By now you’ve probably heard the quote from John James that he supports Donald Trump’s agenda “2000 percent“. The failed Republican candidate wanted desperately to ride Trump’s coattails into the U.S. Senate but was subsequently beaten soundly by Debbie Stabenow in 2018. Lately, however, James has changed his tune. With polling showing Donald Trump down by as much as ten […]

Long-term readers of this site probably know about the State Policy Network (SPN). This is the Koch brothers-funded network of state-based “think tanks” used to spread anti-worker, pro-corporate propaganda with the goal of changing policy and laws in states to favor businesses and to harm the positions of workers. Working with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) Americans for Prosperity, […]

With the bombshell news yesterday that two former Flint Emergency Managers are being charged with felonies in their connection to the ongoing tragedy known as the Flint water crisis, the calls to repeal Michigan’s anti-democratic “financial martial law” are rising again from around the state. The corporatists that see Emergency Management as a key to accomplishing their dual goals of […]

NOTE: This post is a companion piece to this week’s episode of The Sit and Spin Room podcast. Click HERE or scroll to the bottom of the post to listen to the podcast or find it wherever you get your podcasts by searching for “Sit and Spin Room” on iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The news that President-elect Donald Trump had nominated […]

Anyone who has followed the state legislature in Michigan since Republicans assumed nearly total control in 2010 will tell you just how devastating their policies and laws have been to public education in our state. From stripping funding from schools to pay for enormous corporate tax cuts to taking away local control and handing it over to non-educator Emergency Managers […]

The best democracy money can buy As we get into the final week of the campaign season before next Tuesday’s election, there is a massive amount of money being spent, mainly on television ads and mailings, trying to sway voters. On the Republican side in Michigan, it’s no secret that one family, the massively wealthy DeVos family, is dominating the […]

Steve Lambert is a Michigan artist with impressive list of accomplishments. In addition to his visual art, he has done things like creating an add-on for the Firefox web browser that replaces ads with art, he founded the Center for Artistic Activism, and he has spoken at the United Nations about his research on advertising’s impact on culture. Lambert was […]

The best government corporatist money can buy I have confirmation from two independent sources in the Michigan legislature that multi-millionaire Dick DeVos is using the threat of massive financial support for Republican primary opponents of vulnerable Senate Republicans to force them to vote for the bill that would expand the Education Achievement Authority statewide. The same approach was used to […]

There are few people who deserve a valentine from Michigan governor Rick Snyder more than Dick and Betsy DeVos. From funding his campaign to paying for ramming Right to Work through by threatening/bribing Republicans in the legislature, the DeVos family has been there for Rick Snyder every step of the way. In fact, it could reasonably be said that Rick […]

The best politicians, laws and elections money can buy Mother Jones’ Andrew Kroll has an incredible piece out this week showing the growing and pervasive influence of the DeVos family in Michigan and national politics. Although much of what he reveals in his piece has been long suspected, he brings to light details about how the passage of Michigan’s right […]

We don’t blame you, Governor. We’d hide that, too. [Caricature by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog] With the announcement that Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is closing down the secretive NERD Fund without disclosing its donors, questions remain as to WHY he is keeping the donors secret. Considering that Charlie Secchia is the fund’s president, it’s possible […]