MORE THAN HALF OF US NOW PAY HIGHER TAXES THANKS TO THE GOP AND YES I’M SHOUTING! A little over two years ago, I wrote a cautionary post titled “The tax timebomb that explodes in Michigan in 2012 is MUCH worse than you thought”. In it, I explained how the Republican budget passed in the first year after the 2010 […]

People continue being helped by Obamacare — and it’s a winning issue. Politicians and pundits, take note. When City of Detroit retiree Cora Dolley learned that she’d no longer be receiving health insurance coverage from the City, she was worried. For 10 years, $150 had been deducted from her pension check to cover hospitalization expenses and provide other healthcare services […]

“From V to Shining V” Lady Parts-friendly U.S. Senate Candidate Gary Peters and Lizz Winstead, photo by Anne C. Savage As I’ve been mentioning in the pieces I’ve written about our 10-year “Blogaversary” party, Lizz Winstead’s Lady Parts Justice project is coming to Michigan this year with a special event at the Capitol Building in Lansing. And they need your […]

Enrollment started April 1 and it’s going gangbusters. There’s no deadline to enroll, but why wait? Experts are standing by. Open enrollment for 2014 coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace ended March 31, but the people and organizations dedicated to helping people get health insurance haven’t slowed down. This is especially true in Michigan, where you might say […]

A major oil spill in the Great Lakes would be devastating to Michigan’s natural resources, the health of our citizens, and our economy, and the boom in domestic oil drilling and Canadian tar sands makes such a spill a real possibility. But the potential for this kind of a catastrophe has been almost entirely missing from the national conversation about […]

She and her husband found insurance for just $227/month. What are you waiting for? 2014 enrollment ends March 31. Dawn Erina is frustrated with all the lies she’s heard about the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That’s because she knows first-hand what a difference having affordable health insurance can make in someone’s life. Her husband, Leonard, lost his job last year. […]

It should have come sooner, but let’s just be glad it’s finally happening. Finally, Michigan’s expanded Medicaid program is almost here. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that Medicaid expansion was delayed by four months because the Republican-led Michigan Senate refused to give it immediate effect — and Gov. Snyder did none of the things in his […]

Photo by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog After District Court Judge Bernard Friedman ruled Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional last Friday afternoon, he did not stay his own decision pending the outcome of any appeals. Because of this, Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette, acting on behalf of Gov. Rick Snyder, filed an emergency request to stay the decision. […]

An extremist group’s rights don’t get to trump everyone else’s, unless we let them. I’m utterly disgusted by Right to Life of Michigan’s latest crusade, this time against U.S. Representative Gary Peters and his daughters. Now I truly understand how disgusted and outraged my parents were when an evangelical relative showed me photos of aborted fetuses when I was 10 […]

Global climate change, global schlimate change The day before the Dexter Tornado hit Dexter, Michigan on March 15, 2012, Anne and I were installing a new garage door opener in shorts and t-shirts. Swarmed by mosquitoes, we were forced to slather up with bug spray because it go so bad. The next day, after hitting a record-breaking 75 degrees, we […]

New campaign will hold elected officials accountable for voting against the best interests of women and their health. Feeling frustrated or discouraged over the new abortion insurance law that went into effect in Michigan this week? Well, here’s something to lift your spirits — and revive your determination to fight. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan (PPAM) has launched a comprehensive […]