The following essay was written by Lonnie Scott, Executive Director of Progress Michigan and an elected official in Ypsilanti. Enjoy. It should be an easy decision. And for many Americans, myself included, it will be. Tuesday’s choice – between a lifelong public servant and a racist, misogynistic billionaire – is as clear as it gets. But in districts across our […]

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 […]

This is the fourth and final installment of a four part series about workers who are directly impacted by the crucial fight to make earned paid sick time required by law. (Part 1 is HERE, Part 2 is HERE, and Part 3 is HERE.) Last year, the group MI Time to Care launched a petition drive to put earned sick […]

This is the third of a four part series about workers who are directly impacted by the crucial fight to make earned paid sick time required by law. (Part 1 is HERE, Part 2 is HERE and Part 4 is HERE.) Last year, the group MI Time to Care launched a petition drive to put earned sick time on the […]

This is the second of a four part series about workers who are directly impacted by the crucial fight to make earned paid sick time required by law. (Part 1 is HERE, Part 3 is HERE, and Part 4 is HERE.) Last year, the group MI Time to Care launched a petition drive to put earned sick time on the […]

This is the first of a four part series about workers who are directly impacted by the crucial fight to make earned paid sick time required by law. (Part 2 is HERE, Part 3 is HERE, and Part 4 is HERE.) Last year, the group MI Time to Care launched a petition drive to put earned sick time on the […]

The following essay was written by Mitchell Robinson and is cross-posted on his most-excellent blog at MitchellRobinson.net. Robinson is associate professor and chair of music education, and coordinator of the music student teaching program at Michigan State University. Follow Mitchell on Twitter at @mrobmsu. His essay is reposted here with permission. Enjoy. A new report from the Justice Department recommends […]

The following guest post was penned by Nick Wallace, a freelance writer/data journalist who lives in Ypsilanti. Enjoy. Arguments that credit individual politicians with ongoing macroeconomic trends should always be treated with skepticism. It is the rare elected official who can cause a recession or reduce the unemployment rate. This is particularly true of state and local leaders; governors, mayors, […]

The following guest post was written by Barb Byrum. Barb is currently the Ingham County Clerk and is a former State Representative who served three terms in Michigan House of Representatives from 2007-2012. She is currently running for re-election to serve a second term as the Clerk of Ingham County. Byrum grew up in Onondaga, Michigan, a small rural town […]

This essay was written by Molly Tamulevich. Molly is a self-described proud Michigander from Royal Oak, Michigan who advocates for both human and non-human animals. By day she works to promote fair housing. In her free time she photographs the secret lives of insects on Instagram @tamtamsituation. Enjoy. I don’t know what to do with my master’s degree in Community […]

The following guest post was written by Rebecca Thompson. Thompson is a native Detroiter and the Executive Director of Good Jobs Now, a partner of the Center for Popular Democracy. The organization fights for economic and social justice for low wage workers and Detroiters. She lives on Detroit’s east side. Enjoy. Today marks the 78th anniversary of the Fair Labor […]