The Grand Rapids region continues to surge ahead, adding jobs (if not high wages) across a wide area. Can its success be exported to the rest of Michigan
Mike Wilkinson
Mike has been a reporter for Bridge Michigan since 2013 and focuses on data-assisted reporting, often finding stories by analyzing maps and data sets and has created Bridge's dashboards on COVID-19, the state's economy and Michigan's elections. He held similar positions at The Detroit News and The Blade of Toledo. A native of Michigan, Mike grew up in Macomb County, graduated from the University of Michigan and started his reporting career in New Baltimore before his career took him to Illinois, Tennessee and Ohio. You can reach him at mwilkinson@bridgemi.com
Posted inMichigan Government
City dwellers came for the tax breaks. Will they stay when breaks expire?
Cities like Detroit, Grand Rapids and Muskegon lured young professionals to struggling neighborhoods with tax breaks that allowed them to pay a pittance in taxes for beautiful homes or condos. Should those breaks be extended?
Posted inMichigan Government
Revenue tools help Toledo survive through tough times
What Michigan can learn from this Ohio border city, which manages to balance its budget and keep cops on the street despite budget challenges
Posted inMichigan Government
Fewer cops, abandoned parks, and why more cities will crumble unless Michigan changes
When cities lose 2,300 police officers, it’s time for Michigan to look in the mirror.
Posted inMichigan Government
Not so fast: A bill to raise state speed limits veers off track
A measure to raise speed limits on Michigan highways is intended to align speed laws with how fast people actually drive. It’s not working out that way.
Posted inTalent & Education
How school districts sell funding projects across Michigan
On Tuesday, residents in more than two dozen districts will vote on whether to pay for construction, technology or other projects. If history holds, half will fail. Here’s what successful Michigan districts do right.
Posted inMichigan Government
Flint report offers damning verdict on state emergency manager law
In a blunt report putting the blame for Flint’s water crisis squarely on state government, a task force finds that Michigan gives too much power to emergency managers and not enough voice to local residents in distressed communities
Posted inMichigan Government
Flint’s switch to river water left residents holding the tab
Beset by financial woes, Flint’s state-appointed leaders kept charging high rates to the city’s impoverished residents even though the switch to the Flint River sharply reduced city expenses
Posted inMichigan Government
Flint’s legacy may include dramatic expansion of public records law
Questions about the state’s bungled response to Flint’s water crisis have led to a bipartisan push to make the governor’s office and legislature subject to the state’s public records law. Michigan now ranks at the bottom for government transparency.
Posted inTalent & Education
Academic State Champs: How to make sense of your school’s M-STEP scores
Last year, Michigan replaced its longstanding MEAP standardized test with a new assessment aligned with the Common Core. Bridge’s Academic State Champs analysis allows you to compare your school with peer schools across the state.