Friday, January 11, 2013

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Commentary: It's Time to Repeal Prevailing Wage Law

Commentary: It's Time to Repeal Prevailing Wage Law [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
This "prevailing" wage is actually a premium wage that applies only to about a fifth of Michigan's construction workforce, according to the Union Membership and Coverage Database.
We conservatively estimate that the prevailing wage law adds $200 million annually to the cost of government construction projects in Michigan.

Bay City Repeals Prevailing Wage Ordinance

Bay City Repeals Prevailing Wage Ordinance [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
Late last night on a 5-4 vote, Bay City commissioners chose to repeal that city’s prevailing wage ordinance, something no city in Michigan may have ever done, to our knowledge.
A prevailing wage law mandates union scale wages on government funded construction projects, regardless of who wins the bid.

Davison woman wins national Sallie Mae sweepstakes to pay off student loans

Davison woman wins national Sallie Mae sweepstakes to pay off student loans | MLive.com
This was the first time Sallie Mae has done a sweepstakes to reward customers for paying loans on time.
The sweepstakes, which more than 7,000 people entered, was created to reward customers who have been making continued payments and are in good standing, with a six-month history of making on-time payments.
"We launched the contest to celebrate customers who make on time student loan payments," Sallie Mae spokesperson Nikki Lavoie said. "We really wanted to bring attention to our millions of customers who make on-time student loan payments."

Michigan a Cigarette Smuggling Haven

Michigan a Cigarette Smuggling Haven [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"According to the Mackinac Center’s latest estimate of cigarette smuggling rates, Michigan is No. 10 nationally in the proportion of cigarettes being smoked here that are illegally smuggled in. "

State Champs: See how your local district ranks

State Champs: See how your local district ranks | Bridge Michigan

Bloomberg Slaps Down Criticism of Painkiller Restriction Plan

Bloomberg Slaps Down Criticism of Painkiller Restriction Plan | Politicker: "Yesterday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city officials unveiled a new initiative to limit supplies of prescription painkillers in the city’s emergency rooms as a way to combat what they described as a growing addiction problem in the region. "

Obama Signs Bill Giving Him Armed Protection For Life

» Obama Signs Bill Giving Him Armed Protection For Life Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
"The irony of Obama seeking to surround himself with armed men for the rest of his life while simultaneously working to disarm the American people via a gun control agenda that is likely to be enforced via executive decree represents the height of hypocrisy.
But it’s not the first time that Obama has lauded the notion of responsible Americans using firearms to protect himself and his family while concurrently eviscerating that very same right for the American people.
During an ABC Nightline interview broadcast on December 26 yet recorded before the Sandy Hook shooting, Obama said one of the benefits of his re-election was the ability “to have men with guns around at all times,” in order to protect his daughters."

Muskegon city planners unwilling to close Pine Street for new county jail; ask for meetings to resolve dispute

Muskegon city planners unwilling to close Pine Street for new county jail; ask for meetings to resolve dispute | MLive.com#incart_river
Planning commissioners Thursday afternoon unanimously voted to table a county request of the city to close off Pine Street from Myrtle Avenue to Walton Avenue.
The street closure would allow the county to build a jail extension on to the current facility stretching across Pine Street and into an adjacent county parking lot, county officials said.
The county’s jail consultant said the street closure would allow for the cheapest construction alternative and provide the safest and most efficient operation of the new jail.

Muskegon County courthouse $3 million renovation of first, second floors nearly done

Muskegon County courthouse $3 million renovation of first, second floors nearly done | MLive.com
More than three years and roughly $3 million later, a renovation of the first and second floors of Muskegon County’s Michael E. Kobza Hall of Justice is nearly complete.

01 08 13 Muskegon County Board Ways and Means Meeting


01 10 13Muskegon County Commission Board of Public Works


Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Zawdie Abiade launches mayoral campaign unlike any seen in the city of Muskegon

Zawdie Abiade launches mayoral campaign unlike any seen in the city of Muskegon | MLive.com
"There is no doubt that Abiade’s campaign is going to shake up the political landscape in the city and throughout the county.
But it will be the city voters in November who will decide whether the 59-year-old Muskegon political newcomer will, in the candidate’s words, “make history” and “change” Michigan."

ELIMINATIONIST RHETORIC: Teachers union leader jokes about killing the rich.

Instapundit » Blog Archive » ELIMINATIONIST RHETORIC: Teachers union leader jokes about killing the rich.
"JANUARY 9, 2013
ELIMINATIONIST RHETORIC: Teachers union leader jokes about killing the rich.
But this is my favorite part:
“The thing is, [the rich] think nothing about killing us,” she said. “They think nothing about putting our people in harm’s way. They think nothing about lethal working conditions.”
She cited the fact that not all Chicago schools have air conditioning as evidence that the union’s opponents want teachers to work in dangerous conditions.
Well, that is dangerous when you’re morbidly obese, I guess. (See photo).
Plus this:
Lewis is no stranger to controversial comments. In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, she charged Teach for America with helping to “kill and disenfranchise children from schools across the nation.”
Nice to know that someone like this is playing a major role in America’s public education system."

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Breast Cancer Screenings Cost Medicare $1 Billion Annually

Breast Cancer Screenings Cost Medicare $1 Billion Annually - ABC News
"Medicare spends almost as much money screening for breast cancer as it does treating it, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Breast cancer screenings cost Medicare $1.08 billion annually, lead researcher Dr. Cary Gross and his team at the Yale School of Medicine found.
Given that Medicare spends $1.36 billion a year on breast cancer treatment, Gross said he expected the screenings costs to be much lower."


Planned Parenthood reports record year for abortions

Planned Parenthood reports record year for abortions | WashingtonExaminer.com

Sunday, January 06, 2013

EyeOnMuskegon 1-6-2013


Renegade River Show-1-6-2012


Renegade River Show-1-6-2012


Stark Evidence of US, British Naval Decline

Blog: Stark Evidence of US, British Naval Decline
"The re-emergence of what used to called "privateers" (Sir Francis Drake is the most famous example from history) is the latest sign of outsourcing or abandonment of traditional military functions by Western nations whose militaries have contracted to pinpoint-size in the wake of the growth of the modern welfare state.
Private security and private armies -- again, once known to history as "mercenaries," are another aspect of this trend."

Question of the day: What would it take to get the Muskegon area pulling together?

Question of the day: What would it take to get the Muskegon area pulling together? | MLive.com

MichiganVotes.org Weekly Roll Call

December 27, 2012, MichiganVotes.org Weekly Roll Call [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
Individual legislators missed 2,234 votes in 2012, according to MichiganVotes.org 'Missed Votes Report'

Peg West: Our reader panel is a special Muskegon-area sounding board

Peg West: Our reader panel is a special Muskegon-area sounding board | MLive.com
One way we are doing that is through a local reader panel.
We started it last year, and like to switch it up about every six months.
Weplan to start with a new group in coming weeks.
The brainchild of our community engagement specialist, PaulaHolmes-Greeley, this panel of citizens agrees to be a sounding board for theissues of our day, and to react quickly when necessary to whatever may crop up.
They also are asked to make a special effort to participatein our comments section, and will do so by name.

County Prevailing Wage Law Could Add Millions To Taxpayer Costs

County Prevailing Wage Law Could Add Millions To Taxpayer Costs [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
On Dec. 13, Muskegon County Administrator Bonnie Hammersley told Michigan Capitol Confidential that she'd prefer the prevailing wage ordinance not apply to the jail project.
"My understanding is that if we don't have federal dollars in it, we don't need to use prevailing wage," Hammersley said.
"We won't use it unless we have to, because it’s an administrative burden. It adds to the cost."
Heath Kaplan, Muskegon County finance and management services director said the county’s prevailing wage ordinance would apply to the jail project.
Kaplan was asked if the ordinance would add $2 million or more to the project.
"That seems somewhat high to me," Kaplan said.
However, he said he wasn't certain of a better estimate.

Saturday, January 05, 2013

New Year, New Nannies: Concord, MA Bans Water Bottles

Cost of Government Center :: New Year, New Nannies: Concord, MA Bans Water Bottles
"Concord, MA, has set a new record for pointless government overreach after a ban on sales of plastic water bottles went into effect with the onset of the new year.
After three years of attempts to prevent Concord residents from choosing to hydrate themselves with fresh, filtered, unflavored, uncarbonated water - unless it’s sold in container larger than one liter – the bylaw was passed on April 26 last year and came into effect January 1, 2013. "


Self-Destruct Mode

LIBERTY REVIEW
Obama doesn’t have a problem shipping guns and war planes to the enemies of the United States.
He does however want the American people to give up their right to bear arms.
Obama is arming our enemies while trying his very best to disarm American citizens.