The citizenship check box that many voters saw on Michigan voting forms for the first time in the August primary resulted in confusion and controversy. Election workers weren’t sure whether voters were required to fill it out. In some cases, noncompliant voters were turned away. So were a couple of noncitizens preparing to cast ballots, […]
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
Anti-Prop 5 ad gets 'no foul' from Michigan Truth Squad
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: “Vote No on Proposal 5” Who: Defend Michigan Democracy, anti-Proposal 5 group What: radio ad, Internet/TV ad Truth Squad call: No foul Proposal 5 would add a constitutional amendment that would require any increase in statewide taxes – new taxes, expanding tax bases, or rising tax rates – be approved by […]
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Pro-Prop 5 campaign earns flagrant foul from Truth Squad
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: “You Decide”, “Collision Course”, “Enough Spending” and “Not Rocket Science” Who: Michigan Alliance for Prosperity, Pro-Proposal 5 group What: Radio ads Truth Squad call: Flagrant foul The radio ads back Proposal 5, a Nov. 6 ballot proposal to add a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature for any […]
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Bad employee claim earns anti-Prop 2 ad an foul from Truth Squad
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: “Real Harm,” “Dangerous” and “Our Jobs” Who: Protect Michigan Taxpayers, Hands Off Our Constitution What: TV/Web ads Truth Squad call: Foul Proposal 2, which would put collective-bargaining rights for public-sector workers in the Michigan Constitution, is one of the hardest-fought races of this election cycle. The nonpartisan Citizens Research Council calls […]
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Truth Squad calls foul on pro-Prop 2 attack on Schuette
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: “PTA” and “Yes on Prop 2” Who: Protect Working Families, pro-Proposal 2 group What: Internet/TV ads Truth Squad call: Foul The battle will likely continue down to the wire over Proposal 2, which would put collective-bargaining rights for public-sector workers in the Michigan Constitution, as well as keep the Legislature from […]
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Republican Party gets foul in House 91 race, Truth Squad rules
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: House 91 (Collene Lamonte vs. Holly Hughes) Who: Michigan Republican Party, Committee to Elect Collene Lamonte, Friends of Holly Hughes What: Mailers, website, video Truth Squad calls: Foul on Republican mailer; No foul on other materials “Taxpayer pockets are already feeling a little light.” (GOP mailer) Questionable statement: “Lamonte says she […]
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Truth Squad calls foul on pro-Proposal 4 ad
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: “Veterans” Who: Citizens for Affordable Quality Home Care, pro-Proposal 4 ballot group What: TV/Web ad Truth Squad call: Foul Proposal 4, which would amend the state constitution to create the Michigan Quality Home Care Council, and allow home health-care workers limited collective-bargaining rights. As reported previously by MTS: “A recent Citizens […]
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Big changes afoot for state outdoors fund?
Southern Michigan cities struggling to operate parks and recreational facilities may soon receive a windfall from an unlikely source: the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. The fund was established in 1976 to buy land for natural resource protection and public outdoor recreation. Funding comes from royalties paid by companies that drill for oil and gas […]
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Trust Fund's dollars have earned friends across Michigan
ST. IGNACE — It wasn’t long ago that Chief Wawatam Park in downtown St. Ignace was an industrial wasteland, a relic of an era when ferries carried rail cars across the Straits of Mackinac. The park, named after an Ojibwa chief who visited the area in the 1700s, was … unsightly. Today, the refurbished site […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Parking lots, restrooms get natural resources dollars
The Natural Resources Trust Fund has played a major role in making Michigan a national leader in outdoor recreation, but the program also has provided millions of dollars for such less than natural things as parking lots, restrooms and playgrounds. State records show the Trust Fund, over the past 36 years, has provided funding for […]