Close races, marijuana referendums, a southeast Michigan mass transit tax proposal and a statewide business tax issue highlight the Aug. 5 ballot.
A primer for a primary with national themes
Posted inGuest Commentary
Feeding children’s brains from birth
Michigan children are in the bottom tier of states nationally in education. Investing in high-quality childcare and parental education will help the poorest children catch up.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Detroit fire union drops 50-year battle to keep seniority-only promotions
The DFD’s current system is 128 years old and resisted change for decades, but bankruptcy was able to overturn what the city’s mayors couldn’t.
Posted inMichigan Government
Obamacare giveth, but courts could taketh away
A federal court case could set the stage for the repeal of Obamacare tax credits, and drastically raise health-care costs for 250,000 Michigan residents. A final decision is likely a year away.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Michigan could lead on making voting easier, but no movement in Lansing
Why is turnout so low in non-presidential elections? Some simple reforms could make it easier to cast a ballot, and make the state’s voter participation close the gap with registration.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Anti-panhandling ordinances should offend our moral conscience
Beggars are unsightly and discomfiting, but we’re called to help them, not shove them out of sight and out of mind.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
How about a cease-fire for Michigan pyrotechnics?
Three years of relaxed fireworks restrictions have sowed bad blood between neighbors, terrorized pets and set city leaders fuming. Is freedom worth it?
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Visit a few gems on the sunset side before summer sets
A national travel guide spills the beans on its top 10 travel guides, and guess which state made No. 1? A native makes some trip suggestions.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Can Detroit pay its bills after bankruptcy?
High taxes, low wages, yet the City of Detroit still drowns in debt. Here’s why the city faces long odds even after shedding bankruptcy debt.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Giving Detroiters a tax break
Bankruptcy could offer an opportunity to trim taxes for the city’s beleaguered residents, who pay some of the highest income, utility and property taxes in the state.