Okay, can I just say how much I love THIS??? In Traverse City volunteers collected about 1200 signatures within a few hours Saturday afternoon. “People saw the signs at our table and on our many petitioner’s clipboards and eagerly offered their support,“ said Amy Hardin of Reject Emergency Managers. “We blasted through our first box of petitions in no time […]

I have a piece up at A2Politico.com that reveals the breaking news that 28 Michigan residents along with the Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice and the Center for Constitutional Rights have filed a lawsuit in Michigan challenging the constitutionality of Public Act 4, the so-call “Financial Martial Law Act” recently passed by Republicans. The defendents in the […]

This Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. is an informational townhall meeting on the effort to repeal the Financial Martial Law Act recently passed by the Republicans in Michigan’s legislature. I will be a featured speaker in the Michigan Forward-sponsored event, talking about the history of the law and what it does. Here are the details from their press […]

The Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice, a non-profit law firm based in Detroit, just released this news: CITIZENS TO ANNOUNCE MAJOR STATEWIDE ACTION AGAINST MICHIGAN’S CONTROVERSIAL EMERGENCY MANAGER LAW Over two dozen citizens from across Michigan will announce, on Wednesday, June 22, a major action directed against Michigan’s controversial “emergency manager” law. The new law has serious […]

I’m en route to Netroots Nation but had to pull off to blog THIS: A whistle-blower lawsuit filed by a former top aide to Detroit Mayor Dave Bing this morning alleges that the mayor had plans to be named emergency manager for the city and Detroit Public Schools, dissolving the city council and the school board. ~SNIP~ Collins said in […]

As you know, if you read my blog, this past spring, Michigan Republicans passed legislation that Governor Rick Snyder signed into law as Public Act 4 of 2011, otherwise known as “The Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) Law”. Although Michigan governors already had the ability to put EFMs in place in struggling cities and schools, this new law gives EFMs wide-sweeping […]

I have a new piece up today at A2Politico that shows just how far Michigan’s CPA-style Emergency Financial Managers (EFMs) will go to cut costs. Michael Stampfler is Pontiac, Michigan’s EFM. He has the dubious distinction of being the first Michigan EFM to use new powers granted by Michigan Republicans to cancel a union contract. What went nearly unnoticed was […]

Here’s what we have so far: Pat Somerville (23rd House District)Anthony Forlini (24th House District)Jeff Farrington (30th House District)Andrea LaFontaine (32nd House District)Mark Ouimet (52nd House District)Rick Olson (55th House District)Dale Zorn (56th House District)House Speaker Jase Bolger (63rd House District)Al Pscholka (79th House District) – Donate to his recall effort HERE.Kurt Damrow (84th House District)Joel Johnson (97th House District) […]

Oh, great. Rep. Bill Rogers, the guy who sponsored two bills to diminish, threaten and punish unionized teachers in Michigan is now heading up a group reform Michigan’s entire education system. State Rep. Bill Rogers, R-Genoa Township, is spearheading an education-reform work group he said will be “proactive instead of reactive” in pursuing changes to education funding and how students […]

The Riverwatch Inn, which was condemned last month by Benton Harbor officials, is slated for demolition in July. Riverwatch Inn during the Blossomtime Grand Floral parade protest in May The motel, condemned in May by Benton Harbor inspectors, is scheduled for demolition next month, building official Ted Hanson reported Tuesday. Hanson was among those who inspected the building at 711 […]

I live in a small village outside of Ann Arbor called Dexter. It’s a quaint little place with a downtown area only a few blocks long and wide. My wife and I often call it “Stars Hollow” after the town in the Gilmore Girls. Like Stars Hollow, Dexter business owners form a community. They have a Chamber of Commerce that […]