Long Live Hip-Hop

America's first Hip-Hop Mayor has certainly lived up to the title in his six years in office. I'm not going to list the countless escapades of collusion, nepotism, murder, corruption, sex and infidelity associated with Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration, but just express my disgust toward the man and the people who knew they were electing a thug in the first place. Yesterday he was charged with eight felony counts including perjury under oath, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, etc., etc. Here's his mug shot.

The woman is Christine Beatty, hip-hop mayor's...um...actually, I won't use the hip-hop terminology. But the word landed Don Imus in hot water.

And what does our lovely liberal governor have to say about the whole situation? Nothing, of course.

Let the Recall Begin

Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm's disastrous solution to the states abysmal budget deficit is to raise taxes to cover most of the shortfall. Consequently, businesses are set to exit the state for a more tax-friendly environment. We can look forward to a deeper state recession as a result. Unsurprisingly, there is now a movement to recall some key legislators and the governor herself.

Enter the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance, which will initiate recall proceedings in the wake of the malfeasance. The site's blog addresses the reasons behind the budget disaster:

When I served in Lansing, I frequently asked colleagues if they thought reforms, like eliminating the state's prevailing wage laws or becoming a right-to-work state, would help Michigan. Nearly every Republican and a few Democrats told me that they knew such reforms would help the economy, but they could not vote for them because the unions would harshly punish them in an election. Privately, legislators support education reform BUT fear the teacher union would punish them. Shrinking government spending is also supported BUT government employees would target legislators caught enacting such cuts.

Oh, thank goodness for unions!

Recalling the governor appears to be a longshot, but she's the most public face behind the fiasco, and so her name will likely appear at the top of any petition.

I just wonder what morons voted her into office in the first place. Oh, right. Union members.

Michigan's New Budget Deal

Here's my 1,000-word take on Michigan's new budget, which includes both a service tax hike and an income tax hike.



Republicans didn't have the fortitude to force a government shutdown and demand more cuts. Democrats couldn't bear to abandon their pandering to entrenched economic parasites. Way to go, Michigan. At least Louisiana had a hurricane to blame. You have only your own stupidity.

Michigan Governor Granholm Disgusts Me

Michigan must raise taxes – by a LOT – or "people will die." That's the message from our ineffectual, gutless leader in Lansing. She's referring to proposed cuts to Medicaid to help balance a bloated state budget with a $700 million shortfall. It's the basest, most incendiary rhetoric in the book--and she uses it with abandon in every declaration du jour.

"Cut welfare spending, and PEOPLE WILL GO HUNGRY AND DIE."

"Cut education spending, and PEOPLE WILL BE DUMB AND DIE."

"Cut highway spending, and PEOPLE WILL HAVE ACCIDENTS AND DIE."

"Cut any form of spending whatsoever, and PEOPLE WILL DIE."

Or some variation on that theme.

So yes, let's not cut spending. Let's raise taxes. Provide incentive for people and businesses to leave the state. Shrink the economy, thereby reducing state revenue. And instigate new tax hikes to cover the shortfall.

And guess what. When that happens, PEOPLE WILL STILL DIE.

I'm disgusted.