Land O Links
"Between falsehood and useless truth there is little difference. As gold which he cannot spend will make no man rich, so knowledge which cannot apply will make no man wise" -- Samuel Johnson, 18th century English author.
* The hospital in Cheboygan has filed for bankruptcy -- part of a process of being sold and operated by someone else. That's likely McClaren Health System. Notable parts of this story:
1. Cheboygan Memorial had a $7 million-plus operating loss in the last year alone.
2. With 403 employees, the hospital is the largest employer inCheboyganCounty.
I'm always surprised to find a health-care entity in financial trouble since health-care spending continues to rise, and for entirely reasonable reasons.
But providing health care isn't cheap, so folks living in sparsely populated areas can expect sparse offerings going forward. The Michigan Health and Hospital Association pointed me to this map of hospitals in the state. By my rough count, there are 30 hospitals (of various sizes and capabilities) north of the Clare line. What will that be in another 10 years?:
* If voters don't have to explain or justify their reasons to support a candidate, why does Michigan's recall system require voters to justify their reasons for wanting to vote again? This vetting process actually is a way for the existing political establishment to restrict recalls. From the state's explanation of the process: "The reasons for the recall developed by the recall petition sponsor must be submitted for a clarity determination before the recall petition is placed in circulation. The clarity determination is rendered by the County Election Commission established in the county where the officer resides. The County Clerk, County Treasurer and Chief Judge of Probate serve on the County Election Commission."
Let's see, some locally elected officials decide whether voters can have a recall vote on another elected official. There could not possibly be a conflict of interest there:
* A group for "emerging leaders" in Otsego County(population 24,164) is forming. I particularly like one of their four main organizing principles: "Changing the outlook that many people have because they are not involved and feel like there is nothing to do":
http://www.petoskeynews.com/gaylord/news/ght-n-youngpros-030312,0,1837426.story
* Here's a broadcast report on another young professionals group, this one out ofTraverse City:
http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/story.aspx?list=~%5Chome%5Clists%5Csearch&id=726056
See what new members are saying about why they donated to Bridge Michigan:
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