China Stock Market Crashes When Michigan Governor Snyder Visits

Michigan residents fear China market tumble will affect their own finances.

"Oh - This not good"

Last week around the 21st of August, governor Snyder left Michigan to visit China, and immediately after his arrival the China stock market crashed in spectacular fashion. How big was China’s stock market crash? It's been dubbed “Black Monday” - August 24th ending with Chinese equities down 8.5%, wiping out hundreds of billions of dollars in market capitalisation.

Was Snyder's visit and the Chinese market crash a coincidence? Probably. Well sure, of course. But it got me thinking. If governor Snyder

Road Kill News: Vol. II

Here are some of the topics I noticed being discussed and/or of interested to you if you are interested in fixing Michigan's roads. If you are not interested in fixing Michigan's roads, here is a link to the Comics Web Page :-)

Pothole not to blame for deadly New Hudson Crash - According to Oakland County Sheriff - Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press

Not so sure of the validity of this "investigation". You read it and see what you think.

Michigan's crummy roads cartoon gallery! - Mike Thompson, Detroit Free Press

Really Funny - Really Real.

Editorial: House plan falls short, but offers some hope. - The Detroit News

This plan has now passed with some changes. It was so popular and had so much support in the senate that a Tie Breaker had to be called in to get it off it's ass and out the door!

'Pure Michigan' on its third leader in less than a year after resignation - MLive web site

Not sure what "Pure Michigan" is doing lately for our roads. But if you ask around, a lot of people here and in most other states think of "Lousy Roads" when they think of "Pure Michigan"! I'd resign too.

Michigan roads, politicians and Independence Day - MLive web site

Just because it mentions lousy Michigan roads. And I left a comment on it.

Be Sure to Come Back Next Week for more...

Drive Careful,
Will

Michigan House Votes To Use Forced Labor To Fix Roads ?

If someone takes something from you without your permission what might you call that? Steeling?

If you were told you must work and someone else will get the money even though you do not wish it, how would you feel? Like you were forced?

Some 3/4 Million Michigan tax payers will be forced to fix the roads, whether they like it or not, by working more hours without actually receiving pay in their pockets for the work they do. And the majority of the Michigan house of representatives is all for it. What? Let me try to explain.

Here is what I have read:

"House Republicans voted this week to eliminate the earned income tax credit as part of a plan to spend more on road improvements. Senate Republicans may follow suit this summer." - Oakland Press

The Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit (EIT) Democrats and others say, is the state credit which helps low-income people pay their bills and buy necessities. About 780,000 qualifying Michigan taxpayers received an average credit worth $140 last year. People who need this credit use the money not for luxuries, but for necessities, like food for their kids. Republicans want to use that money to fix our roads instead.

Fix The Roads - Are We There Yet?

Will this republican plan hurt people in Michigan?

For people earning minimum wage, that might amount to 2 or more days of work. Work which will now be paid, not to them, but to the state to 'Fix The Roads'!

If they do not wish to do that, some feel that may amount to Forced Labor. What do you think?
 
Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof thinks it is a small thing and supports it.

Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof tells The Associated Press he supports ending the tax credit and so does a majority of his caucus. He says it’s a small credit compared to a larger federal credit. - Oakland Press

And in addition, while republicans exist in office to a large extent off the mantra 'no new taxes' and 'lower all taxes', their vote to completely remove the Michigan EIT is in essence a raise in taxes for those that currently claim it.

Increase taxes on poor?
'Nothing is off the table' - Arlan Meekhof

Is this republican proposal impractical, ignorant or just plain mean spirited? My hope is it simply will not fly and a Real Plan to Fix Our Roads will be put forward by the legislature. However like the Bible says; 'hope is the expectation of things not beheld'. I hope but I just don't see it.

Thanks for taking a look at this, my opinion. Please tell me what you think.

Drive Careful,
Will

Whats So Funny About Potholes ? Satire and Irony

What do you think is funny? Everybody has their opinion of what they think is funny. How about you?

I like both satire and irony. Both comedic forms require a certain amount of intellect and a large, rather robust sense of humor. Especially if the comedy is directed at you.

The above requirements certainly apply when you are directing your humor at others, more so if it is to make a point. If a person doesn't share your sense of what constitutes humor, so be it. That can actually be funny in itself. It's just that it would be nice if they did share your laugh.

Anyway, satire and irony can be very effective at making a point. That is why I use it - a lot. If people get it, congrats, you've made your point. If people don't get it, the people that do get it, get it even more.

Here are examples of one or the other lately in the news.

 

Mike Rowe, well known entertainer and spokesman, addressed those at the Mackinac Policy Conference last week. Irony? He's famous for his show "Dirty Jobs". And his latest gig is called SGDI, or "Somebody's Gotta Do It" on CNN. When talking about Lansing legislators, that's irony! Get it? Last year the Michigan legislators said in effect that fixing our roads was a 'Dirty Job' and instead dumped it on their constituents. When the people threw it back at them with the defeat of Proposal 1, the lawmakers got on Mike Rowe's new show so to speak, saying 'Somebody's Gotta Do It', and are now grudgingly taking up the task again. If you think all that is funny then you get the point. If you don't then the rest of us get the point even more. See where I'm going?

In my last blog post - Mackinac Policy Conference Begins - Will There Be Potholes? - I compared those at the the 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference, some may have thought just the Republicans, as people whose view of taxes is of as a steaming pile of horse manure on the streets Mackinac Island to be avoided at all "costs". Certainly no one would want to step in that. The comment and the cartoon in the post, well that is satire. I hope people reading it have a sense of humor. If not, that is actually funny too.

Now here are two examples of satire and irony combined: A Beer and a flavor of Ice Cream:

Pothole Stout - Brewery Vivant

Here is a beer released for a limited time last year, and hope will be available again, which obviously was crafted and packaged to make a point.

Michigan Pot Hole Ice Cream - Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream

Either out of a sense of humor or sense of duty, the marketing director of the manufacturer, Dianna Tunison is quoted as saying "We first came up with the flavor and then talked about it as a team that we should donate 1 percent of our sales to the State of Michigan to help fix our pot holes," 

Now that is both funny and sad. Donating ice cream profits to pay for our lousy roads. Enough said. 

So, sometimes humor - satire and irony - are an effective and maybe only way to make a point. The down side is that these methods have to be used because reason and understanding are not working.

The condition of our terrible Michigan roads and infrastructure are sad. And so are our do-nothing Michigan legislators. Not much to say for the Governor either, when it comes to roads. So much for humor. Just sayin'.


Drive careful,
Will

Mackinac Policy Conference Begins - Will There Be Potholes?

UPDATE:

Well it's 2016 and another Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference - Woo Hoo !

"Expectations for real results in solid policy to benefit the state and its citizenry this year are slim. However the horses are thick on the island and so is the horse shit there, et al" --someone who know horse shit

So much for the Update.
____________________________________

Another work week begins now that the Memorial Day weekend of 2015 is over. Will the week bring a solution to our Michigan road problem?

To The Island !

Hitch up your horses, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference gets underway on Mackinac Island this week.

It happens every year at the Grand Hotel.

You can bet a major subject to be discussed will be the failure of Proposal 1 and where the Michigan legislature will go from here to get to a Real Road Funding Solution. And what irony, Mackinaw island!

Snyder and his business allies on this island trip will no doubt try to convince the Republican lawmakers in attendance that they can and should put more than a billion dollars into roads, and keep it flowing. But there are going to be a lot of issues to dodge and get around, like steaming piles on the Mackinaw streets, before there can be results.

On the one hand you have governor Snyder, very much wanting to put Billions of dollars into a permanent road funding program. Snyder says polls have shown the people are open to some sort of new tax or tax increase if it goes to roads.

Then you have his Republican lawmakers, wanting to at all cost avoid those steaming piles of taxes. All they can think about is their dainty anti-tax constituents getting the vapors and passing out at the slightest hint of a smelly tax, and then forgetting them on re-election day.

And of course there are the Democrats in Lansing. Like any good farmer, they don't mind stepping in a pile of taxes, so long as there is something left on their shoes for them to spread over their constituents. Democratic support in the legislature is needed because they will have to make up an expected  Republican lack of votes. But they will want something in return, just like last year! Yet they are not always so welcome at the island conference. Last year, in fact, Snyder’s Democratic opponent for governor wasn’t even invited to take part in the event.

Suffice it to say that the island conference will be looking to its historical darling Snyder for leadership (though his attractiveness has declined in the last few years). And the center-right businesses will have a say on road funding. They are still giggling over the  Michigan Business Tax toss, and the giant Tax Cut for businesses handed to them not long ago, all packaged up pretty with a big bright bow. And lately the states businesses have been tearing open those presents like greedy four year old's on Christmas morning (so much for budget surplus for roads). Better roads for better business, right?

Well, Mackinaw island is a lot about history. The way things used to be. No cars. No car noise. No cars torn up from potholes. Just like the good old days. Let's hope the result of this conference will Not be a return to the bad old days of no road funding. 

Michigan Road Funding Of The Past

 

Oh, by the way, to get into the conference:  $2,150 for Chamber members and $2,925 for Future members. So I suspect I wont be there. Anyway, it seems I've been kicked out of the Grand Hotel in the past (speaking of history), and they may notice me. I'll be in the LP probably driving my car into another pothole no doubt.

Drive Careful, Will

What Will May 5th Mean For Us In Michigan ?

Will Proposal 1 spell the end of the World?

Do you believe in fate? Even if I did, I would not know how to translate this. One of those things that could mean one thing or another.

World Ending? Or Another Session In Lansing?

I recently found out that the lease I have on this website name, "www.potholeparadise.com" ends on, you guessed it, May 5th.

Of course I have made sure to renew it for a few more years, but that is a funny and interesting fact. When I got it, I certainly had no idea that a lame duck legislature would pass the buck of fixing our roads to the people they work for, especially in a complicated proposal with all sorts of special interest goodies added on and for nothing less than a permanent sales tax increase! All to be voted on May 5th.

So then, is May 5th the last day anything needs to be said about fixing Michigan roads? Will all things be as they should be as we drive around our beautiful state, and we'll never have to worry about the issue again? All after May 5th?

Let's face it. There is no Santy Clause, Easter Bunny or Man in the Moon. Get it?

Now it seems that polls are showing that the proposal is doomed. All the while people like Roger Martin with the Safe Roads Yes campaign says, “We’ve never had a May, off-year, single-ballot-issue election ever in the history of Michigan,” and so “For that reason and other reasons, we put absolutely no stock in any of the polls taken so far.”

Yeah, OK. Polls don't mean a thing. Not even several. One after the other. Still it seems like a "Plan B" would be in order about now.

And that is another thing. Even when the proposal was first approved to the dismay of so many, no "Plan B" was discussed. As if the lawmakers just laid the egg and then stuck their heads in a hole. I think that was and is a bad decision.

But some are talking about a Plan B, especially with the probability of defeat of Prop. 1. One web article I read discussed some options: There is no Plan B? Here are four viable options…

Get this. That article is on a web site called 'SayNoToHigherTaxes.org' . Talk about a great web site name. What with all the tax issues in all the states in the U.S.A., and they got that name!? And, it seems to deal mainly with the Michigan Road Issue. They better check and make sure That name doesn't run out on May 5th !! That's all I can say.

Anyway, there is certainly more to come on this subject which we all face every day we drive. How to Fix Our Roads in Michigan. May 5th will not fix anything.

And - don't forget to get your FIX OUR ROADS bumper sticker. I'm sure they will still be good and meaningful after the 5th :~)

Drive Careful,
Will

Quick - Get Me The Number To 911 !

Only In Michigan Is A Pothole A Crime

Is it entropy, karma or something else? Just a few days ago Sam Simon, co-creator of 'The Simpsons' died. Then I heard a TV report saying that, when it comes to potholes, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel wants drivers in his county to report them to 911. That made me think of a great Simpsons scene where Homer, in an emergency holler's "Quick - get me the number to 911 !". Typical Homer.

So what's the deal? I thought 911 was only for emergencys. Well Hackel did say, "If it's one (a pothole) that just blew somebody's tire out ... it's going to blow out somebody else's,". A real emergency in his eyes I guess.

Once a report about a dangerous or damaging pothole is made to 911, Macomb County's Department of Roads would assess and address the issue within an hour, Hackel pledged.

Still, what about the reason for the 911 service? Can't we get in trouble if we use it for reporting a pothole? Here's what the Michigan State Police had to say late Thursday. They sent out an alert which reads in part,

"Please, do not direct the public to tie up 911 lines to report potholes, period. Whether Macomb wants you to or not."

Didn't matter to Hackel. He stands behind his instructions to Macomb county drivers. But is he willing to stand behind bars? According to one source:

The number is intended for use in emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose ( such as prank calls ) can be a crime in over 98 percent of locations in the United States.

Is A Pothole A Crime?

What I am certain of is this; I consider it a crime that a duly hired Michigan Ledgislature did not and will not do the job they were hired and paid to do. That is, budget funds to provide safe - driveable roads for citizens. But don't call 911 to report that !
 

Reminder: Still no Plan B. Get a Bumper Sticker.

• (For a "Fix Our Roads" bumper sticker, go to the top of the page and click on the "Bumper Sticker" tab.)

Drive Careful,
Will

Michigan Road Funding Will Be Cut Without Action

Will Michigan face a reduction in critical road funding if no action is taken by lawmakers?

That remains to be seen. In two Internet articles I have come across today the threat seems to be real. The very important federal Highway Trust Fund is on the ropes. It may soon run out and what does that mean for Michigan roads?

Both the Detroit News and Michigan Radio have brought up the ugly news. News almost as bad as a Michigan Pothole. Well maybe not much could be done by Michigan lawmakers about the Federal road trust fund, however I can't stop thinking that if Federal dollars (about 80 percent of Michigan road work is funded through federal Highway Trust Fund dollars) shrink or go away it is going to make raising road funds in this state that much harder. What ever can be raised will have to go that much further.

Is Our Road Money going Down the Toilet?

By not acting like leaders and addressing road repair and improvement issues in the past years when the fund was healthy, I can't help think that our Michigan legislators are flushing money and opportunities down the toilet. And you may well know how difficult it can be to get what went down the toilet out again. Our roads just get worse and worse.

If those in Lansing won't Just Fix Our Roads, their jobs can take that trip down the toilet too. Just sayin'.

Drive Careful,
Will