Last week, the Koch brothers-funded group American for Prosperity held a “Day at the Capitol” event in Lansing, Michigan where they spelled out their corporatist agenda for Michigan (you can see the agenda HERE.) Numerous Republican legislators were on the agenda: House Speaker Tom Leonard Speaker Pro Tempore Lee Chatfield House Majority Floor Leader Dan Lauwers State Representative Lana Theis […]

Attempting to deceive senior citizens is, simply put, sick and disgusting. Governor Snyder is summoning his inner Obi Wan Kenobi, using the Jedi Mind Trick to try to convince seniors that he’s not taxing their pensions. “I want to be proactive, ” he said, “and let people know it’s NOT a pension tax. What we did was clean up our […]

It’s a team thing… Photo by Chris Savage | Eclectablog AFSCME has been doing a terrific job of being on the front lines, protecting Detroit workers from draconian cuts as the city works through the bankruptcy process. One of the things they have done is to put up the website Stand With Detroit that helps show the human side of […]

What’s this? ANOTHER judicial smack-down of Governor Snyder and his Republican colleagues? Yes. Yes it is. [Caricature by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog] Another day, another Republican bill signed into law by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder ruled unconstitutional. In this case, it’s not the entire law, just the part that requires state employees to pay 4% […]

Color me skeptical The Detroit Free Press reports that Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette will file papework in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit to defend state constitutional protections of the pensions of city retirees. Invoking his role as “the people’s attorney,” Schuette said he will file in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit on Monday to intervene in the city’s […]

The DIA is a superhero among museums. But that doesn’t mean it should have to save Detroit. I don’t understand this obsession some people have with the Detroit Institute of Arts selling off the treasures in its collection. Do they think it’s the DIA’s responsibility to save Detroit? Because it’s not. Of course, the people who think the DIA should […]

GOP supports tax hikes? Only on the 99% A couple of weeks ago, my state representative Mark Ouimet posted an op-ed at Heritage.com titled “New plan treats income of retirees just like that of working seniors”. In his piece, he whitewashes a new tax on pensions that will adversely impact a significant number of our state’s seniors. The plan is […]

The Detroit Free Press characterizes a move by the Michigan Supreme Court as a “victory” for Governor Rick Snyder. The reality is that it is a solid defeat for the 99% and a “victory” for the 1%. The Michigan Supremes basically said it’s okay to tax seniors’ pensions but not okay to raise taxes on the 1%. A divided Michigan […]

There’s more to this than meets the eye. Snyder, Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville and House Speaker Jase Bolger are expected to confirm a compromise that would phase in Snyder’s proposed tax on pensions and delay by one year a scheduled decrease in the income tax. The proposed deal would phase in the planned income tax for public and private […]