Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has quickly fallen out of favor with the citizens who elected him, reaching levels of unpopularity lower than first term Republican governors in neighboring states and almost as low as the end-of-term numbers reached by his Democratic predecessor [Jennifer Granholm], according to a new poll. The poll by Public Policy […]

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder laid out his plans to force encourage local municipalities and agencies to consolidate services to become more efficient. He’s going so far as to withhold state revenue-sharing funds to force their hand. Gov. Rick Snyder called Monday for local government employees to pay at least 20% of their health insurance premiums, and for less expensive retirement […]

Ever get the feeling that society is winding down, like an unwound clock? Here’s what I mean: Road-crunching trumps repaving in more counties LANSING — Half of Michigan’s 83 counties are expected to turn paved roads to gravel this year due to insufficient funding — three times the number from 2007. Before 2007, only 12 counties had converted paved roads […]

If you want to get a clear picture of the differences in between the two main political parties, you need look no further than Michigan this week. The differences between the parties could not be clearer … or starker. This week Democrats called for a state constitutional amendment that would guarantee workers the right bargain collectively. Private AND public workers. […]

On the heels of over 6,000 people protesting at the Capitol building in Lansing this week, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is getting more flak, this time from students at the University of Michigan. Snyder has been chosen as the commencement speaker for the Spring Commencement ceremony and a whole lotta U of M students are having none of it. At […]

Liveblogging from the Michigan Capitol protest rally in Lansing today… 1:15pm – This guy is a teabagger. I overheard him tell the guy next to him, “Well, I’m going to try to get some recognition for this sign and get it plastered all over the fucking place.” He stopped to pose for me no fewer than three times and he […]

Shot live at 3:40 pm, March 16, 2011. They are chanting, “What’s disgusting? UNION BUSTING!” I’m just sayin…

Yesterday, over 1,000 people flooded the lawn in front of the Capitol in Michigan and filled the Capitol itself at an AARP-sponsored protest rally. Photos by my friend, Larry. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to stop the state Congress from passing the oppressive Emergency Financial Manager act which creates Super Czars to take control of municipalities which the Governor has decided […]

In Michigan, counties are reapportioned into districts by Reapportionment Commissions after each census. The Reapportionment Commissions are, by law, required to be made up of the county prosecutor, county treasurer, county clerk, and the two heads of the two county parties that received the most votes in the last election for secretary of state. In Oakland County, Michigan, this means […]

Cross-posted at Blogging for Michigan and Public News Forum. NOTE: Please check back regularly as I will update this post as new information becomes available. There are two big rallies scheduled in Lansing this week at the Capitol building to protest Governor Rick Snyder’s rights-stripping Emergency Financial Manager law and his budget. His budget, as you probably already know, transfers […]

I said all along last fall that Rick Snyder’s persona as a “Nice Guy” is a bunch of bullshit. Well, if you didn’t believe me then, perhaps you will now. As most of you know by now, Snyder’s proposed changes to our state’s tax code do all sorts of nasty things. Rachel Maddow has been highlighting all week how Republican […]