics

Michigan State House Races

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Cross-posted at The Western Right, Right Michigan, and Red Racing Horses.

All 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives will be up for election in November. Republicans currently hold a 59-51 majority, following a 63-47 majority after 2010. There are 40 open seats, 21 held by Republicans and 19 held by democrats.  There are 30 open due to term-limits and 10 just seeking another office.

Republicans gained one new seat (73) and one existing seat (39) due to redistricting, but also lost one existing seat (55) in 2012.  They also lost five incumbents (52, 71, 84, 91, 110), not counting party-switcher Roy Schmidt (76).  They could have won several more seats with a more effective redistricting plan.

Democrats want to take back the state house, but face a difficult playing field.  Of the Republican-held open seats, only 56 and 61 are competitive.  They will try to defeat some Republican incumbents, but it is not clear how they will beat incumbents this year that they couldn’t defeat in 2012.

Meanwhile, Republicans will seek to gain seats.  The best opportunity is the open 84, which was lost due to scandal in 2012.  There are two lean dem open seats (21, 62) that may be competitive.  Republicans will also try to defeat several incumbents who picked up seats in 2012 (25, 71, 91).

State house fundraising is analyzed in the following articles.

Michigan State House Fundraising

Michigan Post-primary Fundraising Reports

Michigan Pre-general Fundraising Reports

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Elections, Michigan, Opinion, Philosophy

Altruism has its own Rewards

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Meet Ebola Patient Four

liberalsCraig Spencer, a 33-year-old emergency room doctor, is the fourth confirmed case in the U.S. and the first in the city.
Matt Lockwood, a spokesman for Wayne State University, said Spencer graduated from its School of Medicine in 2008.

“It doesn’t surprise us that one of our medical students was working for an organization like Doctors Without Borders in helping the under-served. A lot of our students come to Wayne State for its reputation of working with the under-served,” he said Thursday night. “Our thoughts are with him, and we wish the best for him.”

REST

It’s way past time for Michigan’s public universities Socialism indoctrination centers to be weaned from the taxpayer’s teat with allowing them to financially stand on their own merit. If an adult chooses to enter these hives of egalitarianism they should pay full ticket price without coercive governmental subsidy. Which, this leads us back to our deceitful CPA governor who steals from K-12 only to prop up those like Matt Lockwood collecting a taxpayer funded paycheck while braying about their alumni Fabianism with reckless abandon.

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Michigan Politics

Free And Open Markets OR Enforcement Of Contract?

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How should the press release by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette be taken?

Bill-SchuetteOne would think that a member of the party supporting ‘free and open markets’ would be inclined to liberate those same markets.

Yet recently and not for the first time, the Michigan Attorney General’s office has investigated, and prosecuted privately-held businesses for responding to demand and availability in ways they felt were necessary.  Using taxpayer dollars, the AG’s office obtained a $500,000 settlement from a provider of propane, because that business raised its prices.

Though some of the investigation had legitimate reason to happen (established deals were not being honored), the underlying premise that the AG’s office presents is one that seemingly panders to the “its just not fair” crowd. When Schuette says :

“I’m happy we can put money back into the wallets of hard-working families who paid steep prices to heat their homes last winter while already trying to make ends meet.”

He is not saying he is “happy to provide enforcement of contract”

THAT is a problem.  Its not the job of the Michigan Attorney General to make sure pricing is fair.  Its not the Job of the Office of the Attorney General to ensure people can afford their utilities or everyday needs. Its definitely not Bill Schuette’s job to “put money back into the wallets” of those he deems to have been victimized by a brutally cold winter, or those who must provide the resources to deal with it.

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Cronyism, Detroit, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Pay up Suckers

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Never underestimate the local ‘Team R’ actors who will roll with RINO Ron’s DIA Bailout.

gingell_mike_smIn the letter, which Gingell read to The News, Gargaro said he wants to work on connecting the three art authorities — which are contracted with the DIA and collect tax money on behalf of the county — with compensation decisions by meeting with them three or four times a year.

“So the county art authorities have opportunity for input, so that’s a good measure,” Gingell said. “They would review the DIA audited financial statements and discuss it in an open forum with the art authorities. It’s definitely more outreach, more transparency, more practical steps to address compensation.”

Reached by The News Wednesday afternoon, Gargaro declined to discuss the specifics of the letter or what it was offering. “I haven’t had a chance to speak with the commissioners about it yet,” Gargaro said.

In other words, Eugene Gargaro hasn’t read the official script yet.

Gargaro is expected to meet with commissioners during their caucus Thursday morning, Gingell said. That will take place just before the start of the regular board meeting, at which commissioner Dave Woodward, D-Royal Oak, had planned to offer a resolution to dissolve the Oakland County Art Authority, which sends $11 million a year to the DIA.

Gingell said once all 21 members of the board read the letter and speak with Gargaro, “my personal opinion is things will move on” and the issue of dissolving the art authority will be over.

REST

Yep. Easy peasy. Just another case of watching the layers of bureaucrats and their insider onion peel.

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Elections, Michigan, Opinion, Philosophy

More Than a 1,000 Beds for Ebola? Fo Shizzle

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As if yesterday’s lobbyist funded stupidity or, being caught up in ongoing no-bid payola was not enough, Snyder takes it upon himself to trot out the state’s low-rent versions of Ron Klain, and Tom Frieden… without any further delay …the Nerd’s 1,000 beds schtick.

Flanked by Michigan Department of Community Health Director Nick Lyon and Chief Medical Executive Mathew Davis — who are leading Michigan’s Ebola response — Snyder said Michigan has launched an expansive preparedness effort though not a single case of Ebola has been detected in the state.

“Ebola is hopefully a low threat, low-risk problem in the state of Michigan, but it’s a serious one,” Snyder said. “This is an evolving situation … (and) we’re preparing to adjust as circumstances change.”

Among steps taken so far, Michigan’s Community Health Emergency Coordination Center has been activated, as well as the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division.

Obola-Czar-RonThe Department of Community Health has been in daily contact with the federal Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention. State health officials also have coordinated several statewide conference calls with hospitals, including a briefing on new infection control protocols released Tuesday by the CDC.

The state is working with ambulance services statewide to make sure emergency medical technicians are properly trained to transport Ebola patients, said Davis, Michigan’s chief doctor.

The CDC is developing a network of regional hospitals designated to receive Ebola patients, but has not yet named a Michigan hospital to participate, he said.

Jeez, why would that be? Mmmm, maybe just 23 beds from coast to coast.

“Whether Michigan will have a regional Ebola treatment center is a matter of ongoing discussion with the CDC,” Davis said.

Davis and Snyder urged all Michiganians to get flu shots, noting symptoms of flu could mask the symptoms of Ebola, which include vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

Flu shots? Ya, that’s the ticket (see bullet point #10).

Sleep well knowing Barack and Rick got this handled.

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Elections, Michigan, Opinion, Philosophy

The Cronies Have Their Fingers in the Till at Every Turn

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What is it with Rick Snyder, and all these no-bid contracts that surround him? If it’s not Wisconsin’s rejected trains, then it’s his cousin’s furniture contract. Now, we have another no-bid contract driven by Snyder’s Medicaid Expansion.

But a Snyder administration official said the timing “was a coincidence” as the contract increase had been in the works for more than a month before the governor’s fundraise at the Muslim Unity Center.

See that? Yet, another Snyder related “coincidence”.

Campaign finance records show the Shaya family, which owns and operates the J & B Medical Supply, has donated more than $65,000 to Snyder’s campaign over two election cycles. On June 9, the family threw a fundraiser for Snyder that cost more than $19,000 — the most expensive shindig for the governor this election cycle — and generated nearly $74,000 in campaign cash, records show.

That doesn’t look too good, does it?

LorenBennettDonors included former state Sen. Loren Bennett, contract manager for J & B Medical. Bennett and two other company officials did not return messages Monday seeking comment.

Ho, ho, ho, look at what slithered out here. Dick Posthumus’ old toady. Yes, the same Bennett who not long ago said, “Michigan’s 11th Congressional District faces an unusual situation, as its incumbent congressman failed to get enough petition signatures to qualify for the ballot — thus denying Republicans in the district a qualified nominee”. Loren is a real piece of work, yes? Thank God, Bentivolio was sent to Washington, and not that corruptocrat ☞

So, what’s a Nerd supposed to do when caught in another no-bid series of contracts that netted him $93,000 worth of re-election freebies? Use his playbook on deflection.

“People are trying to make something out of it,” Snyder said. “Basically, they’ve had an agreement with the state going back to before when I was governor. Healthy Michigan (Medicaid expansion) has been going so well, we needed to keep things going.”

Wait a minute, I thought Snyder said he didn’t blame others. So, the Democrats “are trying to make something out of it”? Really? Well, let’s see…

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Elections

Michigan Chamber of Commerce (unwittingly?) campaigning for Mark Schauer.

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What’s in your wallet?

This is Rich Studley.

Rich Studley is the President & CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

If Rich doesn’t learn to shut up, he’s going to learn the hard way that this comments will not be so “well-received” as he might think, and instead be giving voters a huge incentive to vote for Mark Schauer next month.

Big Friendly Hint: Not something you want to do with an election as close as this one.

{More after the fold.}

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Democrats, Elections, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Republicans

Michigan’s Voice for Victims?

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One Citizen's concern over Michigan's growing imbalance of power and the eroding of the checks and balances built into our governmental system to protect individuals from injustice. The gentlemen is far from alone in his concerns.....

boot

Neither the Right nor Left, The Republicans nor the Democrats, have a patent on being the protectors of the citizen’s individual Liberties.  When it boils right down to it, a political policy vehicle can, and often does, fail with it’s endorsements. And our elected representatives often fail their constituents when  it comes to the protection of the individual.

We can stay on the merry-go-round of party politics that villainizes the opposition party, (often warranted) or we can start grading our elected on their effectiveness, and willingness to challenge the system and allow unhindered due process afforded every citizen in our U.S. and State Constitutions.  When the system fails, when petitioning is exhausted and disregarded,  The people have the right and duty to make it right at the ballot box.

Please read the following opinion letter sent to me by a very admired friend.

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Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Opinion, Rent Seeking

So, Weiser was in on the DIA Raises too

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Ho, ho, ho, this certainly is fun. The chair of the DIA just threw RINO Ron under the bus.

“We sincerely regret that we did not anticipate the way in which our promotion and compensation decisions in late 2011 and early 2012 would be perceived in late 2014 in light of the conditions that developed for the city and the region as the DIA millage was approved in late 2012 and as the City of Detroit entered bankruptcy in 2013,” Gargaro said.

This from, Thursday, December 16, 2010:

“We are happy to welcome these prominent community members to our board,” said Eugene A. Gargaro, DIA chairman of the board. “Their dedication to the arts and array of experience and expertise will help us continue to provide great art and educational programs to the community.”

Re-elected members include Jeffrey Antaya, chief marketing officer, Plante & Moran, PLLC; Eleanor Ford, philanthropist; Thomas Sidlik, retired from Chrysler; Ronald Weiser, retired ambassador to Slovakia; and Janis Wetsman, art collector and philanthropist. Marc Schwartz, managing partner in SM/ART Editions, was re-elected to the board after a two-year hiatus.

Lying frickin’ liars.

Shall we talk about those low interest loans, Ron?

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Michigan, Opinion, Philosophy

They all lie

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***UPDATE BELOW***

What utter crap Lansing, and Snyder’s talking-heads are peddling to these nurses.

Nurses in Michigan and nationwide charged Wednesday they are not adequately prepared to care for Ebola patients, lacking both the training and proper equipment to deal with the deadly disease.

The Michigan Nurses Association called on Gov. Rick Snyder for greater leadership, even as state agencies and the Michigan State Police stepped up efforts to prepare for a possible outbreak.

alphalogicSnyder spokesman Dave Murray said the administration is pushing the group for details about the complaints because its “statements are very general and broad.”

The state Department of Community Health said Wednesday it continues to follow the situation in Texas.

“The governor was 100 percent correct when on Oct. 9 he said all hospitals were equipped to do isolation work per the Centers for Disease Control requirements at that time,” department spokeswoman Jennifer Smith said.

CDC? Oh, that’s rich. The fact is The State (government) is lying to everyone.

So let’s look at that infrastructure.
There are, in fact, a total of four medical isolation units in the entire United States, as we noted yesterday, that are capable of handling infected Ebola patients near endlessly.
Where are they, and what can they handle?
Emory University’s Serious Communicable Disease Unit is in Atlanta, GA. That’s where Brantly and Writebol were treated. It has three beds.
St. Patrick Hospital’s ICU Isolation Unit is in Missoula MT. It has three beds.
The National Institute of Health’s Special Clinical Studies Unit is in Bethesda MD. It has seven beds.
And the biggest, the Nebraska Medical Center’s Biocontainment Unit is in Omaha NE. It has ten beds.

3+3+7+10=23 beds, coast to coast.

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So, where did they just transport Dallas Nurse #1? If you guessed Maryland – Bingo!

More… this Ebola stuff sounds like a whole bag of fun, yes?

H/t Wirecutter

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