Tag: Abuse

Special elections are happening all over Michigan in order to pass higher taxes, continue others and begin new programs.  One increase is for a Headlee override in Grand Traverse County.  The local college which has no financial crisis, has 10 years of surplus if nothing is done, and says that "the law prevents us from telling you what we want to do with the money" is putting its hand out on this special day:

"SURPRISE!!  NMC is NOT broke.

In fact, the college has a 38% fund balance remaining. the annual budget is $42.6 million and it has a $16.1 million general fund balance.  The projected deficit for 2014 is just over $400,000, which if carried through for 40 years MIGHT run the balance out.  Even if the projected annual deficit of $1.8 million happens on schedule, it is 10 years of shortages that the college can endure before its ABSOLUTE cutting time.  And that is under the assumption that property values are remaining flat.

It helps them avoid the fire sale on Millages in November, where two school bonds, and a road millage (another stick in the craw) as well as TWP measures will be on the ballot.  In fact so many things are on the ballot, Its a wonder anyone can avoid a tax sale at least ONCE in their life.  Because of people who SHOULD NOT be voting.

A recent letter to President Obama looks for the most part like things we have said for years.  That the ACA is deeply flawed legislation which never had the appropriate vetting done, was rushed, and frankly will have negative impacts that were predicted, yet ignored.  James Hoffa writes:

"Dear Leader Reid and Leader Pelosi:

When you and the President sought our support for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you pledged that if we liked the health plans we have now, we could keep them. Sadly, that promise is under threat. Right now, unless you and the Obama Administration enact an equitable fix, the ACA will shatter not only our hard-earned health benefits, but destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class.

Like millions of other Americans, our members are front-line workers in the American economy. We have been strong supporters of the notion that all Americans should have access to quality, affordable health care. We have also been strong supporters of you. In campaign after campaign we have put boots on the ground, gone door-to-door to get out the vote, run phone banks and raised money to secure this vision.

Now this vision has come back to haunt us." ..read more

We warned you.  We told you it was a lie.  We advised against such socialist manifestations of public policy, but your boots on the ground guaranteed the demise of your "hard earned benefits".

And there isn't an executive order that would stand a constitutional test even by THIS liberal court which would support a carve out, or fix for this fundamental destruction of our way of life, Mr Hoffa. This president is not a friend to the United States, and the two you write to are fully owned by this corrupt administration.

The question is, will you put boots on the ground to support more of the same or follow through with what appears to be the spark of an epiphany? How many times will you allow the master to kick you.

Before you bite his leg.

Possibly the most in-your-face government nanny state BS to ever grace a televised Tiger game is LIVE this weekend.  Seat belt enforcement zones in effect through Memorial Day

".. law enforcement officers from 155 agencies will be conducting safety belt enforcement zones in 26 counties across the state through June 2.

..

Agencies in the following counties will have extra officers out enforcing the state's seat belt law during the Click It or Ticket campaign: Allegan, Berrien, Calhoun, Chippewa, Delta, Eaton, Genesee, Grand Traverse, Houghton, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Marquette, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Ogemaw, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Clair, Van Buren, Washtenaw and Wayne.

Annoyance at this program stems not so much from a common sense application of the tools used to protect passengers of automobiles, but rather the steamy breathed way it is presented as LAW. And that we pay for those ads. (perhaps legislators could look at funding that drives that type of inane garbage?)

YOU WILL PUT YOUR BELT ON, MAGGOT!

A Lincoln Park woman who collected welfare benefits despite winning a big lottery prize pleaded no contest to fraud Thursday and likely will be sentenced to probation.

Lawyers for Amanda Clayton, a 25-year-old mother of two, were disappointed that state prosecutors would not settle the case without a felony charge.

"Ambitions often get in the way of good justice," Todd Flood told The Associated Press outside court.

There is no dispute that Clayton collected about $5,500 in food aid and medical benefits after winning a $735,000 lottery prize, before taxes, last year. After Clayton was confronted by TV station WDIV, the state charged her with fraud and said she should have informed the Department of Human Services about her windfall.

Clayton, who bought a new home and a car with her winnings, has said she felt entitled to the welfare handout.

More here

via The News-Herald

A Lincoln Park resident charged with two counts of welfare fraud-failure to inform stood mute today at her arraignment in Wayne County Circuit Court.

Judge Margie Braxton entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of Amanda Clayton, 25.

Paul Cusick, a state prosecutor, said he had no plea deal offers for Clayton. One of her attorneys, John Dakmak, said in May that they are not ruling out the possibility of a plea deal.

Clayton is due back in court for a conference at 9 a.m. June 28.

Rest here

ALG President Bill Wilson today sent a letter to the House Ethics Committee today questioning Michigan CD6 Fred Upton's use of taxpayer paid franked mail to tout his political rating by the NRA to his constituents.  The letter suggests Upton could well afford to campaign on his own dime without the use of taxpayer dollars:

"To be clear, if Mr. Upton had chosen to write about specific legislation mentioning key organizations who supported or opposed it as part of his rationale to his constituents as to why he voted a certain way, that would be inside the lines. However, putting out what can only be called a "campaign" piece using taxpayer funds is repugnant.

I am confident that between the political campaign war chest that a powerful committee chairman can easily amass, and his own personal wealth, Mr. Upton could afford to pay for his own political direct mail without need of taxpayer assistance. Given this confidence, this mailing is all the more offensive, as it reveals Mr. Upton's sense of entitlement to the perks and benefits of office that are so repugnant to Americans across the political spectrum."

Once bitten by the entitlement bug, its hard to shake I suppose.  Stamps for Christmas cards, or pictures of hunting folk carrying guns to posture for support.  All paid for with the sweat from taxpayer brows.  Upton for his part, has defended his actions already, claiming the money he DIDN'T spend shows he is a fiscal hawk."

"Again this year, I will be returning money to the treasury that I could spend," Upton said."

The Michigan attorney general's offices says Clayton waived her preliminary examination in Lincoln Park that was scheduled for Tuesday. The hearing determines whether there's enough evidence for a case to go to trial. She's now due for June 5 arraignment in Circuit Court in Detroit.

A message was left Tuesday with a lawyer for Clayton.

Now, the legalese merchant puff-up from CBS Detroit.

Amanda Clayton's attorney John Dakmuk is not saying if a deal is in the works with the state attorney general to keep his client free, but he said restitution has not been ruled out.

"I can't get into too much of the details of the case but we are looking forward to putting this case before the court and before the public. There's a lot more to this case than's been alleged at this point," Dakmuk told reporters.

Amanda Clayton is charged with failing to inform the state that her income had changed as a result of the lottery prize and a job. The 25-year-old from Lincoln Park won a $1 million jackpot on the game show "Make Me Rich!" and chose a $735,000 lump sum, before taxes, last September.

She was set to appear today for a preliminary examination, but the hearing was adjourned at the defense's request.

The case is being prosecuted by the Michigan attorney general's office. A defense lawyer has said prosecutors are exploiting Clayton for their purposes.

Ain't money nice?  She's using the same power broker (Todd Flood, one of her attorneys) that Elena Ford had to squash down her OWI child endangerment charges in Ferndale.  Just can't wait to see what kind of deals are cut for this looter that'll undoubtedly be back on the public dole.

Amanda Clayton, 25, of Lincoln Park, received public assistance from August 2010 through March 2012.  Investigation by the Department of Human Services, Office of Inspector General revealed that Clayton was employed from June 2011 through October 2011.  It is alleged that income from Clayton's employment during that time period was never reported to DHS officials, as required by State law. Additionally, on September 12, 2011, Clayton won $1,000,000 in the "Make Me Rich!" game show sponsored by the Michigan Lottery.