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Tag: special interests

Students for Sale

By BILazarus, Section News
Posted on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 12:15:06 AM EST
Tags: ben lazarus, jennifer granholm, promise scholarship, tax increase, corruption, washington, federal government, special interests (all tags)

In 2006, Governor Jennifer Granholm went on statewide television and announced on behalf of the State of Michigan a promise to over 96,000 high school students now in college: if you pass a test called the Michigan Merit Exam, the State of Michigan will help fund your college education.

Notwithstanding the accuracy of standardized tests in measuring any area of performance, the Michigan Promise Scholarship, a four thousand dollar earned, merit-based grant awarded over the course of one's college career, was created to incentivize continued education and employment within the State of Michigan. But now, the opposite is occurring. As tax revenues decrease, politicians on both sides of the isle in Lansing have caved in to special interest pressure and prioritized political kickbacks and pork projects that would otherwise be used to fund the Promise Scholarship.

(1 comment, 510 words in story) Full Story

Breaking: Michigan is sinking and Cherry is drinking

By Nick, Section News
Posted on Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 11:36:56 AM EST
Tags: Cherry, Clarke, Bernero, special interests, lobbyists, Granholm, Senate, unemployment, lush, liquor, fundraiser, email (all tags)

Sure, Michigan's unemployment rate and the rampant job losses dominating the news these days are enough to drive a man to drink, but getting started at 11:30 in the morning seems a tad early. Maybe even indicative of a problem.

How much more of a problem, then, if the men and women drowning their sorrows in the middle of the day are the folks voters elected and sent to Lansing specifically to FIX this state's problems?

This Thursday morning, while moms and dads across Michigan tighten the family budgets, hunt for jobs and worry about how they're going to put food on the table, 2010 Gubernatorial candidate and current Lieutenant Governor John Cherry, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and state Senator Hansen Clarke will be taking "unbelievable," "inappropriate" and "tone deaf" to disturbing new levels.

The Lansing Democrats will be getting liquored up with special interest pals and high-dollar donors at an open bar event they are describing as a "Mid-Day Fun-Raiser." Support a "two hour moratorium on dry political fundraisers," they encourage via an email invitation obtained by RightMichigan.com.

The event is scheduled to begin thirty minutes after the Michigan Senate is gaveled into session this Thursday.

We've already learned this week that tens of thousands of Michigan jobs will disappear and Friday stands to be one of the most important days in the history of Detroit's automotive industry. No sense letting THAT stop a good time when there are lobbyists to schmooze and martinis to sip, though.

So many questions come to mind.

Will Lieutenant Governor Cherry and Senator Clarke register their attendance in the Senate during roll call and then make their way over to the open bar?

Will Cherry and Clarke return to the Senate chamber after having spent the morning and early afternoon imbibing with lobbyists, special interest friends and big dollar donors?

Will John Cherry and Hansen Clarke be driving themselves or are they planning on using a designated driver? And will the taxpayers foot the bill?

Which other House and Senate members, staffers and Democratic Party big-wigs will be inebriated by half-past one in the afternoon?

And maybe most importantly the day before General Motors submits to the government a last-gasp reorganization plan with hundreds of thousands of Michigan jobs on the line... In what freaking universe does the state's number two guy, a candidate for the highest office in the land, think it's a good idea to waste away the work day partying, booze in hand with lobbyists?

At the helm, on the clock and getting hammered. If THAT doesn't scream "leadership" I don't know what does.

(6 comments, 445 words in story) Full Story