They didn’t just fail to vote. They failed the people they were elected to represent. I’m sick, absolutely sick to my stomach that Republicans in the Michigan Senate refused to hold an up or down vote on Medicaid expansion before adjourning for a two-month recess. Good thing I’m not one of the hundreds of thousands of residents who were counting […]

Hero of the Year more like it

The same day that my good friends Rochelle Noel and Betsy Coffia and their team were pulling off a highly successful rally to support public education in Michigan, Gary Abud was being crowned as the Michigan 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year. My interview with Gary last week has created what I think is an important conversation about merit pay and the use of Gary’s story and situation against his will to support an agenda he does not support.

Dale Hansen who blogs for the Detroit News wrote what I think is an important piece titled “Teacher of the Year: The merit pay disconnect” and was on Tony Trupiano’s Night Shift radio show to discuss it.

Last night, Gary Abud himself was on Tony’s show. It’s a fantastic interview and gives you real sense of just how eloquent, smart, and talented Mr. Abud is. Enjoy after the jump.

It’s much worse than you think

Democracy for America has released a powerful infographic that shows the devastating impact of allowing our nation’s student loan rates to increase.

I thought I understood how unfair this would be.

I thought I understood how damaging this is to families and students.

I thought I understood how big a negative impact this would have on our economy.

I didn’t understand.

Have a look after the jump. You’ll be glad you did.

Eclectablog himself wasn’t able to attend the grassroots-organized rally in support of the public school system in Lansing this morning; fortunately I was able to attend, with a contingent of my fellow Bloomfield Hills-based public school advocates. Yes, that’s right: Even in Bloomfield Hills, where most of the residents seem to think that the deliberate, systematic destruction of the Michigan […]

The biggest problem Democrats have  had in selling the Affordable Care Act is about to become its greatest strength. Approximately 85% of American adults are insured through their employer or the government. The vast majority of the insured will barely notice when Obamacare goes into effect in January of 2014. That doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from the law. Obamacare […]

Are Senate Republicans just running out the clock before summer recess? Or are they seriously considering Medicaid expansion’s merits? After a day reportedly spent largely discussing Medicaid expansion, the Michigan Senate adjourned without voting on the issue. There’s no guarantee they’ll vote on it Wednesday or Thursday, when they adjourn for summer recess. I really have nothing to go on […]

Aye aye aye…

As I wrote last Friday, Republicans in the state House threw a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to help failing school districts back in the faces of Democrats who were trying to make improvements and ended up passing a bill that, once again, harms students and throws teachers to the curb.

Recall that, during the debate, Republicans acted like complete jackasses, absurdly blaming the teachers for the financial crises in places like Inkster and Buena Vista, calling them “hogs” and saying that “they should never try to get another job in education”. It was offensive to its core.

Well, there’s a bit more to this story and, unfortunately, Democrats played a major role in botching this up royally. Click through for details.

Really, it’s starting ALREADY??? Now that Mike Rogers has declined to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Carl Levin in 2014, the top contender is former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (though she has yet to file her paperwork.) Although she’s member of the Republican National Committee, she is not the first pick of most […]

It’s not as easy as it looks… This week at Netroots Nation, in addition to my role as volunteer coordinator for the Netroots for the Troops CARE package assembly, networking, and attending sessions, I’m participating in a session myself as a panelist for a session titled “You Get Paid to Do This? Tips for Supporting Your Blog through Advertising and […]

This story has legs

After my piece on the exploitation of Michigan 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year Gary Abud by anti-union groups like the Mackinac Center and StudentsFirst to promote their anti-union agenda, I was interviewed by Tony Trupiano on his Night Shift radio show about it. The segment ran Friday evening and you can listen to it after the jump.

Solidarity

Over a year ago, Panera Bread bakers along the I-94 corridor Michigan voted to form a union. The parent company refused to recognize the union, forcing the workers to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) demanding that the company recognize and bargain with their union, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM). The NLRB ruled for the workers. However, due to a decision in Noel Canning v. NLRB overturning President Obama’s recess appointments to the NLRB, Panera Bread has refused to comply.

Click through for more details and information about June 21st rally to support the Panera Bread bakers.