Your New Scoop Site

Welcome to Scoop!

To help you figure things out, there is a Scoop Admin Guide which can hopefully answer most of your questions.

Some tips:

Most of the layout is changed in "Blocks", found in the admin tools menu
Features can be turned on and off, and configured, in "Site Controls" in the admin tools menu
Stories have an "edit" link right beside the "Full Story" link on an index page, and right beside the "Post a Comment" link on the full story page. They can also be edited by clicking the story title in the "Story List" admin tool
Boxes are what allow you to write new features for Scoop; they require a knowledge of the perl programming language to work with effectively, although you can often make small changes without knowing much perl. If you would like a feature added but cannot program it yourself, ScoopHost does custom Scoop programming as one of its services.
If you aren't sure where to look for a particular feature or piece of display, try the "Search Admin Tools" link in the admin tools menu.

For support, questions, and general help with Scoop, email support@scoophost.com

ScoopHost.com is currently running Scoop version Undeterminable from .

Tag: Kevin Cotter

At Least One Grassroots Organization Is Through Messing Around

By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
Posted on Mon Mar 18, 2013 at 02:14:36 PM EST
Tags: 2013-HB-4111, House Roll Call 11 (2013), nullification vs. enabling, legislative malfeasance, sending a message, empowered grassroots operation, iCaucus Michigan, 2010 endorsees, Justin Amash, Pat Colbeck, Kevin Cotter, Ray Franz, Dave Hildenbrand, Tom Hooker, Ruth Johnson, Dave Robertson, Tim Walberg, 2012 endorsees, Dave Agema, Kerry Bentivolio, Bill Brinkman, David Grant, Scott Harvey, Dale Pomeroy, Jon Rathbun, Jay Spencer, Rob VerHeulen, disciplinary action is necessary to protect those who didn't screw up (all tags)

First off, let me remind all of my readers that the very fact that 2013-HB-4111 is still sitting on the Senate Schedule means that Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville can call it up for a vote the second he thinks that the grassroots aren't looking (assuming that he has the whip count necessary to ensure passage). So we need to keep the pressure on our state senators (by all lawful means, including face-to-face discussion when possible) until this Trojan Horse is at least referred to a committee. However, we also need to keep in mind that the progressives aren't stupid, and will take advantage of our focus to accomplish other things while we're not watching "the other hand," and so in addition to raising a royal stink about the alleged party of smaller government caving to the single biggest expansion of federal government intrusion in our lifetimes, we must keep our other eye on everything else that's going on in Lansing while we're at it.

You may remember me mentioning a couple of weeks ago that the grassroots are just a tad ticked at 29 "republican" squishies who caved on House Roll Call 11 and brought this state one step closer to what is perhaps the single biggest government intrusion into private lives that I can recall in my lifetime. While I'm not going to go into too many technical details here, I will say that one particular organization isn't screwing around.

(1250 words in story) Full Story

Not So Fast Mister

By JGillman, Section News
Posted on Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 09:47:38 AM EST
Tags: Michigan, Snyder, Intra-Local hogwash, House Appropriations Committee, Dave Agema, Chuck Moss, Bob Genetski, Eileen Kowall, Matt Lori, Bill Rogers, Jon Bumstead, Kevin Cotter, Ken Goike, Nancy Jenkins, Peter MacGregor, Greg MacMaster, Earl Poleski, Phil Potvin, Richard LeBlanc (all tags)

Governor Rick Snyder's obsession has a little bit of a roadblock.

After the Governor attempted to subvert the will of the people and the legislature with a convoluted 'intra-local' agreement on his pet bridge project, he now finds there is no state money available for his new tool. Unless he pulls an "Obama" and violates the Michigan constitution, no money can be appropriated to the new method which has raised eyebrows with conservative leadership in the Michigan legislature. The stopping point? From the Detroit News:

"The House Appropriations Committee amended a supplemental funding bill barring the Michigan Economic Development Corp. from spending general fund taxpayer money on construction or development of the proposed New International Trade Crossing.
"I just want to ensure that no taxpayer money is being spent on something that shouldn't," said state Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, who sponsored the amendment. "Nobody has the authority, including the governor, to spend any money without the Legislature and appropriations (committees) appropriating the money."

And CUT! (a little Michigan film credit humor there)

Anyhow, there is ONE little point that needs to be addressed. The ability of an Intra-Local tool to even have ANY validity between nations. Would such an agreement even be legal? Our constitution says not so fast. Only the President with the consent of the US Senate can enact such contracts. From Article 2 Section 2 of the US Constitution:

" .. He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States .."

And given that MR Snyder is not yet our Presinerd, his will is a little ahead of itself.

An 'attaboy' and thank you goes out to House Appropriations Committee members Dave Agema, Chuck Moss, Bob Genetski, Eileen Kowall, Matt Lori, Bill Rogers, Jon Bumstead, Kevin Cotter, Ken Goike, Nancy Jenkins, Peter MacGregor, Greg MacMaster, Earl Poleski, Phil Potvin, and the lone Democrat voting yes with those members, Richard LeBlanc. They have saved our state a little embarrassment for the time being.

Unchecked executive authority is abuse.

(5 comments) Comments >>