This past Wednesday during a Senate Education Committee hearing, Committee Vice Chair Marty Knollenberg (R-Troy) was discussing why some schools “fail”. During the course his comments, he made a statement that has dropped jaws across the country. “You mentioned why these schools fail,” he said. “You mention the economically disadvantaged and non-white population are contributors to that. And, you know, […]

House Speaker Kevin Cotter took to the House floor last night to tell us all that they have kicked the can down the road too far on road funding and, by golly, it’s time to get this done. Then he said something that is the most blatant exhibition Orwellian Newspeak that I’ve seen in some time: This is a plan […]

The following essay was written by Mitchell Robinson and was originally published on his most-excellent blog at MitchellRobinson.net. Robinson is associate professor and chair of music education, and coordinator of the music student teaching program at Michigan State University. His essay is reposted here with permission. The Great Lakes Education Project is a Michigan advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the […]

I have to admit that, after months of writing about Cindy Gamrat and Todd Courser, I’m sick of them. I’m sick of their judgemental, anti-LGBT hypocrisy. I’m sick of their narcissism. I’m sick of THEM. Unfortunately, now that they are in the ditch they seem to be pushing the accelerator pedal to the floor. First we have Gamrat’s teary-eyed apology […]

In 2012, the group Protecting Michigan Taxpayers was formed as a front group for anti-union forces who wanted to defeat Proposal 2 which would have enshrined collective bargaining rights for workers into Michigan’s state constitution. The group has been dormant since their victory in November of 2012 but was resurrected last spring to push a ballot initiative of their own, […]

An Australian couple in Canberra recently penned an op-ed for the Canberra CityNews saying that, if the Australian government decides to recognize same-sex marriages, they will get a divorce. It’s not because they don’t love each. They do. They were high school sweethearts who have been married for 10 years. It’s not that. It’s that, if same-sex couples can get […]

It’s a shocking and depressing fact that there are uneducated people out there who are afraid of vaccinations because they read somewhere or heard from someone that one time that vaccinations cause autism. They don’t. But that didn’t stop Republican Todd Courser from expressing his support for the anti-Vaxer community and to reinforce people’s unfounded and unscientific fears about the […]

If you’re on Governor Snyder’s email list you recently received his most recent glitter bomb of self-congratulation. In it he points out that Michigan’s unemployment rate has dropped by half from 11.2% in December, 2011, but offers no reasons for this drop. It’s reasonable to assume the drop is primarily related to the increase in auto sales along with the […]

I apologize for the lack of new posts this past week. My family is dealing with an ongoing medical crisis with my father and I have not had time to write. Regular posting will resume when the crisis is resolved. Last week, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder unveiled his new budget. According to his spin on the budget, per-pupil funding will […]

Last weekend, Democrat Mark Totten’s campaign for Attorney General called on television stations to stop airing an ad attacking him for claiming he is a federal prosecutor. The ad, they said, is a trumped up lie. The Bridge Magazine Truth Squad agrees and has called a rare “flagrant foul” on the ad: Both sides agree on certain facts about Totten’s […]

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Republican Brandt Iden who is running for office in Michigan’s 61st House district and who lied on a candidate questionnaire about having been convicted of a crime. Today another GOP liar has been busted. This time it’s Republican state Rep. Kevin Cotter who is running for reelection in Michigan’s 99th state House […]