A Needed Stitch In Time

A Needed Stitch in Time

Michigan is losing jobs and people. Some say the best jobs and the brightest people.

The bulwark or dam if you will that keeps jobs and likewise people in Michigan has been jobs. When most people think of jobs in Michigan, they think of jobs in the “Big Three” auto companies. The majority of the job holders however in Michigan were not directly employed by Ford or Chrysler or GM. The majority were employed by all the various parts dealers and manufacturers of those parts, and all the other small businesses of Michigan.

Across all sectors of the Michigan economy it is small business that hires the majority of people in Michigan. Small business is the dam that helps keep people and jobs in the state. That dam has been falling apart lately; and the politicians just seem to talk about big solutions that take big money, big politics, big government and bigger regulations.

That talking may be all well and good; however people are getting the idea that government is incapable of pulling off such all encompassing solutions. However, Goeff Hansen a Michigan legislator from the 100th state House District has formulated a piece of legislation that he will be introducing this coming week; a piece of legislation that he hopes will immediately address some of the reasons small business’ in this state fail. Namely taxes.




Below is a link I set up with an overview of the proposed legislation.

-----link-----
http://takemuskegonback.blogspot.com/2009/07/serving-as-linkable-site-to-e-zone.html
--------------

Next for your information is a word document in linkable form that has the guts of the proposed legislation.

-----link-----
http://takemuskegonback.blogspot.com/2009/07/edit-end-of-edit-economic-development.html
--------------

At “Bottom Up Politics” my favorite saying is “Make Do, Make It Now, Make it Work”. In other words use what you have on hand and make it work so you have the time and you get the experience needed to fix the problem.

Representative Hansen gets my “Two Bottom Ups” award, for putting something out there that will immediately do something about our problem.

This bill does a couple of positive things. First it would help people that actually want to start a small business in Michigan do it. The bill also defines small business along with focusing on the business and not the geographic location. Secondly this legislation would send a message to the business community that the Michigan government is serious about attracting business from within and without of Michigan. Enactment of this bill will add credibility to the states effort to attract and support new business on a larger scale. It would start to prove we are serious about it.


While some will claim that this is only a band aid type of approach to our problems, I would assume Rep. Hansen who once served as a first responder would agree. He would also agree I assume that band aids and other emergency measures are exactly what we need to keep Michigan alive while we work out the details of our broader solutions.

I’ve constantly made the case that we learn best from doing. Free enterprise lets us do that. Free enterprise is the mechanism that allows people to try as many and as varied solutions as they are able to dream them up. This also will allow more people who are willing to try different out of the box solutions. You never know when another crack pot like Bill Gates, or a Steve Jobs or maybe a Larry Page and Sergey Brin will show up.

I’m talking about three businesses respectively; Microsoft, Apple and Google, that started in garages with few if any paid employees.

Is this a panacea Mr. Hansen is offering? No it isn’t, will it solve our unemployment problem? Not a lot perhaps.

Will entrepreneurs flock from around the world to Mi? Probably not.

But before we dismiss this effort, try asking questions about the other side of the coin; the side of the coin that people live on and not the special interests.

Will unemployment go up because of this? Absolutely not.

Will people starting a small business have a better chance to survive the first 3-5 years when most fail? Absolutely they will.

Will this bill stop people from coming to Mi. to start up a business or will it hinder people already here from starting up their dream business? Absolutely not.

There are only two downsides that I can see and the first is the loss of tax revenue. This however deals with future tax revenue from a business that is not in business yet. Remember these tax breaks are only for new start ups, not new chain branch start ups or a new division of a large company. Keep in mind also that although this is a five year program, it is only tax free for the first two years then they would pay 25% of their tax the third year and on up another the fourth and then 75% the fifth year.

I would make the case that without the tax breaks in these early years some new companies would not even start, and some of those who did would fail due to not getting the tax breaks.

The only other drawback would be centered on the idea that giving tax breaks to start ups would not be fair to those existing companies that didn’t get any.

To that I simply say that I believe the tax structure in Michigan is unfair. Next I ask where outside of taxes do we continue to not right a wrong because other people in the past have suffered because of that wrong. We should be holding up the hardships start ups suffer due to over tax and regulation as reasons to change the status quo; to give an alternative a chance.

Representative Goeff Hansen is term limited out of the 100th District and is running for the 34th Dist. State Senate Seat in 2010. I hope we can find someone with the common sense Mr. Hansen has shown in this bill to fill his shoes.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative.

Recap

Infrastructure for Victory.

A lot of people in America, In Michigan, in Muskegon are angry with government. Ask 100 people and you’re likely to get 100 different versions of people saying they don’t like government.

Recently there has been an explosion in the spending government is doing which happens to coincide with an explosion of anger towards the government. This anger is not because government is trying to help. First it is because government is using our own money to do that and secondly people are starting to wake up to the idea that the government, no matter how much they spend can’t seem to get it right, then asks for more money so they can.

People have come to the realization that the difference between Big Government Republicans, and Big Government Democrats is mainly in their rhetoric; much like the difference between buying something at either Lowes or Home Depot. Not much. Both the Parties and the big box stores spend fortunes in advertising trying to convince people that there is a difference. There isn’t much difference, but a big waste of money.

Some of us are starting to figure out that if all that money was spent on creating newer and more efficient products, maybe we would have more of a choice; maybe something would get done. There have been scattered pockets and small groups of people that are trying to do that.

An infrastructure of sorts is slowly starting to form. These groups such as the Mackinac Center, Heartland Institute and recently Americans for Prosperity have been spending their money directly on research to develop solutions to the problems we face; (alternative to “big government” solutions”) then sharing the information gleaned with the policy makers. They have been doing this for a long time.

The slow build up of anti government feeling over the last 3-4 decades has recently popped up dramatically in the Tea party protests. A barrage of small new local groups has sprung up from that. These groups started with disgust over government and formed around anti government rhetoric. Disorganized and chaotic they nevertheless were loud and quite large. They were large and loud enough that even the “big government” politicians stopped making fun of the protesters at least in public.

The Republican Party too at last is showing signs of doing more than spitting out rhetoric about how good they are. John Boehner has started forming “solutions groups” that are coming up with specific solutions to some of our problems. People appreciate real and specific alternatives to what is out there now. Do not be fooled however, both parties are run by an elite political class that doesn’t want change. They must be forced.

The force for change whether in the form of John Boehner’s efforts or at the local tea party level, has to come from outside that political class; John Boehner knows this and is capitalizing on it. There is a vacuum out there asking for change. It elected a President; however the change he is pushing is in the wrong direction of what was promised.

The change has to come from the Bottom Up. The Infrastructure has to come from the Bottom Up. The people have to remain loud and Large. They have to learn to work together and we have to educate ourselves.

In Michigan, in my experience trial and error is the key phrase. Idealistic people are finding out that freedom has to be fought for. Not fought for just by the military or by the politicians; it has to be won through the efforts of a lot of people talking and leading by example down in the trenches of daily life. We all need to stand up not just at rallies but at our place of work, social gatherings etc. Join your party, get knowledgeable and vocal. Don’t be a bore about it but simply and shortly give a rebuttal to the liberal mantra out there. Politics is personal, time to get personal.

To do this better, I have started to try to educate myself. I went to Grand Rapids Wed. for a roundtable talk about National Health Care put on by Heartland Institute, Mackinac Center and Americans for Prosperity. These groups are setting up through this type of event a broad loose coalition of groups with smaller government and Free Market ideals in mind. They are exhaustive in their research and in coming up with new solutions. These get-togethers are starting to have an impact. Let me try to explain what the difference is.

These groups always have lobbied the legislators with their research and made slow progress; but the seeds are planted. The meeting I attended however was aimed more at the disgruntled voters to let them know that there are solutions and resources to use in our fight. The politicians that attended were the ones running for office. That was encouraging. This was one of the newer efforts by groups such as this to reach out to the public and become a resource to that public as well as to the legislature. They saw the vacuum and are trying to fill it.

I call this the start of an infrastructure to gather people with small government in mind together and make research available for our education.

While the audience was filled with a lot of insurance people, there were doctors also bloggers like myself and just plain folk who were there to simply get some ideas about how to fight the juggernaut that has become government.

At one point I asked the three listed below a question. The question was; I'm poor and only have a hundred dollars to spend to try to change government, how best should I spend it? I complimented Jack McHugh when he said he was obviously not unbiased in how I should spend my money.

I would like to say however that any size donations to the groups mentioned, is well spent. In the example above I will give $75 to a local candidate of my choice along with all the volunteer effort I can; but I will and have already given $25 to these groups. The information they develop is the backbone on which to build any type of consistent useful alternative to what we have.

Below are some Pics the three guys are from L/R Scott Hagerstrom, Jack McHugh, and Jack Hoogendyk. There were a little over 100 signed up. Most came.




<<<<<<<<<< Thursday >>>>>>>>>>>>>

Our regular Thursday morning meeting at the Carmen Group was full and refreshing.





Our Chair David Farhat was there just a week after his back surgery and moving around well. State Rep. Goeff Hansen came early,visited, looked like he was enjoying himself and stayed. Marve our county commissioner too was there. Later, in came our past Chair and County Commissioner Bob Scolnik fresh from the hospital and in a wheel chair after suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident. Vice Chair Susie Hughes came later and Jon Dewitt from Pete Hoekstra’s office also showed up. Both are not in the pics below.

As always no speeches allowed, just some Republican camaraderie over good food. It was good to see Bob Scolnik back. Though in a wheel chair, he seemed full of piss and vinegar and ready for business.

Don’t forget to click the pics to enlarge.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

PD + PD = Job Well Done

Wednesday morning as I lay sleeping comfortably in my bed in Muskegon’s Precinct 6; Dan Churchill another precinct delegate from Fruitport was busy doing his job.

I met Dan before the 2008 election. He was running for Trustee of Fruitport Township. I liked him and learned through the course of the election that he was a police officer for the city of Muskegon Heights. He lost the election I’m sorry to say, but I’m proud to say that Dan started coming to County Republican meetings and became a Precinct Delegate. Later life dealt him another blow. The Heights laid off police officers and Dan was one of them.

As you can read in the link below, Dan waited it out and was hired back onto the force; a lucky thing for Muskegon Heights. We are safer because of it.

I realize that being a Precinct Delegate has nothing to do with the story below; but I feel it is indicative of Officer Churchill’s character that he became a Precinct Delegate out of a desire to help. I might like to add that I would like to see Dan run again; but that’s neither here nor there.

I’d like to share my appreciation for Dan Churchill and for a job well done.
He truly knows better than I how to, Live Dangerously.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

-----link-----
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2009/07/muskegon_heights_police_say_mo.html
--------------
This is link to an article by John S. Hausman | The Muskegon Chronicle. Thursday July 02, 2009, 8:39 PM.

--------------

Below is the praise the team that chased and apprenended them received.
"Mahan praised the work of the city's patrol officers who caught the suspects: Sgt. Shawn Stefanich and officers Dan Churchill, Steve Winston and Rory Rought.

"The team that was working that night did an excellent job at getting these guys," Mahan said. "They hung in there on the chase. They set up a perimeter immediately after the vehicle stopped. It kept all three of the guys that had run in that block, which made it easier to locate them."

Nice work Dan.

Mike Cox. and Pizza

Mike Cox the Attorney General of Michigan paid a visit to the Muskegon County Republican HQ on Henry St. Tues. Mr. Cox is running for Governor and wanted to state his case for some of the party faithful. He did.

David Farhat helped round up and put together a nice spread with pizzas, pop, beans coleslaw and biscuits along with chicken nuggets from Domino’s. We had a good time talking and eating our lunch then Mike Cox stood up and gave a talk with questions from the audience after.

I counted at least 30 people. It was a pleasant event. Senator Jerry VanWoerkom joined the party also.

The Attorney General then stood and gave a nice talk. I was impressed with his ability to give specifics about state government; about the problems we face and some specific solutions to those problems. Mike Cox does seem to have a grasp on the working of our state government.

click on pics to enlarge






One of his main points he made was that we had a triple deficit.
1. Budget deficit
2. Jobs deficit
3. Leadership deficit

Mr. Cox told us of his plan to cut the Business Tax in half and also cut the personal income tax. He then showed how his experience from the Marines thru the Attorney General had given him the ability to lead. He told of how he stood alone against the flow backing the Mi. Rights Initiative simply because he thought it was the right thing to do.

Mr. Mike Cox said Republicans needed to stand by their principles and he said he has found that when we do we can win. He gave himself as an example.
One of his main points was the importance of personal and business freedom, and how that translated into the economics of the state. Stifle freedom either personal or business as the Granholm Cherry administration has done through higher taxes and regulation and you lose jobs and the economy suffers. In other words a deficit in leadership has caused this economy and high unemployment. Cut taxes and cut red tape and things will improve.

I came away with a feeling that Mike Cox has a vision and the experience to carry it out.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Fire at the Kensington.

Long on pics; don't forget to click on them to make them bigger.

Last night I awoke to the rumble of big trucks and a smell of smoke. I finally got up at 3:30 walked down to the corner and through the smoke could see alot of lights flashing. It looked bad, it was.

This was a huge fire just off the corner of Strong and Peck on Peck. The venerable brick apartment building "Kensington" with I would guess 12 apartments was fully involved by the time I got there. I would guess the fire started around 3am. I would also guess the fire started on the 2nd or 3rd floor.

By the time I got there the 2nd ladder truck had arrived. The firemen had there plan in motion. They seemed to be fighting a losing battle. Mainly they fought what looked like a staying action to prevent complete colapse and to protect the buildings next door.

I got enough smoke and left at 4am. The second batch of Pics were shot at 9;30. As you can see the buildings roof was gone and the firefighters had been working hard all night. A 3rd ladder truck had arrived along with the much appreciated I'm sure Norton Shores Canteen which was a school bus type vehicle fitted out to let the firefighters relax and drink and eat something.

My hats off to and a big Bottom Two Thumbs UP for all the fire fighters and first responders.

Casualties I know nothing about other than I saw a lady being treated for what seemed to be smoke inhalation. I hope that was all, but I don't know yet. The suffering was also apparent in the people wandering around with handfulls of their belongings.

Regards, and Prayers
Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

3:30 night pics.
click to enlarge









Next pics are from 9:30 am click to enlarge
















<<<<< edit >>>>>
At 3pm I saw flames had erupted again and were put out but smoke was still comeing from the structure.

Grand Opening. Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum

Grand Opening. Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum

For a fuller experiance single click on the top video on my side bar. You know the one with the pretty girl. lower the vol. on your computer to your comfrot level and enjoy reading my blog.


Click on pics to enlarge.


Saturday had the makings for a nice day. The oppressive heat wave had lifted, and there was a breeze in the air. As I got closer to the Muskegon Lake Channel the lake breeze was refreshing. A perfect day to help celebrate what so many people in Muskegon had been working for years to put on; efforts of which I’m sorry to say I was not a part; and something I was only vaguely aware of. The Grand Opening of “The Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum” heralded this effort.

-----link-----
http://glnmmorg000.web151.discountasp.net/apps/dnn/mydnn/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
--------------

This was pulled off through the selfless efforts of lots of people. This was an example of a community pitching in their time talent and money behind the scenes to make something nice for Muskegon, it not only is educational in the “museum” sense of the word; but helps show future generations the respect and honor in which we hold those who helped preserve our way of life in such courageous fashion.

As I say, I played no part in this and that I hope will change in the future.
The event celebrated the Grand Opening of this building which serves to hold a museum as a memorial to the two ships Muskegon has on display at South side of the Muskegon Channel. More than that, the museum is filled with graphic laden pectoral partitions leading one through a display filled path winding within the structure; taking one back to a different time. Nostalgia is everywhere.

The displays are instructive but when viewed along this winding corridor through the past, one gets a feeling of what it must have been like to live during those times when the nation was at war.

A couple of strikingly large commissioned art pieces add to the feeling of those times. Below is one of them.



The building was christened The Robert G. Morin, Sr. Facility. The building has a library and gift shop, along with a convention center and a 72 seat theatre. Tours are offered as well as group overnight visits. This is quite a community resource.

The event Saturday started with tours of the submarine USS Silversides, and the Coast Guard Cutter the USS Mclane. These boats were the actual boats that fought and served in WWII. They are both moored alongside the South side of the Muskegon Channel. I arrived as they were serving hotdogs and stuff. The line was long and friendly as were the tables spread around.





The “Opening Crermony” took place on the deck of the USS Silversides our own WWII submarine. Chairs and bleachers held the crowd. Lots of the major players responsible for the Museum were on hand, I cannot list them only to say that there were many. A check of the linked site above lists on the side bar the most influential ones.

Local Dignitaries were on hand and included State Senator Jerry Van Woerkom who introduced Congressman Pete Hoekstra. In the backdrop of the podium was the channel and boats sailing past.





As Congressman Hoekstra took the podium and began his speech, it dawned on me he was speaking without notes and not a teleprompter was in sight. Of the times I’ve heard him talk this seemed the most animated. When he referenced this as an example of voluntary community service free of government entanglements he was on a roll. As he talked of how the building and even the ships were but only symbols of the respect the community had for the people that served on them and helped keep our country free; Pete was talking from the heart; freely and without aid.

As I was sitting and listening I happened to be sitting next to an original crew member of the USS Silversides, we started talking. His name was Gordon L. Hiatt who later told me a fascinating story about his time on board the Silversides. He and his wife are pictured below.



Mr. Hiatt told me of how a Japanese submarine surrendered to the Silversides and that a crew from the Silversides had to pilot the Japanese ship into port on Armistice Day. A Japanese crew was not allowed for obvious reasons. He said he was one of three left that crewed the Japanese boat. Mr. Hiatt also said that this particular sub had two airplane launchers (catapults) fore and aft with a compliment of three planes. He claimed that this boat was going to bomb the Panama Canal. I was glad I met this man.

As the ceremony ended people were mingling exchanging stories and friendships. Below is a picture of the crowd and Pete talking to different people; among them Jim Riley fellow Muskegon blogger and also John and Susie Hughes who played a crucial role in making this all possible. Hughes builders cut costs to make this a financial possibility. Susie too is Vice Chair of the Muskegon County Republican Party.






As things were ending I got this picture of Pete giving his thanks and respect to Robert G. Morin after whom the facility was named and who I’m told was a prime mover.



Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative.