Saginaw
Officials opt to target city income tax scofflaws
SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) -- Saginaw officials trying to shore up the city's finances have something special waiting for city income tax scofflaws: an arrest warrant.
Fiscal Services Director Tim Morales says warrants have been issued for individuals whose payments have been delinquent for several years.
WSGW-AM reports that previous recovery attempts using a collection agency took in under $300,000 annually. Last year, the warrant program collected $100,000 per month.
Saginaw Police Chief Gerald Cliff previously said warrant sweeps help keep officers on the job.
Lansing
Lawmaker wants to streamline election calendar
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- With elections slated in more than 60 local governments and school districts across Michigan, a state lawmaker wants to consolidate and firm up election dates.
State Sen. Michael Switalski says the proposal he plans to introduce Tuesday would have local elections held in odd-numbered years. Federal and state elections are held in even-numbered years. Special elections would be added to the November ballot of either year.
The measure also would eliminate February and May election dates, and have special elections
Switalski, D-Roseville, says the streamlined election schedule would save money and reduce errors and fraud. He also says many local elections officials believe turnout for Tuesday's elections could be less than 5 percent, but his proposal would increase turnout by concentrating election dates.
Warren
The case of the purloined polka in Detroit suburb
WARREN, Mich. (AP) -- Roll out the felony?
A cable TV producer in suburban Detroit has been charged with using publicly owned equipment to make polka DVDs and sell them to an undercover officer.
Police say Fred DeChausse (de-CHAWSS-ay) was caught selling 11 DVDs for $150. He's the producer of "Polka Party" on Warren's public cable channel. A court hearing Monday was postponed.
Defense lawyer Leon Weiss says the case is "unfortunate and ridiculous." He says DeChausse is innocent.
Felony and misdemeanor charges were filed earlier this month against the 71-year-old DeChausse. He's been suspended without pay. Warren police say the investigation isn't over.
Detroit
Riddle's lawyers off the case; new trial set for July
DETROIT (AP) -- A Detroit political consultant will get a new legal team for a second trial on corruption charges.
A federal judge on Monday granted a request by Sam Riddle's lawyers to drop out of the case.
Riddle had no objection, saying he wants attorneys who are "bare-knuckled fighters" when he goes to trial July 12 on charges of conspiracy and extortion. A mistrial was declared last week when a jury failed to reach a verdict.
Riddle is accused of working with Monica Conyers to collect bribes when she was on the Detroit City Council.
He faces trial in a separate federal corruption case on June 1. Riddle is accused of arranging bribes to pave the way for a pawn shop in Southfield.
Kent County
GOP State Sen. Jansen won't run for Congress seat
GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- State Sen. Mark Jansen says he isn't going to run for the congressional seat being vacated by fellow Republican Vernon Ehlers (AY'-luhrz).
On the day earlier this month when Ehlers announced his impending retirement, Jansen said he was considering a run.
But the resident of Kent County's Gaines Township said in a statement this week that he "can make a greater contribution in Lansing than in Washington." He plans to run for re-election to the state Senate.
Republican state Rep. Justin Amash of Kent County's Cascade Township is running for the 3rd District seat, and a handful of others also are considering a run.
Spring Lake
Congress race could get a 5th GOP candidate
SPRING LAKE, Mich. (AP) -- Republican Field Reichardt is considering a run for the seat being vacated by GOP gubernatorial candidate Pete Hoekstra.
The 61-year-old Reichardt said this week he's forming a campaign committee and will decide within a month whether to formally enter the race for west Michigan's 2nd district seat. He worked on economic development for then-Gov. John Engler the early 1990s.
The Spring Lake resident and area businessman considers himself a centrist Republican and an alternative to what he says are four more right-leaning candidates: businessman Bill Cooper, former state Rep. Bill Huizenga, state Sen. Wayne Kuipers and ex-NFL player Jay Riemersma.
Hope College history professor Fred Johnson running for the Democratic nomination.
Published: Wed, Feb 24, 2010
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