I consider Eclectablog to be a partner with a number of progressive groups here in Michigan and across the country. But the one group with which I have the closest partnership with is Progress Michigan. No other groups does more work on behalf of a whole host of progressive issues than Progress Michigan. Whether its the environment, privatization of government […]

Sneaking this hearing in on a historic day for the LGBT community is dirty politics. Take action to make sure testimony opposing RFRA legislation gets heard. It’s hard not to be cynical about the timing of the Michigan Senate committee hearing on “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” (RFRA) legislation on April 28th. The same day DeBoer v Snyder, the case for […]

This past week, the corporatist front group and bill mill for corporate America, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), held a breakfast gathering for Michigan state legislators. Our friends at Progress Michigan were there and reported that only SIX legislators actually attended. Here is the all-Republican list of attendees: Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) Rep. Peter Pettalia (R-Presque Isle) Rep. Triston […]

In one day, it passed out of committee and is up for a House vote. Despite what the bill’s proponents claim, the RFRA would enshrine discrimination on religious grounds into state law. UPDATED following House vote. There’s still time to take action. See below. It’s happening even faster than we’d feared. Following a hearing, the Michigan House of Representatives House […]

Progress Michigan has been doing yeomans work holding the Snyder administration accountable for corrupt actitivies, shining the sanitizing sunshine needed to ensure that transparency isn’t just a catch phrase used by our Governor. In response to an August request for documents from the Michigan Department of Community Health, Progress Michigan was told in September that no such documents existed. Then, […]

Stuff just got real Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has been pretty deft at shrugging off the many scandals that have enveloped his administration. But the most recent one, the awarding of $26.4 million in state contracts to a campaign donor might be one he can’t shrug off. Today, my friends at Progress Michigan announced that they have filed a Hatch […]

See update below. If you are sitting around wondering if it’s worth your while to get involved in the massive Get Out the Vote (GOTMFV) effort in the last two weeks of this election, two polls out this week should give you the nudge that you need. First we have a poll by Republican pollster Mitchell Research & Communication that […]

I know what you’re thinking: “Eclectablog, how can I possibly keep up with all of the many scandals of the Snyder administration???” Whether it’s department heads living lavish, high-on-the-hog lifestyles on the taxpayer’s dime or “education reform” shysters ringing up huge travel expenses to promote their failed education experiment on Detroit school children, sometimes is just all seems like too […]

ACCESS TO GOVERNOR’S CHIEF OF STAFF SOLD AT RECENT REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE An exposé by the New York Times shows that access to officials in the administrations of a number of Republican governors can be had by corporate America as long as they were willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars: [A]n error by the Republican Governors Association recently resulted […]

This new video from Progress Michigan is their best effort yet. It tells the story of Aramark coming to Michigan in a very smart and clever way. Privatizing our prison food services to a for-profit corporation is an experiment. But, as the the video shows, it was an experiment that was already proven to be a failed and flawed model […]

This is getting ridiculous NOTE: See update below. An explosive report by the Detroit Free Press shows that Scott Woosley, head of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, along with other staffers has racked up huge bills, all paid for by Michigan taxpayers. Travel in stretch limos, $500-a-night hotel accomodations, $40,000 on international trips, all-alcohol “dinners”, and sumptious feasts were […]