morning in Warren and what started out as a rather sleepy breakfast gathering
of political and business leaders was turned up several notches by a few officials
who may have been over-caffeinated.
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| Jeff Farrington/MLive photo |
State Rep. Jeff Farrington, a Utica Republican who has
railed against the disparities in the state’s distribution of revenue sharing
to local communities, revealed that he has parodied Gov. Rick Snyder’s mantra of “relentless
positive action.”
but I am frickin’ relentless,’” he told the audience.
Notte, who said he has a beef not just with revenue sharing but also with the
meager $100 million the state Senate has offered to repair Michigan’s
pothole-filled roads.
elephant’s butt,” Notte joked.
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| Dick Notte |
The moderator of the event, WDIV-TV’s Guy Gordon,
recognizing that Notte is closely associated with the UAW and the Democratic
Party, responded with a question: “Is the pimple on the elephant’s butt – is that
a Republican metaphor?”
was Shelby Township Supervisor Richard Stathakis, who said the state is racking
up surpluses and figuring out ways to spend the excess while his township still
faces tough fiscal issues.
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| Richard Stathakis |
Stathakis noted that his community has a $25 million hole
in its police/fire pension fund because the generous defined-benefit retirement
pay that began in the 1960s has resulted
in pensions of up to $80,000 a year for some public safety retirees in Shelby.
Here is what Stathakis said he told the police and fire unions: “We
are going to honor that ridiculously stupid promise.”
and ridiculous he really meant to say “challenging.”
believe.
