Governor junks mil vehicle retirement plan
Photo credit:
Supply route Vermont in the Kapisa province of Afghanistan Feb. 5, 2008.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Johnny R. Aragon
Article: Perry Gaskill
It’s interesting how sometimes when it appears California or New York politicians might have a bull-goose lock on petty and dictatorial goofiness, a wild card can show up as a contender.As it happens, a story making the rounds among the motorhead community this week is that of a recent legislative veto by outgoing Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. The measure he rejected would have made it legal for former military vehicles, such as HumVees, to be used on the street including for events such as parades. Michigan Senate Bill 1040, further stipulated that such military vehicles would need to be more than 25 years old to qualify as “historic” and that track-laying and half-track vehicles were not included.
Personally, I can understand how the track-laying exemption might be due to concerns over how all that armor might be hard on the pavement, but it’s also possible to appreciate how driving an M60A1 main battle tank might provide a certain calming effect during, say, those pesky commute-hour incidents involving road rage. But maybe that’s just me.
Collectors of the wheeled military vehicles said a plan to make them legal was reasonable considering that safety features such as lights, turn signals, and seatbelts were already installed on what generally amounted to more spartan variants of what could be bought in a dealer showroom. They also said the Michigan National Guard routinely uses public roadways without problems.
In making his rejection of the state senate measure, Snyder, a Republican, issued a brief public statement which said somewhat cryptically, “I do not believe it is appropriate for such vehicles to be used for anything other than off-road uses.” Which amounts to, when you think about it, like when your mom used to say, “Because I said so.”
It gets better.
An additional relevant fact is that in making his veto, Snyder was dog paddling against a strong political current. The military vehicle measure had passed in the state senate with a 35-1 margin, and in the legislature at 106-3. What’s also evidently relevant is that Snydery signed his veto on December 28 just as he was being term-limited out the door. With the legislative session already ended, that meant he couldn’t be overridden with a two-thirds majority.
A tip of the Stetson to: Hemmings Daily Blog.
Category: Guest Post, Politics
Yea, all of this is political….Can’t show any appreciation for mil vehicles or anything that might upset the indigenous citizens.
Another petty jerkoff fades into the sunset with a last show of defiant, arrogant, and narcissistic abuse of power.
Because an old Deuce and a half in a parade would ruin the great state of Michigan.
If Snyder had cared half as much about the citizens as he appears to have cared about this important old truck issue, perhaps children in Flint would not have been lead poisoned because of the people Snyder appointed to manage the water crisis.
How Snyder and the people who worked for him are not in jail for poisoning kids is beyond me, and speaks directly to the problems inherent in a government that becomes less and less concerned about its people each and every day.
I can find nothing that would indicate the consent of the governed includes poisoning the governed as a cost savings measure whether those poisoned were civilians like Flint or Westfield Massachusetts or Camp LeJeuene’s Marines and their families for thirty years.
When those cases come to light all decent Americans should be so incensed we take action against people like Snyder and those responsible for the military poisonings that ruins those people responsible for the rest of their lives as punishment and restitution for being so incompetent or criminal that they didn’t care about the very people they were charged with caring for or representing.
In Snyder’s case perhaps you should save your ire for those local people who were actually in charge of the operation and maintenance of the water system. Perhaps God knows of every sparrows fall but human beings, even Governors, are not omniscient.
What the hell…I’m failing to see a purpose to this beyond incredible pettiness. And his justification sounds like the kind of thing Commissar would write, only with fewer spelling and grammatical errors.
“The blood of tyrants….”
Are Cavalry Horses included also?
Don’t recall the last time I heard of a traffic jam in Michigan involving cavalry horses. So that might very well be.
Cavalry Horses not allowed due to the excessive amount of horse shit already there, coming out of this POS politicians mouth.
Cavalry horses are banned. Politicians don’t like any one competing with them for manure production
I can see his point. (Sarcasm) The sight of HMMWV’s rolling down the street will definitely bring back some memories for a large number of new Michigan residents. Especially if they drive down the middle of the road and make everyone else drive on the shoulder.
I think he was worried the Militia would stock up on these type of Military vehicles, claiming they were throwing a parade, and attempt to overthrow his Dick-tator-ship!
‘Cause you know how fiberglass stops bullets.
That or he was afraid of some of the fleabitten goat molesters setting IED’s up on Michigan roads.
I don’t get these kinds of bans. At least on wheeled vehicles. The government drives them on the roads all the time already.
I was disgusted when my city enacted an ordinance some years back that prohibited the outdoor storage of ex-military vehicles and farm vehicles. I like in a first ring suburb of a major city, so there was literally one guy who had a three acre plot that he farmed for sweet corn. Had one tractor. There was also only a single person in the city who had a military vehicle collection. So the law was written to target just two residents/taxpayers. Neither house was an eyesore because of it either.
If I were stationed in Michigan, I’d be sure to have driver’s training of some sort every weekend through that governor’s neighborhood just to piss in his saturday morning cornflakes as much as possible.
I’m sure there is an ordinance against that…
It’s like a Home Owner’s Association writ large. I really dislike HOAs, and the lack or presence of one will be at the top of my list for determining the next la casa de AW1Ed.
Thanks to Perry Gaskill for the post; the wordsmithing talent is all his. He insisted on a low key by-line only, but I don’t want any misconceptions on who’s effort this was.
Lots of ex mil vehicles around here.
Pulp loaders, dump trucks, farm trucks, snow plows, wreckers etc.
Many convoys heading south from the old Loring AFB where they refurbish mil vehicles.
many on flatbeds heading north to be refurbished after ME duty. Some of them all fucked up with combat wounds. Been seeing them for years. Same highways the public uses.
Love the new 5 ton tractors with cement truck tires.
So what does Snyder drive, a Prius?