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    Tag: Graft

    Zero Tolerance


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 10:18:52 PM EST
    Tags: Michigan, Theft, Home Care, Fraud, SIEU, Bill Schuette, Graft, Corruption, Where Are The Charges? (all tags)

    Wondering why Jeniffer Granholm is still walking around a free woman tonight?

    Attorney General Bill Schuette on Friday announced felony charges against 11 individuals from across Michigan for allegedly abusing the Medicaid-funded Independent Living Services Program (Home Help Services Program). In many cases the defendants, who were often family members of the Medicaid beneficiaries, allegedly received checks for services rendered to the beneficiaries after they died.

    Schuette filed criminal charges against Ollie Brent, 59, of Pontiac; Marilyn Davis, 45, of Harper Woods; Janet Dixon, 59, of Grosse Pointe Woods; Anna Goree, 35, of Detroit; Theresa Hines, 40, of Marcellus; Kristina Jurek, 44, of Macomb; Selandra Jo Mitchell, 46, of Detroit; Marilyn Oakes, 57, of Muskegon;  Patricia Ann Tompkins, 65, of Roseville; Sherita Ware, 38, of Detroit; and Carla Williams, 44, of Pontiac.  All 11 defendants improperly received Medicaid funds intended to pay for home help services for Medicaid beneficiaries. In total, the 11 defendants defrauded the Medicaid program out of more than $60,000. Schuette says

     "Vulnerable adults across Michigan depend on Medicaid personal care services, but scammers who abuse the program threaten its integrity. The message is clear: we will not tolerate any form of health care fraud at the expense of patients and taxpayers."
    Damn straight!

    Now how about a little action for the 59,000 Home care workers who were defrauded of $35,000,000.00?

    Check.

    (5 comments) Comments >>

    Wayne Schmidt Spells Expediency With an "R"


    By Corinthian Scales, Section News
    Posted on Wed Sep 11, 2013 at 09:04:20 AM EST
    Tags: Wayne Schmidt, 104th, Red Light Cameras, Filling the Pockets Of Friends, ATS, Graft, tickets, Big Government, Snydercaid, Taxpayer Hammocks, Bad Law, Wayne Schmidt: Agenda 21 Smart Zones, Bolger lapdogs, You Poke It You Own It, Michigan, Constitution, Northern Michigan, Republican Primary, State Senate, 37th, Greg MacMaster, Michigan Banana Republican Party (all tags)

    Or, should the title be "The Northern Follies! Part Deux"?  Matters little as it all spells "R is for Reverse when riding with Democrats".

    The Michigan lawmaker sponsoring a bill authorizing red light cameras has made a U-turn on the issue.

    Rep. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, last year co-sponsored a bill that would have banned red light cameras. This year, he sponsored a bill that would have brought red light cameras to traffic intersections across the state.

    However, Rep. Schmidt said he has chosen not to move the red light authorization bill forward because of concerns he says he now has about traffic cameras and privacy issues.

    Concerns about privacy?  Sure it is.  At testimony, Rep. Peter Pettalia spelled that all out for Wayne.

    Manufacturers of red light cameras have a reputation for heavy lobbying in state capitols. It is not clear if sponsors of the bill have received any campaign support from red light camera manufacturers. Contributions do not have to be reported until the end of the year in an off-election year, according to the Michigan Secretary of State's office.

    Traverse City and Traverse County have been under financial pressure from unfunded pension liabilities, and revenue from red light cameras could provide some relief. However, Traverse City Manager Jered Ottenwess said he is not aware of any interest in installing the cameras.

    All but one of the eight co-sponsors on the red light camera bill are Democrats from the Detroit area.

    I suppose it's not a good day to be a Show Pony in the 104th with further political aspirations.

    (2 comments) Comments >>

    A Message To Our Legislators - Beware False Choices

    Mondays Divertere: Property Taxes - OK, now Count It


    By Corinthian Scales, Section News
    Posted on Mon Sep 09, 2013 at 04:41:36 PM EST
    Tags: Property Taxes, Homestead Property Tax Credit, Money Grab, Pension Tax, Nerdpublican Proposals, Red Light Cameras, Graft, Hikes, Gas Tax, Sales Tax, HB4202, HB4203, Internet Sales Tax, Money Pits, Government Schools, You Poke It You Own It, Creating Sheeple, MEA, NEA, Higher education, William Penn, MSU, Student Loan Debt Slaves, Home School, Get a Trade, TEA movement, 2014, Big Government, Snydercaid, One Term Nerd (all tags)

    H/t Irish

    Comments >>

    Bang.


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Sat Jun 08, 2013 at 01:58:28 PM EST
    Tags: HB 4763, Michigan. Wayne Schmidt, Red Light Scameras, Graft, Abuse OF Power, Statistics (all tags)

    If this doesn't put an end to the Red Light Camera (RLC) nonsense ..

    The North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University did an RLC study in 2004 that revealed some flaws in the arguments being used for the implementation of Red Light Cameras.  The study demonstrated the opposite result of that which camera supporters claim:

    "However, the intersections where RLCs were installed are not experiencing the same decrease. When analyzing total crashes, we find that RLCs have a statistically significant (p<0.001) and large (40% increase) effect on accident rates.  

    In addition, RLCs have a statistically significant, positive impact on rear-end accidents, sideswipes, and accidents involving cars turning left (traveling on the same roadway).  

    The one type of accident found to experience a decrease at RLC sites are those involving a left turning car and a car traveling on a different roadway. "

    I'll bet that LAST statistic is used to sell such systems.

    Yabadabbadoo.

    Testimony for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Standing Committee Meeting is on Tuesday 10:30 AM Room 521, House Office Building, Lansing, MI

    Comments >>

    Thursday Feature - Red Lights


    By JGillman, Section Multimedia
    Posted on Thu Jun 06, 2013 at 09:22:31 AM EST
    Tags: Michigan, Red Light Cameras, Graft, 6th Amendment, Due Process, C4L, Big Government, Wayne Schmidt, (RINO-104), Constitution, Bad Law, ATS (all tags)

    When Wayne Schmidt says Red Light Cameras are just a tool, he validates the word"tool" as something that has an appropriate place in the conversation.

    Why is it that government must constantly move the line in the sand in a way that chips away at our liberties?  Why do we continue to elect those who are so readily available and capitulating to the Lansing and National parasites which outnumber them 8 to 1?

    Schmidt didn't write this legislation any more than he built Cobo Hall with his bare hands.  This is likely template legislation provided by ATS to Schmidt, and the reward for being such a bold legislator remains a mystery.

    Any dummy that follows him into this rabbit hole just adds another reason to distrust our legislators' ability to learn from history.

    [editor's note, by JGillman] I should note the video was originally found at: http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/18710

    (7 comments) Comments >>

    Wayne Schmidts Red Light Cameras


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Mon Jun 03, 2013 at 02:28:15 PM EST
    Tags: Michigan, Red Light Cameras, Graft, 6th Amendment, Due Process, C4L, Big Government, Wayne Schmidt, (RINO-104), Constitution, Bad Law (all tags)

    Aside from the fact that the lobbyists were contacting local sheriffs BEFORE any legislation was released, there are plenty enough reasons to dislike, or 'hate' the idea of Red Light cameras being used in Michigan.

    Some of them glaringly obvious, some perhaps not-so-much.  Michigan Campaign For Liberty did a pretty good job of banging out 17 reasons why to hate the red light snitch devices, and perhaps adding to why folks like Wayne Schmidt ought not EVER seek political office EVER again.

    From constitutionality to poor allocation of resources, to outright graft, you have seen our other commentary on this issue.  

    C4L's list below the fold provides a more complete bullet point list.

    (5 comments, 1235 words in story) Full Story

    Technology Transfer Complete


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Wed Jan 30, 2013 at 08:38:42 AM EST
    Tags: Michigan, Batteries Not Included, Chinese, Technology Transfer, A123, Millions, MEDC, Ripping Off The Taxpayer, China, Competitive Nations, Once 30 years Behind Us, Failure Of Leadership, Cronyism, Graft, Payoff (all tags)

    Taxes paid into the crony capitalist federal bureaucracy, as well as into our own state coffers gave an assist to a tech transfer to a competing nation.

    The MEDC usually has simple results of failure, highlighted by jobs claims not materializing, eventual bankruptcies, and occasionally giving our money away to fraudsters.  Channeling the zen masters in Lansing's sacred halls of executive investing excellence, it provides a leg up to those who know how to play the system for their advantage over other businesses. Countless photo opportunities for politicians who 'bring home the bacon' can be counted on, as long as the MEDC efforts are funded with millions of our hard earned dollars.  Photo ops equal exposure, equals career doors opening for friends and family, and through the entire process equals some serious bling for those actively participating in its promotion.

    Picking winners has never been so lucrative.

    This time its potentially more dangerous. Last year, after my failed bid in the Republican primary, I produced a radio spot which predicted the A123 situation's end quite accurately.

    Continued below

    (2 comments, 736 words in story) Full Story

    Greed, graft, corruption... horse racing? Just another day in government spending


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Fri May 22, 2009 at 07:59:13 AM EST
    Tags: Cox, Blue Cross, Detroit City Council, waste, graft, corruption, horse racing (all tags)

    Almost a pity that the Second Annual RightMichigan Bloggers' Challenge starts June 1st and not today because this morning's headlines provide more unbelievable blog fodder than any day in recent memory.  

    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...

    (6 comments, 757 words in story) Full Story

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