By Melanie McElroy/Common Cause Michigan As Americans, we believe it is fundamental that each citizen must have a say in how he or she is governed. It is a right for which many have fought — and for which many continue to fight to preserve. But, as we head into a presidential election year, we […]
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
Tracking the consequences of Michigan's welfare experiment
More than 11,000 Michigan families were kicked off cash assistance last month in what amounted to a huge experiment in social welfare policy. No other state has removed so many families from welfare in such a short amount of time with so little notice. Bridge Magazine is collaborating with Michigan Radio in a year-long project […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Guest column: Snyder charts right course on roads
By James A. Jacob/Ajax Paving Cars swerving to miss potholes, bumper-to-bumper congestion, concrete falling from dangerous bridges and a lack of enhanced safety features such as broad shoulders along roadways create hazards for Michigan drivers. Michigan roads are notoriously known as some of the worst in the nation. A recent trucker survey ranked Michigan second-worst […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Snyder gets his changes; consequences unclear
Michigan won’t be reinvented in a day. Or a dog year. But as Gov. Rick Snyder concludes his first (human) year in office, the general course he defined as a candidate is coming into view as legislative markers are set. Eight years of partisan division and economic decline prompted public interest groups such as The […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Analysis: Michigan makes huge strides in 2011
By Phil Power/Center for Michigan and Doug Rothwell/Business Leaders for Michigan Michigan has much to be thankful for as this year comes to a close: Better managed state and local government, a brighter economic outlook and more efficient delivery of public services. Our state’s turnaround has begun, but in many ways the hardest work still lies […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Nelson invigorated by challenge of DHS caseloads
Cindy Nelson doesn’t take work home with her in the traditional sense, but it doesn’t mean that work — and the people and their tear-jerking stories that comprise it — just sits at the office waiting for her to return at 8 a.m. Even though she has been promoted from off the front line and into a […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Longer ballot means less power for voters
Gov. Rick Snyder signed bills today to require that local school board elections be held in the November general election of even-numbered years. This long sought change to the school election calendar will, advocates say, save cash-strapped local districts at least $8 million over a two-year election cycle. Saving money for schools = good. It […]
Posted inMichigan Government
DNR can't guess your age
The firearm hunting season is in full swing. And even though a new state law that removes a minimum age for children to hunt won’t be fully implemented until next spring, there’s reason to believe some youngsters are hunting this month who shouldn’t. That’s a conclusion drawn from a new Auditor General’s report on the […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Voters choose to tax themselves
A powerful trend in state government this year has been to take decisions that reduce the amount of money flowing to local governments; money that gets spent to provide all manner of services. Details, in fact, are still being worked out on another state decision to alter the state’s personal property tax, which will lead […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Recall election didn't resolve anything
By Peter Luke Gov. Rick Snyder’s campaign vow to change the political culture that governs Lansing suffered the same dismal fate as former Rep. Paul Scott this week. The Grand Blanc Republican surrendered his office Wednesday less than 12 hours after conceding that he’d been recalled by voters of the 51st House District by a […]