Seen this Movie Before...?

I Think I've Seen This Movie Before...

The $700 billion financial services bailout, with its attendant $150 billion in "sweeteners" a.k.a. pork, has been in place for only a couple of weeks. But now something interesting is starting to happen...

You Have Your Tax-eaters and Your Tax-payers...

One of the things I learned in my six years in Lansing is that the population of Michigan can be divided into two groups: those who pay taxes into the state treasury and those who withdraw tax dollars out of the state treasury.

Those who pay in (the large majority) do not have much representation in Lansing, a.k.a. lobbyists. They can't afford it. The groups who benefit from the largesse of government have a great deal of representation. They can afford it because they use some of the public money they receive to hire the lobbyists. Nice deal, huh?

The attached story is instructive. It tells what happens when the government hangs out a sign that says. "Free Money." Well, OK, this money isn't totally free, but nonetheless, everybody wants a piece of the action. This is the danger of Washington giving out low interest loans to certain distressed industries. Others raise their hands and say, "me too!" Can you blame them?

We are over $10 trillion in debt, having added $1 trillion in the last month alone. We are bankrupting our future and putting our descendants in serious financial jeopardy. When will the demagogues in Washington stop trying to make everyone in America into a dependent?

"Companies Start Competing for Bailout Money"

WASHINGTON (AP) - The bailout is now the hottest lobbying game in town.
Insurers, automakers and American subsidiaries of foreign banks all want the Treasury Department to cut them a piece of the largest government rescue in U.S. history.

Read full article here.

Hoogendyk and Levin to Face Off in Two Debates

US Senate Candidates Will Meet in Detroit and Grand Rapids

Michigan - October 2, 2008 - US Senate candidates Jack Hoogendyk and Carl Levin have agreed to participate in at least two debates this election season. The first, scheduled for October 19th, will be hosted by WGVU and Grand Valley State University. All seven of Michigan's public television stations have agreed to broadcast the debate live at 7 pm. The second debate will be the following day, October 20th, at the Detroit Economic Club.  Click here for tickets to debate in Detroit.
 
"The unusual thing about these debates is that no negotiations were involved whatsoever -- at least, not that our campaign knew about," said Hoogendyk. "Senator Levin's office sent a letter on September 2nd offering to open up negotiations regarding potential debates, but since that time no one from my campaign has been able to begin to negotiate or even to make contact with the Levin campaign. Phone calls, letters, and e-mails received little or no response. Finally we were contacted by the debate hosts to inform us that Senator Levin had agreed to the debates.
 
"However, I am glad that Senator Levin recognizes the value of making himself available to answer the voters' questions and make known his positions on the issues. I look forward to the opportunity to tell the voters why reform is needed in the US Senate, and how I plan to bring that about."

Levin Sinking in Polls

In the most recent poll from Public Policy Polling, 30-year incumbent Carl Levin is down from a high in May of 58% to only 50%! And that is before he voted FOR the $700 billion dollar bailout of the corrupted Fannie Mae, that had $150 billion in earmarks added to it by the Senate.

The House and Senate have just approved the biggest bailout in American history. The American people have been fooled, maybe for the last time. They are on to the fact that leaders of Government Sponsored Enterprises like Fannie Mae were corrupt. Taxpayers are angry about the fact that not only are they being asked to pay the tab for $700 billion in losses, but now they have had an additional $150 billion in earmarks foisted on them.  That's $500 worth of pork rinds for every man, woman, and child in this great country, including the illegal immigrants!

I believe the people of this state will become even angrier when they find out how much the Democrat leaders in Congress protected their corrupt friends and swept these huge financial failures under the rug.

And where was Carl Levin as all of this was going on? When the Community Reinvestment Act was greatly expanded in the early 90's, forcing banks to give zero down mortgages, he was there. When attempts were made to repeal the CRA, he was fighting it. When the financial markets were DE-regulated, he voted for it. When attempts were made several times to put regulations in place to stop the bleeding, he was there, doing absolutely nothing about it.

What is especially curious about this is that Carl Levin is the Chairman of the Senate Permanent Sub-committee on investigations which is charged with investigating "federal waste, fraud, and abuse." But a brief perusal of his web site reveals that while Carl Levin loves to investigate private corporations and businesses, he apparently doesn't see any corruption in government!

The most massive abuse of taxpayer dollars by government agencies in American history happens right under the Senator's nose and he never notices? Not even after several congressional hearings and legislative proposals to address the problem? Come on, senator? Where were you?

Senator Levin's inaction in spite of red flags waving and alarm horns blaring is evidence that he has been in Washington long enough. It is time for a Senator who will not vote for earmarks, a senator who will not vote for budgets that are out of balance, a senator who will not be bought off by lobbyists or special interest groups. We need a Senator who is paying enough attention to notice when the taxpayers are being ripped off by a bunch of Wall Street "golden-parachute" fat cats and liberal friends of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

If you have any doubts about these assertions, I invite you to watch this.

My pledge to you is that I will keep doing in Washington what I have been doing in Lansing for six years, protecting your hard-earned tax dollars.
 
Please help spread the word! Forward this letter to your entire mailbox; tell them to remember to vote for not change, but REFORM!

If everyone who reads this can just tell a few friends, we will win! Click here.

Send a contribution. As little as $10 will make a huge difference. Contribute here.
 

Hoogendyk: Levin is on the Side of Big Government

US Senate Candidate Calls for Action in Favor of the Market

Michigan - October 3, 2008 - US Senate Candidate Jack Hoogendyk expressed his strong disagreement with Senator Carl Levin's vote in favor of the bailout package. Two days ago, Michigan's US senators split on the bill: Senator Stabenow voted against it, whereas Senator Levin voted for it.
 
"I applaud Senator Stabenow's 'no' vote," Hoogendyk said, "but it does not come as a surprise that, once again, Senator Carl Levin has chosen to put himself on the side of the 'we-know-better-than-you' government rather than on the side of the people, individual potential, and the free market. If Congress does indeed pass this legislation, we will have missed a golden opportunity to reduce the burden of taxation and misguided regulation."
 
"The capital gains tax, the corporate tax, and the mark to market rule of accounting are all examples of government burdens that, if removed, would produce immediate results for the economy. While I recognize the urgency of this crisis, I cannot support a government solution that may provide short-term relief but will further hamper economic growth in the long run."