Tag: Kevin Elsenheimer

The Lions did a nice job on Christmas Eve, and the goodies that always seem so plentiful this time of year proved once again, that being full doesn't mean you have to stop eating.  Christmas day was spent recuperating.

Getting out of the year thinner?  Not an option.

Our newest thinning of the link love will start with the removal of Keepin' the Faith blog, which had as one of its last posts in 2009, a question: What is Conservatism?  Among the answers:

"Conservatism is a group of core principles, or virtues, that are not solely political. Conservatism plays out in a broad political sense that takes into account the 'whole person.' We value the spiritual, marital, ecclesiastical, economic, social, and moral aspects of individuals live. We respect these, and many infinite more, as criteria necessary for an individual to determine his or her own happiness.

We believe in human potential and the capacity for everyday heroes to do great things. Conservatives understand that it is not our job, nor is the government allowed, to determine the happiness or outcome of any life. We don't see groups, we don't divide you from your neighbor: our vision is a country where all those who can, do. "

The next removal is the blog of Kevin Elsenheimer.  Kevin is a good conservative who's political end came as the result of a timely newspaper blow up of a non issue during his narrowly lost run for a district judgeship. His blog hanging in the nether, and no longer updated Kevin Elsenheimer's blog" is now gone.

Not posting for over a year, Life with Mr. O is off.

That's it for the this round.  

Can it be amended? Changed? YES.. there is a process, but to suggest something is "living," is to suggest it grows on its own to fit its environment. See what the candidates say..

And BTW, a District Court may well have little exposure to constitutional issues according to some, but is that truly the case?  Perhaps in how the law handles cases equally?  Given that there are still criminal cases heard by District Courts which include misdemeanor criminal cases, preliminary hearings for felony criminal cases and most traffic violations, is there room for observation of the constitution?

If you said yes, every day..  Go to the head of the class.

From Left to Right:
Barb Budros, Kevin Elsenheimer, Melanie Stanton, Mike Stepka, Jennifer Tang-Anderson

Good reform package used as opportunity to provide lifetime benefits

Earlier this morning Clydes Dale mentioned in another post a story he'd heard on WJR about Michigan Democrats and a vote to grant themselves lifetime benefits.  

In economic times like these I sincerely wish even the most extreme left wingers had the sense to avoid big-government bureaucratic protection schemes like this but alas... they don't.  Not even the so-called moderates.

House Democrats yesterday forced a package of bills through the Michigan House that do indeed guarantee lifetime benefits for state lawmakers.  Worse yet, they snuck it into otherwise important legislation.  But take this as a positive sign and early high marks for the Elsenheimer-led Republican Minority... Republican Representatives were quick to cry foul!

"One of the top issues we're hearing from our local governments is their call for help dealing with unfunded liabilities and saving money," said Rep. Jim Marleau, R-Lake Orion. "That is the intent of this legislation and should be the focus of these bills, not guaranteeing benefits for state legislators and bureaucrats."

The House yesterday approved a bipartisan package, House Bills 4071-9, to create a mechanism for the state and local governments to pre-fund retiree health benefits for public employees retired from the state, Legislature, Judiciary, State Police and public schools or from local units of government. A provision added by Democrats in committee would guarantee lifetime health benefits for public employees, including legislators.

"It is unfortunate that this opportunity for real reform to improve the state of Michigan has been mucked up by special interest paybacks and partisan politics," said Rep. Chuck Moss, R Birmingham.

The House Republican Caucus previously introduced HB 4080 to stop lifetime benefits for lawmakers beginning with the current sophomore class of lawmakers.  They've been trying to stop lifetime legislator benefits for years now.  Last term Democrat Robert Dean introduced legislation to protect lifetime benefits for himself and his colleagues and this year we get this monstrosity.

"Ending lifetime benefits is an important move to put the citizen's Legislature more in line with Michigan citizens who are forced to make sacrifices every day to get by," state Rep. Brian Calley. "I am disheartened by today's move in the wrong direction. If the state can't even balance our own books, why are we cementing such an unnecessary perk for six years of service?"

"Two weeks ago we voted to cut our salaries, and that was the right thing to do and today we voted to give ourselves lifetime health benefits," said Rep. Tonya Schuitmaker. "If that's not the definition of hypocrisy, I don't know what is."

It is, Representative.  It is.