Tag Archive for GLEP

80th District Special Election (2015), Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Part Time Legislature, Proposal 15-1, Republicans

The ‘Money Poll’ in Michigan’s 80th District House Race

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Mary Whiteford - the Establishment's Revenge for Proposal 1's Defeat?

More campaign finance reports are trickling in to the Secretary of State’s Bureau of Elections and it is clear that an avalanche of money from establishment Republicans is backing Mary Whiteford in the State House of Representatives 80th District special election. You have to dig a little to figure out just how much money and from where, but most of the evidence is available. Let’s call this the ‘money poll’.

Mary Whiteford Image 2Ms. Whiteford’s official committee (BoE 516401) has collected $ 28,200, plus another $ 2,807.96 of in kind contributions (actually expenditures) by the candidate herself. Great Lakes Education Project, an IRS 527 political action committee, has been furiously mailing cards supporting Mary Whiteford and trashing Cindy Gamrat. – $ 15,477 worth. So a total of $ 46,484.96. Another group, Michigan’s Voice (LARA 71630M), has made at least one mailing on Mary Whiteford’s behalf, but little is known about this recently incorporated (10/26/15) group and they have made no filings with the SoS BoE. By law they have 10 days to file, so we probably won’t know anything further about their efforts until after the primary. A well targeted mailing in the 80th costs around $ 4,000, so the Michigan’s Voice effort elevates Ms. Whiteford’s total funding in this special primary above $ 50,000.

Only 26 of Ms. Whiteford’s contributions – $ 6,300 – came from within the 80th District (excluding the candidate’s own contributions), far less than the 200 plus contributions that came to her from within the District in her first election attempt last year. This year, 85% plus of her funding is coming from establishment Republicans from outside the 80th.

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Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion, Republicans

Schuette’s Circle

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Well, this is rather embarrassing for the RNC/GOPe, that is, if they had any shame.

Yep, that’s what Bill endorses but, like all other Cuckservatives, ‘ol Hinky Bill is just doing what those who hold the strings tell them to do.

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Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Taxes

Reaping What ya Sow

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Hey, when all you have is garbage like Bush/DeVos Common Core©, the only difference becomes what the household instills.

Bosco-countday“We can’t support choice without supporting their desire to return to their home district if it’s not working out for them,” Naeyaert said. “People are looking for a better outcome, and they think a change of scenery might be better. But the grass isn’t always greener.
….

Those higher-achieving schools, however, don’t appear to be the answer for the majority of school of choice students in Michigan. The same low-income, mostly African-American students who were struggling in their home school districts are the students most likely to switch back out of school of choice, according to the study.

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Personally, I’ve never been an advocate for this School of Choice crap. It’s an exercise in futility at best, and at worst, it just goes to demonstrate what abject whores districts have become, especially, when it’s headcount day.

Besides, all them gatecrashing illegal aliens are just playing Nation of Choice, right?

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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.

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Elections, Michigan Politics

2014 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 possibly 65 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).

There are a number of interesting primaries in August.  A bunch of Republican incumbents are being challenged due to their support of Medicaid expansion, Common Core, and the Detroit Bailout.  Most will win easily, but there is the potential for a few to be surprised (39, 79, 107).  The open seats feature more competitive primaries, many of which also feature establishment versus Tea Party battles.  Establishment candidates are receiving support from the Chamber of Commerce and Great Lakes Education Project.  More conservative candidates are receiving support from Americans for Prosperity and Madison Project Michigan.

State house fundraising is analyzed in the following article.

Michigan State House Fundraising

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