We all knew this was coming after the Michigan Republicans had their way with the redistricting of Michigan’s Congressional districts. Today we found out what the outcome would be. The 13th and 14th districts which comprise the area in and around Detroit have been rejiggered to force showdowns between several popular incumbent and freshmen Democrats. Here’s what’s going to happen: […]

This 7-minute documentary, Dictators Over Communities of Color: Coming to a Town Near You , was put together by the New Media Adovocacy Project in cooperation with Michigan Forward and the Advancement Project. It’s well worth a watch and I would love for you to share it widely. This isn’t just something Michiganders should be paying attention to. Big shout […]

This happened while I was on vacation so I never had a chance to post a clip from the Rachel Maddow Show where Eclectablog was once again featured. The segment starts at 17:00 and my blog shows up around 21:00. She shows the blog and plays the audio of the robocalls. Enjoy.

Joseph Harris, the Emergency Manager for Benton Harbor, Michigan, is proposing a couple of major changes to the make-up of the City Commission. Emergency Manager Joseph Harris announced Wednesday he’s filed ballot language that would shrink the Benton Harbor City Commission, but widen the commissioners’ voter base. Harris said during a town hall meeting that he filed two proposed changes […]

Autumn Smith’s effort to recall Republican House Speaker Jase Bolger has been a roller coaster thanks to legal gymnastics Bolger has been performing. (For some history on his pathetic and desperate attempts to avoid facing his constituents at the ballot box next February, click HERE.) When we last visited this drama, Bolger had filed a number of lawsuits against the […]

Flint appears to be the next city in line for an Emergency Manager in Michigan. With only a $2 million deficit, it is still undergoing the initial review process. This is odd because, as Brandon Jessup of Michigan Forward notes, other cities with much larger problems have had their requests for an EM denied. Interesting, though is how Flint, facing […]

When you have done nearly all there is to do to hurt teachers, what remains? It’s simple, really. Outsource their jobs. Privatize the actual education of our children. And that’s just what Michigan Senator Phil Pavlov (25th District), who cancelled his only townhall meeting this summer, is planning to do. School districts could hire school teachers through a private company, […]

This past week, John Covington was hired by the state of Michigan to oversee a collection of underperforming schools in the state. The new group, the Education Achievement Authority (EAA), will focus its efforts on improving failing schools around Michigan. In his new position, Covington may make as much as $1.5 million per year over 4 years if he meets […]

Eclectablog got another shout out last night on The Rachel Maddow Show. You can watch it HERE. (It’s the one that mentions the bridge.) I’m in the northern part of Michigan for the next few days so you won’t see much blogging. Last night I spent the night in this one-room school house, built in 1898 or 1899. Pretty cool, […]

Yesterday, I wrote about how the Snyder administration is freaking out over the legal challenge to the Emergency Manager law. On that same day, residents on the west side of the state starting getting these robocalls: NOTE: this player requires Flash. Click HERE if it doesn’t work for you. This is an identity theft alert. Petitions are being circulated door-to-door […]

I can’t believe they’ve gone and told everyone: LEELENAU COUNTY — Sleeping Bear Dunes is voted the Most Beautiful Place in America, according to a contest held on Good Morning America, where the winner was announced this morning. “Tens of thousands of viewers voted online for this Michigan park, which is one of the nation’s best-kept secrets,” GMA said. “The […]