Will the DNR keep “helping” the wolf population they so purposefully worked to expand??? The following guest post is by Ramona Grigg, a freelance writer, owner of the liberal blog Ramona’s Voices (which is on the Eclectablog blog roll), and a personal friend. She lives in a cabin on an island off the Upper Peninsula, making her a Yooper. As […]

As I wrote about last month, the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, Michigan Center for Election Law, and Common Cause Michigan held a conference on election and campaign finance reform in Traverse City last Friday. Although I was unable to attend, my good friend and blogging pal Amy Kerr Hardin was there and put together a comprehensive report. At the request […]

What Detroit needs is an actual expert Photo by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog. The following is a guest post by Roger Kerson and is Part 2 of a 2-part series. You can read Part 1 HERE. Roger is a Michigan-based media consultant for labor unions, environmental group and non-profit organizations. He was director of public relations at the […]

There’s more to see in Detroit than meets the eye Eclectagraphic by Anne C. Savage The following is a guest post by Roger Kerson and is Part 1 of a 2-part series. Roger is a Michigan-based media consultant for labor unions, environmental group and non-profit organizations. He was director of public relations at the United Auto Workers during the GM […]

If only having a big heart could overcome having an afflicted neurological system…

The following open letter is by 28-year old Emily Todebush. Emily was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and faces a lifetime of medical problems and major health issues. But Emily is fortunate: she has health insurance. Thanks to her health care coverage, she doesn’t have to face catastrophic medical bills that would bankrupt families without health insurance.

In Michigan and every other state in the United States of America, millions of people who go to work to earn a living don’t have health insurance and don’t make enough money to pay for insurance on their own. These are the people that the Affordable Care Act, though the expansion of Medicaid, would be saved from bankruptcy, crippling diseases, and even death.

Despite the fact that she has health insurance, Emily understands the critical importance of expanding Medicaid in Michigan. While others would be preoccupied with their own problems were they in her shoes, Emily has a heart big enough to care for those not as fortunate as she is. She understands that upwards of a half million Michiganders — WORKING Michiganders desperately need this life-saving health insurance. This is a situation in which, though the tea partiers and conservatives would love to simply shout “GET A JOB!“, having a job is not enough.

Unfortunately, Emily’s senator, John Pappageorge does not understand any of this. Pappageorge is one of the many Republicans with hearts too small and ideologies too large to understand just how important expanding Medicaid is. He is far more concerned about harming our president’s legacy and making sure that he has no successes, even one that would help so many people.

So, Emily wrote to Senator Pappageorge. He has not responded.

You can read Emily’s important letter after the jump.

Caring teachers shouldn’t be treated this way

The following is a guest post from Carina Hilbert who blogs at the blog The Grumpy Language Teacher blog.

In this piece, Carina describes the closing of her school where she was doing what she was called to do: educating our students. As you read it, it is very clear that this is an educator who puts her students above all else. More importantly, you see a school system where progress was truly being made. Despite this, her high school in Albion is being closed due to budget constraints.

It’s a sad testament to our lack of investing in our public schools that dedicated teachers like Carina Hilbert are seen as “unaffordable”. I look forward to the day when Michigan teachers are seen as the valuable assets they are, not as “expenses” to be trimmed because our state government isn’t willing to make the necessary investments in public education.

Read her essay after the jump.

Last week, the BlueGreen Alliance announced the launch of its “Repair America” campaign designed to push action on repairing crucial national infrastructure across the country and create thousands of valuable jobs in the process. The BlueGreen Alliance is a partnership of labor and environmental groups working to expand the number of jobs in the renewable energy sector. Over 100 people […]

Netroots Nation and Democracy for America: A match made in progressive heaven

This is a guest post from my good friend Alex Showerman who serves as the New Media Manager for Democracy for America (DFA). Every year, DFA sponsors scholarships for a selection of activists who would not be able to attend the Netroots Nation convention otherwise.

Click through for details on how to apply for, nominate someone else for, or vote for a scholarship to this year’s Netroots Nation convention in San Jose, June 20-23.

The following op-ed was written by Chris Hansen, a teacher in Lansing. He is writing about an educational experiment in Michigan called the Education Achievement Authority (EAA.) The EAA started in the Detroit Public Schools as a way to focus attention on the poorest performing schools by grouping them into a district of their own. The Chancellor of the EAA is John Covington. He was a controversial choice since the school district he left in Kansas City lost its accreditation after he left. I have written about the EAA extensively (click HERE for past posts.)

On March 21st, the House narrowly passed legislation that will expand the EAA statewide and will include up to 50 school districts. The vote was 57-53.

Chris Hansen earned a B.A. in Education from Michigan State University and M.A. in School Administration from Central Michigan University. Please welcome him to Eclectablog. Click through for his essay.

Depends on your definition of “represent”, I suppose…

This post is a cross-post of a terrific piece by Emily Magner from her blog Musings of a Lady. The original post can be found HERE.

In her piece, Magner talks about her treatment by two Republican legislators who “represent” her. She and a group of students did their civic duty by traveling to Lansing to meet with their State Senator and Representative to discuss House Bill 5711, a sweeping anti-abortion bill that will severely limit access to women’s reproductive health services, including abortions, across Michigan. The bill has a particularly acute impact on rural women — like the women in Magner’s area.

The treatment they encountered, while not surprising given the recent behavior of Michigan Republican lawmakers, is a story that needs to be heard.

Her essay after the jump.

This guest post is the epilogue to a three-part series by Lynn Miller (aka VeloVixen from Daily Kos.) The first part is HERE, the second is HERE, and the third part is HERE.

The story that Lynn shares in today’s final segment puts the claim of being “pro life” in sharp perspective. You’ll find it after the jump.