Tag: Mackinac Center

First it starts off with the appropriate culling of hypocrisy as seen in the Diane Hathaway debacle.  Hathaway, of course was the recipient of the infamous sleeping judges ad, where in a lie, an actor was hired to 'represent' justice Taylor sleeping while on duty.  Hathaway won easily at that time as Michiganders were horrified to think that such a thing could happen on the Michigan Supreme Court.  Strangely, there was nary a peep THIS TIME from the folk calling foul in THAT election, but for a few "I don't cares" coming from the lefty side apologists.

Clifford Taylor wins the moral battle to be sure.

TODAY! Tuesday, October 30, 2012  12:00 p.m.

Hosted by Manny Lopez

• Proposals 1 & 3: James Hohman

• Proposal 2: F. Vincent Vernuccio

• Proposal 4: Patrick Wright

• Proposals 5 & 6: Michael LaFaive

I guess its THAT serious.

It has to do with transparency.  Its hard to hold folks accountable without it.  The Michigan Press Association and Mackinac Center issued a Joint Statement today. According to the press release:

If passed with a "yes" vote, these organizations argue, stipulations in government collective bargaining agreements would trump the Freedom of Information Act, among other laws. The Freedom of Information Act guarantees that public documents remain available to public scrutiny, subject to some limitations.

They are always so upfront with the truth.

Illegal scheme continued despite law explicitly stating providers are not government employees

MIDLAND -- Michigan's 60,000 home health care aides should no longer have so-called union dues skimmed from their subsidy checks as a result of an informal but binding opinion letter issued today by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. The opinion was issued in response to a request by Rep. Paul Opsommer, R-DeWitt, six weeks after Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation ending the stealth unionization. The Service Employees International Union has taken some $30 million from the state's most vulnerable residents over the last six years, including more than $680,000 since the scheme was outlawed.

"This episode demonstrates how government-sector unions often act in ways that benefit themselves at the cost of taxpayers and their shanghaied members," said Mackinac Center Legal Foundation Director Patrick J. Wright. "The independent contractors and family members who provide aid to the developmentally disabled were never government employees and should not have been paying dues in the first place."

When the squishy policies of entitlement theory fall from the vine under their own weight, sour grapes soon turn to whine:

"Rep. Levin Asks I.R.S. To Look Into Mackinac Center

Questioning whether the Mackinac Center for Public Policy engaged in lobbying activities when it claimed on its tax disclosure forms it did not, U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak) has sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service asking it to review the organization and take "appropriate actions" to ensure it complies with requirements for tax-exempt charitable and education organizations."

Yesterday was Michigan's birthday.

Our state has undergone a great deal of change over the last 175 years, and today can serve well as a history lesson for the country and itself.   Especially given the recent discussion with regard to government owned bridges, light rail, and other stimulus & economic development efforts funded with tax dollars, we should certainly note that some things never change.

"Gov. Snyder seemed to focus more on new programs than on limiting government's scope," said LaFaive. "However, if last year's address is an indicator, he may be understating his plans to lessen the impact and cost of government in the coming year. Like last year, the governor intends a series of legislative updates, which along with his budget presentation may give us a better understanding of his policy agenda."

LaFaive noted that last year the governor offered a disappointing three limitations of government in his proposal, only to rein in the state in many more areas than he outlined in his address.

"I am hopeful that the actual work accomplished by his administration is once again more inspiring than the vision laid forth tonight," LaFaive added.

Mr. Snyder acknowledged that the new bridge remains a tough sell in Michigan, where relatively few people understand the vital role the bridge plays in getting U.S. exports to markets in Canada and beyond. The project was first proposed more than five years ago.

The perception in many parts of the state is that the project is a political payoff for the heavily Democratic Detroit area, offering jobs and construction contracts to an economically depressed part of the state.

"This is a very tough project," said Mr. Snyder, who is in Ottawa to speak at a cross-border innovation conference organized by the U.S. embassy and Canada 2020. "I wouldn't underestimate the challenges. But we will get this to happen."

He blamed "special interest politics" for poisoning the debate on the U.S. side.

Certainly that has nothing to do with the $500 million gesture that you begged the Canadians for or your PAC.

"I understand why they're spending the money," he said of the Morouns. "It's economic self-interest. The troubling part is the lack of accuracy in what they represent."

Well, that inaccuracy has always been on the governments behalf, GoverNerd.  It's well documented here.  Simply hit any of the 'Tags'.