County Commissioners from Oakland and Ingham Counties joined Progress Michigan yesterday in calling for Governor Rick Snyder to end the state’s prison food services contract with Aramark. Aramark has faced a rash of scandals including employees bringing drugs and other contraband into prisons, employees engaging in sexual activities with prisoners, and maggots being found in food service areas in two […]

We’ve had a great response to our call for sponsors for the Eclectablog 10-year “Blogaversary” party that’s happening on May 1st, 7-9 p.m. at the Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery (formerly the Corner Brewery) in Ypsilanti. Here’s the latest list: GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS Michigan Democratic Party AFSCME SILVER LEVEL SPONSOR Michigan Nurses Association Michigan AFL-CIO BRONZE LEVEL SPONSOR Planned Parenthood Advocates […]

Same-day service! Governor’s office wastes no time saying “no” to request from ProgressNow and Progress Michigan. Regular readers of Eclectablog know that Chris Savage has been regularly calling out Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on his lack of transparency. You can read some of that coverage HERE, HERE and HERE. And Chris is not the only one. Gov. Snyder promised transparency […]

Get ready for a snow job Tonight Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to will give his final State of the State address of his first term in office. In it, we’re sure to hear many platitudes about his “relentless positive action” to create “more and better jobs” and ensure that Michigan remains “the Comeback State”. When it comes to marketing, our […]

BOOM! On Thursday night, Governor Rick Snyder will spend an hour or so during his State of the State address spinning a tale about the many wonderful things he’s done for our state. We’re sure to hear many references to Michigan being a “Comeback State” which those of us who are actually paying attention know to be a myth. Progress […]

When the numbers don’t support you, myth-making is your only other option Last week House Speaker Jase Bolger told the Detroit Free Press that Governor Snyder’s biggest challenge as a campaigner is his biggest asset as he governs. “The governor insists on no credit and no blame,” said Bolger. This was only one day after the Michigan Republican Party sent […]

A web of money, power, and deception Earlier this year, I wrote about Lee Fang’s important piece in The Nation magazine titled “The Right Leans In”. In that piece, Fang detailed the pervasive influence of the corporatist network called the State Policy Network (SPN) in shaping public policy in states throughout the country. Funded heavily by corporate interests and wealthy […]

This is gonna be good Our pals at Progress Michigan have launched a new website called SnyderFails.org. The site will show the reality behind Rick Snyder’s failed policies as well as the reality behind his phony persona as a moderate nerd who’s just trying to do a “nerdy job”. The truth, as most of us know, is that Rick Snyder […]

Call your Representative today. Senate Bill 652 has already passed the Senate and could get a House vote on Wednesday. Michiganders know what happens when Michigan’s Republican legislators ram a bill through at lightening speed. It means citizens and the democratic process get railroaded by a bill that wouldn’t withstand the scrutiny of a thoughtful, measured debate. That’s exactly what […]

You knew this was coming, right?

Progress Michigan released a report this week that outlines how the corporatist group American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is working hard to turn our students into nice little profit centers by handing over their education to for-profit corporations. The report also shows how this pernicious campaign is playing out in other states, as well.

Michigan is home to nearly a quarter of the charter schools in the country and roughly 80% of our charter schools are run by for-profit businesses. What is their funding model? To funnel the taxes used for public education into their bank accounts. They do this by getting all sorts of breaks our traditional public schools do not get, including hiring non-unionized teachers.

ALEC, a corporate-funded group that produces a copious amount of model legislation for their corporatist legislative members to use in their state legislatures, has their on all of that sweet, sweet education money and their plans are playing out perfectly in Michigan.

Click through for much more.

Making connections for change The 2013 is underway and the energy in the Brody Hall Auditorium is high and fun. I’ve already had conversations with former Progress Michigan Executive Director David Holtz, outgoing ED Zack Pohl, radio host Tony Trupiano, Katie Oppenheim, Julia Smith-Heck, Elizabeth Pellerito and Elizabeth from the Michigan Nurses Association and others. Word has it that Democratic […]