Tag Archive for Pure Michigan

Cronyism, Detroit, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature, Rent Seeking, Taxes

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

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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.

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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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Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Deep Pockets – Short Arms

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As expected…

Detroit’s planned 3.3-mile $137 million Woodward Avenue streetcar project faces a $12 million funding shortfall, and Michigan members of Congress warn the project could be in jeopardy unless the Transportation Department gives it more money.

A two-page letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx obtained by The Detroit News on Tuesday warns that the project urgently needs additional grant money to proceed. But even without federal funds, officials of the so-called M-1 project says it would survive — but concede it might have to be scaled back.

Whoa! Has anyone looked at the top two names listed on the M-1 Rail Board of Directors? Click here. So, you mean to tell me that Roger Penske, or Dan Gilbert, both billionaires, can’t reach into their front pocket and pull out $6M each? YGBFKM. Better yet, if one looks a little further down the Board of Director names listed one will see Ilitch Holdings. How about giving a little back to the rest of us in the state, Mike and Marian? There you go. Penske, Gilbert, and Ilitch, can all pony up $3M each to cover the “shortfall”.

Funny how yet another .gov subsidized P3 project always has these budget “shortfalls,” isn’t it?

The May 1 letter, which has not previously been made public, discloses that Detroit applied for a supplemental $12.2 million grant from the Transportation Department’s TIGER grant program. The project received $25 million in federal funds from the program in January 2013.

“Without the requested $12.2 million TIGER grant, this important project will be delayed indefinitely, and we fear the resulting costs could make the project unaffordable,” said the letter signed by Sens. Carl Levin of Detroit, Debbie Stabenow of Lansing and Reps. Sander Levin of Royal Oak, John Dingell of Dearborn, John Conyers of Detroit and Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township. The lawmakers, all Democrats, urged Foxx to “award a TIGER grant to close the funding gap.”

Ah, all Democrats Socialists. I guess that is where the Ilitch’s paid their “fair share” already.

Subsidies in perpetuity! Get ready to keep paying up, Nerd voting suckers.

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All the Other Stuff, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy

Pure Memorial Day Weekend

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Have we allowed policing powers on some issues to go too far?

Pure-TicketWhat says Memorial day in Michigan, more than an emptied beehive of police cruisers out to sting anyone they can?

Its the annual tradition of seat belt oppression on Michigan roads and highways.  With grants providing overtime and special enforcement zones, this weekend’s vacation fun should fatten the local coffers and library penal fund balances right up.  Most of our Michigan governments have been asked to accept such funding on behalf of their policing units, so as to enforce more rigorously, a regimen of protecting us from ourselves.

Sadly, the same legislature that allowed the return of helmet less motorcycling, has yet to reverse the 4th amendment violating features of seat belt enforcement. The original law, supposedly a non actionable civil infraction, now enshrines the means for abusive police action.

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Cronyism, Democrats, Detroit, Rent Seeking, Republicans

Snyder’s Detroit Bailout “Officially” Hemorrhages Our Money

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Oh, joy… today makes it “official”.

via Crain’s Detroit

Belle Isle in Detroit is set to officially become Michigan’s newest state park.

The state is taking over the city-owned park under a 30–year lease deal with Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr.

On Oct. 1, Orr and Gov. Rick Snyder signed a proposed lease of the island to turn it into a state park; Detroit City Council counter-offered with a 10-year lease proposal, which was ultimately rejected by a state panel.

Included in the announcement of the proposed lease was the promise that the state would invest $10 million to $20 million in the park within the next three years.

The move goes into effect today; it’s expected to save the bankrupt city [cost all state taxpayers] between $4 million and $6 million a year.

REST

At least Billionaire Roger Penske is happy that another of his toy racetracks is receiving the full backing of our wallets.

Bud Denker of Bloomfield Hills is senior vice president of Penske Corporation and executive vice president of Penske Automotive Group and Penske Performance. Denker joined the Penske enterprise after many years with several Fortune 100 companies including Eastman Kodak Company where he served as vice president of brand and marketing development. Since 2006, he has served as chairman of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and is also active in many Detroit-based organizations including the Downtown Detroit Partnership and The Parade Company.

Pure Cronyism.

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