The Mike Shirkey I knew when I served in the Michigan House of Representatives was just as bad as the one we see today. I called him vile in 2012 and that description continues to hold true.  Being term-limited has only emboldened him to say terrible and misogynistic things out loud because he knows that he will never be held […]

Democrats… You supported Amy Klobuchar, or Pete Buttigieg, or another “more centrist” candidate in the primaries; now voting for Biden… You consider yourself a moderate; thoughtful, empathetic, perhaps fiscally conservative yet socially liberal; you were attracted to the intelligence of Pete, or Amy’s “seriousness”, but believe that at this point, they would want you to vote for Biden, too.   […]

Legislature should do their job, pass laws to make elections smoother The recent spat between Sen. Ruth Johnson and Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson regarding Benson’s mailing of absentee ballot applications to Michigan voters is not productive as we approach a significant presidential election in November and during a global pandemic. Instead of further spreading the misinformed claims made by […]

Last week, the Secretary of State announced that absent voter ballot applications will be mailed to all Michigan voters for the August 4 Primary and November 3 General Elections. This is in response to the current health crisis and social distancing guidelines, as voting from home will be much safer than voting in the precinct on Election Day. The President […]

As someone who visits a lot of schools each year to observe student teachers and work with my colleagues in the schools, a few thoughts on these newly-released CDC “back to school” guidelines… • kids can’t keep their shoes and socks on for a full school day…masks? • no shared items? everything in school is shared…pencils are shared, books are […]

Former Saline, Michigan mayor and State Representative for the 52nd House District Gretchen Driskell has announced that she will once again try to unseat Trump devotee and far-right extremist Tim Walberg in the race for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. It will be a tough fight. No Democrat has won it since Mark Schuaer defeated Walberg in 2008 and Republicans made […]

In November of 2005, Bush proposed the following to fix the immigration system in America: As we enforce our immigration laws, comprehensive immigration reform also requires us to improve those laws by creating a new temporary worker program. This program would create a legal way to match willing foreign workers with willing American employers to fill jobs that Americans will not […]

As a career teacher, watching the House impeachment hearings has been a sort of “out of body experience.” Like the rest of America, I’ve witnessed a parade of brilliant, highly-educated, dedicated foreign service diplomats deliver eloquent, insightful testimony under the most pressure-packed circumstances they’ve ever experienced, and do so with grace, elegance, and professionalism. At the same time, reports have […]

Connor Betts is the suspect in the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, which left 9 dead and 27 injured. Patrick Crusius is allegedly responsible for the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, which left 20 dead and 26 wounded. There should be no confusion at this point about the fact that white supremacy is on the rise in America. As […]

For those of us following the news, each new day brings a bevy of unbelievable and shocking stories… Reports of Russian election meddling! A national emergency (that’s not a national emergency)! Cabinet secretaries wreaking havoc on the environment, education, and human rights! Kids in cages at the border! The Mueller Report! And in the middle of each of these stories? […]

CNN reported today that presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke said, in 2012, that charter schools “were a good idea.” While this is a more definitive statement of support for charters than Mr. O’Rourke has been willing to make in his recent run for the White House, that’s not the sentence that caught my attention. It was this one: “Because remember, at […]