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Getting ready for an
Independence Day Celebration!
(Thanks, Tony)
"Nil desperandum -- Never Despair. That is a motto for you and me. All are not dead; and where there is a spark of patriotic fire, we will rekindle it."
Samuel Adams, one of the Founders
"The bud of victory is always in the truth."
President
Benjamin Harrison
"Unswerving loyalty to duty, constant devotion to truth, and a clear conscience will overcome every discouragement and surely lead the way to usefulness and high achievement."
President
Grover Cleveland
Populism, X: The imperative of freedom - On the struggle to keep government in the hands of a free people.
"It was soon discovered, that the forms of a free, and the ends of an arbitrary Government, were things not altogether incompatible." -Edmund Burke, Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents
In Federalist 10, James Madison famously warned that history had shown that democratic regimes have "in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths." "Theoretic politicians," he wrote-and it would be hard to find a more contemptuous deployment of the word "theoretic"-such politicians may have advocated democracy, but that is only because of their dangerous and utopian ignorance of human nature. It was not at all clear, Madison thought, that democracy was a reliable custodian of liberty.
Nevertheless, nearly everyone wants to associate himself with the word "democracy." Totalitarian regimes like to describe themselves as the "Democratic Republic" of wherever. Conservatives champion the advantages of "democratic capitalism." Central planners of all stripes eagerly deploy programs advertised as enhancing or extending "democracy." Even James Madison came down on the side of a subspecies of democracy, one filtered through the modulating influence of a large, diverse population and an elaborate scheme of representation that softened (Madison said "excluded") the influence of "the people in their collective capacity." More
We are at a crisis of cause. Where we are headed?
Ochlocracy (Greek: ὀχλοκρατία, okhlokratía; Latin: ochlocratia) or mob rule is the rule of government by mob or a mass of people, or, the intimidation of legitimate authorities. Wikipedia
We got an invitation last week to a Moveon rally in Royal Oak, Mi. They state the resistance movement they are pushing is to stop Trump divisiveness. What a hypocritical hoot!
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"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - John Adams
In This Issue:
Independence; ObamaCare repeal! SCOTUS Reinstates Trump Immigration policies, takes away property rights; Trump Changing USA; Michigan Refugee Plans; Hallal Extortion; When "green" energy isn't; Part Time Legislature petitions flawed & struck down; Legislation we are watching; Kirk by Birzer, McNally and Moore; Other!
THANK YOU TO OUR NEW MEMBERS! Your support, readership and sharing is making a difference and is much appreciated. We change public policies by changing pubic opinions. Perhaps we have been given a reprieve to restore God and His principles to our great land. We are pleased to work hard to equip you with a digest of key news, information and opinions to share. The work is not done. Please help! Pass this newsletter on to another or copy and share an article. Keep tuned as we strategize, network and prepare to win conservative governance.
MCU's MiCPAC was a HUGE success. More than 40 new groups were represented, and many new members received their pins. MCU's Board met in Northville, Michigan last Saturday and worked on strategies to make Michigan's conservative movement as efficient and effective as possible. Our Annual Board meeting will be in Plainwell July 8. There will be some new Directors selected from among members as we broaden our base. Officers will be chosen for the next year. Principles and By-laws will be reviewed and our Objectives management system updated. New Committees will be formed and leadership trained. Members are kept informed, have first option to events, and discounts to MCU events. Please join MCU to enable us to do even more to assure our freedoms and liberty. A form is at the end of the Newsletter and a link or two within, to join on line. THANKS!
"Philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be philosophy of government in the next."
Abraham
Lincoln,
Budweiser releases Independence Day video that touches conservatives: Link
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." --James Madison,
"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." --George Washington, 1st U.S. President
++ From the White House: In the first five months of last year, American manufacturers lost 24,000 jobs. But in the first five months of this year, businesses large and small have created more than 600,000 new good-paying jobs - including 55,000 new jobs in manufacturing. This is the difference with President Trump in The White House.
This week, the Supreme Court's decision to uphold an Executive Order on travel affirms the President duty to protect our Homeland and keep America safe as granted by the Constitution. "As President, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm. I want people who can love the United States and all of its citizens, and who will be hardworking and productive," said President Trump. The President's number one responsibility as Commander-in-Chief is to keep the American people safe. The President is unapologetically committed to that responsibility.
++
Trump makes push on health bill; repeal-only vote an option
Stock Market at all time high, unemployment at lowest level in years (wages will start going up) and our base has never been stronger! (Thanks, Bill)
++ Supreme Court re-instates key parts of President Trump's travel span - In a victory for the Trump administration, the Supreme Court on Monday lifted key components of an injunction against President Trump's proposed ban on travel from six majority-Muslim nations, reinstating much of the policy and promising to hear full arguments as early as this fall. The court's decision means the justices will now wade into the biggest legal controversy of the Trump administration - the president's order temporarily restricting travel, which even Trump has termed a "travel ban." The court made clear that a limited version of the policy can be enforced for now. Article
++ Military transgender policy delayed- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Friday approved a six-month delay in allowing transgender recruits to join the U.S. armed forces, a Pentagon spokeswoman said.Article
++ American education is a mess.American 15-year-olds ranked 27th out of 34 industrialized countries in math, and 17th in reading in the most recent international tests. Colleges complain that significant percentages of their entering freshmen require a remedial course. Businesses say they can't find enough skilled U.S. workers.
++ CIVILITY NEEDED!Senator Scott spoke on the Senate floor about coming together as an American family following the shooting in Alexandria. Video
Chief Justice Roberts: "Today's decision knocks the definition of 'private property' loose from its foundation."
When governments issue regulations that undermine the value of property, bureaucrats don't necessarily have to compensate property holders, the Supreme Court ruled Friday.
The court voted 5-3, in Murr V. Wisconsin, a closely watched Fifth Amendment property rights case. The case arose from a dispute over two tiny parcels of land along the St. Croix River in western Wisconsin and morphed into a major property rights case that drew several western states into the debate before the court.
Chief Justice John Roberts, in a scathing dissent, wrote that ruling was a significant blow for property rights and would give greater power to government bureaucrats to pass rules that diminish the value of property without having to compensate property owners under the Firth Amendment's Takings Clause.
Read More (Thanks Darrell)
++ President Trump's weekly message - about the ObamaCare disaster -
Link
++ Republicans face pressure at home to repeal Obamacare quickly - Democrats are screaming that it is being jammed through although it has been discussed in numerous committees for years (and they passed theirs in one nigt - to see what was in it). Some Republicans indicated they expect no Democrat support regadless of what Republicans might compromise. Now Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has taken the process into his own office with only selet commisstt chairs involved.
"Conservatives are rightly frustrated with the process of repealing and replacing Obamacare that has played out this year. It is clear that significant portions of the Republican Party have no intention of actually repealing Obamacare despite campaigning on that objective for years," Heritage Action CEO Michael A. Needham said in a statement.
More
++
Transparency, open competition. Free market. That and only that will solve the healthcare problem, but they are not looking at that in any of the proposals. Two clinics across the street might have drastically different prices and results, but you will never know that. You cannot price compare pharmaceuticals, particularly if you have insurance. They will not tell you prices until checkout. Medicine is a crap shoot. Doctors' offices become Clincs that are being bought by hospitals and taken off tax rolls, then the bean counters order the doctors around and they are despirited. The older, more experienced doctors are leaving as soon as they can get their golden parachute, Government run robotons take their place. Our once greatest-in-the-world healthcare is going the way the socialists wanted it - like the failures in Canada and Europe. Mellinials need to wake up anf fight for their generation and their choldren. We are being fundamentally ruined.
++ Trump is 'very supportive' of Senate Republican healthcare bill - Senate Republicans earlier in the day released a bill to repeal and replace parts of Obamacare.The bill makes significant changes to the structure of Medicaid, rolls back the individual and employer mandate, aims to stabilize the Obamacare exchanges for a few years and gives states a broad range of flexibility to make changes to healthcare plans. Senate leaders are planning a vote on the bill next week, but already at least four Republicans (
Cruz, Johnson, Lee, Paul) have said they are not ready to support the legislation.
Link
++ Infuriated. Outraged. Betrayed. That's how I felt when I just read the phony ObamaCare repeal bill Mitch McConnell and his establishment pals introduced earlier today in the U.S. Senate.
McConnell's version is WORSE than Paul Ryan's ObamaCare Lite bill that House conservatives defeated back in March. Far from actually repealing ObamaCare, the current Senate bill:
-> Keeps the ObamaCare regulations and subsidies in place;
-> Continues the ObamaCare Medicaid expansion and even adds new enrollees through 2020;
-> Includes taxpayer-funded bailouts for health insurance companies.
In short, this bill is nothing more than a rescue of ObamaCare that will ensure the need for perpetual bailouts and a single-payer health care system.
Thus writes Judge Roy Moore, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief justice twice removed (once for refusing to remove the ten commandments from his courthiouse) , Moore is running for U.S. Senate, and running hard against the establishment. If you want to help, click
Here
Writes U.S. Senate candidate
Dr. Kelli Ward,
The passage of this RINOCare legislation -- simply lipstick on the ObamaCare pig -- will not only mean higher premiums and fewer healthcare choices for your family . . . it will speed up America's slide from Constitutional Republic to Socialist Oligarchy! (it is not a healthy sign when candidates in your own party run against you)
Opinion:
The proposed Senate bill improves on the House bill but does not repeal ObamaCare, retains public funding and shared insurance premium increases for pre-existing conditions and "children" through age 26. As such, it remains as a Federal interference in healthcare and insurance. IF any cost savings are achieved they are tenuous, and automatic inflations costs are guaranteed in Federal funding. Block granting health care money to states retains the dangerous socialist concept of more government control in our lives and commerce. We do not need big brother and bureaucrats and politicians dictating our health care and choices. Let the free market decide!
++ We love most of what President Trump is doing, but his actions on Repeal of ACA are quixotic. It seems when you personally have no limit of funds and see money as a tool, it is not valued as highly as it might to a family scraping by. Now comes this article and his words in Iowa:
President Trump once compared Obamacare to a ticking time bomb, suggesting his predecessor set it to detonate after he left office. Congressional Republicans have certainly found that analogy apt when it comes to disassembling the healthcare law. Untangling its complicated web of subsidies and mandates is like deciding whether to cut the blue wire or the yellow wire. Every move you make could blow up in your face. Now it's Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's turn to oversee the bomb squad. The healthcare bill language to be unveiled Thursday could blow up the fragile unity among the 52 GOP senators. Even if McConnell succeeded, it could go on to explode in the House.
"I hope we are going to surprise you with a really good plan," Trump told a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wednesday. "I've been talking about a plan with heart. I said, 'Add some money to it!'"
More
The whole premise of ACA was lowering the costs of healthcare and extending coverage to millions who were not insured. The facts are that for decades all across this Nation hospitals paid no taxes - property, income or sales - with the savings to be spent on indigent care. Those needing medical services got it. Yes, there was continual double-digit medical inflation. That could have been resolved with transparency and competition - neither of which are considered in any of the government plans. This whole mess is a cluster xxxx and Republicans are shedding little light. Time for a re-boot. Get government OUT!
++ Feds looking into Flint airport stabbing as 'possible act of terrorism' - Canadian born suspect shouted "Allahu Akbar. The officer was taken to the hospital. Michigan State Police said the officer is in critical condition. However, his condition has been upgraded to stable. Article
Aonther account: the officer was stabbed in the neck and is in critical condition following the attack. A witness told MLive that they saw the suspect detained with a knife nearby and an officer on his knees bleeding from the neck...Other witnesses reported that the attacker was shouting "Allahu Akbar" as he ambushed Lt. Jeff Neville from behind, indicating that this was a radical Islamic terrorist attack. The FBI is investigating this as a terrorist attack. Article
In a misplaced incident of walking on egg shells a local station said he yelled God is Good in Arabic. At some point we must call it as it is!
++ Flint stabber bought knife, tried to buy gun in Macomb County - Amor Ftouhi (of Montreal; reports are his wife and child are in Tunisia) attempted to purchase a gun at last Saturday or Sunday but was rejected because he is not a U.S. citizen. The report says he made the attempt after entering the county legally last week at Lake Champlain in New York then traveled to Michigan. About 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Ftouhi allegedly exited a bathroom yelling "Allahu Akbar," and stabbed Neville, the FBI said, according to reports. The FBI says Ftouhi "continued to yell 'Allah' several times. "He further exclaimed something similar to 'You have killed people in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and we are all going to die,' More (Thanks, Cathi)
++ Green isn't - Tesla Batteries give off more CO2 that 8 years of Gas vehicle - Shortly after we learn the $450 Billion Paris Climate Accord scandal we learn another inconvenient truth. Wind mills and solar panels are not energy effivcient and cause their own pollution. Now comes this arrticle:
++ 4 dead after small plane crashes into South Dakota wind farm in fog
-
In addition to birds and bats, wind machines can add another pilot and three passengers to the count. Article
++ Public schools in Kentucky can soon teach reading, writing and the book of Revelation. At the Capitol on Tuesday, Gov. Matt Bevin gave his public "Amen" to a bill allowing Bible courses in public schools.
Normally, a bill signing does not open with prayer, but in this case, it may have been appropriate. At a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda, Bevin signed House Bill 128, which allows public schools to teach courses on the Bible. The bill's sponsor says students need to understand the role the Bible played in American history.
"It really did set the foundation that our founding fathers used to develop documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights," said Rep. D.J. Johnson (R-Owensboro). "All of those came from principles from the Bible."
The bill, which easily passed the House and Senate, gives local school boards the option of developing a Bible literacy class as part of their social studies curriculum. The course would be elective, not required.
"The idea that we would not want this to be an option for people in school, that would be crazy. I don't know why every state would not embrace this, why we as a nation would not embrace this," Bevin told the crowd.
Article (Thanks, Arline)
++
U.S. State Department records obtained from the MDHHS via a FOIA request show the
proposed refugee numbers for FY 2018 starting Octob
er 1, 2017
:
(Thanks, Dick)
Ann Arbor
400
Battle Creek
150
Clinton Township
369
Dearborn
500
Grand Rapids
605
Lansing
418
Troy
520
179x2462
Total
2962
158x1342
++ Hallal Certification is Muslim extortion - "We at Dick Smith's have received a number of letters from people asking if we will be putting the Muslim Halal logo on our food.To acquire Halal certification, payment is required to the endorsing body (the Islamic Council) and involves a number of site inspections of both our growers and processors in order to ensure that our practices comply with the conditions of Halal certification.
It is important to note that this does not reflect the quality of the food being processed or sold - it only means that the products are approved as being prepared in accordance with the traditions of the Muslim faith.
We are aware of an increasing number of large companies both in Australia and overseas, such as Kraft and Cadbury, who have obtained accreditation to use the Halal logo. We don't believe they have done this because of any religious commitment but rather for purely commercial reasons. Perhaps these large organizations can afford to do this.
While we have a choice however, we would prefer to avoid unnecessarily increasing the cost of our products in order to pay for Halal accreditation when this money would be better spent continuing to support important charitable causes where assistance is greatly needed.
We point out that we have never been asked to put a Christian symbol (or any other religious symbol) on our food requiring that we send money to a Christian organization for the right to do so.
Others would add that money paid to ANY Muslim 'organization' (and you had better believe it: these people ARE 'organized') can easily find its way into the hands of Islamic extremist-fanatics and murderers, irrespective of assurances to the contrary.
What other assurances do we accept from Muslims? Oh, that's right,'Islam is a religion of PEACE'! How less Australian can companies get, than to place money into the hands of those who seek to exploit us?"
This is an example of how the leaders of Muslims in Aus./NZ. are bullying large commercial organizations (especially in the food industry) into paying what is no more than blatant extortion money. The amazing part is that these weak-kneed organizations (Cadbury/ Schweppes/ Nestles/ Kraft etc) actually pay the large sums demanded by these self-appointed religious bureaucrats.
Of course, the manufacturers promptly pass this levy on to unwitting consumers as cost increases. Next time you buy a block of Cadbury's chocolate, look for the Halal Certification seal on the wrapper. So, regardless of your own religious faith, you end up subsidizing Islam.
The Council also controls the Muslim voter bloc which, as yet, does not have sufficient critical mass to make a difference - but give them time.
Several state jurisdictions are under pressure to adopt or permit Sharia Law in Marriage, Family and Property matters and some, under the delusion that they are being progressively liberal, are permitting this. This has already happened in some local authorities in the U.K. Google the U.K. Education Department's current investigation into the conduct of Muslim-run schools in the Birmingham area of England. How many more warnings do people need?
Check the produce on the shelf and don't buy anything Muslim extorted.
++ Democrat Heads to Prison for Registering Dead VotersRead More
Conservatives - GREAT PLANS ARE PROCEEDING! Wise strategy and excellent tactics will direct
our efforts to opportunities in this relentless effort to make the USA and Michigan free, with limited government, lower taxes, and!
O
ne way we have effectively organized is by the use of Citizen Task Forces.
A typical task force meets in person about six times over a six month period to
study issues and propose conservative policies and solutions. We are looking at inviting panels on Energy and Health Care, and additional sessions on Education (Phase V) and Property Rights (Phase II). Participants pay their own expenses. They are expected to
bring experience and expertise on the subject, a commitment to conservative governance, and the ability and willingness to donate time and work in a collegial group atmosphere. Meetings are well organized and of limited duration, typically 90 minites and usually in Lansing. Additional phone or subcommittee meetings are sometimes used.
If you are interested, please email [email protected] with vitae or bio.
++ 35 Convenience Store Owners Indicted - A federal grand jury has indicted 35 store owners on federal conspiracy charges for trafficking contraband cigarettes, distributing controlled substances and money laundering.
According to reports, the suspects conspired for more than 2 years to buy contraband cigarettes in St. Louis, a low tax market, while transporting and distributing them in Chicago, Illinois, and New Jersey, which are high tax markets.
The store owners are accused of using several convenience stores that they operated to create the appearance of legal cigarette purchases.
Illegal profits form the contraband cigarette sales were laundered through accounts associated with the stores. The list of defendants include:
Mohammed Almuttan, aka Abu Ali, 35, St. Louis, MO
Rami Almuttan, aka Abu Louay, 33, St. Louis, MO
Hisham Mutan, aka Abu Mohamed, 41, St. Louis, MO
Saddam Mutan, aka Abu Ali, 24, St. Louis, MO
Mazin Abdelsalam, aka Abu Mohammad, 38, St. Louis, MO
Najeh Muhana, aka Abu Yazan, 41, Fairview, NJ
Fares Muhana, aka Abu Yamama, 40, Cliffside Park, NJ
Ayoub Qaiymah, aka Abu Faysal, 23, Richmond, VA
Naser Abid, 23, Chicago, IL
Yadgar Barzanji, aka Abu Siver, 47, St. Louis, MO
Wafaa Alwan, 50, St. Louis, MO
That's right...
every single one of the 35 men indicted is Muslim . Nothing to see here, huh?
And there's more. According to sources, "at least 20" of the men are being held on additional "immigration detainers" by ICE . That means they are " suspected illegal aliens. "
In 2015 state authorities in Alabama uncovered a massive, EBT-for-terrorism scheme in which Muslim-owned convenience stores exploited the U.S. welfare system to fund ISIS: Article here
The massive probe, dubbed Operation T-bone, targeted those they say have been cheating the food stamp system to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars and sending the profits via wire transfer to Yemen , some of which is suspected to have funded Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist activity .
There is a long history of Muslims using welfare systems for criminal activity, as well as purposely abusing the system. As we reported in 2013, a prominent Muslim cleric called on Muslim immigrants in Western nations to purposely collect government welfare as a so-called "Jihad Seeker's Allowance."
And back then it was Alabama D.A. who led the investigation - not the Obama keystone cops, who strangely had nothing to do with that bust.
++ Off FB:
Marcy Desmond Jankovich -
The persistent will defeat the resistance.
Dave Alan Ryan - Someone called me an old white man. Yup I am. I rode bikes without a helmet. I swam in rivers and lakes. I ate stuff I killed. I ate C rats and MRE's . I survived basic and tech schools. I ran through jungles. I farmed,rode horses,and skied behind cars. Yes we walked without safety rails. We have scars and we have evidence of broken bones. We rode in the back of trucks and never wore seat belts. We had to win to get a trophy and we had to work to get money. We saluted the flag and we hated commies,we still do. We didn't hug our enemies and apologize for having won.So yes I am old and sort of light brown, with hues of black and blue. You should be so lucky.]
Scott Arnett - People who wore pink on Inauguration Day spent $ 40 million trying to make sure Georgia did not elect its first woman to Congress,
Tom Leonard - I'd be curious to know if there are any stats out there to determine how much a ball player's productivity goes down after signing a massive contract. I'm sure the Tigers would be leading the league in that category.
Aaron Glenn Miller - You pretty much took the words out of my mouth for this year and basically the last five years, too.
Adam C. Stacey - A reporter asked Sparky Anderson what it took to win a championship. He replied, "Nine guys in the last year of their contract." (Wish that worked for legislators? lol.)
Jodie Brown - I totally "get" the President's sense of humor
Randy Bishop - Has U.S. Congressman - Justin Amash finally crossed a line by voting NO on "Kate's Law"? Has he earned a Republican primary challenger next year in 2018?
Debbie Jackson- Trump is the Road Runner and the Media is Wile E. Coyote Debra Babcock-Mantey-Ell · Running for Gov of Michigan:Meet Dr. Abdul el-Sayed. A 32-year-old Muslim medical doctor who has recently thrown his hat in the race for governor of Michigan. Just like Obama, he speaks without an accent and is charismatic; attributes that divert everyone's attention away from the fact that he's a Muslim with the full backing of the Muslim Brotherhood terror organization. If you think this sounds like Obama 2.0 you'd be 100% correct. He too hates Trump with a passion, saying that the president's decisions "are at odds with deeply held American values." Article
++ Art V. Convention = National Suicide! No Such Thing as Convention of States
- Article V does not "allow.. the states to call for a convention." Only Congress can do that as it is plainly written in Article V. Let's review exactly what Article V of the U.S. Constitution says.
"The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents, and purposes as part of this Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate."
Article V, U.S. Constitution
While there are many other dangers inherent in an Article V conventions, I will only briefly mention a couple here for you to consider and then move on to more important matters.
An amendment to the Constitution can change just one comma or everything except one comma. Despite the claims to the contrary, there is no such thing as a limited Article V Convention.
Four simple words can change everything "States' sovereignty is abolished." Although lawyers today would add 40, 400, or even 4,000 words to obfuscate this simple concept.
The sad part of this entire discussion to this point is that it is all smoke and mirrors. Proponents of an Article V Convention misdiagnose the problem and then proceed to prescribe the wrong solution hoping to keep your attention away from the root causes of our failing republic.
Article
++ Book your showing?MCU Director Janice Daniels has leased the film Is Genesis History for a year. She is pleased to present it to conservative and Church groups. The license limits each showing to 75 people. If you are interested in showing it to a group you can email Janice here: [email protected]
++ Part Time Legislature Proposal - So far it is a disaster!YAL Youth abused by the campaign - Yes, we think Michigan ought to join the 40 some states who have a part time legislature. As warned two weeks ago, we predicted the Petition would be struck down.
The big issue is the lack of clarity. A petition must include an explanation of laws it effects. As written by economist Patrick Anderson: Theproposed amendmentwould alteratleasttwo provisionsof the1963 Constitution,affectingthe balanceof powers betweenthelegislatureandexecutive,thepowers of initiativeheldby thecitizens,andtheabilityofthegovernortovetoandthelegislaturetoavoidaveto.Theseprovisionsarenotlisted on the petition, whichisnotconsistentwiththe Constitution'srequirementthatcitizensbeinformedon such apetitionof anyprovisions alteredor abrogated.
Both PTL proposals suffered the same basic flaw. They were drafted in the dark to the exclusion of a broad base of grass roots leaders who support the concept and would have been pleased to help craft a proposal with much more support. And thus both had flaws that could not be overcome.
Tying legislative salaries to a proportion of teacher salaries is a terrible idea for a large number of legitimate reasons. These were layed out in a recent issue of Conservative Choices Newsletter seen here: http://conta.cc/2sgFlO4
One issue is the diminishment of legislative power and expansion of executive power. Patrick Anderson writes: I can see some other interactions (such as in the veto provision that allows for a certain number of days to override, Art. IV sec 33), and that requires some additional thinking.... If the Governor has the sole authority to call an additional session, the legislators cannot re-assemble even for half a day to over-ride a governor's veto in the last days or after the 90 day session expires. Are 401K and other DC contributions (which are immediately vested) prohibited under this amendment? Compensation is not adequately defined. So, the State Board of Cancassers predictably rejected the petition and the labors invested in collecting signatures to that point, are wasted. Was this failure intended by L.G. Calley and his handlers? Did they get enough publicity and mileage out the effort? Are they done, or will they come back? Will they consult some of us who can help, before re-submitting language and printing petitions? We shall see.
Watching:
House Bill 4053 (Make English the official state language) was introduced in mid January by Representatives Tom Barrett, Triston Cole, Aaron Miller, Gary Glenn, Lana Theis, Peter Lucido, Shane Hernandez and Lee Chatfield. More
HB 4416, HB 4417, HB 4418 and HB 4419- Rep. Jim Runestad reports: Fifteen House Republicans have signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof urging him to have the Senate quickly pass legislation that would end the need for a permit to carry a concealed pistol.
Mr. Meekhof (R-West Olive) placed the House-passed legislation (HB 4416, HB 4417, HB 4418 and HB 4419) into the Senate Government Operations Committee, which he chairs and tends to use as a burial ground for controversial legislation he prefers never see the light of day. Mr. Meekhof, however, does occasionally move bills out of the committee, and his spokesperson has said he has not buried it with the decision to place the bills there.
The 15 Republicans invoked the recent shooting at the Republican congressional baseball practice as further justification for the legislation. Five people, including U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and former Michigan House staffer Matt Mika, were shot during that incident.
"We abhor the idea of politicizing a tragedy. But this incident itself was a political act and one that bears on us directly as lawmakers," the House members wrote in a letter led by Rep. John Reilly (R-Oakland Township). "It was an attempted mass assassination of Republican elected representatives. It was an attack on innocent people. It was an attack on our party. It was an attack on the Congress of the United States. It was an attack on our nation and its lawful governance. And it was only thwarted because one representative with armed security happened to be there."
SB 163 - Governor Rick Snyder vetoed the bill passed by both houses, citing a "Choose Life" message as being "too divisive". If signed into law, Michigan would have joined more than half of the other states in the country that already allow their drivers to purchase a license plate that contains a simple "Choose Life" message while fundraising for life-affirming charitable purposes. (Thanks, Dave)
"I find Governor Snyder's veto of our 'Choose Life' license plate legislation utterly disgraceful," said (Sponsor) Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton. "Every year, 26,000 babies in a mother's womb are killed. Many of the decisions to kill these babies in the womb are based upon women despairing over having insufficient support or resources to raise their child. SB 163 would have helped provide those resources. Furthermore, SB 163 would have also provided charitable assistance for suicide prevention programs. Looking just at our veterans alone, there are over 8,000 veterans tragically committing suicide every year. Prenatal care, suicide prevention, adoption services; these are not divisive issues. A simple 'Choose Life' message is not divisive unless one somehow asserts that 'Choose Death' is a worthy cause. It is not...and certainly not for the 65 Representatives, 25 Senators, and the many people of principle who supported this simple but important piece of legislation."
US House House Resolution 3003, passed by the House of Representatives on June 28, titled "No Sanctuary for Criminals Act" - The only Republican voting agauist this resolution was Justin Amash (R.MI3). This has triggered a number of people suggesting Amash should have a Republican primary opponent in 2018.
Project Kirk is designed as a series of continuing education lessons on Conservatism, so that we might better understand, educate and replicate conservative principles. Please consider these as a regular part of meeting agendas for any philosophical or political group you are with.
Jay McNally and Darrin Moore discuss Russell Kirk - 10 PRINCIPLES - an oldie but goodie
Link
Here Dr. Bradley J. Birzer of Hillsdale College offers thoughtful and intriguing background to Russell Kirk's The Conservative Mind by offering insight into the author's goal for this foundational work.
Place article copy here. Be sure to make the articles short and concise as people tend not to read much more than a couple of paragraphs. Place article copy here.
