Tag Archives: Gas Tax

State legislators are working on about a dozen bills that will use $350 million taxpayer money that Governor Rick Snyder has proposed. We taxpayers “bailout” the auto companies, banks and Wall Street now we are adding cities to the list of too big to fail. Who is next on this list the insurance companies? 

You just know whenever you hear politicians talk about using taxpayer money in this fashion or when they talk about increasing our taxes more often than not it becomes a reality. As I have previously reported about the talk of a gas tax and vehicle registration fee increases this to will come to fruition.

The thing about the gas tax and vehicle registration fee increases are two fold: One our elected legislators have been stealing our road fund monies for years for other unspecified state spending purposes playing the shell game of robbing Peter to pay Paul. The other is because of possible repercussions here in the 2014 elections they will not bestow these increases on we taxpayers till after the elections.

When will we taxpaying citizens of Michigan come to the reality that we can no longer allow any one Political Party to hold power and control for more than one term? What we really need is a viable Constitutional third Party that represents “We the People” instead of the lobbyist and special interest groups who have a stranglehold on our elected leaders in both of the two major parties.
http://www.freep.com/article/20140401/NEWS01/304010020/Legislature-Detroit-grand-bargain-bankruptcy

How Detroit Went Broke Taxpayers of Michigan now on the Hook
The Wall Street types who applauded former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s financial acumen following his 2005 deal to restructure city pension debt should consider this: The numbers prove that his plan devastated the city’s finances and was a key factor that drove Detroit to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy in July.

The State of Michigan and its legislators are also contributors in the blame. Lansing politicians reduced Detroit’s state-shared revenue by 48% from 1998 to 2012, withholding $172 million from the city, according to state records. We are currently seeing the results of the cuts to revenue sharing in municipalities across the state. These cuts were part of the very favorable big business buddies reform of the business tax in 2012.
http://www.freep.com/interactive/article/20130915/NEWS01/130801004/Detroit-Bankruptcy-history-1950-debt-pension-revenue

Crony Capitalism and Corruption

The Wall Street types who applauded former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s financial acumen following his 2005 deal to restructure city pension debt should consider this: The numbers prove that his plan devastated the city’s finances and was a key factor that drove Detroit to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy in July.

http://www.freep.com/interactive/article/20130915/NEWS01/130801004/Detroit-Bankruptcy-history-1950-debt-pension-revenue

Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers Convicted of Bribery
Mrs. Conyers was the council’s president pro tem, went from one of Detroit’s most politically powerful and mercurial women to an admitted felon in a “pay-to-play” scheme for a $1.2-billion-plus sludge treatment contract.

Conyers plead guilty and sent to prison for taking cash-stuffed envelopes at a city recreation center and in a McDonald’s parking lot. She admitted taking at least $6,000 from Detroit businessman Rayford Jackson to change her vote in favor of a $1.2-billion in the Synagro sludge disposal contract scandal in 2007.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090627/NEWS01/906270358/Conyers-guilty-bribery-case

Former Detroit Police Chief Convicted of Embezzlement
The corruption and theft of taxpayer money goes why back in Detroit. Take former police chief William L. Hart as but one example. Hart was police chief under the Mayor Coleman Young administration. He was convicted of stealing $2.6 million in taxpayer money over seven years.

When the FBI raided his home they found thousands of dollars in a ceiling fan. When questioned about that money being hidden in the ceiling Hart said he didn’t believe in banks. Hart embezzled the money to buy luxury cars and gifts for three former “girlfriends” as well as to renovate his home and a cottage in Canada.
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/08/us/former-detroit-police-chief-convicted-of-embezzlement.html

Schostak Bros. plans $111 million, 16-story Detroit office tower
The Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority’s nine-member board has reviewed a $27-million brownfield tax incentive plan for site preparation and infrastructure improvements for the building, which is expected to include first-floor retail space and a parking deck wrapping around Cadillac Tower facing Campus Martius.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20130916/NEWS/130919874/schostak-bros-plans-111-million-16-story-detroit-office-tower

Detroit-based Meridian Health Plan is expected to be the sole office tenant
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20130919/NEWS/130919821

$27 million in tax incentives approved for new Detroit office tower
In addition to the brownfield incentives, Schostak and Meridian are pursuing Michigan Economic Development Corp. Community Revitalization Program grants and U.S. Department of Treasury New Markets Tax Credits and other incentives to help finance the building.
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20130925/NEWS/130929905

Meridian Health Plan expected to move into 16-story Detroit building in 2017
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20130918/NEWS/130919855

Schostak Bros. plans $111 million, 16-story Detroit office tower to seek taxpayer subsidies
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20130916/NEWS/130919874

Snyder Awards Meridian Health Plan for Medicaid Expansion Healthy Michigan SnyderCaid
http://www.mha.org/mha/weeklymailing/2014/012014/monday_report.htm

Bob Ficano, John Rakolta and the Big Jail Problem
Rakolta and Walbridge simply cannot be allowed near another government contract. Even projects that aren’t directly funded by taxpayers, but will take advantage of public bonding for initial cash flow, should be off-limits.

Like Team Ficano, Walbridge has proven to be a poor agent for residents and taxpayers. It’s time for us, as principals, to cut them loose.

Looks like the Democrats and Republicans are working together as to pull off this heist of taxpayers’ dollars for their political and personal gains. Rakolta is a big Republican Party donor who was heavily involved in Mitt Romeys presidential campaigns in both 2008 and 2012.

He is also a partner with heavy Democrat donors in the “failed” Raleigh Film Studio. He was recently appointed to the board of the failed MEDC by Governor Rick Snyder. Oh yeah and we taxpayers are now on the hook for that studios “failed” missed, bond payments.
http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/5094/bob_ficano_john_rakolta_and_the_big_jail_problem