I don’t generally refer to myself as a “journalist”. However, I do consider myself a blogger who sometimes commits acts of journalism. And, in a time when news outlets often seem like they are circling the drain, the work we do here at Eclectablog is helping to fill a void that’s been created by that slow demise. Those of you […]

The following essay was written by Teresa Blundell. Teresa has worked with non-profits and in government agencies providing/organizing services to lift others up including the group Michigan Rising which led efforts to recall Gov. Rick Snyder in 2011 and 2012. She has a BA in Psychology, an MA Pubic Administration, and volunteers with various community groups as an on-going pursuit […]

There are a lot of recriminations being aimed at the Republican Party these days about allowing a narcissistic, sexist bigot to be their presidential nominee. But there was little they could do once Trump began his march toward the primary. After spending decades laying the groundwork for his faux populist candidacy, demonizing liberals, Democrats, immigrants, women, and all the other […]

As I mentioned yesterday, other than working with our progressive partners, we no longer run network ads on Eclectablog (the ads in the comment section are part of the Disqus commenting system.) We have shifted our emphasis to building a community of readers and supporters who ensure that we can continue to grow and expand. When you support Eclectablog, you […]

We normally do four week-long fundraising requests each year here at Eclectablog. This year, we have trimmed that to just two. Additionally, we have removed the ads you normally see on blogs. In fact, the only ads you’ll see (aside from the ones that automatically come with the Disqus commenting system) are from our progressive partners. The site gives them […]

Last week I posted a piece titled, “GOP Kalamazoo County Clerk running for reelection fails to get absentee ballots out in time in violation of federal law“. In the piece, which was based on reporting by WMMT, I essentially blamed Kalamazoo County Clerk Tim Snow’s ineptness for his not getting absentee ballots out on time as required by federal law. […]

A new law called the Energy Policy Modernization Act is on the fast track to being sent to President Obama to sign into law. Inside this bill is a small provision that could have wide ranging impacts. An amendment introduced by Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski would designate the burning of wood and wood products for energy as “carbon neutral”. The […]

When Robert Bobb was appointed to be the Emergency Financial Manager for Detroit Public Schools in 2009, the district was $219 million in debt. When he left two years later, the debt had ballooned by 50% to $327 million. This is one of the legacies of Emergency Management in Michigan. Another of the legacies is that people who failed colossally […]

NOTE: This post has been updated HERE based on the featured comment below by Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lawrence Kestenbaum. Based on what I learned from Clerk Kestenbaum, Kalamazoo Clerk Tim Snow is NOT the responsible party for the lateness of absentee ballots being mailed. This is a direct result of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s useless effort to stop straight ticket voting in our state. I apologize to Clerk Snow and regret the error.

Although Eclectablog is largely out of the business of running ads on the site (in favor of being completely reader and partner supported), you may have noticed the burgundy banner up there to the right of our logo for “MIVoterGuide.com“. That’s because this election is too important and too complicated to be either sitting on the sidelines or making the […]

The revelations about Donald Trump’s disgusting misogynistic comments about women on an “Access Hollywood” bus in 2005 came as a complete shock to everyone. Everyone, that is, who hasn’t been watching this odious and stunted example of manhood in action for the past 12 months. Actually, you can go much farther back than that. Trump has been talking this way […]