Political News and Commentary with the Right Perspective. NAVIGATION
  • Front Page
  • News
  • Multimedia
  • Tags
  • RSS Feed


  • 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: Tobacco Settlement

    Just when you thought it was safe to spend


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Sat Dec 18, 2010 at 06:14:54 PM EST
    Tags: Washington, Michigan, Schools, Tobacco Settlement, Money, Granholm (all tags)

    the Taxpayer's money...

    Remember all of those wonderful scholarships that once upon a time had funding through 'promises' and 'pledges' and earmarked tobacco cash?  

    Oh My.. THOSE were the days.

    $300 Million dollars a year dedicated to whatever the state wanted to do.  Completely fungible money, paid for by the health issues that state's attorneys argued cost the taxpayer in the first place.  $300 Million to pay for Johnnie and Suzie's college tuition once, and later, maybe 4100 million for a state police post that was not needed.  Gosh happy days, and dollar signs in the eyes of anyone who thought they could tap into the 'free money' promised by the settlement with big tobacco about 12 years ago.  Money so stable, that even spending it ahead of time was not out of the question.

    Umm  Folks?  Put the credit card down for a minute.  We seem to have hit a snag. It seems the agreement by attorney's general of several states, (GUESS WHO OUR AG AT THE TIME WAS? - Haha fooled you .. it wasnt YET the drooling over those funds JG to the right.) and some tobacco concerns represents an illegal compact between states, which is seen as unconstitutional.


    The background: The case was brought by the Competitive Enterprise Institute on behalf of a tobacco company, S&M Brands, a tobacco retailer and a cigarette consumer. The group sued the Louisiana Attorney General in 2005, claiming, among other things, that the Louisiana legislation which effected the terms of the 1998 settlement represented an illegal "compact" among states.

    Though this challenge is presented as 'unlikely' to succeed, the CEI is right.  The rule of law is on their side, which provides a troubling aspect of cure.

    How is this made right? How are damaged parties repaired?  What.. Is Michigan's liability after 12 years and $3.6Billion dollars worth of spending later?

    (1 comment) Comments >>

    Commission needed


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Fri Nov 19, 2010 at 07:29:10 AM EST
    Tags: Washington, Michigan, Schools, Tobacco Settlement, Money, DPS, Detroit, Bobb (all tags)

    You know, one like they have in Washington DC because the 160,000 congressional staffers cannot handle their bosses so well.  A couple of old school legislators who might have personally laid the groundwork for the ongoing failures we are seeing..  Except in THIS case, maybe its the legislators and school administrators not handling the school unions.. or SOMETHING so well.

    Detroit schools apparently have some gaping holes to fill, and they would like to do it with money that the state doesn't have yet. So to make ALL schools feel like they have failed as badly as the best laid liberal plans in Detroit, they have proposed using $400,000,000.00 in [future] tobacco settlement money to plug a couple hundred million of that leak. From the Detroit news:

    Rep. Fred Durhal, D-Detroit, sponsored the legislation in response to a request by Robert Bobb, emergency financial manager of the Detroit Public Schools.

    In an interview Monday with The Detroit News Editorial Board, Bobb said the district was asking for money from the state's settlement with tobacco companies to alleviate DPS' $327 million deficit. In return for the aid, DPS and other districts would implement reforms based on the federal Race to the Top initiative.

    b-but.. Wouldn't that be 'borrowing'?  And isn't a d-deficit against our constitution?

    (2 comments, 487 words in story) Full Story

    Advertise on RightMichigan.com

    Login

    Make a new account

    Username:
    Password:
    Tweet along with RightMichigan by
    following us on Twitter HERE!

    External Feeds

    Metro/State News RSS from The Detroit News
    + Craig: Cushingberry tried twice to elude police, was given preferential treatment
    + Detroit police arrest man suspected of burning women with blowtorch
    + Fouts rips video as 'scurrilous,' defends Chicago trip with secretary
    + Wind, winter weather hammer state from Mackinac Bridge to southeast Mich.
    + Detroit Cass Tech QB Campbell expected to be released from custody Friday
    + New water rates range from -16% to +14%; see change by community
    + Detroit's bankruptcy gets controversial turn in new Honda ad
    + Royal Oak Twp., Highland Park in financial emergency, review panels find
    + Grosse Ile Twp. leads list of Michigan's 10 safest cities
    + Wayne Co. sex crimes backlog grows after funding feud idles Internet Crime Unit
    + Judge upholds 41-60 year sentence of man guilty in Detroit firefighter's death
    + Detroit man robbed, shot in alley on west side
    + Fire at Detroit motel forces evacuation of guests
    + Survivors recount Syrian war toll at Bloomfield Hills event
    + Blacks slain in Michigan at 3rd-highest rate in US

    Politics RSS from The Detroit News
    + Apologetic Agema admits errors but won't resign
    + Snyder: Reform 'dumb' rules to allow more immigrants to work in Detroit
    + GOP leaders shorten presidential nominating season
    + Dems: Another 12,600 Michiganians lose extended jobless benefits
    + Mike Huckabee's comments on birth control gift for Dems
    + Granholm to co-chair pro-Clinton PAC for president
    + Republican panel approves tougher penalties for unauthorized early primary states
    + Michigan seeks visas to lure immigrants to Detroit
    + Peters raises $1M-plus for third straight quarter in Senate bid
    + Bill would let lawyers opt out of Michigan state bar
    + Michigan lawmakers launch more bills against sex trade
    + Balanced budget amendment initiative gets a jumpstart
    + Feds subpoena Christie's campaign, GOP
    + Poll: At Obama's 5-year point, few see a turnaround
    + Obama to release 2015 budget March 4

    create account | faq | search