By Doug Rothwell/Business Leaders for Michigan Business Leaders for Michigan supports continued use of the Common Core State Standards in Michigan, writes Doug Rothwell. (courtesy image/used under Creative Commons license) This year, Michigan public schools began using the kind of high-quality content standards that our kids need to be competitive in the 21st century. Used […]
Guest commentary: Keep world-class standards for Michigan learners
Posted inMichigan Government
Best, worst of Michigan communities’ fiscal ratings
(courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) David Hollister knows a bit about how public budgets work. He served as mayor of Lansing for a decade. Before that, he served two decades in the Michigan House, representing Lansing. And he says, “We need to recalculate how urban centers are funded.” A Munetrix review of data from […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Kalamazoo, Muskegon make tough calls, rise in fiscal ratings
Muskegon has made major cuts in public spending in recent years. And the city’s fiscal stress score looks much better in a recent analysis by Munetrix. (Bridge archive photo) A gritty, blue-collar city on Lake Michigan, Muskegon faces headwinds similar to many Michigan communities: factory closings, job losses, an eroding tax base. But in the […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Stressed cities hear little sympathy from State Capitol
DISCUSSION CLOSED: Republican leaders who run the State Capitol have rebuffed appeals from local governments to boost the flow of tax dollars from the state. Will last week’s announcement of nearly $500 million in “new” revenue change the debate? (Bridge archive photo) Michigan cities expecting a helping hand from Lansing as they dig out of […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Technology is altering how we learn, think and live – and not necessarily for the better
LIFE THROUGH A LENS: Our increasing dependence on technology to relate to the world around us does not come without costs to ourselves, our families, our nation, writes Conor Dugan. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) I recently had the pleasure of attending a performance of the musical “Annie Jr.” at my daughter’s school. It […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Michigan’s detours into social issues won’t help attract young talent
KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER: Millennials appreciate Michigan’s place-making efforts, writers Natalie Burg, but the state won’t have much success selling itself to young talent with outdated attitudes on social issues such as gay marriage. (courtesy photo) I was pretty proud of myself upon landing my first grownup-person job several years ago. It came with such new-to-me […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Three reasons why you should want to know your hometown’s fiscal score
Eric Lupher is director of local affairs for the Citizens Research Council of Michgan, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group. Those of us who have been around for a while remember the opening of each “M*A*S*H” episode, with the doctors and nurses rushing to the incoming helicopters to retrieve and assess the newly injured soldiers. In […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Look! Up in the sky!
It’s that time of year again when you see folks wandering around in the woods or in fields, or even parked haphazardly along the road, staring up at the sky. Serious birders know that Michigan is a treasure trove of avian species, especially during spring migration. For a couple of bucks, you can install a feeder or […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Sewer overflows declining, but heavy rains still push sewage into streams
APRIL SHOWERS BRING …: Torrential rains across Michigan overwhelmed sewer systems, leading to the release of more than 1 billion gallons of tainted water into lakes and streams. (courtesy photo) Billions of gallons of raw and partially treated sewage are still fouling the state’s rivers, lakes and streams, despite years of work by state and […]
Posted inMichigan Government
New rankings find fiscal troubles for city halls across Michigan
TROUBLE AHEAD: An analysis by Munetrix found that dozens of Michigan communities were in troubling financial shape in 2011, with 2012 data still to be filed. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) While the financial problems of Detroit have captured the headlines this spring, a new analysis released today on government finance finds that […]