With scant public notice, Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation in June aimed at better management of Michigan forests. Embedded in the package of nine bills is a provision that adds one more benefit to state farmers, who already enjoy state tax breaks that exceed $300 million a year. That sounds like a bargain when paired […]
Tax breaks are a bounty crop for Michigan farms
Posted inTalent & Education
Old Mission postcard: land protection taxes benefit farmers – and neighbors
The purchase of development rights on Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse County has spared thousands of acres of agricultural land. (Photo by Aaron Tackett – Always Aperture Photography) In a land with vistas that put a postcard to shame, residents of Old Mission Peninsula have twice voted to tax themselves so that cherry orchards […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Thumbs Up: Region leads Michigan in farm subsidies
At the tip of Michigan’s Thumb, Huron County is perhaps best known for miles of shoreline that wind along Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron and thousands of acres of fertile and flat farmland. Farmers cultivate everything from corn to navy beans to sugar beets and raise dairy cattle and chickens, ranking third in the state […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Secret money in judicial campaigns is a scandal
How would you feel if you had a case in court — and suddenly realized that the judge’s campaign for office had been generously and secretly backed by the party opposing your lawsuit? “Shocked, outraged and mad as hell” is probably an understatement!Well, now for the really shocking part. In Michigan that can actually happen. […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
A millennial looks forward to Obamacare, and wishes legislators would, too
WHAT ABOUT US? Women protest at the U.S. Supreme Court during arguments over the Affordable Care Act in March 2012. (Photo by Flickr user Tabitha Hawk; used under Creative Commons license) About eight months ago, I called my heath insurance provider to gather information about adding maternity coverage I might need at some point (At […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
A year after the big move, Grand Rapids is still the place to be
WHEN PIGS FLY? Events like Art Prize have given Grand Rapids a big-city feel that welcomes a native son – and former bigger-city boy – home. (Photo by Flickr user HarrisinMI; used under Creative Commons license) Just over a year ago, my wife and I moved our family back to Grand Rapids after nearly a […]
Posted inSpecial report
Michigan fails students with poor teacher prep
Julie Western looks through a stack of resumes for teacher openings at Croswell-Lexington school district. (Photo by Ron French) Julie Western slaps a stack of resumes on the desk of Superintendent Kevin Miller. Croswell-Lexington, a rural school district in the thumb, posted a single teacher opening on their website. A week later, they’re swamped with […]
Posted inSpecial report
Teaching in Windsor: A few miles away, a world apart
Kristen and Eric Wideen have taught in Michigan and Ontario, and believe Michigan’s lower student test scores are linked to the state’s teacher training system. (Photo by Ron French) Eric and Kristen Wideen are among a small number of teachers who’ve led classrooms on both sides of the Ambassador Bridge, and the differences run far deeper […]
Posted inQuality of Life
As the middle class morphs, so does the idea of marriage
FIRST COMES MARRIAGE? Keith and Emelia Stark were middle class before they got married, and are likely to stay there. But can marriage elevate less economically secure couples into the middle class? Experts aren’t so sure. (Courtesy photo) Keith and Emelia Stark admit their marriage isn’t a typical one – Keith has 19 years on […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Middle class shifts challenge traditional service clubs
They’ve been a fixture of city-limit signs for generations: Under the one that welcomes you to the community, two or three service-club logos and exhortations to join the Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions or Jaycees at their regular breakfast or lunch meetings. Service clubs are many things, but exclusive isn’t one of them. Once the barriers to […]