Carl Levin Retiring

[Signman]

Some people may not agree with everything he did, but one thing is for sure, he fought for the "little" guy.
Politicians like him are hard to come by nowadays.
The only one who I can see that even comes close to Carl is the newly elected Elizabeth Warren. That woman kicks serious a__!
I jut hope his replacement can somehow fill the big shoes he'll leave behind.

How's that little guy doing?

[jefferson78]

How's that little guy doing?

He'd be doing a lot better if the people who are trying to help were not thwarted in their attempts.
Sadly, this may be the new norm. The rich keep getting richer and the ones who aren't, well they'll continue to suffer.
This is why losing a fighter like Carl Levin will be one more drawback they'll have to deal with.

[swingline]

Of course. He's a bleeding heart liberal, who wants to take the money I have that I have worked hard for and give it to those who would rather sit on their asses. I hope he sits on those stupid specticals of his.

Good Lord Ray, are you being serious? If not, sometimes you need to us this: .

If you are serious, you've got a pretty twisted viewpoint of who is "taking" the money that you worked so hard for. Instead of pointing a finger at the single-parent WIC recipient, you might want to look instead at the well-heeled beneficiaries of the carried interest deduction and at the folks deducting mortgage interest on loans over $500K and on vacation homes. These folks cost you at least twice as much annually as those folks you claim are sitting on their asses.

[ddaydetroit]

I have nothing but respect for this man after the first gulf war the company I was working for was bidding on a job in Kuwait against companies from other parts of the world and he personally wrote and visited the Emir of Kuwait and told him it was mainly the USA that removed the Iraqis from Kuwait he helped us get the job and it kept a few hundred of us employed for a few years in Macomb county

[webband1]

Lots of whispering about Gary Peters and Gretchen Whitmer on the Dem side, for both the Senate and the Governor. If Peters jumps, it probably opens up a seat for Hansen Clarke to get back into the House.

[p69rrh51]

Agreed 100%. Sen. Levin has been a lion of an advocate for all of Michigan for decades. His national influence will be sorely missed. He never pandered to the liberal fringe. He didn't waste time pursuing unneeded legislation on divisive social issues. And but for the bought-off by Wall Street crowd, he would also have added meaningful bank/finance reform to his legacy. A true leader. A fine public servant. One of the best legislators this state has ever produced.

I did not agree with most of his policies and he always came off as clueless to me when asked even the most puff question on foreign policy. I am not sure he was that big of a "lion" for the state. Since I do not know maybe someone on here has the answer to the percentage of taxes dollars paid versus tax dollars that come back to MI, have they gone up or down during his time in office. I think that would be the best test of his support of the state.

[kenp]

Ray, that was your best post ever. Thank You!!!!!

[Ray1936]

Ray, that was your best post ever. Thank You!!!!!

Well, as one poster noted, I should have used a along with it, because it was halfway tongue-in-cheek. But the post sure stirred up a little stuff, didn't it???

[kenp]

dumb shits got their panties all in a bunch

[MikeM]

Of course. He's a bleeding heart liberal, who wants to take the money I have that I have worked hard for and give it to those who would rather sit on their asses. I hope he sits on those stupid specticals of his.

Aren't you sitting on your butt in Las Vegas while Detroit tries to fund your pension?

[leapfrog]

You were DPOA, right Ray? Never forget one's roots and which side of the coin did more for them.

Read some of Ray's other posts. He's just a cranky old man who has HIS entitlements but thinks no one else should.

[9606 Prest]

Mr. Levin has been an excellent senator, he will be missed when he retires in two years! He gets a A+ for his years of service!

[Cliffy]

Aren't you sitting on your butt in Las Vegas while Detroit tries to fund your pension?

Unfortunately he doesn't realize that if the Republicans were in charge, he would have a 401k and probably be a security guard at walmart right now instead of retired with a pension and health care.

[Ray1936]

Well, the pension is what I paid in to for 29 years. This was in lieu of social security. So I am not eligible for social security or medicare. It's about an even swap. But that was the contract I entered into, and I upheld my end of it.

The C of D has not paid into the P&F pension fund for a couple of years now, so none of your tax money is going to me. Thanks to assets of about four billion dollars, it is self sustaining and currently 102% fully funded.

As to being a cranky old fart, you're absolutely right. I earned that right, also.

[jackie5275]

Hansen Clarke might as well make a run for it since he was pushed out of the House race with the district-smooshing.

Hansen Clarke is my guy any day!!

[Gistok]

Funny... Ray1936 has been here for many years... and he's not ignorant about the leanings of the political spectrum of parties... he could teach a thing or two to some of you youngsters. He may be an old fart... but I don't remember him being cranky??

[Brian1979]

Good riddance, even though I don't live in Michigan I love it that he is leaving.

[Ray1936]

Wife says I can be cranky, Gistock.....but thanks for the plug!

[gnome]

Ray is the man. Has forgotten more than most of you will ever know. And he happens to be totally correct. Levin calls himself a bleeding heart, his biggest fans call him a bleeding heart liberal. Carl Levin is and always has been a bleeding heart liberal.

dont be messing with Ray for telling the truth, it shows how little you know.

[Cliffy]

Ray is the man. Has forgotten more than most of you will ever know. And he happens to be totally correct. Levin calls himself a bleeding heart, his biggest fans call him a bleeding heart liberal. Carl Levin is and always has been a bleeding heart liberal.

dont be messing with Ray for telling the truth, it shows how little you know.

Nobody working for the government and getting a pension and health insurance should be pro-republican. Its the equivalent of slicing your own throat.

[DetroitPlanner]

Carl was the driving force behind the federal funding for Woodward Light Rail, Campus Martius, and the Riverwalk. What is the probability of the next senator being so pro-Detroit, or pro Metro Detroit for that matter?

[Detroitej72]

Well, as one poster noted, I should have used a along with it, because it was halfway tongue-in-cheek. But the post sure stirred up a little stuff, didn't it???

Hey Ray, want to consider running for Levin's seat???

[Hermod]

Since I do not know maybe someone on here has the answer to the percentage of taxes dollars paid versus tax dollars that come back to MI, have they gone up or down during his time in office. I think that would be the best test of his support of the state.

That is very often a meaningless comparison.

Cold weather "lose" payroll taxes paid to the feds by their workers. Warm weather states "gain" social security checks and medicare benefits paid by the older retirees living there. Coastal states with Navy bases "gain" from the money spent at the expense of non-coastal states. Climate dictates which states have large Army and Air 'Force installations so they "gain" at the expense of stats without.

[Gistok]

Hermod... it is much more complicated than just a warm versus cold weather comparison. After WWII most of the House and Senate committee and subcommittee chairmen were from the south... mainly because at the time [[if you look at the historical list of congressional committee chairmen) they were re-elected with more frequency... and thus gained their seniority and chairmanships more easily. So when many of the Cold War military base and even space travel procurements were made... southern states often were the benefactors of the Government largesse... also due to the fact that the south was still poorer at the time than the north.

So for example Space... all the space related government jobs went to Florida [[Cape Canaveral), Alabama [[Huntsville) and Texas [[Houston).

In my Political Science 101 class there was a book that went into extensive lengths to describe this scenario.

[softailrider]

Carl was the driving force behind the federal funding for Woodward Light Rail, Campus Martius, and the Riverwalk. What is the probability of the next senator being so pro-Detroit, or pro Metro Detroit for that matter?

So, I agree he was the driving force for a lot of things but the city is still a 75% disaster zone that lost half it's population while he kept getting reelected along with Dingel and Conyers.