Tag Archive for Michigan Economy

All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Constitution, Democrats, Economy, Government Incompetence, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Religious Freedom, Republicans

And this is any better…why?

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People thought that the Republicans might have had an epiphany last week while Michiganians were circling the Capitol Building in Lansing for a better part last Wednesday. Having 10,000 cars blocking traffic all around you and blaring their horns for most of the day does tend to draw attention, but I digress.

During a Friday News Dump, SML Mike Shirkey announced that not only was the legislature disinclined to extend Gov. Witless’ tyranny past May 1st, but that they had a plan, based upon a framework released by the White House on how this will be accomplished.

Outstanding! Now we can get Michigan back to work so that we can start fixing the colossal disaster her incredibly ridiculous “orders” have wrought upon our state.

But did anyone bother reading the fine print?

I’ve heard this line before.

{Read more about the trouble in Lansing by clicking on the red button below.}

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All the Other Stuff, Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Economy, Elections, Government Incompetence, Liberty, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion

Enough already!

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This was not the piece that I had originally intended to post this evening.

I was originally going to go into last week’s election as it related to the November General and some disturbing numbers.

Now, after getting blasted with e-mails and texts this afternoon from family and friends relating to Gov. Witless and her latest power grab, this is the question that begs to be asked: When will Michiganians say “enough is enough”?

{Continued below the fold}

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Conservative News, Democrats, Economy, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

A Bump In Michigan’s Economic Road Ahead

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First Fallout From The Midterm Elections


The automobile assembly and automotive parts supplier sectors have been key to Michigan’s recovery from the Great Recession, and the increased tax revenues collected by Michigan’s many units of government. These sectors have been riding a wave of expansion – and hiring – in Michigan since President Trump announced his intentions to impose higher tariffs on European vehicles and parts on May 23rd.

Although these tariffs were proposed under national security statutes, Trump clearly intended to retaliate against the 10% tariff the EU imposes on all American-built vehicles and parts. The U.S. currently imposes 2.5% maximum tariffs on European cars, trucks, and parts. so European made vehicles and parts enjoy a 7.5% advantage over American vehicles and parts in direct trade.

It now appears that the Trump Administration is going to delay or abandon these proposed tariffs. A Bloomberg article posted last night reports on a meeting held at the White House Tuesday which put off automotive tariffs for the foreseeable future. A draft report on U.S. – European trade was sent back to the Commerce Department for reconsideration, a polite way of killing it. That report must be issued before any tariffs can take effect.

The November 6th election outcome just killed that.

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Cronyism, Firearms, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy, Rent Seeking, Taxes

Happy Deer in Michigan

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Michigan Hunters Not So Happy

Happy Deer

DNR just slyly reported that Michigan hunting license sales dropped to 729,000 in 2014, a 4.2% drop from 2013 sales and the all time low in data extending way back to 1958. This drop is even worse than the numbers suggest, since the new HB 4668 hunting license rules require base licenses for hunting activities which did not require licenses in previous years. And if you believe President Obama and his statistical mathmagicians, the U.S. economy surged at a 5% GDP growth rate in 2014Q3 just before Michigan’s traditional firearms deer season. Michigan’s population increased by 11,684 people in 2014, the third consecutive annual increase. So the number of hunters should have increased in 2014? But the number of hunters in Michigan dropped, and hunter numbers declined because license fees skyrocketed under HB 4668 of 2013.

The most popular hunting license prices increased 50 – 100 % under the new 2014 fee schedule, although a direct comparison is not possible because the licenses were restructured under HB 4668 to ‘simplify’ the license schedule. Even though the DNR has not released license sales dollar amounts yet, we can still sketch out the doleful effect of the DNR hunting license fee increases on Michigan’s staggering economy.

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Firearms, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Philosophy

Rotten Fish in Michigan

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DNR Fee Increase Backfires

Politicians of all stripes are rooting around for fresh money to fulfill past, present, and future promises lately, figuring that the economy is so hot that their depredations will go unnoticed and have no consequences. Let’s take a look at a Michigan example: the increase in license fees for hunting and fishing which the Legislature authorized in 2013 and which took effect in 2014.

The most popular hunting and fishing license prices doubled under the new fee schedule, although a direct comparison is not possible because the licenses were restructured to ‘simplify’ the license schedule. Governor Snyder’s goal for these increases was to raise an additional $ 18.1 million dollars annually for the DNR. The Senate Fiscal Agency benchmarked the anticipated annual increase at $ 19.7 million.

These are fees, paid voluntarily, so why should we care? Only taxes matter? The State of Michigan has been reducing the amount of money appropriated to the DNR from tax revenues since 2000, a reduction that now amounts to about 70%. So fees are now required to replace taxes. A common story across the United States. Fees play better with voters than taxes.

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