Blog

A new year, new legislative session, new legislators, and new Committee Chairs and assignments! So we are going to focus on those issues that are on the fast tract,items named by Gov Snyder in his 2013 State of the State address. (pg-33-40)

Because we recognize that most people’s time is limited and that contacting your Representative is important and DOES make a difference we have a few tips to accomplish ALL of these Action Items in 10 minutes or less!

• Take advantage of contact information and subject information in this Newsletter.
• E-mails to Reps and Committee Chairs on a single issue can be combined into one e-mail.
• Multiple issues can be combined when mailing your Rep
• E-mails can be as simple as “I oppose_____ or I support_____”
• E-mails should include at the minimum your name, city, zip code for authenticity
• E-mails can be send anytime, i.e night time, weekends
• Check our web site, Jase Boler, Speaker of the House formerly http://grassrootsmichigan.com/ for additional activists’ tools and information

1. Health Care (ObamaCare) Exchange Appropriations  WE OPPOSE

The governor still wants it. And the Federal government has once again offered the proverbial 30 pieces of silver to persuade an increasing number of states refusing to set up an Exchange to do so. The Feds have offered 30.7 million pieces of silver to be exact to Michigan to help set up the state-Federal exchange. As we have noted, there is some doubt that a state –Federal Exchange is even legal under Affordable Care Act (ACA) commonly know as “ObamaCare” as this entity is not mentioned in the law. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has the authority to promulgate rules, not create whole new entities. I have spoken with our Attorney General Bill Schuette about researching this element.

** ACTION ITEM **

Inform your Rep…I do not want the 30.7 million Federal grant for the Health Care Exchange to be appropriated for a state –Federal Exchange. We do not want any Health Care Exchange to be set up in Michigan or any monies to be appropriated for such purpose.

E-mail/Call your House Rep click HERE for contact information

E-mail/Call the newly appointed House Appropriation Chair, Rep. Joseph Haveman

Phone: (517) 373-0830
Toll Free: (866) 908-4347
Email:JosephHaveman@house.mi.gov

2. Medicaid Expansion WE OPPOSE

A bill, Senate Bill 0041 has been introduced to stop the expansion of Medicaid in Michigan  WE SUPPORT THIS BILL

Medicaid is a federal entitlement program created under Democrat President Lydon Johnson’s “Great Society” a major implementation of Liberal polices (Progressivism) in the United States.

States provide up to half of the funding for the Medicaid program and Medicaid is VOLUNTARY for the states.

In Michigan,according to the governor’s budget (formerly/http://grassrootsmichigan.com/?page_id=2535), Medicaid is 85% of the HHS budget! According to Economics 21 organization, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to economic research, in a three part article, “Next Four Years of Fiscal Conservatism: What Must Be Done to Sustain the Nation” James Capretta writes about the urgent need for health and entitlement reforms:

“At the heart of the nation’s fiscal challenges are the rising costs of the major health care entitlement programs — Medicare, Medicaid, and the new subsidies provided by the 2010 health care law. In 1972, total federal spending on Medicare and Medicaid was just 1.1 percent of GDP. By 2010, the costs of these programs had risen to 5.5 percent of GDP, and CBO projections from last year show the costs rising to 9.1 percent in 2030 when the new entitlement spending from Obamacare is also added in and when plausible assumptions about on-going enforcement of arbitrary cost-cutting measures are used.”

According to the Kaiser Health Foundation Medicaid and CHIP stats

• Michigan has 20% of her total population enrolled in Medicaid (2009)
• Michigan’s Medicaid spending from 1990 -2010 has increased 8% ranking her as 23rd in the nation for Medicaid spending. In contrast our Midwestern neighbors Indiana has increased 5% and Illinois 6.6%
• The state of Michigan spend $3,153,326,988 (2010) compared to $1,454,600,107 in Indiana and was the 9th highest in the country
• Michigan took NO pro-active containment actions for eligibility requirements BEFORE Affordable Care Act (ACA) regulations became law (Maintenance of eligibility requirements enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibit states from imposing eligibility and enrollment standards for Medicaid and CHIP that are more restrictive than those that were in place at the time the ACA was passed (March 23, 2010)
• Michigan has taken NO Medicaid Cost Containment Actions in 2012 or 2013 in areas where they could, such as LTC: Cost containment initiatives for long term care services. In Pharmacy Cost Containment Actions, Michigan has only implemented three of seven possible containment’s
• Illinois plans to cut some provider rates (including inpatient hospitals and nursing homes) on average by 2.7 percent for fiscal year 2013 as part of its Medicaid reform plan which (including all components of the plan) is designed to save $1.6 billion. Physicians and dentists are exempted from these cuts as are safety net hospitals

In conclusion not only should Michigan taxpayers oppose the expansion of Medicaid we need to demand reforms in every area with the eventual goal of opting out of this Federal entitlement voluntary program!

** ACTION ITEM **

I support Senate Bill 0041 (SB41) that opposes the expansion of Medicaid in Michigan. Furthermore,We need to reform the current Medicaid program in Michigan via cost containment actions to reduce the tax burden of Michigan taxpayers.

E-mail your Senator, Contact Info HERE

** ACTION ITEM **

Since the bill (SB41) has been referred to the Senate Appropriation Committee

Please e-mail the Chair informing him that you support the bill SB 41

Senate Appropriation Chair: Sen. Roger Kahn

517) 373-1760
Toll Free:1-866-305-2132
E-mail: senrkahn@senate.michigan.gov

3. No Reason Absentee voting  WE OPPOSE

Gov. Snyder and Secretary of State Ruth Johnson want it (along with practically every Liberal) and in fact one of the most Liberal Democrats, Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) has introduced a bill (HB 4058) similar to what Governor Rick Snyder proposed.
Absentee voting is one of the largest sources of voter fraud and introducing no reason absentee voting will only add to that problem.

“The more people you force to vote by mail,” Mr. Sancho said, “the more invalid ballots you will generate.”Error and Fraud at Issue as Absentee Voting Rises

“There are almost no meaningful safeguards against fraud in early voting. Voters can be intimidated by unions into voting early for Democratic candidates. Early voting even decreases overall voter turnout because it reduces public respect for Election Day. The more early voting that is allowed, the more liberal is the outcome.” Phyllis Schlafly Early Voting Is a Bad Idea

“…But a lot of people thought they had avoided problems at the polls by voting by mail, which is also known as voting absentee. However,  The Miami Herald’s Marc Caputo this weekend shows that absentee voters also walked into a whole other set of problems.” Why Voting Absentee Was A Bad Idea This Year

However, it’s not just fraud but the trend towards “convenience”. That is just another component in the continuation of the “lazy unappreciative voter” syndrome.

How “convenient” was it for Revolutionary soldiers who fought and died for the right to vote? Or the WW1 or WW2 soldier who did the same to preserve it? Standing in line for a hour or even two every few years is not only traditional but is a privilege paid for by the blood of patriots!

Instead of contributing to the “lazy, unappreciative voter” syndrome how about promoting actions that contribute to an educated electorate?
We could start by eliminating straight Party voting in Michigan. Lets be honest, many straight Party voters don’t have a clue about the unintended consequences of the tickle down effect to other election outcomes.

Of course we like the trickle down effect when it benefits our side, but what about when it doesn’t? What about a voter actually having to educate him or herself about candidates or ballot issues or just not vote for whom and what is not known?

What say you?

As for on line voter registration (using electronic signatures) a reality check to the thinking that some things are secure online is in order. There is no such thing as 100% foolproof on line security and hackers prove it all the time!

What is next registering and voting on Twitter?

How about Facebook?

“Facebook just isn’t about browsing photos of friends. A new initiative in Washington state actually might have a higher purpose: Allowing citizens to register to vote.” Washington state becomes first to offer voter registration via Facebook

“Last week, the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics opened a new Internet-based voting system for a weeklong test period, inviting computer experts from all corners to prod its vulnerabilities in the spirit of “give it your best shot.” Well, the hackers gave it their best shot — and midday Friday, the trial period was suspended, with the board citing “usability issues brought to our attention.”Hacker infiltration ends D.C. online voting trial” Hacker infiltration ends D.C. online voting trial

“Why assume that election systems can be manipulated? And since paper ballots are not immune to questionable or downright fraudulent counts, why call out the electronic version in particular? In part, he says, because the structure of an electronic voting system is inherently complex, and because it’s difficult if not impossible to roll back results if a compromise is suspected. Unlike paper ballots (and in the absence of a paper audit trail backing an electronic voting system), online vote gathering offers no good way to re-count. Jefferson laid out four major and overlapping areas of likely attacks on internet voting systems, any one of which could taint the results of an election. “In Theory And Practice, Why Internet-Based Voting Is a Bad Idea

“The websites of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the U.S. Department of Justice were knocked offline Sunday evening by hackers paying tribute to Aaron Swartz, the Internet pioneer and activist” Hackers disable MIT, Justice Department websites in tribute to Aaron Swartz

“Hackers behind the long-running espionage campaign dubbed Red October were also using an old Java exploit to capture targets from government agencies and embassies.”Red October hackers also used Java exploit for spy campaign
“Blake Bailey,chief financial officer for Zaxby’s, told CRN that the malware was found on computer hard drives, and not on the point-of-sale systems of restaurants…”Hackers raid systems at 100 fast-food restaurants

** ACTION ITEM **

I oppose no absentee voting and online voter registration
E-mail/Call your Rep

E-mail/Call Gov. Snyder
PHONE: (517) 335-7858 – Constituent Services
FAX:(517) 335-6863
Contact information for Gov Snyder Executive Staff may be found Jase Boler, Speaker of the House formerly http://grassrootsmichigan.com/

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson
Office Phone: 248.625.0589
E-mail:RJ4MI@comcast.net

2ND AMENDMENT

The assault on our 2nd Amendment rights has reached a fever pitch and we must be pro-active to protect it!

As Reported by “Core Principles” formerly/http://coreprinciplesblog.com/michigan-firearms-freedom-act-should-be-approved-without-delay/
“The Senate Judiciary Committee passed three bills out last week. SB 49, SB 60 and SB63 all made it to the Senate floor. Only SB 60, a technical clean-up bill made it out of the Senate so far. The most important, and most controversial bill of the three, Phil Pavlov’s SB 63, known as the “Michigan Firearms Freedom Act” (FFA), is being held up on the claim that it may violate the Interstate Commerce Act formerly . This is the act that liberal lawmakers and liberal courts use for just about everything to hold up states’ powers.”

** ACTION ITEM  **

E-mail/Call your state senator

Ask him/her to support SB 63, known as the “Michigan Firearms Freedom Act” (FFA)

Ask the Senate Majority Leader Senator Randy Richardville to move the bill for a vote.
(517) 373-3543
E-mail: SenRichardville@senate.michigan.gov

2ND AMENDMENT EVENT

Michigan Second Amendment March (on Facebook)

Jointly promoted and funded by the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, Michigan Open Carry, Michigan Gun Owners and Michigan Students for Concealed Carry.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Our state Capitol

We anticipate several thousand gun owners will be at the march. The march will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a sidewalk procession from the corner of Michigan and Pennsylvania to the Capitol. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., people will meet with their state representatives. Musical entertainment and pro-gun speakers will take the stage from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. From 1 p.m. until 2 p.m., people will meet with their state senators. The Michigan Legislature is in session that day.

Part 2 Coming Up …..Transportation and NO New taxes and Blue Cross/Blue Care Deal and Abortion.