John, thanks for all you do here educating us. What a shame to have to battle those guys for the good of us all. Just a shame.

h2o

http://www.gophouse.com/readarticle....41&District=86

SURPRISE SURPLUS LEAVES QUESTIONS UNANSWERED

January 28, 2008

Just prior to the regularly scheduled Revenue Estimating Conference in Lansing, the state Legislature was informed that Michigan has a $353 million surplus from the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007. As a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, I was shocked and astonished by this news. Through our budget debates, we rely on accurate information from state officials on predicted revenue and we base our decisions on that data. After a grueling budget battle in September of 2007, which included a tax increase of $1.4 billion, a threat by the governor to shutdown state government and outright panic over an alarming budget deficit, how is it possible that the administration "discovered" a significant surplus from the 2007 fiscal year?

Accusations from state Legislators, business leaders and the general public surfaced. Was this poor management by state officials in leadership and shouldn't those people responsible for the misinformation be held accountable? Were the Governor and others intentionally withholding information to mislead the Legislature and help justify their cry for a huge tax increase on Michigan businesses and residents? The answers to these questions have been slow in coming and the public should be outraged.

As state legislators, one of our constitutional responsibilities is to balance the state budget each year. I take that responsibility very seriously and owe it to the Michigan residents that I represent to spend their tax dollars responsibly and efficiently. It is difficult to do that when information is intentionally withheld, despite my attempts to ask the appropriate people the proper questions. Without knowing the answers as to why we were not made aware of this surplus to prevent it from happening again, it is still our duty to make decisions on how to budget this "newly found" surplus. We have already prioritized state spending, debated the budget, compromised, negotiated and settled on an end product. The budget is balanced, in place, being executed and moving forward. So what should we do with the surplus? Of course the ideas are far and wide in Lansing. To me there are two easy solutions: 1) return it to the taxpayers or 2) put it away in a secured rainy day fund for future budget challenges.

Unfortunately Democratic leadership in Lansing already has their sights set to spend it. Michigan is still not out of the economic crisis, and recklessly spending this money is irresponsible. Republicans and Democrats alike can agree that this is the taxpayer's money, so let's all be good stewards of our tax dollars and return the surplus or save it for a future budget crisis.

Dave Hildenbrand
Republican Floor Leader
(R-Lowell)

This will be my final post before the rally.

My opinion on the MDNR:

I believe not all employees of the MDNR are bad, corrupt or power mongers.

I do believe the department does need some serious house cleaning.

I personally do not like being told they have to raise the cost of our license or several parks, trails, DNR employees. will have to be shut down. Only later to find out it was basically extortion.

Mich.: DNR Funds Higher Than Expected

By Associated Press December 13, 2007

It turns out the state Department of Natural Resources doesn't need to increase hunting and fishing license fees this budget year.

DNR Director Rebecca Humphries told lawmakers this week that the Game and Fish Fund will have a $10 million fund balance because of an unexpected increase in license sales, operational savings and higher-than-expected returns on investments.

The department had warned of layoffs and other cuts if fees weren't increased this year. Humphries said fee hikes still are needed in the 2008-09 fiscal year because of expected funding shortfalls.

Some Republican legislators were upset, feeling DNR officials had exaggerated their need for extra revenue.

Humphries' announcement followed Gov. Jennifer Granholm's administration telling House members last week that she supported avoiding fee increases this budget year. And House Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Chairman Joel Sheltrown, D-West Branch, said he had a deal to use $5 million in Michigan Business Tax revenue to avoid the fee hikes.
Legislators leery of raising fees so soon after approving general tax increases in the fall have until Jan. 15 to raise the fees, make spending cuts or find an alternative funding source.

Under legislation proposed but not voted on, the cost of a firearm or archery deer license would have doubled from $15 to $30 for Michigan residents over the next four years and quickly risen from $138 to $165 for out-of-state hunters. A 24-hour fishing license for in-state residents would have increased from $7 to $15 by 2011 and from $150 to $300 for nonresidents.

http://www.fool.com/news/associated-...-expected.aspx


The MDNR Mission Statement.

Mission Statement
"The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the State's natural resources for current and future generations."
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7...366---,00.html


Is the MDNR doing it's job as described above, conserving, protecting and managing our resources for future generations?

If you agree they are doing a great job of preserving our sporting heritage, enough said.

If you think they are doing a poor job of managing our states natural resources, then ask yourself this "what am I doing as a sportsman or sportswoman to help correct this problem?"

This meeting will be focused on the misleading outright scam that officials tried to push over on Michiganders.

NEW VIDEO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96l4mZsCKI0




DNR Marquette Rally
February 16, 2008
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Ramada Inn
Marquette, MI



If you have any questions, contact:
Delta Conservation District: 906-428-9469
Rory Mattson: 906-280-6947



Please let your voice be heard!

U.P. outdoor sporting groups blast DNR, DEQ
It took more than 2 hours to explain all the problems they're seeing.
 
By Samantha Liebman
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 12:19 p.m.

MARQUETTE -- Outdoor sporting groups in the U.P. are upset with the Michigan DNR and the DEQ. And they expressed their concerns to officials in Marquette Saturday.

More than 300 people attended what some dubbed an anti-DNR rally at the Ramada Inn. U.P. members of the Natural Resources Commission as well as state legislators listened as concerns were expressed over how the DNR and the DEQ are being run.

A major issue: the DNR's fund balance.

"So they knew in August, September for sure, they were about even,” said Rory Mattson of the Delta Conservation District, one of the meeting's organizers. “So there was no reason not to tell people before January."

It was during those months the DNR asked the legislature to pass fee hikes and lobbied the state for more money, threatening services and jobs. Then last month, the DNR announced it had a $10 million fund balance.

"The problem we had is that we were communicating a much higher deficit in the balance than was actually concluded at the end,” said Natural Resources Commission member John Madigan of Munising. “We should have backed off and we didn't, and we apologize for that. It was a mistake."

But Mattson thinks that's just one of the problems, in a long list he cited during the afternoon that included cuts in services, fee increases and general dishonesty.

"They're playing a shell game with the federal money, the state money, which is an appropriation and all their license fees and permit application fees," said Mattson.

But State Senator Mike Prusi (D-Ishpeming) said the legislature can affect change through the budget.

"When we fund activities that aren't going the way we think they should, there's an opportunity to do things through the appropriations process that puts a little more pressure on them,” he said.
 
http://www.wluctv6.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=96823

http://www.miningjournal.net/page/co....html?nav=5006

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg_Jo7ZbPv4



http://www.biskitscloset.com/home.htm
http://savemymichigan.com/