The Democratic gubernatorial race in Michigan right now is a bit of a clown show. The front runner, Lt. Governor John Cherry has left the race. A former state Treasurer got in and out in less than a week. Even George Perles, former Mich.State Univ. football coach has been suggested as a candidate. Right now the mayor of Lansing Virg Bernero, two state Reps, Alma Wheeler-Smith and Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, and Genesee County treasurer Dan Kildee are all in.
The GOP is putting up a number of candidates in including Pete Hoekstra, Rick Snyder and AG Mike Cox.
But now comes Tea Partier Stacey Mathia. Will she be a spoiler for the Republicans?
Wow. I haven't been following this story that closely, but I know plenty of folks are, and it's just getting uglier and uglier for the GOP:
News from The Michigan Democratic Party
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 14, 2009
Contact: John Tramontana - 517-371-5410
Snyder Campaign: Part of a Cover-Up?
CMU Blogger Says Campaign Wrote Apology Letter for Her
LANSING - CMU Republican blogger Vanessa Oblinger now says she never wrote an apology letter to the Snyder for Governor Campaign, rather someone from the Snyder campaign wrote it for her.
The so-called "apology letter" tries to clear the Snyder campaign of any wrong-doing and accuses Attorney General Mike Cox and Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard of throwing parties where alcohol was served to minors.
But in an interview with Central Michigan Life, Oblinger says she never wrote the apology letter to begin with, but someone from the Snyder campaign actually wrote it for her:
It was prepared by someone else. I didn't really read it over...it was while I was distracted.
"Rick Snyder is so desperate to avoid responsibility that his campaign wrote an apology to deflect blame from himself and his campaign," Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer said. "This is why we need a thorough investigation of the events on the Island. The Republicans can't seem to get their stories straight and the candidates are all pointing their fingers at each other. We need to get to the bottom of this and find out which candidates broke the law by serving alcohol to minors on the Island."
In an article in the Grand Rapids Press covering Attorney General Mike Cox's (unsurprising) announcement that he's now entered Michigan's gubernatorial race, the barrister made the following declaration:
"When you reduce tax rates, revenue going into government actually increases."
(Can't say enough about Mike Cox. Let's give him the spotlight he so deserves... - promoted by wizardkitten)
Michigan's persistent GOP is continuing its strident calls for more tax cuts (even in the face of their total fall from power nationally, and the complete collapse of the economic model they've campaigned for over the past three decades). Even I must admit that it takes moxie to be that wrong and stay the course.
It just keeps getting more unbelievable, now Attorney General Mike Cox now only refuses to comprehend that he's taking money away from the victims of mortgage fraud to whom the Countrywide Financial settlement money was supposed to go
"I'm not going to apologize."
But now Cox is throwing a temper-tantrum by threatening to take the money entirely away from the fourth largest county in the state if they don't kow-tow to his kickback distribution from his own personal slush fund:
"Maybe we'll take the $250,000 and give it to another city."
I never expected that people would complain in essence that we're spending too much money in Grand Rapids," said Cox, who last year won a $130 million settlement from the mortgage firm blamed for much of the state's foreclosure crisis.
It's clear Cox doesn't get what's going on here in West Michigan:
"I never expected that people would complain in essence that we're spending too much money in Grand Rapids. We didn't anticipate that people would be so short-sighted."
No, no, no Mike. What we want is the money to be spent in Kent County in a responsible way, not for parks that are already built (Millennium Park) or to pay to fix a park (Crescent Park) that is currently being used as a construction site for the Van Andel Institute's construction project (so, if this money was going to be used to fix a park that the Van Andel Institute and its construction company destroyed and are contractually obligated to fix, then this is a kickback to the Van Andels on the recommendation of Peter Secchia and the unelected fatcats at Grand Action).
And, while Cox claims it is "ludicrous" to suggest the settlement money is tied to his political ambitions, it isn't a stretch to conclude that Cox is trying to buy political support in West Michigan from Secchia and the folks at Grand Action -- including its co-chair Dick DeVos and members Carol and Steve Van Andel.
Of course, the Attorney General of the State of Michigan refuses to actually come to Kent County and talk to someone other than Peter Secchia. Far be it from Cox to actually talk with his constituents (maybe we need to make donations first?). A Cox spokesperson told The Grand Rapids Press that Cox won't be attending Monday's town hall meeting on the distribution of the mortgage fraud settlement money. Indeed, he isn't even bothering to send a representative. Again, Cox doesn't get democracy and transparency. West Michigan and the entire state can learn a great deal about the would-be governor Cox from his actions these past few days.
The Cox-Secchia Slush Fund Scandal story hits the capitol: State Senator Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) questions why Michigan's Attorney General Mike Cox directed bank fraud settlement funds in Grand Rapids toward parks, instead of consumers suffering from foreclosures.
My full transcript:
Fact of fiction? First, big mortgage corporation takes advantage of the little guy. Then, big corporation refuses to work with little guy and forecloses. Then, Attorney General [Cox], purportedly on behalf of the little guy, joins a lawsuit against big corporation. Then, the little guy wins, only to have their Attorney General treat a portion of the settlement as his own personal political slush fund. Then, the Attorney General gives half a million dollars for a park not currently being used by the public at the advice of a big GOP player. Unbelievably, this appears to be fact.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love the parks, but I can't help but conclude that at $1,800 per victim that that half million dollars should have helped another 278 consumers, rather than pad the AG's campaign for higher office.
Solution: maybe Attorney General settlements should automatically go to the general fund. If not that, then a grant type process should be implemented to guard against political kickbacks with settlement funds earned on behalf of our consumers. Maybe the Attorney General can send a quarterly accounting of all settlement moneys to the General Government Budget Committees in the House and the Senate. And, if money is distributed to parks, for example, the Attorney General should send a report on the selection process and a protocol used in determining which parks receive that money.
I think the facts I listed at the onset of my statement demonstrate conduct that is unbecoming of an Attorney General, especially on that likes to talk of transparency.
The questions are now:
* Where is Kent County Republicans stand? Where are Senators Bill Hardiman and Mark C. Jansen and Representatives Kevin Green, Dave Hildenbrand, Tom Pearce, and Justin Amash on this issue? Do Kent County Republicans support backroom dealings and Mike Cox's secret slush funds or will the renounce Cox's ill-conceived plan to misallocate funds that were supposed to go to support Kent County families hurt by the foreclosure crisis?
* Will Cox admit his mistake and ask the Kent County Commission to submit another application?
* Will Kent County Commission Chair Roger Morgan support the push to reject this "gift" and support a more prudent, reasoned and non-partisan use of the settlement money so that it actually does "help fight the devastating effects of the home foreclosure crisis"?
Kent County Commissioner Brandon Dillon Questions Attorney General Mike Cox's Funding of Parks with Funds Intended for Foreclosure Relief, or Secchia and Cox want Foreclosed Families to Live Homeless in Parks
Kent County Commissioner Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids) wants to know why $500,000 in funds intended to help the foreclosure crisis in Kent County were awarded to develop two area parks; Crescent Park and Millennium Park. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox was in Grand Rapids today and awarded a total of $750,000 in funds derived from a recent $9.9 million settlement between Countrywide Mortgage and the State of Michigan. The City of Grand Rapids received $250,000, while the remaining $500,000 was given to the Grand Action Committee and Kent County for the two parks.
Dillon said:
"The money from this settlement should be used for the purposes of helping people stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure. I can't understand how anyone thinks this is an appropriate use of this money at this time."
According to a press release from the Attorney General dated 17 March 2009 the funds are to be "disbursed to victims of deceptive mortgage loans, local governments and charities in an effort to help fight the devastating effects of the home foreclosure crisis."
So, wanna-be governor Cox, how does funding parks help alleviate the effects of the foreclosure crisis? Does Cox expect families thrown out of their homes to live in the parks?
Dillon concluded:
"We need to get some answers from the County as well as the Attorney General's office on why money is being spent on parks instead of helping victims of Countrywide's fraud. Somebody needs to come up with a good answer, because so far I haven't heard one."
Update 5:20 pm:
However, Dillon may have his answer in today's Grand Rapids Press. It appears that Cox, instead of going through the elected leadership in Kent County and Grand Rapids, called up Peter Secchia (who gave $10,000 to the Michigan Republican Party in 2007 alone) and probably said something like this:
Hey, Ambassador, I've got $500,000 for Grand Rapids. Where do you want it?
To which Secchia said something like
Why not give it to two parks dear to me and the VanAndel family (who, by the way gave almost half a million dollars to Michigan Republicans in 2004 alone!).
And here's the kicker, Secchia actually claims he did want it to go to parks so that the homeless could live there! Unbelievably, he told The Press:
"I know the park is filled with urban people and people who have no place to go on a hot summer day,"
Maybe the Cox and the Republicans didn't take a look at the election results in Kent County and Grand Rapids in 2008, but they didn't win and Peter Secchia wasn't elected to anything. I mean, I appreciate the philanthropy that the area has received from Devoses, VanAndels, Secchia, Weges, etc, but that doesn't give anyone the right to circumvent democracy! This is the worst kind of insider, backroom, anti-democratic politics that West Michigan doesn't need anymore. Sunshine! Glasnost! The Kent County Commission needs to overrule the administration that did Secchia's bidding on this and somehow steer these funds to worthy projects. Such as the organizations that Grand Rapids City funded with their 1/3 of the funds: Home Repair Services, the Inner City Christian Federation, the Grand Rapids Urban League -- all of which have housing counselors approved by the U.S. department of Housing and Urban Development -- and the Foreclosure Response Team, a consortium of nonprofits, lenders and municipalities joining forces to fight foreclosures.
Crescent Park (probably soon to be renamed Jay VanAndel Park) is a downtown pocket park near the VanAndel Institute. Another $250,000 was awarded for work at Millennium Park just west of Grand Rapids and impossible to reach by anything but a car. These are worthy projects, but not for the purpose of this settlement.
Update 7:30 pm
Apparently, the media asked Cox how the money for the parks would help people in foreclosure?
Cox answered that his office was told (apparently, by unelected Peter Secchia) that throwing money at parks would help the home values near the parks. Hmmm, has Cox been to Millennium Park? It's not near many homes at all. Has the wanna-be guv been to Crescent Park? It's in a largely non-residential area of downtown Grand Rapids. What this helps is Secchia's ego and developers' profits. It doesn't help the needy people of Grand Rapids and Kent County who are the victims of the Bushenomics pushed by Secchia and Cox.
Detroit has become consumed by the Kilpatrick problem. Just released after a one-night stay in jail for not telling the Court about a trip to Ontario, Mayor Kilpatrick has now been charged with two felony cases for assaulting a detective trying to issue a subpoena to Kilpatrick's friend. So is it time for him to give up or keep on fighting?
While Kilpatrick might have done some good for Detroit by initiating several renovation plans in the city and by cutting costs, it is time for him to resign. He has cost our state and city a ridiculous amount of time, effort and legal expenses by refusing to hand his job over to someone else. He has coopted the city's goals for his own personal benefit, to clear his own name.
Even if by some farfetched chance that he's innocent, there is no way he can deal with Detroit's issues (which number so many) and a crucial trial with so much media coverage at the same time. But he still hangs on, squandering so much of Detroit's potential to recover by not giving it an able mayor to focus his/her attention on city issues.
Some also argue that it's not Kwame that's the problem that brings down Detroit, but it's long-lasting racial antagonisms. Kwame is just a symptom. Look here for such an opinion:
http://michypa.com/2008/08/12/...
This secret correspondence was recently uncovered by BFM's top-notch investigative blogger (That's me!) In the interests of sunshine and transparency, we present it here for you.
Dear Mr. Attorney General Mike Cox,
I am writing to ask for your endorsement for the position of Attorney General, which I expect to pursue in 2010. As you can see from my interview with this blogthat I censored, I believe I am well qualified.
As you know, the position of Attorney General is all about dispensing justice, and for the past two years I have been tirelessly punishing Michigan residents for the crime of electing Granholm. (HATE HER) I spent all of 2007 obstructing the budget process to the point of a government shutdown, even though we had an agreement as early as May. I have also encouraged unscrupulous drug manufacturers and drunk or otherwise reckless drivers to wreak havoc on Michigan voters, by obstructing legislation that would protect so-called "victims." I have never allowed any action on legislation that would stop Canadians from dumping their refuse in our residents' back yards, and I watered down the RPS to the point that it's nearly worthless. Even Michigan's natural resources cannot escape Mike Bishop!
For more of what I have not done, please visit this site and select any Senate Committee. There you can see evidence of my commitment to dispensing justice to Michigan's voters.
I hope you will agree that I am the best man for your job.
The Washington Post mentioned Bush's visit to Michigan yesterday and quoted Mike Cox:
The only mention of Obama during the entire event came from Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, who attempted a joke in which he argued that media outlets had portrayed the presumptive Democratic nominee as Jesus Christ.
"Apparently Barack Obama was born in a manger," Cox said. "...Whether there was any room at the inn, I don't know."
As a Christian, I'm offended that Mike Cox used the name of Jesus Christ to mock Obama. On the other hand, I'm not surprised. Cox (like many other Republicans) only uses religion as a tool to get votes.
Think of it Mike! Thousands of legally married gay people from California are going to come to Michigan! Whatever will you do? Bet that makes Mike break out in a cold sweat, maybe for more reasons than we know...
California's highest court has refused to stay until after the November election its decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.
Conservative religious and legal groups had asked the California Supreme Court to stop its order from becoming effective until voters have the chance to weigh in on the issue.
Unfortunately, a ballot measure to ban equal marriage rights will be up for a vote in the state this November. This gives California gays about a four month window to get married, and then they might be overturned - which would create all kinds of fun legal ramifications. Meanwhile, the California economy will get a boost from the economic activity - estimates from a UCLA study predicted $370 million over the next three years, if allowed to stand.
Better hurry and spend that money, and then come say "hi" to Mike. He's looking forward to meeting you.
Not content to take away health insurance and other benefits from the children and families in Michigan, Mike Cox decides that he needs to meddle in other state's affairs and send the message to prospective businesses and people all across the nation that Michigan is intolerant and will fight against equal rights for anyone who decides to move or invest here.
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has joined with the attorneys general of nine other states to urge the California Supreme Court to hold off its ruling on whether same-sex marriages in the state should be legalized.
The attorneys general representing Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah, along with Cox, have filed a brief asking the court to delay its ruling because they need to determine if their states would have to legally recognize the marriages of gay couples married in California.
"Each state makes and unmakes its own marriage and domestic relations laws as it sees fits," read a legal brief signed by Cox on Wednesday.
"What our proposed brief does, and all it does, is bring to this Court's attention some genuine concerns regarding the administration of justice in California's sister states."
Mike Cox. Bad for families. Bad for business. At a time when we should be fighting for every dime we can bring into Michigan, Cox lets everyone know that certain people are not welcome here. Someone please keep him away from the advertising department, OK?
In a day and age where the Bible is used for almost anything, even where it does not apply, it seems like we are forgetting what Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-2, about not judging. I understand that some people are going nuts about Kwame Kilpatrick, and I do believe there is a underlining story here, however with all the sex talk the media is in a frenzy over, the real issue is ignored. The real issue is tax payer money, not SEX.
The other night I was watching Fox 2 Detroit, and Huel Perkins was going off on another one of his rants about Kwame Kilpatrick, like most in the Detroit Media, he is more focused on sex than the real issue. He was comparing Kwame to the New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, who resigned yesterday. However I don't see the two as the same, I believe a affair is different from wanting unprotected sex with a prostitute, however is this really any of our business?
He also argued that the RPS should not be sold as an economic development tool. Though a number of renewable energy companies have argued to legislative committees that they are looking to invest in states with an RPS, Mr. Cox questioned why the 24 states that have already implemented an RPS have not seen more investment.
"We're loading it up with Christmas lights to say it's something other than it is," he said. "I hope they come here but we shouldn't tell the public all these companies are going to come here because we do an RPS."
First of all, let's start with the dude from GE who told our Senate that "more than $9 billion was invested last year in wind-energy facilities in the United States. Of that total, 96% went to states with renewable standards". Maybe that total wasn't big enough for Mike. Maybe Mike just likes to ignore ALL the experts so he can continue on with his extreme right-wing-anything-to-defy-the-governor-and-the-Democrats appearance so the Michigan Republican Party leadership will pat him on the head like the good dog that he is. Who knows. It's really hard to understand how the guy can be so incredibly oblivious to the overwhelming evidence out there.
Today's paper gave yet another example of industry experts begging and pleading with manufacturers to make this stuff, right now!, because they have so many back orders. First, the need for the RPS...
From solar film to wind turbines, Michigan-based makers of renewable energy products came to Grand Valley State University's first summit for the budding industry. One clear message was their growing need for suppliers who could turn out a variety of parts similar to things they already make.
The other call was unanimous, for approval of a statewide Renewable Portfolio Standard, or RPS, now being debated in Lansing. It would set a 2015 deadline for the state to get 10 percent of its power from renewable or alternative sources.
If Michigan fails to adopt the standard, the alternative energy industry will go to greener states, warned participants of GVSU's Alternative and Renewable Energy Summit, a half-day event on the university's downtown Pew Campus.
Uncertainty chills the enthusiasm for bringing production to Michigan, Fred Keller, president of Cascade Engineering, told the crowd. Alternative energy production is forecast to grow at 30 percent a year, but if federal tax incentives lapse or a long-range Michigan standard doesn't make it, the rapidly growing sector could go elsewhere.
... and what the industry needs built, plus a reaction from House Democrats, over the flip...
So ... what does the availability of two high profile GOPers get Michigan?
Lots of attention from Presidential hopefuls, I'll bet. Hopefuls who will be here talking about Michigan concerns like jobs and education and housing and health care. Oh they'll lying, of course, but they'll be doing their lying in Michigan.
Meanwhile most Democratic candidates have pledged not to campaign here, and a whole bunch of grass-roots Dems are yip-yapping about this or that ... either they're mad at DNC or they're mad at the Gov or they're just plain mad because being unproductively discontent is what they do best.
I can't wait to see how this plays out. I'm just so proud of my team's ability to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.
Besides Cox, McCain had collected some big-name support among Michigan Republicans earlier this year. He still has the backing of the state's Republican National Committee members, Chuck Yob and Holly Hughes. Yob's son, John, manages McCain's statewide campaign.
Smietanka said Cox's defection could be the result of personal issues with others on the statewide campaign, and not entirely with McCain.
Attorney General Mike Cox held a news conference today calling Governor Granholm's program for the reduction of prison sentences "seriously flawed", pointing out that while he has admitted to committing a felony, no one has bothered to arrest him.
"Hey, I'm still walking the streets", Cox proclaimed to startled reporters, "How can we begin to think about lowering prison time for slug manufacturers when dangerous people such as myself are still roaming free?"
The proposals include eliminating 25 felonies, including adultery, teaching polygamy, dueling, failure to report treason, manufacturing slugs for vending machines, which never works anyway, and divorced people living together, which never works anyway.
"I've been in a duel, too", Cox said, against the advice of his lawyer. "And no one stopped me there, either."
Cox produced a pair of handcuffs and immediately shackled his own wrists, telling the gathered crowd that he would "lead by example". He then walked himself out to a waiting police cruiser.
At his arraignment, Cox asked for bail to be set high. "I'm an admitted felon, I should be held in jail to await trial", the Attorney General told the judge. The judge released Cox on his own recognizance despite the plea, citing a lack of available jail space.
Lawyers for Mr. Cox had no comment.
In a related story, Hell froze over last Wednesday when the Detroit News ran an editorial that agreed with Governor's reduced sentencing plan. Lawyers for Nolan Finley, also, had no comment, but told reporters that he was seeking treatment.
