Week in Review
Hillsdale County Medical Care Facility Millage, August 6
The Hillsdale County Medical Care Facility has issued orders for you to give them more money in the August primary. See our prior coverage of the ballot language here.
Some details about the HCMCF’s financial situation:1
Total annual revenue from federal, state, and county appropriations: $20,000,900. (This number does not include revenue earned through services provided.)
Annual revenue from federal and state appropriations: $19,048,550 (95.2% of total appropriation revenue).
Annual revenue from the Hillsdale County tax millage: $952,350 (4.8% of total appropriation revenue).
This $20 million organization is asking in the millage for “an estimated total of $1,162,000. . . in the first calendar year.” This number, meant to expand upon the $952,350 above (a tax raise that they call a renewal), will increase annually with property values.
According to its website, the HCMCF offers such services as:
“therapists who work 7 days a week”
a “social and recreational staff”
a “fully functioning beauty salon”
“on demand menus and snacks”
As you can see, the vote on this millage is not, as you’ll be told, a decision regarding the funding or de-funding of the HCMCF—you and your posterity fund it handsomely already through your state and federal taxes. Voting the millage down means a mere 4.8-percent drop in appropriations revenue for the organization. The question at stake, then, is one of whether or not you will give the HCMCF extra cash, beyond what you already contribute and will continue to contribute in perpetuity.2
City Council, Monday, June 17
Resolution to Revoke Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificate issued to Corecoyle Composites
City staff was not pleased with the lack of progress at Corecoyle Composites with respect to beginning operations and creating good, high-paying jobs, and asked Council to take steps to remove the manufacturer’s privileged tax status.
Sam Fry, Development, on why Corecoyle deserves to lose its tax abatement:
“It has not commenced with manufacturing operations despite the facility’s listed completion date of December 15 of 2020.”
“It has not created 12-25 new jobs. . . as listed on the application.” Therefore, “it is the opinion of city staff that Corecoyle Composites has failed to proceed in good faith with the operation of the facility.”
“The total amount of abated taxes so far—which doesn’t include 2024 taxes yet—is $249,421.” The amount Corecoyle would owe the city if the exemption were revoked.
Arguably, both the contract and the legislation under which the contract was formed suggest that Mr. Homovec’s Corecoyle cannot lose its exemption as a result of “economic conditions beyond the control of the Company.” Wolfram: “I believe that Mr. Homovec will be able to talk to us about the circumstances.”3
Sharp, nearly devouring his microphone, throwing haymakers: “He’s just renting out that space in that building for whatever they need to put in there. There’s no actual people working there. . . Six months ago, you were almost ready to open. Here we are, asking again, Why not?. . . So when you can’t get twelve employees—then what are you going to do? Then you’ll have the excuse that you can’t get manufacturing out. . . I have nothing else to say to you.”
Vear, mouth agape with joy at the mere mention of Development: “The job part he hasn’t done, but the rehabilitation part—he’s put in over $1 million dollars!”4
A tense exchange:
Homovec, on the City’s failures to hold his hand through the entire process: “Most recently, April of this year, I got a letter saying we would do a six-month annual review of the assessment of the property. . . They never knocked on my door; never asked to come in to see.”
Mackie, squaring up: “That’s not true Mr. Homovec. I’m sorry to interrupt you, but they came to the door. You never showed up. But continue on.”
Stockford, trying to ease tension: “Let me ask Council something: Would we like to kick this to next meeting? And, on Mr. Homovec’s word of honor get the City out there, Mr. Fry, whoever else, to tour the building and see the progress that’s been made. . . I don’t want to kick a man while he’s down, but I would like to see the progress that you’ve made.”
Homovec, now embattled, on his dreams: “I was there—despite what Mr. Mackie’s saying—waiting for the assessor. . . The plant is ready to go—turnkey, hit the switch—but I don’t have the money to buy the materials to get going. . . This has been my whole life’s dream.” According to Homovec, he cannot make his dreams come true until the bank approves a loan for supplies. In vaguely threatening tones: “If there are situations beyond my control, I am not at fault; I am not committing bad faith. These are things that I cannot control.”
Mackie, fed up with Council: “This board has hard discussions about tax incentives all the time. And usually we’re discussing how we should not give tax incentives.5 And here we’re coming to you and telling you that we’ve done one that has in our opinion has not fulfilled its obligation, and you’re fighting against the City staff to not revoke it.”
Stuchell: “We just want to make sure we’re business friendly.”
Council adjourned the public hearing until it has the chance to inspect Corecoyle’s facility. Homovec will be back on July 15.
TAP Grant Resolution (99)
The effort to alter the flow of traffic through downtown is under way. According to the study of traffic patterns on M-99 from Steamburg to E. Carleton, “traffic calming of the stretch of M-99 is possible.” This means three total lanes with a dedicated left turn lane in the center. The TAP grant, with its bike lanes, would help pay for the changes. All in favor.
Homeless Task Force Report & Policy Recommendations (147)
Members of the public, on the Task Force report:
Dennis Wainscott, not yet taken by property value nihilism: “If you keep doing things to get rid of the homeless, you’re going to spend more tax dollars doing things, these tax dollars [come from] landowners. . . The more rent goes up, the more homeless we’re going to have.”
Uncle Ted Jansen, slouching, reasserting tired talking points: “The leading cause [of homelessness] is the lack of housing. That’s the leading cause of homelessness.” On the results of a recent Google search: “Apparently there was a lack of research by this PhD student. The Western Conference of Police Chiefs’ number one recommendation was not to enforce laws and put them in jail; it was to increase housing and other social services.”
Missy DesJardin of Hillsdale Thrift/Camp Hope, on foreign affairs: “I just want to give you some statistics from around the world. I don’t know how much research you have done, but I’m incredibly thorough when it comes to research. It has been proven that criminalization of homelessness never solves the problem. . . Do you know who criminalizes their homeless? Japan. Do you know who takes care of their homeless? China.”
Task Force Secretary Josiah Lippincott and Task Force member Stephanie Stockford presented the Force’s report and policy recommendations before Council.
Lippincott: “This report is not just about throwing the homeless in jail. . . We need to crack down on drug dealing, we need to crack down on sexual trafficking, and we need to crack down on anti-social behavior.” On our programs: “There’s a lot of money being spent in this area on mental health and homelessness. . . and we need to demand accountability.” On LifeWays: “A Narcan vending machine at the LifeWays headquarters here in town shows us that something is profoundly wrong.”
Stockford: “These people are being victimized. . . when they begin to get ahead, they are pulled back in.”
Upcoming Events
County Commissioners, Tuesday, June 25
External Links
“While the money is flowing in, the Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners remains cautious about how to spend the funding with 85-percent of funding required to be spent on opioid remediation and only 15-percent of all funding unrestricted.” Corey Murray.
“West improperly elevates the war with King Philip as uniquely formative. It did not introduce so stark a revolution in Puritan thought and posture as he insists. It was not their first rodeo, so to speak.” At American Reformer, Timon Cline aims to correct Professor West’s “misconceptions about our American Protestant inheritance.”
“Harassing others, polluting, and littering are highly enjoyable activities. Disrupting the lives of others is a way to express power and dominance. Auditory terrorism—the intentional and senseless use of noise to annoy and harass—is a particularly common manifestation of this impulse.” The algorithm told Josiah Lippincott to read back issues of The Atlantic.
“Michigan landlords who rent five or more units could be forced to accept Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers under a bill package in Lansing.” Michigan Capitol Confidential.
“Approximately 46% of Americans who own an EV want to go back to a standard vehicle for their next purchase, citing issues like inadequate charging infrastructure and affordability.” Daily Caller.
“Go back years when I was in medical school, did I ever think that I would be in a situation where millions and millions of people love me for what I’ve done, saving millions of lives, and yet have some people who actually want to kill me?” An introspective Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“The University of Michigan has hired ousted Democratic Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot as a visiting professor . . . In addition, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will return to U of M in the fall in the same capacity after coming aboard this past winter.” Michigan News Source.
“A sprawling network of Democratic officials, progressive activists, watchdog groups and ex-Republicans has been taking extraordinary steps to prepare for a potential second Trump presidency, drawn together by the fear that Mr. Trump’s return to power would pose a grave threat not just to their agenda but to American democracy itself.” New York Times.6
“The problem stemmed from a software issue that caused machines supplied by Dominion Voting Systems to incorrectly calculate vote totals, said Jessika Padilla Rivera, the commission’s interim president.” Associated Press on “discrepancies” in a Puerto Rican election.
“Joe Biden is a healthy, wise 81-year-old ready and willing to work for you every day to make our future better.” Jill Biden.
“While more than 80% of prime-aged Republicans still maintain the classic view that having sex with someone besides your spouse is ‘always wrong,’ surprisingly only 52% of Democrats took this position in 2022. The shift was especially pronounced among college-educated Democrats, with only 46% embracing the classic fidelity norm by 2022. This is one example of how elite progressives have soured on the institution of marriage and the norms that sustain it.” Brad Wilcox.
“But it only recently struck me that in this new Cold War, we—and not the Chinese—might be the Soviets.” Nial Ferguson.
“Roberts embodies the partnership between radical transgender ideologues and the medical establishment. A closer look at Robert’s effort to halt Texas’ ban on child sex changes indicates that the doctor formed an alliance with far-left ideologues and activist groups, many of which enjoy the backing of the pharmaceutical companies that stand to profit from transgenderism in the process.” Spencer Lindquist.
“It all begins with the misunderstanding generated . . . by the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, which had introduced a ‘ritual parallelism’ . . . that has neither a systematic nor practical foundation: it is not theologically sound and generates greater divisions than those that were present previously . . . Where does this principle come from? Not from theology, but from nostalgic emotion for the past.” Andrea Grillo.
Data from page 124 of the 2024 approved county budget.
In other words, the organization would continue to function without the millage. Or, if you prefer, they do not need your money; they want your money, and they know you’ll give it to them, and they’ll use their Healthcare Hero status to win access to your pocketbook if needed.
According to the logic of this legislation, the purpose of the City is to provide a form of insurance-via-tax-abatement for favored business ventures using money taken from citizens. You, citizen, will bear the financial risk of all “economic conditions beyond the control of the Company.”
If only!
See Michael Anton’s 2022 article, “They Can’t Let Him Back In.”