Shelly Pinkelman lives in an area that could fairly be described as paradise for an outdoor enthusiast. She can see the Manistee River from her Grayling home and her property in Crawford County abuts thousands of acres of state land where she can ride horses, hike, cross-country ski or ride all-terrain vehicles anytime she wants, […]
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
U.P. landowners give mixed reviews on land cap
In the wake of the decision by the Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder to cap land purchases by the Department of Natural Resources, Bridge contributor Christie Bleck interviewed some residents of the Upper Peninsula — where state ownership of land is quite high — to get their take: * “I do not want the change […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Truth Squad issues warning on ad from 'protectors' of taxpayers
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: “MI Way” Who: Protecting Michigan Taxpayers What: Internet ad Truth Squad call: Warning While the ad does not explicitly mention the ballot measure in question, it is clearly aimed at the Protect Our Jobs amendment, backed by a variety of labor interests. That amendment’s spot on the November ballot remains in […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Voters sign off on 90 percent of millage requests
Voters across Michigan are familiar with the routine ends of property tax millage requests – road repairs, libraries, schools. But millages manage mosquitoes, too. Sims Township, in Arenac County across Saginaw Bay from the Thumb, was one of hundreds of municipalities that requested a millage renewal for public services in last week’s primary. In Sims’ […]
Posted inMichigan Government
How did millages fare in your hometown?
The 80 percent of registered voters who declined to vote in the Aug. 7 primary likely missed out on at least one measure that affected their tax bills. A Bridge analysis of clerk office and media reports found hundreds of property tax millage questions on the Aug. 7 ballot. Nearly 90 percent of those requests […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Democrats commit foul with Penn St./Supreme Court link, Truth Squad rules
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: “Extreme Supreme Court Endangers Our Children” Who: Michigan Democratic Party What: Internet ad Truth Squad call: Foul Questionable statement: “The Penn State scandal was a tragedy that didn’t have to happen. Lives were destroyed because top university officials covered up the abuse for years. Child abuse victims deserve their day in […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Taxpayers on hook for 'captures' gone wrong
They collect taxes. They borrow money. They pay interest on their loans. They spend money on public improvements to entice businesses to locate in specific areas. And they may have the most bureaucratic of names ever coined: tax increment financing authorities. In Michigan’s capital city, a TIFA allowed the city to bulldoze porn shops, build […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Truth Squad calls foul on campaign doc opposing Snyder-backed bridge
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: People Should Decide mailer Who: The People Should Decide What: Mailer Truth Squad Call: Foul Questionable statement: “Snyder’s bridge. Not free. Not even close.” The flier is the latest salvo in a fierce political fight over a proposal to build a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor. The campaign document is […]
Posted inMichigan Government
More details emerge on Schmidt-Bolger election scheme
Call it the story that won’t go away. The Michigan political world was surprised this May when a long-time Democrat, state Rep. Roy Schmidt of Grand Rapids, changed his party affiliation in the last minutes of the filing period for re-election to his House seat. The circumstances of that change brought to the public’s attention […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Senate poised to tweak teacher retirement plan; major shift deferred in face of cost estimates
When the Legislature reconvenes tomorrow, the question of what to do about the Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System – or MPSERS – may get a clear answer from the Senate. After failing to approve a House of Representatives reform plan on repeated occasions, or coalesce around their own change, the Senate appears ready to […]