The State Is Stealing Money From Patients.

[peanutbutter]

The MMMA authorizes the MDCH to collect fees only for the purpose of covering the costs related to the program they are running.

 

But that's not the way it's working out.

 

The checks that we send to the MDCH are cashed and deposited into the state general fund. Then the state gives a small part of the money collected to the MDCH to run the program.

 

There is NOTHING in ANY law that permits the state general fund to profit from the sick and dying of Michigan.

 

No legal authorization AT ALL.

 

What is taking place is theft. Pure and simple.

 

The MDCH is having problems producing ID cards in a timely manor. What part does this theft of money play in that?

 

The money being stolen from these patients, need to be either returned to the patients it was stolen from or hand every penny to the MDCH.

 

This is theft being committed by a desperate state government against the medical marijuana community.

 

IT MUST STOP!

[phaquetoo]

well P.B what we gonna do? should we all just keep our certs and not file em? use the a.d? let me know, Im in!

I dont care if im registered or not! im gonna do what i gotta do for me! pretty self serving eh? I have a good teacher its called to large of a government, that likes ,, enjoys raping and pillaging the people!

 

especialy the people that make all the others rich, (us poor folks) middle to lower class! I cant say im middle class! big brother wont give me no where near what i give them every day of my life, not one penny can be spent w/o big brother profiting, they get us coming and going and everywhere in between!

 

 

Peace

[peanutbutter]

Who do we report the theft to?

 

Bill Schuette?

[hofner67]

Ballot box.

[peanutbutter]

I just sent a copy of the first post to the MDCH.

 

I thought they would like to know they are being ripped off.

[peanutbutter]

If it's true then substantiate the claim with facts don't just make a statement and spew rhetoric. If we have these facts then someone can get an attorney and challenge it but an unsubstantiated claim is useless.

 

I don't think I'll need to do that.

 

If the state agency wants more money, they'll go for it themselves.

 

The MDCH knows exactly how much they've collected and how much budget they've received.

[hofner67]

If it's true then substantiate the claim with facts don't just make a statement and spew rhetoric. If we have these facts then someone can get an attorney and challenge it but an unsubstantiated claim is useless.

its more than very likely true and a question we should be asking anyway. Where is our money?

[+EdwardGlen]

We don't have to pay the state a dime!

 

"There shall be registered and unregistered patients"

 

We ALL can just keep our money

 

Ed

[wingnut]

Yes , we can use the A.D . And put money in a fund for Attorneys .

[mizerman]

When I spoke with Celeste Clarkson at MDCH/MMP last week she told me they were receiving between 450-500 applications per day! (Yes, that's PER DAY!)

 

Of those applications, she said 2/3rds paid the $100 fee and 1/3rd paid the $25 fee.

 

But, I'd like to use a 50/50 model for statistical purposes:

 

250 applications at $100 = $25,000

250 applications at $25 = $6250

 

That comes to $31,250 per day

That comes to $156,250 per week

That comes to $8,125,000 per year

 

And, our numbers (the applications) are growing as each week goes by.

 

If you don't believe me, call up Celeste Clarkson on her private number (517) 373-4992

 

She's pretty high up in the chain of command at MDCH/MMP.

 

And, I'm still waiting on our cards that she said were sent to us CERTIFIED MAIL on Tuesday.

 

I don't believe that - or her - any more.

 

When I send something to THEM certified mail they get it THE NEXT DAY!

 

I guess it's time to start calling my elected officials again this morning...

 

And, Celeste did tell me that that our cards were ON HER DESK Monday morning and she WOULD NOT LET ME COME PICK THEM UP!

 

But, she was willing to make the State of Michigan pay for two separate certified mail fees of around $6 per envelope to us....

 

I've become pretty disenchanted with this whole ball of wax...

 

Mizerman

 

p.s. what's the purpose of even getting our cards? we send them checks and they cash them and we don't even get a card before they expire? WTF!!!!!!!!!

[hofner67]

Little man. Ha.

[bobandtorey]

If they continue to try and undermine our law, I will recommend to you all that we become unregistered patients and caregivers. We will create a common defense fun. This will mimic the registry system, except we will be protected from law enforcement and Senator(Little Man) Jones. Thanks, Bb

 

 

If we could get every one to do this it would work because we no now you do not have to have a card as to the C.O.A but remember the Doc:Rec: is only good for 90 days and all the Doctors want us to do follow ups anyways so they could get what they want the card wont help you anyway inn court we no that you cant even say Medical Marihuana i no some people think the card will save you but most of the time it wont

IMO i think this will help us more STOP giving you money to the State then things will change for the better

[bobandtorey]

Those are some wildly exaggerated numbers. The program update on the MDCH website as of 2-11-11 indicates that 100,232 original and renewal apps have been received since the start of the program and that just over 11,000 have been denied. That's since April 6, 2009.

 

500 apps per day would average out to 182,500 apps in one year alone. They've received only about half that in the almost 2 years since the program began.

 

Those are hard number and not speculation from some heresay phone call.

 

I'm all for finding out how much money they are taking in and what it costs to administer the program but to come up with wacky conspiracy theories and accuse the state of theft just makes the general public think we are a bunch of nutjobs. Rather than all of the rhetoric and accusations why doesn't someone (the mmma?) submit a FOIA request and get this figured out? It isn't a secret, someone just needs to ask. I would suggest that maybe someone ought to ask before starting a thread that is just speculation and rhetoric and passing it off as fact.

 

Again, before the flamers light up their blowtorches, I obviously want to know what the f is going on at the MDCH too but I'm not going to post something that the public or press or cops can point to and say, "look, they ARE a bunch of pothead nutjobs." I don't know why NO ONE seems to care about our public image and the way we are perceived.

am sorry you feel this way we know that all the money is suppose to stay in the MMMP and it's not we no that also

[JimD]

Bill Gates stated this week that the accounting practices of states and municipalities would embarrass Enron. He also said that Enron at least attempted to hide it, states just do it right out in the open.

 

The point is, we should have expected this. The law was created by the people, and I am sure that incensed the lawmakers in Lansing to no end. After all, what will they do when The People figure out we don't really need them to tell us what we need after all. Because of that, I believe the MDCH/MMJ program was probably given the lowest priority in terms of funding and staffing. Heck, I'll even bet the least motivated employees got sent to this office, got the worst equipment, and the office is probably in some dimly lit basement in the worst neighborhood.

I'd love to be proved wrong, but the day that a politician makes any decision without thinking of themselves first will be the day hats and gloves get passed out in Hades.

[greenbuddha]

I believe, and someone please correct me with better information if I am wrong, that ALL checks sent to any agency of the State of Michigan HAVE to go through the Michigan Treasury.

 

And once that check hits the 'Treasury' it enters the 'black hole' of the State's 'general fund'.

 

From there it gets distributed to the 'pet projects' being pushed by our 'well informed' politicians in Lansing.

 

And since the Medical Marijuana Program is WAY down on the priority list it gets whatever is left over.

 

And yes, I know the MMM Act says that the money paid for cards and so on is to be put back into the 'running' of the program, since there are in reality very few 'checks and balances' on where and how money is spent we are getting the results from the MDCH as we all see them to be.

 

An answer?

 

Educate more people to the problem?

 

Elect politicians that might give a shite?

 

Show up at marches and protests?

 

Know the law and your rights?

 

Keep a good lawyer's address handy?

 

Class action law suits?

 

Ever onward.

[wingnut]

All of the above

[wolfgama]

Well Said, PeanutButter!!!..........We are still waiting on cargiver card's from last fall!!!.........The money the State is huling in the need to hire some folk's!!.eh.......