Tag Archive for Transparency

Making a deal with the devil.

Buried in the headlines this week between yet another fake news story regarding the pending impeachment of Pres. Trump, fixing Gov Whitmer’s line item frenzy (contrary to the media buzz, there is serious talk behind the scenes pertaining to fixing Gov. Whitmer’s not-so little temper tantrum screw-up) and the comedy of errors with the GM-UAW Strike, this story from Lansing surprising got very little attention.

Which gets even more interesting once you are made aware of what the topic of discussion was all about.

{Continues after the fold}

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The Good, the Bad, & the Unattractive.

Bill Schuette begins the issues ramp up for 2018.

A partial ‘wish’ list by Bill Schuette in a recent editorial is a decent start to his gubernatorial bid.

Schuette, in preparation to take on a half dozen or more GOP contenders is capably using his AG pulpit to advance certain ideals that will probably be embraced by conservatives and GOP activists across Michigan.  Schuette, already enjoying a lead built on 30 or so years of campaigning for governor leaves little to question on 4(3?) key issues.  In today’s editorial on the Detroit News page:

First: Financial disclosure

Michigan is one of only three states that does not require disclosure of personal financial information by elected state officials. This common sense reform would provide new information to help prevent conflicts of interest in government decision-making.

We already require financial transparency from federal officials, so it is not a stretch to include state elected officials, from the governor’s office to the state legislature. I have both sponsored financial disclosure bills as a state legislator and complied with federal disclosure requirements while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is not that difficult.

Personally, I don’t care how much you are worth.

But there are tells in the way your investments are made.  Add to this the cronyist environment that takes taxpayer money and pipes it through political process toward certain ‘investments,’ and a sickening reality becomes clear.

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The Fox Guarding The Hen House.

Easter eggs hidden all over the place. What's a poor chicken to do?

The MEDC is off the hook corrupt.

I know we have expressed issues before with the cronyism going on with the MEDC and its failures of transparency and effectiveness.  Picking winners only works for ..the winners.

Its not hard to recognize unadulterated failure when we see it. If a person is hungry for the truth, its right in front of us.  One need only look at hangar 42, RASCO, overpaying Film credits by 42%, and A123 just to whet the appetite!

But certainly, the MEDC provides a lot of high paying jobs for otherwise failed business leaders and political partisans.  No way in hell will it willingly surrender the family secrets and threaten the taxpayer goldmine.  Indeed, no dog and pony show of ‘allowing’ bids for outside agencies to measure it’s (the MEDC’s) effectiveness will ever meet the threshold of honest brokering.

Not without some pressure anyhow.

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Forget it, Duggan, Your Bailout Subsidy Answered the Door Naked

Slick Rick’s clown-car of gimme, gimme, gimme actors in Detroit, are completely delusional.

Money SwirlMayor Mike Duggan says he doesn’t expect his proposal for low-cost auto insurance in Detroit to be derailed by the legal troubles of the bill’s planned sponsor, state Sen. Virgil Smith.

According to an article I read while going through Safeco insurance reviews, Duggan told City Council members on Tuesday he is pressing forward with his January timetable for the plan, which would allow auto insurance companies to sell Detroiters lower-cost policies with a maximum of $275,000 in medical coverage for auto-related injuries.

Smith, D-Detroit, who last month announced he would sponsor the proposed legislation, was arrested in connection with an assault and shooting involving his ex-wife.

The mayor stressed Tuesday that Smith’s challenges will not jeopardize the proposal. The next stop, he added, will be to seek a Senate hearing.

“We’re going to do what we’ve got to do and line up our votes,” Duggan told reporters, adding he’s confident that he’ll ultimately gain the support of the Michigan Legislature.

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Ya, right. Below is a glaring representative example why insurance rates are higher in the City of Detroit.

So, which legislator would like to sign his name to Duggan and Snyder’s special carve out? Better yet, which legislator would like to put his name next to a vote for that?

Good luck.

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LMAO: Detroit Teh #ComebackCity

Mike Duggan’s auto insurance subsidy legislator buddy in action…

Police: State senator facing charges after Detroit shooting

2015_mercedes_benz_gla

Sorta looks like ‘ol Virg took Slo-Joe Biden’s advice to heart, huh? Actually, it also appears that ‘ol Virg took Bill Clinton’s advice to bed, too. Yep. Democrats being Democrats. #WhiteMercedesMatter

But, never fear, Worthy is kicking that can down the memory hole from the 36 hour *news* cycle.

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And in Other News… Water is Wet

Happen to notice this gem of true Romney/Rockefeller Republicanism in the Twitter feed sidebar? Unfortunately, with most focused on Snyder and Calley’s annually increasing $2,000,000,000 tax hike ‘wants’ on May 5th, pragmatic clown Nolan pumping our legislators to ram through Bolger’s Wholesale fuel tax hike boondoggle with same ratchet mechanism, which much to our disappointment this guy breathed new life in that false premise of throwing $1.2B more at a deeply flawed MDOT, and the looming Wayne County bailout. Did I forget to mention Snyder and Calley’s costly Green Energy mandate with 100% government bureaucrat control? Yes, that too. Well, here’s another one of Snyder and Calley’s latest big government central-planning ‘wants’ is deserving some attention, too.

happy-snyderIn an interview that aired Monday on Michigan Public Radio Network stations, Snyder said it will be a “huge issue” if Michigan residents are no longer able to qualify for the incentives [wealth redistribution]. He said U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, is leading discussion of a possible congressional solution if the tax credits are denied.

Short of that, Snyder said he would ask the Republican-controlled Legislature to make Michigan’s a state-run exchange.

“That raises the issue, should we be looking at a state exchange, and that’s a dialogue I’d have to have with the Legislature,” Snyder told MPR’s Rick Pluta.

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Wouldn’t the Romney clan’s other Utah friends like Mike Leavitt, just love that? Cha-ching again! says those connected with BC/BS of Michigan. And, if one has read about Upton’s so-called “off-ramp” they’d quickly realize it’s just more of the same fixed market government overreach (yep, Ron Paul included) serving to illustrate how “R” is for reversing into a ditch when those with a “D” gladly drive off a cliff with the accelerator pedal mashed through the radiator. Is there reason why Rick Snyder is on the Top 10 List? You betchya.

And, it only gets worse.

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Ron Boji et al. Pocket $134,000,000 for Their “Better View”

Our wayward Elected Class spending saga continues via WXYZ

This pay-to-play wasteful spending has got to stop. So does this crap.

“I don’t like to look backwards. I’m a guy who looks forward and solves problems,” Pscholka said.

Snyder_54B_ballonWhat a pompous, can-kicking schmuck, but, there it is as plain as day. Rick Snyder’s playbook line used to justify his actions as a big spending, everyone connected gets a kickback Republican. You folks tired of hearing it yet? Guess not. Methinks, there’s a growing consensus they all should just be thankful there is a disinterested, ill-informed, and apathetic electorate otherwise all the Oath sworn f****** would be hearing footsteps in their sleep.

In other words, this is the government that has been consented to by our vote. Pay up, suckers…

SB 509 and SB 1149.

Ps. thanks for the empty words, Colbeck you fraud.

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I Imagine People in Hell Would Like Ice Water Too

Is this what Snyder meant by Rivers of Opportunity?

Detoilet_Monster_Still_HungryIt costs an average of $1,800 per year for auto insurance in Detroit’s suburbs; it costs about $3,600 within the city limits, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said from Motor City Casino [Ilitch family] at the 2014 Detroit Policy Conference Thursday.

“Detroiters can’t afford to make $300 a month in car insurance, in most cases more than their car note, [maybe we should buy them a park to ease their woes?]” Duggan said to the room of business, nonprofit and media leaders. “I’ve spent a lot of time already with the Republican leadership on some ideas on that …[suspect Numero Uno]

“I just want the ability to be competitive on car insurance.”

What that legislation might look like, Duggan wouldn’t say.

“There’s no reason for us to talk about these details,” Duggan said during a media scrum after his on-stage speech, “because I need to get 56 reps and 20 senators to agree to them and I just as soon do it with them and not announce the details here, so no disrespect.”

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Looks like our little green friend in Detoilet is still hungry but, oh sure, why not? Just for Snyder’s inaugural party MC carpetbagger mayor buddy, let’s call the legislation: “Grand” bargain Auto Insurance.

Sorry, Progressive is already taken. But, ya, that’s the ticket, Mayor Mike. You know, the old saying is true: the more things allegedly change in Michigan, the more they stay the same.

Has anyone else been left out of getting a cut of the Detroit bailout? If so, please leave suggestions in comment.

Ps. anyone else notice Detroit’s Police no longer reveal crime summary reports?

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Yet, Granholm’s Kirk Steudle Hasn’t Been Fired nor Jailed

The latest ongoing MDOT buffoonery from Auditor General, Doug Ringler.

dozer-money“Our review … identified 48 of 92 [52%] expired warranty projects that needed corrective action,” the report said. “As of June 30, 2014, 24 of the warranties had been expired for over one year without MDOT having addressed the corrective action.”

MDOT said it agrees with all six recommendations made by the auditor general and is taking action to improve its system of monitoring and enforcing warranties.

“By October 2015, MDOT, in working with the Department of Attorney General, will develop a procedure for non-responsive contractors that have been notified to perform warranty work,” the department said in part of its response to the audit.

But the auditor noted that similar issues were raised in an earlier audit, released in 2010, and at that time the department said it would “strengthen its procedures to assure the completion of inspections.”

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Hmmm, something to hide here, Mr. Steudle? And, the AG is involved? Can one say like placing a fox to watch the hen house? I can, as they all, the AG, the MDOT Director, and MSP Director, sit on the same committee endorsing Snyder’s Democrat wooed Proposal 2015-1 better known as the $2,000,000,000 16.7% Sales Tax Hike with double taxation for off road agricultural and recreational fuels, 30% registration fee increase, and loss of IRS deduction – among other handouts to buy votes.

Bonus? Just like clockwork, it’s Norm partying in Tampa Shinkle and Dan Pero’s wife Colleen to Snyder’s rescue (No, seriously!). How about it, Rule of Law Ruth? Nah, not so much as a peep.
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Shame on those who seldom follow the linked information here on RightMi.com, because we all are truly getting the government that’s deserved, and getting it good and hard.

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