Gov. Rick Snyder and his team are eying Michigan’s antiquated liquor control regulations. The governor appointed an advisory panel to study streamlining regulations to make them more business-friendly. He appointed a new head of the Liquor Control Commission from the Michigan Restaurant Association — a business advocacy group. The pieces are moving into place for […]
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
“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information on it” — Samuel Johnson, 18th-century English author. * The jury’s still out on whether Gov. Rick Snyder’s approach to renewable energy will be better than his predecessor’s: http://mlui.org/landwater/fullarticle.asp?fileid=17517 * Where it is dangerous to be a […]
Posted inMichigan Government
No grass-roots for govn't consolidation
Last week, I drew attention to a memo from Eric Scorsone regarding the potential cost savings from consolidating local governments and services. My takeaway from the memo was that consolidation is not the big kahuna if your goal is simply to save money. The issue is far too nuanced for one single policy change to […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Michigan poised for better days
The idea that no one would ever think of moving to Michigan because our economy is an utter wreck has, sadly, seeped into the pores of our body politic. It’s almost beyond debate now that we can’t sell Michigan to those who don’t live here. I’m still not buying the argument. And my reasons rest […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Convinced myself, I seek not to convince” — renowned optimist Edgar Allan Poe. * Matt Yglesias is a fascinating blogger — he engages a wide variety of issues with energy, intelligence and humility. When he doesn’t know much about a subject, he admits it and tries to point his readers to better sources. A recurring […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Consolidation seems simple enough
One of the great challenges in good governance is the paradox that seemingly obvious solutions may not be solutions at all. Such is the case with the oft-repeated desire to streamline Michigan’s plethora of local governments and their functions. The human mind sees Michigan’s 2,300-odd units of local government and instinctively knows that some pruning […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Moroun family gets busy
We’re all familiar with the secret ballot in our democratic republic. Now, Michigan apparently has secret lobbying. The Michigan Campaign Finance Network reported today that it found $4.7 million in broadcast ad spending by the Detroit International Bridge Co. so far in 2011 — and none of it has been reported as lobbying. The ad […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us. The free mind is not a barking dog, to be tethered on a ten-foot chain” — Adlai E. Stevenson Jr., two-time Democratic presidential nominee and a governor of Illinois. * The invaluable Michigan Campaign Finance Network, […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Legislature, check your residency work
One of the more ill-advised things the Legislature and Gov. John Engler did back in the 1990s was to impose their “wisdom” on Michigan communities that made residency requirements for certain public servants. The Legislature decided that for the city of Detroit to require police officers to live in Detroit was unacceptable, for example. They […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Health costs decide health of Mich.
“Higher doctor fees drive U.S. health care costs, report finds” Well, no surprise there. And no, I’m not saying doctors should work for free or for a pittance. The story behind the story on this is why there’s such a fee differential between the U.S. and the rest of the Western nations. This story is […]