“What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child” — George Bernard Shaw, British playwright * Starting July 1, the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association fee, levied to cover medical costs from auto accidents as part ofMichigan’s auto no-fault insurance regime, will go up $30, to […]
Derek Melot
Derek Melot is a former assistant editorial page editor, columnist and reporter at the Lansing State Journal, where he covered state and local issues extensively, earning awards from the Associated Press and Michigan Press Association. The Oklahoma native moved to Michigan in 1999, and served as Bridge editor through mid-2013.
Posted inMichigan Government
Senate panel backs prison cuts
A month ago, CFM President John Bebow urged the Senate subcommittee overseeing prison spending to take pruning shears to the governor’s proposal for 2013 to spend about $2 billion on the Michigan Department of Corrections. “(C)ontinued re-engineering of the prison system in Michigan is another chapter in the theme of Reinventing Michigan,” Bebow told the […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason” — Immanuel Kant, 18th century German philosopher. * Foreign Policy has an analysis of five trends that threaten recovery in advanced economies around the world, including our own. One of the five is […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Local govn'ts say union relations are fine
There’s been plenty of speculation about the prospects for, and motivation behind, Right Work legislation in Michigan. Why a big puswh on unionization rules since those rates have been dropping for years? And it can’t pass unnoticed that the Right to Work effort does not have the heads of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors standing at […]
Posted inMichigan Government
'Issues & Ale' tackles emergency manager law
Do you like beer? Do you care about state policy? Well, come enjoy both at the next “Issues & Ale” event in Flint next Monday (March 26). Co-sponsored by the Center for Michigan (Bridge’s parent organization) and Michigan Radio, “Issues & Ale” is a continuing series of public forums to illuminate key issues before […]
Posted inMichigan Government
That's your government. You can't look in there.
A legal battle over who will run the city of Flint has centered on the provisions of the rewrite of the state’s emergency manager law — PA4. But an alarming side note was sounded in the fight this week — an idea that could weaken public oversight of government statewide. According to Gongwer News Service […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“A man’s errors are his portals of discovery” — Irish author James Joyce. * You will be hearing a great deal in coming weeks and months about “Mip-sers” — the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, at its blog, gives a good run-down of how school districts are being […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“I have tried to know absolutely nothing about a great many things, and I have succeeded fairly well” — Robert Benchley, American humorist and newspaper columnist. * Bob Jones, who consults with educational institutions and others on public policy, ran through the latest unemployment data. His messages: If you’ve been jobless a long time, you […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“The old believe everything; the middle aged suspect everything, the young know everything” — Oscar Wilde. * It’s March Madness, so everyone’s trying to figure out how to use the temporary obsession with brackets to convey interesting or amusing information. WARNING: At this point, Michigan State University alumni and fans should stop reading. At the […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Rick Snyder, Bill Clinton, discuss
Reading over Gov. Rick Snyder’s special message on public safety, I was struck by its rather Clintonian tone in a number of areas. I know those are fighting words to certain folks, but I make note of this not to spark a conflict, but to attract attention to the ongoing political ferment in Republican circles […]