An array of groups allied to defend Michigan’s “no-fault” system of auto insurance claims and payments for catastrophic injuries resulting from auto accidents has filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association. This quasi-public entity calculates the projected costs of paying for catastrophic care and levies an annual fee against auto insurers — which […]
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
Schuette may need big taxpayer bucks to get tougher on crime
Editor’s Note: This post, originally published at 8 a.m. on Jan. 26, was updated at 1 p.m. the same day, 10 minutes after Bridge received new estimates from the Michigan Department of Corrections. A summary of the original estimates provided by MDOC are in this updated post. “AG asks Michigan to spend big to get tougher […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Snyder shows farmers the love
Did anyone else notice the little linguistic trick Gov.Rick Snyder played in his State of the State Wednesday night? At one point, he started talking about unsung heroes of the economy and mentioned agricultural. He then said, “We are the second … I was sure he was forming a an all-too-familiar paean to the “second-largest […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Education conversations reach Traverse area
The Center for Michigan, Bridge Magazine’s parent and Michigan’s very own “citizenship company,” is engaged in a year-long series of community conversations on a vital topic to our state: the future of K-12 education. Modern lives are busy, especially so for parents, but I urge you to take the opportunity to join a community conversation […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“The wisest mind has something yet to learn” — George Santayana, philosopher. Gov. Rick Snyder and his staff said passage of so-called health exchange legislation to implement the federal Affordable Care Act is a top priority in 2012. Michigan appears to be a bit behind on this, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The White House says more than […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Citizen amnesia bedevils public schools
Margaret Trimer-Hartley*, who knows a thing or two about public education as the head of a Detroit charter school system, wrote the following on Facebook today in response to a Detroit News editorial on teacher quality: “New teachers MUST, MUST, MUST come to us with the ability to differentiate instruction for diverse learners. That is […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Budget numbers improve; does it matter?
On Friday, the financial experts in the legislative fiscal agencies and the Department of Treasury will meet to agree on a new snapshot of Michigan’s economic and fiscal situation — and the trend lines for the near future. Based on these early House and Senate releases, the news should be quite positive — if you […]
Posted inMichigan Government
The business of business is business
Rick Snyder campaigned primarily in 2010 on his credibility as a businessman. He wanted to fix, not fight; optimize, not antagonize. Snyder also campaigned, however, as someone interested in getting past labels and promoting shared solutions. He pledged to seek that often-sought, yet never-quite-reached bipartisanship. In Michigan, the political divide between Republicans and Democrats plays […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability” — Henry Ford. * Colleague Ron French directed my attention to this report on what is, in certain circles an old story now: […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Time to try Bernero's bank idea?
Banks being stingy with small business loans are choking off America’s economic recovery, argues blogger Matt Yglesias at his new home at slate.com. He is reporting on new research that purports to show that small businesses that just want to do business and need some bank money for investment have been hurt disproportionately during the […]