RightMi.com top stories for 2015

We’ve reached the end of 2015.

Running the gamut from man eating roads to bald face lies, Michigan politics is a ‘special’ place. RightMi.com highlights certain aspects of our system by bringing certain aspects not typically examined by the mainstream to the forefront.   With writing from folks in all parts of the state, we have been able to add perspective not found elsewhere.  Please enjoy, be active, and keep coming back!

Coming out of 2014, that session’s legislative knuckleheads carved out a wonderful political battle extending right up to a special vote May 5, which was soundly defeated 80 to 20.  Add to this the cost of the special election that could be as high as $10,000,000, and the resources necessary on both sides to fight it.

In RightMi.com’s opening salvo for 2015, KG One says

“But, I’ve also heard that very same sales pitch before (going back at least several decades, in fact), and have been very disappointed by the outcome each and every time.”

And he was hardly wrong in hedging his optimism as disappointment has once again begat the theme with the political class we have learned to trust so implicitly. <sarc=off>

The ‘safe roads’ nonsense was replete with payoffs to just about every single constituency, and the majority GOP legislature made sure that those ‘po folk’ would get their due if the tax hikes would pass.

The PowWow happened, and we promoted, then reported on it.  The Mackinac Center made an unexpected decision to withdraw from the opportunity to reach 400 or so Michigan activists.  Apparently, Dave Agema, a white haired old veteran ‘racist’ (seen on the right with one of his ‘mortal enemies,’ Pastor Phil Smith) was too overwhelming and politically incorrect that he might rub off in some way.  We gave them a “bad doggie” award and moved on. (I still love you guys..  just don’t do that again, OK?)

A shame they didn’t show up.  One guy who did however, was Lt. General William G Boykin.

Now that guy was the real deal. He offered an inspirational speech (click the link above), and was later used as an example of concern about the lack of will by a couple of ‘tea soldiers’ to fight in Michigan’s legislature.  Though with a couple of highlights, the powwow takeaway in the end, was less than stellar from the perspectives of attendees and some organizers.

And all the while that Dave Agema was battling yet another politically correct battle, the fight was on for the reigns of the state apparatchik.

Oh yeah, and Michigan’s now ‘senior’ US senator made plans to party with the revolution! Chickens and old Chevys abound in the land sometimes called the  ‘accidental Eden.” Bravo! If you can’t beat em …well you know. ..Right?  And for good reason, it was against the law to visit and patronize the communist nation at our doorstep.

Of course its surprising at all that illegality matters anymore.  Just after the Presidential State of the State, we had our own. Indeed, Obama taught someone a little closer to home how its done.  IN YOUR FACE.

HE, like the President of the United States, has little inclination to truly consider any opposing will of the legislative bodies and those they represent. He has shown little regard for the law as we have seen with hidden funds and donors, veto of unanimously passed transparency legislation, and now Campaign Finance statutes.

Rick Snyder on January 20, 2015 violated part 57 of Michigan’s campaign finance law.

Don’t forget these things.

This gubernatorial lawbreaking which was of course ignored (and aided) by the political get-alongs, was cheered on by those who rely on local generosity still looking for a new slice of pie.  (Oh and as for those pesky tax monies being used against you, legislators pretend to fix that later in the year.)

Fast forward past the Ronna Coronation, Calley’s brother getting a pass, an unnecessarily expensive Boji building with a view in Lansing,  NERD fund irregularities, and even some good news with asset forfeiture reform, we move right on up to the Road Funding nonsense.  With no fewer than 40 stories tagged with the 15-1 label and about 100 or so related to it, the May 5th special election was tops all year.

The law to be enacted by a vote of the people skimmed money for other ‘transit projects,‘ It promised a tax increase every year, rewarded and encouraged mediocrity. Proponents said that failure to pass would kill us all eventually, yet passage would have sparked pandemonium in distribution networks, and cause higher costs in EVERYTHING WE BUY.

Thankfully on May 5th, it became clear that the voters were just a little more informed than they might have been without RightMi.com and others who spread the word on what a disaster it was for Michigan.

The 80-20 failure it enjoyed was a stick in the eye of the governor.  Unfortunately, he could still see well enough to guide a similar nastiness through at the end of the year.  Go figure.

May 2015 brought about some other fun at RightMi.com.

We had the MiCPAC event in Troy.  And we were able to get a few videos up from that event.  Worth a look.

The Senate passed the first version of the prevailing wage repeal bill that has been abandoned since. Go figure.

Someone let the cat out of the bag on one group’s intent to wage a recall campaign against Wayne Schmidt.

In June, RightMi.com Readers found out that Detroit isn’t the only big budget government that can steal through mismanagement.

We were highlighting and opining on news stories about water that turned out to be quite relevant, and discovered that Michigan’s attorney General Bill Schuette generally made a fool of himself and his office by failing to defend the constitution properly before the supreme court.

In July, RightMi.com happily reported on the ending of Michigan film credits.  And while the rest of the middle right spectrum was gleefully talking about the reduced unemployment numbers, we said “hold on there a minute,” arguing for the truth. And on Cue, the Michigan Senate started the process of reworking the failed 15-1 (southpark style) so the governor could get a roads bill done this year.

In August, we deviated a little from the Michigan only stories, and talked about that first presidential debate a little.  In the meantime, the Courser Gamrat kerfluffle began demanding some attention.  We noted that without the removal of those legislators, certain agendas would not be fulfilled.

We were later in the year proven correct as higher taxes were passed with single and double vote majorities..

September provided us with the anniversary of the first installment of Michigan’s new minimum wage law.  Lucky us.  Americans For Prosperity Michigan rightly suggested we should ‘show the EPA the door”  Happily, the newly installed governor of Kentucky Matt Bevin DID say “pound sand”  a couple months later.

We reported in September about the loose technical talent standards for gubernatorial appointments, specifically for the new ‘pipeline advisory board.’  Well played political patronage, well played.

More bailouts coming?  Probably so as noted in an early in the month’s tweet.   Certainly the loss of two fiscal hawks would grease the skids for such a tragedy.  By the house members illegitimately removing the people’s vote, the Lansing skidmarks won.  And then the alarming news that Obamacare in Michigan was in trouble.

Big surprise huh?

RightMi.com ended September reporting on the start of the replacement race in the 80th house district, and by discovering a little School funding related trick that the State Senate has up its sleeve, to separate you from more of your hard earned money.

It was in October, and long before two recent terrorist attacks that we highlighted the importation of un-vettable Syrians by Rick Snyder.  We also continued highlighting the waste by the MDoT (as you know by now, a protected agency)

But the big news in October was the Flint Water quality situation.  RightMi.com was out in front with technical insight found nowhere else on the issue.  It is more relevant now, as the real cost of this administration’s goof to Michigan taxpayers is only starting to surface.  The DEQ might well have been more concerned about pumpkins perhaps?

November might have brought Snow.  It also brought you a new birthday expense.  It also brought the Paris attack, and a stern policy rebuke from freshman legislator of the year Gary Glenn.  For a moment, governor Snyder listened to us, to Glenn, and maybe that little voice in his head.

Our legislators started planning more rampant (taxpayer funded) cronyism at the old Steelcase in GR, and the ‘spatial anomalies’ club’s newest addition (DPS) started exerting a little gravity.

December didn’t have much for snow, but RightMi.com readers found out about some folks fighting back against political correctness and sham charity offerings.  Oh, and about those new workers, courtesy of the new minimum wage?  Don’t worry your little mechanical heads about it.

The recall efforts started happening in December.  A nearly impossible task made possible by previous legislatures, yet pursued vigorously just the same by some off-put constituents.

The year’s legislative session was a gift to an assortment of cronyists, political cohorts, and PAC bundlers.  Passage of SB571 promises prohibition against you funding local propaganda efforts, yet makes some disturbing reporting changes that will affect transparency for others.

Snyder’s generic non-caloric ‘seasons greetings’ message once again chronicled, and a little new year’s resolution on the way for RightMi.com.

2015 was in some ways, a tough year to watch unfold. 

Republicans selling their political souls and generally disappointing constituents could be considered thematic, particularly when looking nationally. But our Lansing based critters were unfortunately of little exception. The passage of HB571 mentioned above  suggests Michigan is on the path for even greater prevaricating in 2016.

For now however, we must agree with Thomas Sowell, that 2015 was indeed the ‘Year of the Big Lie.’