“Only the Michigan GOP could look at crumbling roads, underfunded schools and struggling communities and think, ‘You know what? We need LESS revenue’.” That quote from Progress Michigan executive director Lonnie Scott sums up what happened last night in the state legislature perfectly. After more than two and a half years of wrangling to find $1.2 billion annually that experts […]

This afternoon, Vice President Joe Biden announced that he will not be running for the Democratic nomination for the 2016 presidential election. His speech made me a bit weepy when I read it. Then I watched the video and got teary-eyed again. While I think he ultimately made the right decision, I have nothing but admiration and affection for Joe […]

Bipartisan legislation would require hospitals to staff enough nurses to care for patients. This is something you’d think everyone could agree on: There should be enough nurses on a hospital’s staff to give patients the quality care they need. But if you’ve ever been in the hospital, you know that’s not always the case. And it’s downright dangerous. Numerous studies […]

In April of 2014, under the direction of Flint Emergency Manager Darnell Earley, the City changed the source of its drinking water from the Detroit water system (drawing from Lake Huron) to the Flint River. The move was touted as a cost-saving measure which would save $7 million annually. However, there were problems from the start. High levels of bacteria […]

When it comes to healthcare, decisions should be left to women and their doctors — not legislators. Every story has at least two sides, but in the case of the October 13 meeting of the Michigan House Criminal Justice Committee, one side stuck to facts while the other focused on ideology. And when the topic is the health and safety […]

It’s a been a while since we checked in on Michigan’s two most “special” political candidates (and by political candidates, I mean disgraced former state legislators trying like hell to get their jobs back at a place where almost nobody wants them) so I thought we would check in. First up, we have Cindy Gamrat holding a fundraiser last night. […]

Children, have a seat and let me tell you a story. Way back in your granddaddy’s time, ten years ago, every day some high school-aged kid on a bicycle would come by the house and deliver a thing called a “newspaper.” The newspaper was exactly what it sounds like: a stack of papers where a bunch of writers got together […]

A lot of people call the Buddha the greatest marketer in the world because he told people, “Don’t trust me. Try it yourself and see how you feel.” You can make that promise when you know you have a great product. The Buddha did and the result was a world religion that even people who don’t like religion often claim […]

The primary justification for Emergency Financial Managers or Emergency Managers in Michigan from the very earliest iterations (and continuing through to today) is that some cities and school districts were just too full of corruption and ineptitude and that the state needed to swoop in and save the day. However, this easy answer has turned out not have been the […]

Just as it’s always cocktail hour somewhere, it’s always fundraising season somewhere, too, right? Now that our underfunded schools are back in session kids are on the move raising funds for special class projects by peddling goods and services (candy, greeting cards, car washes, etc.). Public radio and television have just finished their fund drives. The flurry of mail requests […]

In the past week and half, Michigan gun owners have made the news for improper use of their handguns several times. First, concealed pistol license holder Tatiana Duva-Rodriguez saw a guy running out of the Auburn Hills Home Depot and load stuff in his vehicle. When a security guard came running after him. Duva-Rodriguez took the law into her own […]