Land O Links
"Education can counteract the natural tendency to do the wrong thing, but the inexorable succession of generations requires that the basis for this knowledge be constantly refreshed" -- Garrett Hardin, 20th century American conservationist.
* Michigan teachers are a nearly perfect bunch, says a new state evaluation. Education Trust-Midwest says that a review that finds more than 99 percent of teachers are effective or better is actually ominous news for schoolchildren:
http://bridgemi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/73387_ETI_WidgetEffect.pdf
* Fracking for natural gas as a green power source?:
* A film that garnered almost $4 million in Michigan film tax credits (under the state’s old film incentive system) tops the charts … for box office flops. Bridge reported recently on the changes to Michigan’s policy on attracting film productions.
http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/09/not_rushing_to_see_the_oogielo.html
* The New York Times profiles the Kalamazoo Promise. (Bridge reported on the Promise back in 2011.):
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/magazine/kalamazoo-mich-the-city-that-pays-for-college.html
* Citizenvestor is an online fundraising tool for projects to improve the public domain. In this particular case, the project is tree planting. Is this going to be the future of many public amenities in Michigan as local governments -- dealing with a balky state government and significant pension/health liabilities -- decide to draw back on services?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2012/09/14/citizenvestor_kickstarter_for_municipal_projects.html
* The housing bust in Michigan imposes costs in a variety of ways. Sylvan Township in Washtenaw County is now paying off loans for infrastructure it was forced to build due to a lawsuit by housing developers. Those developers went bust, but the infrastructure -- and loan bills -- remain:
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