Really, people, what the hell did you think you were going to get when you voted for a Republican? Some excellent analysis with lots of numbers and lists of Ann Arbor-area folks who contributed to Snyder’s campaign at A2Politico. I’m just sayin’…

I have been writing pretty intensively about the dismissal of the Benton Harbor City Commission by the Emergency Financial Manager, Joe Harris. Like many of you, I am incensed at this draconian step being taken, a disenfranchisement of the residents of Benton Harbor and an abridgement of what I think most of us understand as democracy. Taxation without representation is […]

I’ll give Rick Snyder credit. The dude displays a whole lotta chutzpah. He’s going to be the Grand Marshal at the Benton Harbor Grand Floral Festival next month Gov. Rick Snyder plans to take part in the 2011 Grand Floral Parade on May 7 as its grand marshal. Blossomtime Executive Director Sabrina LaSota said the governor’s office has confirmed his […]

We could all learn a little bit about negotiating from the Republicans, I suppose. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s proposed budget eliminates the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which helps the working poor, especially those with kids. In a dramatic concession, he’s agreed to give qualifying families $25 per child . This represents 5.8% of the EITC the average family would […]

Color me shocked! The Republicans are unhappy with the effort of Michigan Citizens United (webpage firericksnyder.org) to recall Republican Governor Rick Snyder. They are trying to characterize it as being entirely the effort of the Michigan Education Association, the teachers’ union in our state, based on the fact that an MEA fax number is erroneously listed in some of their […]

By now you have probably heard about Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s takeover of Benton Harbor, Michigan‘s government via his Emergency Financial Manager. As I said in my previous piece on this, while I understand the utter shambles that Benton Harbor was in, I also understand that there are systemic reasons for that in addition to malfeasance and mismanagement. A population […]

NOTE: I have an important update to this entry up titled “How Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is quietly & intentionally creating more Benton Harbors” that you may find of interest. NOTE 2: A second update is here: Benton Harbor Emergency Financial Mgr. gets right to work and shows how Harris is already at work, rejiggering two city development commissions. As […]

To say things are bad for teachers in Michigan is tragic understatement. Layoff notices are being issued around the state (per union contracts) for the coming school year. The most significant was announced this week: Detroit Public School teachers union members get pink slips Detroit Public Schools administrators have mailed layoff notices to the 5,466 members of the teachers union […]

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 […]

How on earth does an idiot like Ted Nugent get face time with the Governor of Michigan? “Michigan has so many opportunities that are not being utilized because of so many silly, illogical, antiscience regulations that represent a blockade to sportsmen,” Nugent said at the Capitol before meeting Snyder. He said Michigan should allow more bear-hunting licenses and stop trying […]

I frequently criticize the Michigan Dems for their approach and tactics but they scored a home run with this new ad/video called “Governor Snyder’s First Three Months on the Job”. I apologize to those with crappy innernetz connections or video-blocking firewalls. The video is essentially a montage of news reports about Snyder signing the Emergency Financial Manager bill into law, […]