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: Private

    Michigan's Public Sector Unions Should Support MIFTW


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Tue Jul 26, 2011 at 10:11:54 PM EST
    Tags: Michigan, MIFTW, Freedom To Work, Right To Work, Public, Private, Workers, Government, Recalls, Unions, Labor, Leadership, Membership (all tags)

    Michigan's public sector unions have had their hackles up since Snyder took over.

    Even though the new governor has not really done anything to directly harm the unions, what he has done has established some choke points which put union desires at risk.  Desires, which of course rely on fiscally imprudent decision making, in times that cannot afford such decisions.  His line in the sand has met the oncoming rush of contracts they would like to have in place, and the new limits are getting under their skin.  Add to this, the reality of future liabilities and a quest by Lansing to deal with it in the manner chosen has prompted them to action.

    Recalls, Protests, general aggravation.

    Its the only tools they have.  The leftist driven leadership of the unions only know how to "persuade" through coercive measures.  Coercive being a subjective term I admit, however.  All the actions being taken to object to the decision making in Lansing are of course legal right? Well perhaps not, but who might be the first to call out shenanigans and be seen as a partisan.

    But I digress

    I get it.  I get the reasons the union leadership is pushing their recall and protest agenda.

    more below ~

    (4 comments, 826 words in story) Full Story

    Snyder Bridge Post Draws fire


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Thu Jun 02, 2011 at 01:51:50 PM EST
    Tags: Ambassador, Bridge, credits, Detroit, NITC, DRIC, federal, government, highway, MDOT, private, public, tolls, traffic, Windsor, Math (all tags)

    And rightly so.

    The image below the line is just the first salvo from both sides of the bridge issue.

    Its good to see the arguments made from the different perspectives. Plenty to be said about whether or not we actually pay for it in one way or another, but surprisingly no one yet doing what will ultimately provide the most accurate answer.

    The math equation.

    20,000 Crossings a day now.  Unless the Ambassador bridge is FORCED to close, then the traffic would split.

    Average ticket of $6 Gross $120,000/day (if the ambassador is FORCED to close) $44 Million a year

    Debt service (interest only) of $30 Million a year. Then add to this the cost of operations, ongoing liabilities (you know those pesky benefits) and maintenance.   An additional $30? $50 million? A year?  

    My goodness So who DOES pay for it when it doesnt even pay its bond?  mmmm?

    Its a math question..  Not even a difficult one.

    (8 comments, 175 words in story) Full Story

    A Message To Our Legislators - Beware False Choices

    Act Like A Republican?


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Tue May 31, 2011 at 08:55:03 AM EST
    Tags: Dick Morris, Rick Snyder, Ambassador, Bridge, credits, Detroit, DRIC, federal, government, highway, MDOT, private, public, tolls, traffic, Windsor (all tags)

    res ipsa loquitur

    Dick Morris says Rick Snyder should act like a Republican, and in the process draws out the hard core "re-distributionists."  Darrell Dawsey writes at MLive:

    Matty Moroun is rich enough. He doesn't need or deserve a second bridge. (Personally, I wish someone could take the first one from him, too.) Free enterprise is fine, but private citizens shouldn't be in the business of owning international border crossings. Our borders, and the economic and national security issues they generate, are a matter of public interest.

    God help us if that is the reason Snyder wants the bridge.  Dawsey's screed is something that appears often enough in the dankest corners of totalitarianism to keep us on our toes and sleep with an eye open. Always.

    Snyder's wishes of another bridge makes perfect sense in some ways, and little in others.

    He is a "Milliken Republican" which brings a brand of centrism that has too much in common with the Dawsey think, that government ought to have control of all things no matter how miserably they fail under government control. Detroit Schools? Detroit itself?  Perfect examples of Centrism allowing a minor scratch to develop into full blown gangrene.  Why not invite such catastrophe when given the opportunity?  Perhaps a little brick and mortar money poured into the patient's [amputation inviting] open sore infested hole will fix it?

    Maybe such things need to be questioned a little more thoroughly.

    More below

    (5 comments, 591 words in story) Full Story

    Just the Facts, Please


    By The Wizard of Laws, Section News
    Posted on Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 10:06:26 AM EST
    Tags: Ambassador, Blue Water Bridge, Bridge, credits, Detroit, DRIC, federal, government, highway, MDOT, private, public, tolls, traffic, Tunnel, Windsor (all tags)

    Cross-posted in The Wizard of Laws

    To hear MDOT talk, the proposed Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) is not so much a bridge as a yellow brick road to eternal prosperity.  This image appeals to your Wizard, of course, but I am more concerned about whether the image is based in reality or merely the result of a bump on the head.  Why the DRIC instead of a private second span put up by the Ambassador Bridge (AB) people?

    The case for DRIC goes something like this:  (1) we need a second bridge to accommodate the tremendous growth in traffic we will see in the future, (2) the good witch of the north (Canada, for those of you not following my Oz analogy) has offered us a $550 million loan to get started, and (3) we can turn that $550 million into another $2 billion from the federal government to put toward our roads.  Ultimately, the DRIC is supposed to generate thousands and thousands of jobs and enable our manufacturing and agriculture industries to thrive.  The Canadian loan, the cost of the project, and all future costs would be paid or repaid out of bridge tolls.

    Let's set aside the "jobs" and "thriving industries" justifications for now.  Whether the bridge is built through a public-private partnership or by the AB folks, those benefits should still accrue, so those justifications favor neither approach.  And, if we need a second bridge, we need a second bridge, regardless of who builds it.

    So, based solely on media coverage (a dicey proposition, I know), the case for DRIC appears to boil down to the fact that Canada has offered its loan for a public bridge, and we can use that loan to leverage federal highway funds.  Let's look at these issues in some more detail:

    (11 comments, 668 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