Michigan’s Senate Equals The Playing Field On Enbridge Threats
Yesterday I reported on Governor Whitmer’s threats to Enbridge Corporation. In a letter to Vern Yu, Enbridge's executive vice president for liquids pipelines Whitmer wrote:
“Please be advised that Enbridge’s continued operation of the Straits Pipelines after May 12, 2021 is at its own risk…If the state prevails in the underlying litigation, Enbridge will face the prospect of having to disgorge to the state all profits it derives from its wrongful use of the easement lands following that date.”
As you can see Whitmer is threatening to take all of Enbridge’s profits away from them if they continue to deliver oil and natural gas to the people of Michigan and the surrounding states.
When it comes to politicians paying back their supporters, in this case, the environmentalist, these politicians should not be playing their games with our energy supplies or security. As I stated on my show yesterday there should be a consequence to the politician's Party if they lose in this game of chicken. On this issue, Whitmer and the Democrats are playing with our tax dollars and energy security.
Yesterday the Republicans in Michigan Senate proposed a budget bill that would force the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to reimburse Enbridge’s legal fees with money intended to pay their staff. Sounds like a fair trade-off to me.
If politicians and their parties have no consequences in many of these games they are playing with our tax dollars and security then they will continue to play their games at the expense of Michigan and the United States residents.
One of the amendments sponsor Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan stated:
"Force the department to consider the costs. Force them to recognize this litigation will cost you something…You can't just have a freebie on the taxpayers — it's going to change the structure of your department. People aren't going to be here anymore."
The Detroit Free Press reported that this amendment would only affect six positions at the Michigan DNR. Those six positions total approximately $800,000, wow those six people make quite a bit of cash. Don’t sweat it, Michigan’s DNR has an approximately $470 million budget. What are they spending half a billion dollars on?
Whether you agree or disagree with this particular amendment please consider the idea of these politicians and their parties having some skin in the game. Like teenagers, if they have no consequences for their actions they will continue to act in the way they do. I for one am tired of having to pay for all of the ridiculous games they are playing.
We can certainly put some parameters around what type of issues their Parties would have to have some skin in the game.
I can think of a few such as energy, police, border security, civil rights and our freedom.
Can you add to this list?
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