The Legislature opened its 2012 “lame duck” session this week. Where’s that phrase come from, anyway? Well, it was first used as a down-on-his-luck stockbroker, since an injured duck who cannot keep up with the flock is an easy target for predators. In the political world, lame ducks are something else again: Officeholders who were […]
Phil Power
Former newspaper publisher and University of Michigan Regent Phil Power is a longtime observer of Michigan politics and economics. He is also the founder and former chairman of the Center for Michigan which publishes Bridge Michigan and BridgeDetroit.
Posted inPhil's Column
Michigan citizens can help nation avoid ‘cliff’
Now that the election is finally over, the national news these days is dominated by the specter of the coming fiscal cliff. So here is a “Michigan Citizens’ Survival Guide to Navigating the Cliff, Understanding it and, Hopefully, Surviving.” What the fiscal cliff means to Michigan: Perhaps the biggest event of the decade will start […]
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After election, before Thanksgiving, a cheer for democracy
“Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” – […]
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Lessons for the day: Voters show wisdom; Snyder gains
It was a close election, one with many cross currents surging under the surface vote count. In the aftermath, everybody will be asking “who won and who lost?” More important is looking into what the wins and the losses really mean. I suggest these takeaways: * Michigan voters continue to be plenty sane and sensible. Despite $150 […]
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Center for Michigan arms voters with info for Election 2012
This election is unlike any in my memory – that goes back a long way, since I’m 74. In addition to candidates for the state House of Representatives, justices of the state Supreme Court and various other local issues, there are six proposals on the ballot, five to amend the constitution and one a referendum […]
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McGovern’s political legacy turns sour
Last week’s news that George McGovern, the longtime South Dakota senator and presidential candidate had died triggered a flash of memories going back to the terrible summer of 1968. I was pulled back to memories of the war in Vietnam, political turmoil, violent street protest, assassinations. Although I admired President Lyndon Johnson in many ways, […]
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Reserve constitutional changes for serious matters; reject Props 2-6
I urge statewide voters to make a forthright statement at the polls on Nov. 6 that the Michigan Constitution is not for sale. Voting no on Proposals 2 through 6 stops special interest groups from hijacking the constitution, which is the state’s basic governing document. None of the matters addressed by these amendments belongs in […]
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Ban on per-signature fees can help rescue our Michigan Constitution
While giving a speech last week, I asked the audience some questions: “How many have seen TV ads on any of the six ballot proposals?” Every hand in the room went up. “How many like the ads?” Not one hand was raised. “How many have had your minds changed by the ads?” Again, not a […]
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The glorious beauty of Michigan in fall
The fish jumped, twice, each landing shattering the glassy calm of the lake into thousands of brightly colored shards of light. To the north, where the ground is high and rocky, the maples are blazing red and molten gold. And to the west, where swamp gradually turns to a pitched hill, the yellow-green of the […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Encourage lawmakers to take action on preschool funding gaps
For the first time in years, the door to far-reaching school reform in Michigan is gradually creaking open. But will it stay open? Over the past two weeks, Bridge, the Center for Michigan’s online magazine, has been running a series on early childhood learning programs — something virtually all experts and educators call the essential […]