I don't know why anyone would consider this blog as anything other than a clearly partisan screed for the benefit of a personal friend of the blogger.

Dale - what about the flyer that I just picked up from my porch that has a picture of Mary Kerwin and Kwame Kilpatrick?...by making a futile attempt to link them due to her opposition of PA4. Would you consider that a "hit" piece considering Kilpatrick hasn't been in office in years and Kerwin has nothing to do with him? I thought Martin was going to run a clean campaign?

I add this to the three similar negative mailers about Kerwin I have received. Not one of them say one positive thing about Martin...just focused on trashing Kerwin. Please save me the left vs right BS. The negativity is pervasive across both parties...and that is the whole point of this recall. To get the negativity and politics out of our city hall. They don't belong there.

Dale you have no idea what you are talking about. It is shocking that you have the gall to position yourself as an expert in anything.
Mary Kerwin is talking about bringing money WE PAY to the state BACK to Troy. The state used to give this money back, as required by law, and then they stopped. She's trying to get our money back. If you know nothing why do you write these posts?

You wrote, " but she really is better suited to Troy’s provincial politics than statewide office."
Who ARE you?
The "transportation expert" because you're an auto engineer? You support a guy who you hope will ban tax abatements at the state level?
Jeepers, that will help bring in business.
I hope your only readers are those of us who read for amusement.

I did get an answer from your piece as to where Howrylak would get state revenue after phasing out personal income tax:

"His first proposal, phasing out the personal income tax and replacing it with a consumption-oriented tax that is fair to low-income people... would follow the lead of other states that have stronger economic growth than Michigan. "

So our state income tax would be replaced by an increased sales tax, either a rate increase or currently non-taxable goods (e.g. food), or services to be taxed.

I thank you for that information which I could not find from Martin's website or through an email inquiry to him. I wanted to know specifically how personal income tax could be eliminated without some replacement. I still don't know the why though. Is shifing the tax burden from income to purchased goods "fairer to low-income people" and why would it cause "stronger economic growth"?

Economics 101? http://m.aol.com/dailyfinance/default/articleStory.do?category=main&url=http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/02/13/how-state-taxes-put-a-bigger-pinch-on-the-poor/&icid=dsk_df_news

For the record, I have no knowledge of Martin Howrylak's plans on taxation other than what he states on his website. Obviously the state income tax is a major portion of the state income stream, so it would have to be replaced with something.

Martin is for smaller, more efficient government and private sector growth, as am I. He voted against property tax abatements as a matter of principle while on City Council, the same as Doug Tietz. Both have articulated the case against them quite well - they are inherently unfair to existing businesses who are paying their full share of taxes.

The City of Warren tried to get GM to relocate to the Tech Center; GM said no, we're committed to Detroit, even though it would have been more cost efficient to move.

We can't have Sterling Heights and Rochester Hills competing with Troy to attract businesses with tax abatements. It's unfair to existing businesses.

Martin voted against every tax abatement (many of his No votes, blocking "progress"). Now he'll have the chance to fix this at the state level, although it's not on his platform of ten items.

Knowing Martin, he'll be able to write a bill that's fair to everyone, urban Democrats who need enterprise zones, rural areas and suburban cities and persuade them to vote for it. I'm also on record as predicting he'll be elected Speaker of the House during his six years as our State Representative.

You can read Martin Howrylak's comments on the auto industry on this article

http://troy.patch.com/blog_posts/state-rep-candidates-comment-on-the-auto-industry

and about Proposal 1 and the Emergency Financial Manager law in the comments to

http://troy.patch.com/blog_posts/a-guide-to-ballot-proposals-part-1

Yes, Daffy/Matt, this was an endorsement article. I don't know Martin that well, but I believe him to be an honest and straightforward man worthy of our support. We need more people like him in government. You obviously have a different opinion, which is fine.

Dale:

I never said I wasn't voting for him, I was only attacking the credibility of your blog which is extremely poor.

Btw: I'm not voting for his guy because of the patently misleading leading letter he sent to voters on the eve of one of the library vote. I felt it was terribly dishonest. I don't think we need people who would do something like that in government.

Why would we elect someone like Howrylak who has proved he will lie on so many other matters like the library funding and millage votes and expect him to suddenly be honest once he gets into office? There is no logic to it.

Once a liar, always a liar.

Let's make clear that ALL absences of Council meetings are 'excused". And yet he missed more meetings than anyone in any time frame that he served. Let's also not forget that he owns NO property in Troy, and his personal property tax bill is about $6.00 a year. Let's also not forget that his lawn care business is based in Brighton, not Troy. Let's also not forget that he submitted his altenative budget the night the budget had to be approved, and gave no one time to review it, even though he had months to bring it forward. And the Granholm-Kwayme comparisons came from his party, Positive campaign and Howrylak are mutually exclusive terms. He is divisive and contrary, and can't work across the aisle.

I commented on the Janice Daniels picking up yard signs that if she combined her lack of ethics with intelligence she would be dangerous. Let me present you Marty Howyrlak. The guy is fake and I'm sorry he was picked on as a child, but it is no excuse for his years of divisiveness on city council. I will be casting my first every Democratic vote for Mary Kerwin who is all the things Marty is not. I would vote for Kwame or Obama before I'd vote for Howrylak. I will lose all faith in people if this guy gets elected.

Is he still living in his parent's basement? Isn't he like 38 years old?

All this speculation about his Catholic faith is irrelevant to him doing a good job as state representative. America has no requirement of religious test, right?

Believe it or not, there are pro-life Catholics who are conservatives who care for the poor by giving them economic opportunities. One is running for Vice President, and another will be our next State Representative.

There's no religious test. But based on what I've seen Martin do while a councilman, I'd say an ethics test is in order.

The ends justifies the means should not be a legitimate political rationale in America.

Mr. Murrish is wrong, again, on one more thing. GM didn't decline to move to Warren in the face of it being more cost efficient. The Ren Cen is in a rennaissaince zone. That means they don't pay ANY property or income taxes to Detroit. They are also exempt from the utility tax that is levied, and they get a break on State withholding tax. Plus, the bought the towers for less than half of what it would have cost them to build new at the Tech Center. It was and is much more cost efficient for them to stay downtown. The issue of Howrylak's lack of property ownership and painfully low tax burden, and his business location haven't been addressed, nor his 'budget presentation', nor his letter concerning the library, nor his extemely poor attendance record. Mr. Murrish is not only wrong, again, he's skirting the issues.

Maybe the “out of town” meddlers from the Michigan Citizens for a Better Tomorrow in Lansing are really some of the mayor’s Troy opponents. I hope some enterprising journalist tries to track down who these jokers are.

They clearly have good cartoon, photo doctoring and fiction writing skills, judging from the hit piece on our new State Representative Martin Howrylak and his family. Reminds me a little of the misleading Attack of the Tea Party mailers trashing former Mayor Daniels, who had 48% support of Troy voters even after all the highly organized negative campaign she faced.

By the way, I’m not angry, just firing back at some of the rock throwers who are also sore winners. Have a g’day, mates!

The Tea Party has led the charge in the politics of ugly--but now, you're like schoolyard bullies who get their nose bloodied. The tables are turned. We've seen all your tricks.

Nobody gets a free pass to wreck our town. G'day indeed.

Mr. Murrish is wrong, again - still? - consistantly? Negotiating with GM to move to Warren was just that, negotiating. GM has the best deal in Detroit. Warren knew that a move by GM to the Tech Center would bolster Warren's tax and employment base. Tax abatements cannot be good for urban areas and bad for suburban areas at the same time. The principal is the same, taking from one community, giving to another at the expense of that first community. They were initiated to bring out of state companies to Michigan, not in state companies moving around in Michigan. In this economic climate most communities are happy with half a loaf of bread, instead of none.
As far as the fiction concerning Howrylak, which part isn't true? The part about him not owning any property in Troy, the part about him naot paying any real property taxes in his life, the part about his living arrangements, the part about him moving his business out of Troy, the part about him actually being a Libertarian and only a Republican for the campaign, the part about him not stopping the negative and false campaign adds concerning Mary Kerwin, the part about him squeaking out a 426 vote win? Which part? Again, still, consistantly, take your pick, Mr. Murrish is wrong.

The media probably swung public opinion a few points and contributed to the Democratic Party’s success this November. You may not care to see it, but biased “news” coverage influences people’s thinking.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/11/07/five-ways-mainstream-media-tipped-scales-in-favor-obama/

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/11/07/obama-wins-with-backing-from-biggest-supporters-media/

The bias in most major media outlets is pretty obvious to conservatives, but liberals don’t see it because they’re swimming in the soup.

http://troy.patch.com/blog_posts/media-bias-deliberate-and-unintentional

And yes, these are all opinions, so I’ll save you the typing time. You have yours; I have mine.

Dale, you're very prolific for being a low information voter.

Well, anyway, congratulations to Martin Howrylak on his win. In time, I hope he develops into a Republican more like Gov. Snyder instead of the Tea Party types.

Yes, Mr. Murrish, you are wrong again. And you refuse to address the issues. "What you say may be true, but it’s your side of the story". It is true, and they're not my side of the story, they're facts, which make them THE story. You can look them up yourself, but you can't dispute them. And they're every reason to not vote for someone. How can someone who doesn't pay taxes, doesn't own property, etc possibly have any idea about how those things affect the average person. Pesonally, I'd rahter have someone in office who has experience with these issues. As for the deceipt, and misrepresentation, those are also documented. You can push those off as opinion, but blindly following an ideology and voting that way in the face of convincing evidence to the inexeperience of the noominee is flat out wrong, again! Still! Consistently!

Howrylak is no Republican. He just plays one in his life role as a political hack. I call upon my fellow Republicans to demand better candidates than this. And I can tell you a number of us did NOT vote for him this election. Mary Kerwin definitely game him a run for his money in what is a die hard "Red" community. This shows people are figuring out what a hot mess our local GOP has become.

Wiley, I understand there are some nasty people on the right. Sorry you have been abused by them. I don’t carry any water for them. Violence or threats of any kind or wrong, no matter how much someone is provoked. I suggest you file charges with our police department on them and stop your own nasty rhetoric.

Read the blog comments for the vicious comments made about our mayor by anonymous people and snarky comments made by adults who do use their names and should know better. Hateful words like inept, bigot and worse, and “surrounded by her cronies” (a negative word for friend), etc. have no place in a civilized society. I thought yours was the party of tolerance and inclusiveness.

I’ve done nothing wrong except defend a lady who has been unfairly attacked, in my 48%? minority opinion.

A little civility would do us all some good as we move forward with our disagreement. Because the 48% of us who supported Mayor Daniels are not going to be quiet and go away, or roll over and let you force the appointment of someone with your political views to replace her.

In the meantime, please stop the "conservatives have no heart" drumbeat. It's simply not true. Many of us give a higher percentage of our income to charitable causes than liberals do. Liberals advocate for government to tax everyone to pay for their pet projects.

Here's the thing, Dale. I didn't provoke anyone. I put a sign in my yard. A TCU-er without any brains decided that was enough to inflict his opinion on my property.

Your allegiance to Ms. Daniels is steadfast, but IMO misguided. She spent years hurling personal insults at city staff, writing columns that clearly stated her disdain for any attempt to keep our city solvent, helped spread countless lies about city funding and the library...I can go on and on. For some reason, you won't see that this is what made many of us suspicious her long before she took office. Then, she became mayor and just kept right on digging herself deeper. She was not justified in what she said to those students, she had no business attacking city staff for routine practices, trying to stop financial investment in our city just to make a name for herself. The question shouldn't be why we dislike her...it should be, why do you like her? Please answer that for all of us who wonder day after day, what is up with Dale Murrish's defense of this trainwreck of a politician?

Once again, Mr. Murrish is wrong. I clearly stated in the first post that he pays no property taxes. He doesn't. he doesn't rent, so he doesn' even indirectly pay property taxes. And once again, you skip all the pertinent facts and direct the conversation in another direction. You are xtremely tiring in your blindness, and misdirection. Good day Mr. wrong again Murrish, I am tired of your unfocussed, rambling and distinctly biased discourse. .