We all remember the dumb things we did behind the wheels as teens. And parents can regale any cocktail party with stories of what their teenagers are doing behind the wheel today. So, I doubt there will be much opposition to Senate Bill 756, Sen. Howard Walker’s bid to change the traffic code to bar […]
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 inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Between falsehood and useless truth there is little difference. As gold which he cannot spend will make no man rich, so knowledge which cannot apply will make no man wise” — Samuel Johnson, 18th century English author. * The hospital in Cheboygan has filed for bankruptcy — part of a process of being sold and […]
Posted inMichigan Government
The people who want to serve
The Michigan State University Political Leadership Program selects interested citizens for training in how to help their neighbors as public servants. It’s a highly successful endeavor. For example, the PLP reports that around half of its graduates are serving or have served in elective or appointed positions around the state. The PLP just announced its […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Dollars many; delegates few
CFM Chairman Phil Power was riffing today in his weekly column about the growing role of big-bucks contributors on the campaign process. The boss is not going to like the latest news out of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network: “First quarter television advertising in Michigan related to the 2012 presidential election stands at $7.6 million. […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers” — Alfred Lord Tennyson, 19th century English poet * What’s going on inFinland? The Center forMichigan is engaged in a statewide round of community conversations on how to improve K-12 education. Our outreach coordinator, Courtney Thompson, tells us that in sessions so far, one nation keeps cropping up for praise: […]
Posted inMichigan Government
On Medicaid, nursing homes — and your home
There may not be a government program as misunderstood as Medicaid. The program’s name has become synonymous with government spending and with a certain connotation on “welfare” — good money going to people making bad decisions. The facts about Medicaid are far different. In large measure, Medicaid is actually a middle-class entitlement program. So why […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Truth Squad tackles presidential primary ads
Leading up to what could prove a pivotal Michigan Republican presidential primary, the Michigan Truth Squad, another project of the Center for Michigan, is hard at work assessing the claims in various campaign ads and materials from the leading candidates and their political allies. See what fouls have been called on the bids by Mitt […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Knowledge … shall always bear witness like a clarion to its creator” — Leonardo Da Vinci. * The Michigan Campaign Finance Network reports a record year for lobbyist spending inLansingin 2011. The $35.3 million spent is more than the state general fund budget this year for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs ($33 million): […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Good for GM, good for social conservatives
General Motors says it had a record annual profit in 2011 of $7.6 billion, up 62 percent from the previous year. Since we are hip deep in a political campaign, it seems reasonable to ask: Who gets the credit for it? In practical terms, GM’s improvement benefits anyone who now holds political office in Lansing […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Biz leaders make prison-higher ed connection
Business Leaders for Michigan, a group formerly known as Detroit Renaissance, is a major player in how state policy is shaped in Lansing these days. So when it takes a stance, it’s advisable to pay attention. And BLM on Wednesday made an important statement about prison costs — in its bid to reinvent the state’s […]