MichiBlogger

Judge: Ex-Detroit mayor owes $300K within 90 days

Kwame Kilpatrick lost his job as Detroit’s mayor and his freedom, in part, for telling lies.

A judge on Wednesday called Kilpatrick deceitful and self-serving while ordering him to come up with more than $300,000 for restitution to the city within 90 days or possibly face a return to jail.

“We are here because you committed perjury,” Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Groner told Kilpatrick. “You pled guilty and you agreed to pay $1 million in restitution, but you have not been responsible in paying it. You have not been credible in this courtroom and you, again, have not been honest to the city of Detroit.”

The reported number of Michiganders shocked by this: Zero.

Surprise! Ford says big SUV sales mean more have to be built

Ford Expedition sales are up 45 percent, compared to a year ago, and Lincoln Navigator sales are up 60 percent for the same period. So, according to Automotive News, Ford officials are boosting production of Dearborn’s two big Sport-Utility Vehicles to meet renewed demand.

Ford’s decision to ramp up production of these two behemoths comes despite rising gasoline prices, a recessionary economy that shows few signs of beginning a sustained recovery, and the growing popularity of smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

A problem with the “rising gasoline prices,” though is that they’ve been down for so long. Sales numbers over the past quarter and more do not reflect purchases made with high gas prices.

Yesterday: Gasoline prices zip toward $3 mark

And here’s a gas price temperature map from GasBuddy.com:

Gas Prices by County as of Sunday 10 January, 2010.

Tea Party at the Detroit Auto Show

A lot of people in Michigan are justifiably mad about how things are and the direction things look to be headed.

Lots of coverage, including video, from Monday’s festivities in the Motor City on The BlogProf.

Riehl World View notes that though the turnout was big, it was bigger than the turnout for the recent. Detroit Muslims anti-terror event.

(via Instapundit)

This should be cool:

Construction is to begin Monday at the former Southwest Little League site, 580 Kirtland St. SW, where a BMX bike course exists. The park now will be known as Grand Rapids Bike Park.

There will be a landscaped track area and trail.

Race is on to replace Pete Hoekstra in Congress

“It’s the safest Republican district in the state of Michigan,” says Bill Cooper, a Fruitport businessman who’s in the race….

State Sen. Wayne Kuipers of Holland is running, as is former state Rep. Bill Huizenga of Zeeland. Former NFL player Jay Riemersma of Holland and Cooper round out the field.

Douglas Koopman, a political science professor at Calvin College and former chief of staff for Hoekstra, predicts name recognition will be a factor in the race, which could help Kuipers and Huizenga.

But he says that Riemersma, a 36-year-old former University of Michigan football star who went on to play for the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers, also is known in the district.

As their stands on the issues are all quite similar, it could come down to fundraising and grassroots efforts.

I’d sure like to see a detailed breakdown of where each stands on gun rights.

MLive:

A total of 65 Michigan National Guard soldiers and their family and friends gathered at the Grand Valley Armory on Thursday for a departure ceremony.

The soldiers will be at Camp Atterbury, Ind., for two months and then will serve in Afghanistan for a year.

My wife and kids attended the ceremony. One of the troops is one of my wife’s cousins.

Not in the name of Islam: Dearborn group expects large turnout for silent protest outside Friday’s hearing for Flight 253 suspect

Organizers expect hundreds of local Muslims to join a silent protest Friday in Detroit outside the hearing for Flight 253 terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

“This is people from all over Southeast Michigan coming together and saying we’re against terrorism. Our message is going to be louder than the message the terrorists have sent. The masses will be speaking,” Majed Moughni told Fox 2.

This is a good thing. It would make a big difference to see more of this.

You think it’s cold here in west Michigan?

It’s so cold in Florida that lizards are falling from the skies!

John Cherry says funding for his potential campaign for governor ‘just wasn’t there’ in bad economy

Lt. Gov. John Cherry, considered the Democratic front-runner to succeed Gov. Jennifer Granholm, said Tuesday he has decided not to enter the race.

Cherry told The Associated Press that he couldn’t raise the money needed to mount a successful campaign.

Meanwhile:

Lansing mayor Virg Bernero sounds likely to run for Michigan governor

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero says he plans to announce soon if he’s getting into the governor’s race, and made that move seem likely.

He said Tuesday in a statement that he’s “prepared to fight to restore Michigan’s economy” and noted many people “seeking bold and new leadership have urged me to run.”

Lt. Gov. John Cherry was seen as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, but announced Tuesday he was dropping out because he was having trouble raising enough money.

Michigan State Police patrol cars go LED, expecting to save $220,000 in four years

LED lights, which last about 10 years longer than regular incandescent lighting, are going to replace the beacon lights on top of the department’s patrol cars.

According to the Michigan State Police, since the LED lights are “maintenance free and eliminate the need for heavy-duty wiring and special switches, the MSP estimates it will save more than $220,000 over a four-year period.”

The light will fit into the existing overhead light shell and was developed by Whelen Engineering, a Brighton-based firm, and the Michigan State Police Precision Driving Unit.

This is great news. Not only will the state save some cash by switching, its a local product. The new LED units will be put onto cars as current units get replaced. New cars will have them installed during production.