Tag: Cox (page 2)

On top of that, residential building permits in southeast Michigan fell for a fourth straight year in 2008 -- the sharpest decline in more than 50 years, according to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

The bad news is that the proverbial "no one" is buying or building.  The good news, I suppose, is that hundreds of eye-sores, especially in the Motor City, are getting the old Eight Mile treatment.  Legally, of course.

If only Detroit could disappear every eye sore that draws heaps of negative attention towards the city.  Alas, Congressman John Conyers' wife, Monica, may have plead guilty to accepting bribes but she still hasn't been sentenced. And apparently she isn't going away until someone PUTS her away.

C'mon, Johnny Law.  Can't we speed up those wheels of justice?

If I have to read about or listen to this woman try to cloak herself in pseudo-Gospel speak one more time I'm going to become a real-life "Bible Thumper," using the massive hardcover study Bible on my shelf to beat myself into peaceful oblivion.

Read on...

Had a chance a few days ago to play a little catch-up with former longtime Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis.

Saul's been doing some pretty awesome work across the Country these last few months, from sitting on a new RNC committee that's looking at the Presidential Primary process to working with Newt Gingrich to making pretty regular appearances on the cable news talkers.  

So what's his take on Terri Lynn Land's decision to drop out of the Primary field?  On John Cherry's chances of winning the Governor's office?  Of President Obama's first six months in office?  You can learn the answers to these and many more questions by clicking the little "play" arrows on the videos below...

RightMichigan: On the decision of other GOP candidates to oppose a no-new-taxes pledge:

Cox: "I'm very disappointed that I'm the only Republican... you know, I expect some Democrats might be against a no-tax pledge, but I don't think that the problem is we're sending too little money to Lansing..."

RightMichigan: On a new constitutional convention?

Cox: "I'm afraid of mischief... I like the amendment process much better... I don't like these stealth projects like we saw last year with RMGN."

RightMichigan: Cherry's decision to duck the candidate debate on Mackinac Island?

Cox: He ducked us.  Absolutely.  Isn't that telling?  Part of that is, if I were him, I don't know what I could say.  We are last place in employment, third from worst in business taxes, we increased income taxes and he was the final vote a year and a half ago.  He's been wrong on all of the issues so I can understand why he doesn't want to talk about them."

And much more...

Mike Bouchard, Oakland County Sheriff, will launch his campaign for Governor by traveling the state to discuss Michigan's future with families, students and people from all walks of life in southeast Michigan, Lansing and Grand Rapids.  He'll meet with them to address their concerns and anxieties as well as preview his ideas and solutions for fixing Michigan as Governor.

Michigan Republicans now in have in Mike Bouchard a successful (many times over) conservative candidate from voter-rich Oakland County, in Mike Cox a candidate who proved in 2002 he was able to knock off a Democrat in a position that hadn't elected a Republican in a half-century and in Terri Lynn Land the highest vote getter in the state.

Democrats have John Cherry.

Event details for his tour are below the fold...

Go ahead.  We'll wait...

**twiddling thumbs**

**checking watch**

**looking out the window**

Oh, hi.  Welcome back.  

Howes wrote, in part:

The longer Public Michigan waits to reform the structure of government, to rationalize departments, to commonize retirement systems of public and school employees, to push consolidation of police and fire service among neighboring communities, the tougher the future will be. Ask GM.

Business knows this because successful business lives it, responding to changing conditions with dynamic management. Smart CEOs would look at the tale of GM, its predicament and see missed opportunities that, seized earlier, might have mitigated the today's pain.

Alas, smart CEOs have been in short supply in Michigan's executive office for the last six-plus years.  And if John Cherry's decision yesterday to duck the quasi-debate candidate forum up on the Island is any indication, the next two years won't bring us many bold or broad strokes either.  

But that's not to say there wasn't something worthwhile being discussed by the other candidates.  The Ivory Tower:

All five candidates said the tax structure of the state had to be reconfigured to make business taxes more fair, but only Cox said he would sign a pledge not to raise taxes.

"I wouldn't sign such a pledge," George said. "Because we don't know what the future holds."

I'd only reply that we DO know what the future holds should the current administration or the next raise taxes again.  We've experienced that nightmare before... and we're living through it now.

Pete Hoekstra will be there.

Terri Lynn Land will be there.

Tom George will be there.

Mike Cox will be there the day after officially announcing his candidacy along with a pledge to cut taxes on Michigan residents by a full $2 BILLION!

Heck, even radical pro-abortion candidate Alma Wheeler Smith will be there representing the Democrats.

Cherry... not so much.

Then again, if I were a part of a Democratic administration that was responsible for the largest tax hike in Michigan history, chronic budget "deficits" and thorough economic stagnation I'd probably duck a debate in front of the state's most prominent business leaders, too.

Why give voters... ANY voters... any extra opportunity to examine the goods... so to speak?

At first I thought we were looking at a case of abject political cowardice but I've since mellowed.  I hadn't considered the alternative.  

Read on...

There's the same-old, same-old that could seemingly (and probably will) carry a political conversation for an entire Presidential term with talk of restructuring in the Big 3; this morning we learn the UAW may be making concessions with General Motors.  There's the steady and continuing escalation in jobless claims and applications for benefits.  Autos and layoffs in Michigan.  We've been down that road before and we'll be down it again.

There's better... and more peculiar... news out there this morning, too, though.

We've got Attorney General Mike Cox taking on Blue Cross, for instance, over their decision to again dramatically hike health insurance rates on Michigan senior citizens.  According to the Ivory Tower:

"Blue Cross should stop putting profits over people and focus on its mission as the insurer of last resort," Cox said in a statement announcing the challenge.

Overall, average increases sought would be 56% for non-elderly people buying their own insurance; 42% for group conversion policyholders who purchase coverage they once had at work, and 31% for seniors with supplemental Medicare, also known as Medigap policies.

The massive hikes would slam more than 400,000 Michigan seniors, folks on fixed incomes who can afford it the least.  Of course, BC/BS claims they're caught between a rock and a hard place and can't afford NOT to hike rates.

I get tough times.  If you live in Great Lakes State then YOU get tough times.  Baseball, apple pie, hot dogs and tough times.  That's how we roll.  The Attorney General doesn't think Blue Cross is quite as pinched as they're claiming, though.  Remember, this is the same company that last year gave away more than $1.54 million in bonuses to members of their board of directors.

And while we're on the subject of inappropriate use of scant resources, the Detroit News checks in with the Detroit City Council which continues to break land-speed records for inappropriate behavior and irresponsible spending.

The City currently faces a $300 million budget deficit but the City Council has increased their own budget by 12 percent over the last three years and now spends over $6 million a year.

Read on...

Few races will be as closely watched as the contest for Attorney General and we're bringing the candidates directly to you!

Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop recently announced his candidacy for Attorney General and has been traveling the state making public appearances and speaking about his vision for the office and the state of Michigan.  

He is simultaneously heading Republican efforts in the legislature to deal with a rapidly growing state budget deficit with Democrats in the House, Senate and Governor's office arrayed against him.

This weekend I had a chance to catch up with Majority Leader Bishop to discuss the Attorney General's race, his candidacy and the budget crisis gripping Lansing.

What does he think about the current budget crisis?  Could we see another tax increase?  What will Senate Republicans propose THIS WEEK?  Does he have any regrets from the 2007 tax hike debacle?  What does he think about the Democrats likely AG nominee, state Senator Gretchen Whitmer?

Without further ado, here are the answers to these and many more questions...