If Thanksgiving cooking is so daunting that a poultry producer can set up a 1-800 help line, what advice dedicated to social interaction on the holiday might be helpful? Marci Raver, an Ann Arbor etiquette expert, admits it’s a tough one: “I’ve found that it is very tricky to drink just enough wine” that one […]
Attack or stand down?
Posted inGuest Commentary
Officeholders and nonprofit corporations: A toxic mix
Michigan’s citizens are tired of the divisive political culture in Lansing. Midnight deals, closed doors meetings, lobbyists, and special interest influence have stood in the way of long-term solutions. As Governor, I will ensure that government is open, fair, and accountable to the citizens by making Michigan a national leader in transparency and ethics. – […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Measuring the losses and gains of a terrible November night
Thanksgiving week is a time to remember, to reflect, to give thanks. Last Friday marked the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. When it happened I was a student at Oxford University in England. For me and for many others, the events of that day are frozen in my memory: cold, still, horrible. […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
We'll thank you, retailers, to leave Thanksgiving alone
TIME TO SHOP: The relaxed postprandial Thanksgiving is slowly yielding to retail madness. (Photo by Flickr user Rene Schwietzke; used under Creative Commons license) The problem with Thanksgiving Day has always boiled down to this: How do you commercially exploit a holiday that celebrates gratitude? What’s the trick for getting people counting their blessings to […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Time to be thankful for farmers' husbandry of Michigan water
FRUITS OF FARMING: Michigan celebrates its agricultural richness in sculpture in Ludington, alongside what makes it possible – abundant freshwater. (Photo by Flickr user Michigan Municipal League; used under Creative Commons license) This is a bit of a different take on a Thanksgiving column. While I appreciate the writers who inspire us to pause, reflect […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
State neglect has worsened communities' legacy-cost crisis
Jacqueline Noonan is mayor of Utica and president of the Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees. Bridge Magazine’s recent series examining unfunded municipal pension and health care costs was indeed “fairly terrifying,” as one of the stories concluded. But also terrifying are four directly related issues that went largely uncovered by the stories. First, the […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Out-of-state banks rule in Michigan
Gov. Jennifer Granholm got a surprise phone call at home from Ralph Babb on a late-winter Sunday night in 2007. Babb, the CEO of Comerica Bank, stunned Granholm with news that Comerica would announce the next day that it was moving its headquarters from Detroit to Dallas. The relocation would involve only about 200 jobs, […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan’s Biggest Banks
Out-of-state banks now dominate the state, with only two Michigan-based banks among the top 12. The list below is from the Michigan Bankers Association, as of June 30. Bank nameState HQMI branchesDeposits (in billions)MI market share (by deposit)JP Morgan Chase Bank, NAOH305$3218.93%Comerica BankTX216$24.814.70%PNC Bank, NADE232$14.98.81%Bank of America, NANC193$13.78.13%Fifth Third BankOH249$137.67%Huntington National BankOH171$7.84.60%Flagstar Bank, FSBMI111$7.74.55%FirstMerit Bank, […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan still has a long climb back to prosperity
Governor Rick Snyder’s Michigan Dashboard and the Business Leaders for Michigan’s Economic Competitiveness Benchmarking Report both look at a wide range of factors to measure progress in our state. I want to look at the two big ‘elephants in the room” – income and educational attainment. We’re hurting in both respects. The climb back to […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Strong leaders, strong school
What happens to great ideas a few years after they’re hatched? That question was on my mind last week when I drove to Detroit last week to visit University Preparatory Academy, the public charter launched back in 2000 by my old friend, Doug Ross. Ross, a former state senator, Michigan Department of Commerce director, and […]
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