After disclosure of government incompetence in Flint, there were passionate calls for Michigan to join 48 other states in making the governor and legislature subject to the state’s public records laws. But House and Senate leaders remain reluctant.
Michigan Government
Citizens cannot do their job of running their government if they don’t know what their public servants are doing.
Posted inMichigan Government
Welcome to Pennsylvania, where cash-poor cities work together with state emergency managers.
In Part 2, Bridge shows how Pennsylvania and Ohio are taking a different approach to keeping their cities stron
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
Database: How many cops has your town lost?
Plenty of Michigan towns and cities lost 30, 40 or even 50 percent of its police force in the past decade
Posted inMichigan Government
In Wayne, passing the hat for a fire hose
Out of money, the city of Wayne depends on public generosity to maintain public safety. Is this any way to run a government
Posted inMichigan Government
In Battle Creek, a starving Cereal City
The “breakfast capital of the world” is having its lunch eaten by a fraying municipal infrastructure.
Posted inMichigan Government
In Saginaw, parks and wreck
Saginaw’s recreation department was eliminated following cuts to state revenue sharing money, which used to be the city’s biggest funding sourc
Posted inMichigan Government
Not waiting for government, philanthropy steps up to help Flint
In an echo of Detroit’s “grand bargain,” 10 Michigan foundations, led by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, are combining to inject up to $125 million into Flint’s recovery.
Posted inMichigan Government
Are tampons as essential as toilet paper? Menstruation goes mainstream
The Michigan Legislature has yet to hold hearings on a measure that would require that tampons be provided free in public schools and state buildings. Other bills would exempt menstrual products from the state sales tax