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 […]
Look! Up in the sky!
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 […]
Posted inMichigan Government
See how your hometown’s checkbook is holding up
Nearly a decade ago, as Michigan struggled through a massive recession, the state Department of Treasury began to look at how the tough times were affecting the bottom lines in city and village halls across the state. These fiscal scores and Treasury’s “fiscal watch list” quickly became a source of controversy as local leaders contested […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest commentary: Survey finds hostile political rhetoric erodes trust in government
By Tom Ivacko/Center for Local, State and Urban Policy Oakland County Executive Brooks Patterson uses a comb to make a comparison between House Speaker Jase Bolger and Adolph Hitler during a recent taping of WKAR’s “Off the Record” program. Tom Ivacko argues that a Michigan survey shows that hostile political rhetoric damages trust in government. […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest commentary: In Detroit, put the value of early learning to work for all children
By Katherine Foran/Excellent Schools Detroit (courtesy photo/Excellent Schools Detroit) “We are consumed by issues of remediation,” Dan Varner, CEO of Excellent Schools Detroit, observed. We struggle with costly “fixes,” targeting academic failure, high dropout rates, unemployment, low wages, higher substance abuse and incarceration rates, poorer health outcomes and diminished opportunities that too often spill over […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
*Michigan is in the national mainstream when it comes to the identity of its highest-paid public state employee. In about 40 states, that person is the coach of a collegiate football or men’s basketball team. TOP OF THE HEAP: Michigan State University men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo places Michigan among the vast majority of states […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Thousands of failed septic tanks threaten Michigan’s waters
Public health sanitarian Regina Young wasn’t sure what her staff would encounter when the Barry-Eaton District Health Department clamped down on failed septic systems in 2007. IT WENT WHERE?: More than 100,000 septic systems are estimated to be malfunctioning and polluting the surrounding environment. (Bridge photo illustration/A.J. Jones) They quickly discovered more problems than anyone […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan has nation’s weakest regulations on septic systems
A WORLD OF …: This riding lawnmower was swallowed by a pit created by a failed septic system in Midland County. The state estimates that 10 percent of septic systems in Michigan – more than 130,000 – have failed. (courtesy photo/xxxx) In 2004, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm unveiled a water protection plan that called for […]
Posted inMichigan Government
At Michiganology, using history to help preserve history
(courtesy image/Michiganology) Back in the 1950s, business leaders gathered to consider how best to promote Michigan as a great place to live, work and do business. From that idea sprang an event — Michigan Week — and an image to promote it: a little bird named “Chesty Robin.” Well, he’s back – with a name […]