When Election Interference Costs Voters Billions In Fraud - Think Of Detroit

Egads!

You mean to tell me there is a possibility the Detroit Public Schools Bond that ending up building Little Ceasar's Arena may have experienced election interference of gerrymandering?

I am in utter shock....not really...just doing my stand up castigation shtick.

I bet the SEC is interested in this.

Midland County officials just found a missing ballot box. It may change the result of a $569 million bond election.

A proposal for a $569 million bond failed, then passed and could fail again after the discovery of missing ballot box from the November election.

A proposal for a $569 million bond to build two new high school buildings in Midland failed by 25 votes in the November election, a margin slim enough it set off calls for a recount.

The ballots were recounted manually, and to the delight of Midland ISD officials, the results flipped and the proposal passed by a margin of 11 votes.

But last week, a Midland elections staffer found a box on the bottom of a shelf in the office containing 836 ballots that weren't tallied in the recount. Those votes threaten to again reverse the election results, which school officials are counting on to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for school construction.

The elections office obtained a court order to open the ballot box on Monday morning, when staffers began to count up the missing votes.

The first and unofficial vote tally on Nov. 5, which used the electronic ballots, took the missing ballots into account. The paper ballots are a physical copy of how constituents voted on the electronic system. The paper ballots came into play during the manual recount, which was missing the more than 800 ballots, making the recount number inaccurate.

The revelation of the vote discrepancy doesn't automatically change the election result, however. The result of the manual recount was canvassed — or made official — on Nov. 15, when it was signed by County Judge Terry Johnson.

But last week, representatives for Better Bond for Midland, the special political action committee opposing the bond, filed to contest the election results. We Choose Our Future, the SPAC in favor of the bond will also contest.

The missing ballot box is just the latest reversal in a roller coaster ride for this particular bond proposal. On election night, Midland voters watching the polls closely initially believed the bond passed by 18 votes, because of the results posted on Midland County's election website. But a week after the posting, officials clarified to reporters that the tally didn't include mail-in votes, which revealed it had actually failed that night, according to Deborah Land, elections administrator for the Midland County Elections Office. We Choose Our Future quickly called for the recount.

The Office of the Secretary of State has advised Midland officials of how to proceed and “will continue to provide appropriate assistance to Midland County officials as this matter proceeds forward,” wrote Stephen Chang, a representative of the office.

Land said she might have been the one to have moved the ballot box in question that led to it not being counted, but she's not positive.

“It was human error,” Land said, adding that the office will learn from the blunder and do things differently come the next election.

In her five years working in the elections office, Land said she’s never seen something like this happen before.

The deputy secretary of state and the director of elections were in Midland on Monday to observe the ballot count and advise local officials, according to a tweet by State Sen. Kel Seliger, who represents the area.

“Every Texan deserves to have full faith in our elections process,” Seliger wrote in a tweet.

Every Texan deserves to have full faith in our elections process. I met with the @TXsecofstate’s office while in Austin yesterday to get a complete update on the @Midland_ISD bond election. While the SOS is only able to advise local officials I have no doubt that...

— Kel Seliger (@kseliger) December 13, 2019

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"Rodger Dodger" Penske Gets The Trump Stinky Touch

Penske is the "P" in GIMP.

Penske to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom this week

President Donald Trump announced in June that Michigan resident Penske would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award given to civilians in the United States. Penske is expected to receive the award Thursday.

"He is a great gentleman who has won 18 Indianapolis 500s. He has won, just won Daytona," Trump said during an Oval Office meeting in June with  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He was referring to the Daytona 500 Championship.

"He won Daytona. He won Indianapolis. He won probably more than anyone in the history of racing. I can't imagine anybody being close."

Trump added: "He's very thrilled to be getting it, and that will be announced over the next little while but I guess actually I am announcing it pretty much now."

Trump called Penske "very deserving" and said he has known the billionaire businessman "a long time."

Penske is owner of Team Penske who founded Penske Corp., which is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills. He is credited with bringing the 2006 Super Bowl to a downtrodden Detroit, spearheading the event and turning it into a success, a sign, he exclaimed later, that "Detroit was coming back." He also helped bring IndyCar racing back to Belle Isle in Detroit.

He was named a Michiganian of the Year in 2005. His company, Penske Corp., was one of seven to commit to spending $35 million in Detroit neighborhoods over five years.

Penske in July acknowledged getting notified about the medal in a letter and a phone call.

“What an honor it was to get a call from the president,” Penske said. “It was very humbling to understand that I would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“... It’s very exciting for me, for my family, and certainly for our whole team and the people that have been around me to help me get to where I have been in life. This is more than about a sport. This is about your country. This is about you as an individual.”

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Cocktails & Popcorn: Dan Gilbert Had A Stroke - Detroit Still Has Gerrymandering 2016 Election Issues

I would love to hear the tale of how Dan Jacked Detroit.

I watched him do it, you know.

Where is George Bush?

Gilbert has stroke in hospital; Emerson replaces him at Mackinac business conference

Dan Gilbert & Mike Duggan

Quicken Loans Chairman Dan Gilbert had a stroke in the hospital Sunday and had an emergency procedure, company CEO Jay Farner said Monday.

I am claiming it.

Gilbert, the billionaire online mortgage lender and Detroit real estate developer, suffered a stroke" Sunday and had a "catheter-based procedure" at Beaumont Hospital and was put in the Intensive Care Unit, Farner said in a statement.

The statement indicates Gilbert's health condition is more serious than initially indicated.

"Dan is awake, responsive and resting comfortably," Farner said. "Dan and his family are immensely grateful to the doctors and nurses whose early intervention is already paying dividends toward his recovery."

The revelation came as the Detroit Regional Chamber said Quicken Loans Vice Chairman Bill Emerson is replacing Gilbert at this week's Mackinac Policy Conference.

Gilbert's health issue isn't expected to affect the day-to-day operations of the Quicken Loans family of companies, a University of Michigan expert said.

It was a point reinforced by Farner, who said "Thanks to the strong culture and leadership Dan has built and grown, business at the Rock Family of Companies will continue under the normal, everyday direction of their respective CEOs."

But the illness could affect high-profile projects such as the skyscraper scheduled to be built along Woodward Avenue on the old Hudson department store site, said Erik Gordon, an assistant professor in UM's Ross School of Business.

The 912-foot skyscraper is expected to become Michigan's tallest building, taller than the Renaissance Center.

The condition of Gilbert remained unchanged as he recovers from stroke-like symptoms that led over the weekend to his hospitalization at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.

“Dan and his family are in our thoughts, and we are wishing him a speedy recovery," Detroit Regional Chamber Sandy Baruah said in a Monday statement. "The chamber is grateful that Dan’s colleague, Bill Emerson, will be taking his place on stage at the conference.”

Gilbert's medical issue has stoked concerns over the day-to-day operations of his empire of companies — which include the Cleveland Cavaliers, three casinos and Fathead — as well as his real estate investments in Detroit.

But Gordon said Monday that Gilbert's group of companies will be in good shape because the billionaire has done a great job of hiring strong people to keep the businesses going in his absence.

Quicken Loans Vice Chairman Bill Emerson is replacing hospitalized company Chairman Dan Gilbert at this week's Mackinac Policy Conference. (Photo: Max Ortiz, The Detroit News)

"People at the operation level can keep the company going for a while,” said Gordon.

“They understand their role and his vision,” Gordon said. “He’s built a strong team. It’s not a one-man band.”

Gilbert, a 57-year-old Franklin resident, is founder and chairman of Quicken Loans, ranked as the nation's largest mortgage lender. Gilbert's Rock Family of Companies employs more than 30,000 people around the nation, including more than 17,000 in Detroit.

Part of Detroit's turnaround has been credited to Gilbert's investment in the city's central business district. He moved his employees from Livonia and other suburbs to a Detroit headquarters starting in 2010.

As Gilbert bought other companies or provided funding for startups, those firms filled the more than 100 buildings he bought and oftentimes renovated around the city in his bid to help transform Detroit into a "great American city." He also has envisioned turning the city into a magnet for technology companies and has succeeded in luring local offices for Google and Twitter.

Gilbert's Bedrock real estate firm and its affiliate have invested and committed more than $5.6 billion in its efforts to help revitalize Detroit.

The billionaire is not the only person contributing to Detroit's renaissance through his real estate investments and developments, Gordon said. But “he is the symbol of the (city’s) switch from negativity to a turnaround in Detroit’s spirit."

Gilbert's illness also could affect the completion of the Wayne County jail land swap project, Gordon said.

Gilbert's Rock Ventures is receiving 15.5 acres of property where a half-built jail now stands on the edge of Greektown, and the billionaire has vowed to construct an unidentified $1 billion in mixed-use developments. In return, he is helping finance the construction of a new criminal justice complex on other land in the city.

Such a large project could be slowed up by Gilbert's hospitalization, Gordon said.

But the mortgage lender has built a strong team and “avoided the trap of 'It's all me,'” he said.

“He’s not like Elon Musk," Gordon said. "Gilbert is less maniacal."


FUN FACT! DAN GILBERT HAS A TINY HUMANS FOUNDATION

https://www.gilbertfamilyfoundation.org/transform-detroit/

And this is what he is doing with the tiny humans in Detroit where there was $2.5 million directed to Michigan State University.

Dan likes data.

He likes to manipulate data, like what he does with elections.

That is called gerrymandering.

Dan Gilbert suffers stroke: Facts about his family, net worth, real estate empire 

A look at some of the iconic Detroit buildings Dan Gilbert and his companies own. Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press

Detroit billionaire Dan Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans, was hospitalized after suffering stroke symptoms Sunday at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. He was treated for a stroke and is recovering. Here are a few facts about the man who is responsible for much of downtown Detroit's recent growth and who also owns the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert congratulates his son
Nick Gilbert after the team won the NBA basketball draft lottery,
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 in New York. 

Also read:Dan Gilbert's stroke a reminder it can happen at any age

More: Dan Gilbert bows out of Mackinac conference after health crisis

Net worth

 $7.3 billion

Personal

Birthdate and place: Jan. 17, 1962, in Detroit

Age: 57

Spouse: Jennifer Gilbert

Children: Four sons, one daughter. Gilbert's son Nick has a rare genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis, which causes tumors to grow throughout his body. Dan and Jennifer Gilbert founded the Gilbert Family Foundation to help fight for a cure.

Education

High school:  Southfield-Lathrup in Lathrup Village, Michigan

Michigan State University: Bachelor's

Wayne State University Law School: Juris Doctor

Major companies

Gilbert's holdings include dozens of companies and smaller enterprises, including many tech startups. He recently sold his Greektown Casino-Hotel for $1 billion but continues to own other casinos in Maryland and Ohio, according to Quicken's website. Among the companies:

• Rock Ventures: The holding company that connects Gilbert's portfolio of more than 100 companies.
• Cleveland Cavaliers: Gilbert bought this NBA team in 2005 for $375 million. Forbes magazine estimated the team was worth more than $1.3 billion in late 2018, but also estimated the team lost $6 million on operations in 2017.
• Quicken Loans: Gilbert's online mortgage lender is the mother ship of Gilbert's family of companies. Gilbert founded Quicken in 1985 as Rock Financial and has built it into one of the nation's top mortgage lenders.
• Bedrock: This company acquires and manages commercial properties in Detroit and Cleveland.
• Rocket Fiber: This launched in 2014 to provide Detroit's fastest home and business internet service.
• StockX: Allowing for day trading for consumer goods, this company is billed as the first online consumer "stock market of things" for high-demand products like expensive sneakers. 
• Dictionary.com: Gilbert's Rock Holdings purchased the websites Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com from New York-based media firm IAC in November 2018. The websites date to 1995 and are free for public use. They feature a significant amount of online advertisements.

Real estate 

Gilbert moved Quicken Loans to downtown Detroit in 2010. Today, his companies own or control through master leases somewhere in the range of 100 properties, including many of downtown's iconic skyscrapers — the First National, One Woodward, 1001 Woodward and more. Gilbert's companies also own One Campus Martius, David Stott Building, Detroit Media Partnership Building (former home of the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News), Chrysler House, Federal Reserve Building (current home of the Free Press and Detroit News), Shinola Hotel, Madison Building, and more. His downtown workforce has swelled to about 17,000 workers who fill up all these properties.

US v Quicken Loans OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT QUICKEN LOANS INC.’S MO... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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Wanna Bet The SEC Investigating The Detroit Land Bank Authority?

The Goddess of the Woodshed enjoying the magical
investigative petals of the SEC.

One day, while on my mission, I found a beautiful concept, blossom right before my eyes.

It was the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

SEC probes Miami Gardens’ $60-million bond issue; Were bond funds diverted?

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Miami Gardens to determine whether city officials violated federal laws in connection with its $60-million general obligation bond issue approved by voters in 2014.

I was so excited because I remembered another city that issued bonds then diverted them.

Detroit!

Since SEC investigations are under seal, and I cannot verify if there is a current investigaiton, so I thought it wise to put it out there that Detroit qualifies to open an SEC investigation for improper use of bonds, just like they did in Miami Gardens.

The bonds were supposed to be for the students of Detroit Public Schools, but instead, City Council voted to shift the funding for the Little Ceasar's Sports Arena.

The Detroit Downtown Development Authority claims it owns the land, but it is not incorporated, just like the Detroit Land Bank Authority is not incorporated, which means it uses an NGO to launder its money, or rather it filed false information to federal financial authorities, just like the Detroit Land Bank Authority did.

How can you own land if you have no instruments of legal authority?

This fake corporations called the Detroit Downtown Development Authority also has the magical powers to levy school property taxes.

Then it dawned on me.

There is no such thing as the Detroit Downtown Development Authority because it is the Detroit Land Bank Authority using it as a strawman.

So, the question for the SEC is: "Where are the taxes?"

If these fake authorities are not incorporated, that means, if they collect taxes, to whom does the taxpayer make the check out to?

Wayne Country Treasurer?

City of Detroit?

And, to who does the Wayne County Treasurer and the City of Detroit make the check out to, since the Detroit Land Bank Authority is not incorporated and has no bank account.

So, I take it the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority is another front for the Detroit Land Bank Authority, as it is not incorporated, yet, according to the article, below, possesses the authority to enter into contracts and negotiate tax incentives with a private corporation, of the Pistons.

I bet they used the same team of "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending) over at Perkins Coie.

The case was dismissed.

I bet the SEC already has the Detroit Land Bank Authority under investigation, along with all its foreign practice partners, like the Clinton Foundation, et al.

See, are not the components of the SEC just pretty petals of flowers?

I bet the SEC is investigating the Detroit Land Bank Authority, now.

I bet the SEC is investigating the "Legal Genuises" (trademark pending) over at Perkins Coie, too.

Lawsuit: Voters should decide if Little Caesars Arena gets public funding

A lawsuit filed today in federal court seeks to block public funding of Little Caesars Arena and a new Pistons headquarters without a vote of Detroit residents.

The lawsuit claims state law prohibits spending school property tax revenues on the economic development projects as planned because the schools millage voters approved in 2012 was to be used exclusively for Detroit Public Schools' operating expenses.

The Detroit Downtown Development Authority, the public entity that owns the arena and is responsible for its public funding, is expected to collect $726 million in school property tax revenues through 2051. The money will be used to pay off $363 million in public investments in the $862-million arena and the surrounding development district.

If the lawsuit is successful, it could threaten a significant pot of public money vital to construction of Little Caesars Arena and the new Pistons headquarters in New Center.

Government transparency advocate Robert Davis and D. Etta Wilcoxon, who is running for Detroit City Clerk, filed the lawsuit today in U.S. District Court.

They claim their constitutional right to vote has been violated because they should be able to vote against spending tax money on the arena and Pistons headquarters.

"The officials at the DDA and the Brownfield Authority should not have proceeded with these projects until they received all the necessary approvals that were required under the appropriate statutes," Davis said. "How all of those high-priced lawyers missed that, I don't know."

The lawsuit also names as a defendant the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, which is involved in a tax-incentive plan that would provide the Pistons with about $20 million in publicly funded reimbursements for its $83-million practice facility and corporate headquarters. The tax-incentive plan still must be approved by the Detroit City Council.

Of the $20 million in proposed reimbursements to the Pistons, $7.9 million would come from the schools' operating fund, according to a report prepared for the Detroit City Council.

Bob Rossbach, a spokesman for the DDA, said he was not yet aware of the lawsuit.

“Obviously we will review its claims and will respond accordingly," Rossbach said, declining to comment further. According to the lawsuit, the state's general property tax act requires voter approval to spend money differently than voters originally approved.

The arena is expected to open in September. Work on the Pistons' facility could start this summer.

Since Little Caesars Arena was announced, the DDA has taken the position that the project does not negatively impact local schools because ultimately they do not lose any operating revenue. Rossbach did not provide any further explanation to that rationale today when asked in an e-mail.

Detroit Public Schools now essentially exists to collect taxes and pay down debt. The debt-ridden district has been replaced by the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Instead of the arena and Pistons practice facility, Davis said, the school taxes should go toward paying down the debt sooner.

The lawsuit also cites another section of the state's revised school code that says voters must have a say whenever tax money is used for any purpose other than that for which it was originally raised. 

Davis shrugged off concerns the lawsuit could hinder the projects, pointing out that the Red Wings and Pistons are owned by billionaires.

Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever. Leviticus 25:44-46. 

Complaint by Deadspin on Scribd

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