April 16, 2012: The Bay County Bulletin

JOE DAVIS FUNDRAISER: Commissioner Joe Davis is having a fundraiser on Thursday, April 26 at Webster House, 900 Fifth St., in Bay City from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $50; please mail a check payable to "Joe F. Davis for County Commissioner" to 909 N. Wenona St., Bay City, MI 48706.

SANTORUM BOWS OUT: Rick Santorum suspended his campaign for the White House on Tuesday, clearing the way for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to claim the Republican presidential nomination and end the primary season after three months and 37 contests. The former Pennsylvania senator told a news conference he had made the decision over the weekend with his family. Trailing far behind Mr. Romney in the delegate count, Mr. Santorum faced a growing chorus of calls from within his party to exit the race and allow Republicans to unify their forces for the November election. http://on.wsj.com/Hvgcm2

WSJ DELEGATE COUNT: Romney: 684. Santorum: 270. Gingrich: 136. Paul: 52. http://bit.ly/x8AjFP

COUNTDOWN: 113 days to primary, 204 days to general.

COUNTY CONVENTION: There shall be a meeting of the duly elected Precinct Delegates and the At-Large Delegates to the County Convention at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 3, 2012 in the old chambers of the Bay County Board of Commissioners on the second floor of the Bay County Building, 515 Center Avenue, Bay City. The purpose of this meeting shall be to elect Delegates and Alternates to the May 18 – 19, 2012 State Convention to be held at Cobo Center in the City of Detroit. The purpose of the State Convention is to elect delegates to the 2012 Republican National Convention, and to elect our National Committeeman and Committeewoman.

Proposed industrial district in Bangor Township could lure investments, spur riverfront development: Officials and business owners say that a stretch of property along the Saginaw River could jumpstart the local economy if it receives the green light to be developed as an industrial district. "This step is kind of a formality — the exciting part is when the companies start to move in," said Terry Watson, Bangor Township supervisor. "Once the property sees improvement, then it becomes much more valuable, and that's where it is a win for the township." http://bit.ly/IC8zLp

BAY COUNTY CHAMBER LUNCHEON: Johnson, Stamas say education needs reform and financial support: Education was highlighted by the final two speakers at today's State Legislative Luncheon, hosted by the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce at Bay Valley Resort & Conference Center. Rep. Joel Johnson, R-Clare, is working toward foundation grant equity for all schools that will be achieved over a three-year span. http://bit.ly/ImrGof

Brunner says Pure Michigan works, and airport needs a new name: Pure Michigan is working, said Rep. Charles Brunner, D-Bay City. Addressing the State Legislative Luncheon hosted by the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce at Bay Valley Resort & Conference Center, he said that throughout his 10 years in government, he has been required to make cuts. One investment that is proving worthwhile in Michigan is tourism, he said. Every dollar of the $14.2 million spent out of state on Pure Michigan brought $4.90 back to the state. http://bit.ly/HxJXPt

AMERICA'S DEBT BOMB WORSE THAN EUROPE: It has been said many times in recent months that we aren’t Greece. Now it will start to be said that we aren’t Spain. Both propositions are certainly true. (For one thing, Spain elected its socialist government in 2004, thus getting a head start on us.) But if we compare America’s debt crisis to Europe’s as a whole, how do we stack up? The Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee did the math and produced this graphic, which shows that the U.S. is now deeper in debt than the entire Eurozone, plus the United Kingdom. (The Democrats on the committee are too busy dodging their legal obligation to come up with a budget to produce anything.): http://bit.ly/HHXhSY

Motorcycle helmets now optional: Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law a bill making motorcycle helmets optional. "While many motorcyclists will continue to wear helmets, those who choose not to deserve the latitude to make their own informed judgments," Snyder, a Republican, said in a news release Wednesday. Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, twice vetoed similar legislation. http://on.freep.com/HEppUD

Snyder signs bills tightening lottery winners' eligibility standards: Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation aimed at ensuring lottery winnings and other assets are taken into account when determining eligibility for food stamp and other welfare programs. Snyder signed the bills Wednesday. They come after Michigan officials twice found out that lottery winners continued to use food stamps after collecting a jackpot http://bit.ly/IGe4I4

MICHIGAN'S UPTON DELIVERS GOP ADDRESS: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) delivers this week's address on House Republicans' 'all-of-the-above' energy plan to address skyrocketing gas prices and help create jobs. We've passed several energy bills now stuck in the Democrat-controlled Senate. If the president and Senate democrats are serious about removing government barriers to energy production and job creation, they'll consider our bipartisan legislation. http://youtu.be/7Gna4XjXwJQ

DRINK: Obama paid lower tax rate than secretary: President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama had a combined income of $789,674 in 2011 but paid a lower tax rate than the president's secretary, who made less than $100,000, the White House confirmed Friday. The Obamas paid an effective rate of 20.5 percent. White House aides would not reveal presidential secretary Anita Breckenridge’s tax rate but confirmed it was higher than the first family's rate. Breckenridge earned $95,000 last year. The Obamas' rate is less than the 30 percent the president wants millionaires to pay under his proposed Buffett Rule. http://fxn.ws/IavyK2

CHASER: George W Bush enters debate as he criticises Barack Obama's 'Buffett Tax': George W Bush made his first intervention in the US presidential election campaign on Tuesday, calling for lower taxes as President Barack Obama said America's highest earners must pay more. During a rare public appearance in New York, the former president said: "If you raise taxes on the so-called rich, you're really raising taxes on the job creators." http://tgr.ph/HxVqTt

Snyder talks EMs, mammoths in online videos: In case you wondered, the governor's favorite prehistoric animal is the wooly mammoth. Gov. Rick Snyder made the revelation Thursday on the first of a series of question-and-answer videos on YouTube called #AskGovSnyder. http://bit.ly/HEpJ5P

BIRTHWEEK: Monday: Pope Benedict XVI. Tuesday: Ryan Raburn. Wednesday: Miguel Cabrera, Paul W. Smith. Friday: Rep. Dan Benishek, M.D. Saturday: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (h/t the corgis), Tony Danza (h/t Louie De Palma), Matthew Bierlein. Sunday: Jack Nicholson.

Tigers owner Mike Ilitch driven to rebuild Detroit: Michael Prather walks unevenly down Montcalm Street past Comerica Park, where the Detroit Tigers will play in a few hours. He holds a whiskey bottle, clumsily covered by a brown paper bag, in his right hand. He requests handouts with his left. Prather, 54, who says he's an unemployed general laborer, is wearing a stained black sweatshirt. His gray paints are torn. The reek of alcohol is overpowered only by the stench of his clothing. "I know I don't look so good, and the city don't look good, either," Prather says. "But things will be better. They got to. There are good people trying to make this city better. The man over there, the one that runs the Tigers and our hockey team, he's trying. He's trying real hard. You got to admire that man." http://usat.ly/HBEWZG

Spirit eliminated from OHL playoffs with 5-3 loss to London in Game 6: The 2011-12 Saginaw Spirit waved their sticks goodbye to a thunderous applause from the home crowd, vanquished by a 5-3 loss to the London Knights but quickly able to look at the big picture. This team made it exactly as far as last year's team did: to Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, as far as any team in the franchise's 10-year history. But this team did it after looking dead in the water halfway through the season, going through a coaching change, a roster makeover and rallying to a fifth place finish and to the second round of the playoffs. http://bit.ly/ItnzVe

SAAD OHL’S MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER: The Ontario Hockey League Thursday announced that Brandon Saad of the Saginaw Spirit is the 2011-12 recipient of the William Hanley Trophy awarded to the OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player. Saad, a 19-year-old from Gibsonia, PA, scored 34 goals and 42 assists for 76 points in just 44 games while recording just 38 penalty minutes in his second OHL season with the Spirit. He becomes the second member of the Spirit to win the award following current Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tom Pyatt who received the honour in 2006-07. http://bit.ly/HygR17