One writer’s suggestion that Detroit doesn’t deserve its art treasures is offensive, elitist and idiotic. Although she wrote an article for Bloomberg entitled “Detroit’s Van Gogh Would Be Better Off in L.A.,” Virginia Postrel has never actually set foot in the Detroit Institute of Arts. She says she has been to Detroit, though, so I’m forced to imagine she’s one […]

See the first metro Detroit production of the hit musical in the most congenial spot: Cranbrook’s outdoor Greek Theatre. Are you a fan of knights who sing and dance a lot? How about sublime silliness? Then get thee to St. Dunstan’s Theatre Guild of Cranbrook the next two weekends to see Monty Python’s SPAMALOT. Just watch out for the killer […]

How can they claim to be fiscally responsible if they’re willing to throw away billions in savings and revenue? If this doesn’t qualify as legislative malpractice, I don’t know what does. At the very least, it’s malfeasance. On Tuesday, the Michigan Senate approved a state budget that did not include Medicaid expansion — even though the expansion is federally funded. […]

Governor Snyder is calling in the cavalry to urge legislators to do the right thing. Add your voice, too. In the words of Monty Python (sort of), it’s not dead yet. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, Governor Rick Snyder has spoken with U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to find a way to […]

Some Republicans will say anything to see the Affordable Care Act fail. The best defense is the truth. Now I’ve heard everything. Well, probably not, when it comes to myths the GOP invents about Obamacare. But this one’s a doozy. On the May 29 edition of The Last Word, I saw Tea Party Republicans leading citizens at a town hall […]

It’s time for Governor Snyder to prove the “tough” part of his self-proclaimed “one tough nerd” persona. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has famously done her share of finger-pointing at President Obama and his policies. But despite her vocal opposition to nearly everything the President stands for, Gov. Brewer has fully embraced Medicaid expansion. It’s the right thing to do for […]

More than 550 people signed the petition opposing SB 136. This week, opponents of Senate Bill 136 — the “Religious Liberty & Conscience Protection Act” — met with State Senator Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor). I was at the meeting, where we presented a petition for delivery to the Michigan Senate and learned even more about this troubling legislation from Sen. […]

It’s a one-word answer: Obamacare. Republicans who oppose Obamacare just don’t want to say “yes” to anything related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Medicaid expansion is part of the ACA, but the U.S. Supreme Court left the decision to accept Medicaid expansion up to the states. And Michigan is among those with Republican-controlled legislatures that are fighting against Medicaid […]

Sign the petition and make your voice heard. The very first post I wrote for Eclectablog was about Senate Bill 136, the “Religious Liberty and Conscience Protection Act.” This bill would allow healthcare providers, facilities and insurers to refuse to provide or cover “objectionable” healthcare services on religious or moral grounds. As I explained in that post and two that […]

Good people are fighting every day for Michigan’s students. This organization is among them. Just when you begin to despair over the seemingly endless battles public education is facing in Michigan, you find a reason to feel optimistic. In Pontiac, one of the Michigan school districts that’s struggling the most, an organization called Bound Together is providing an environment where […]

You don’t know what it’s like until it’s your life. Clara Sanders-Stevens works hard every day, directing the Project 21 after-school program for the Oak Park School District. But, because she’s an independent contractor, she’s responsible for her own health insurance. And she just can’t afford it. I don’t need help with food or rent, but I need health insurance […]