* Michigan State University professor David Arsen whips out the v-word in an open letter to Gov. Rick Snyder about his school ideas: “The Oxford funding proposal and HB 5923 represent a truly dramatic strategy to shift the provision of Michigan’s educational services outside locally-governed school districts. They would establish the closest approximation to a universal […]
Land O Links
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Three-point investment plan will get Michigan moving
By Doug Rothwell/Business Leaders for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed budget for 2014 offers new promise for Michigan. Now that our fiscal house is in order, thanks to an eradication of old accounting gimmicks and heavy debt obligations, our state is positioned to make good choices about its future investments. The options we pursue today […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Facts you might not know about Michigan’s 15 public universities
You probably didn’t know this about Michigan’s public universities: * The University of Michigan’s 90 percent graduation rate is 22 percentage points higher than the average at peer institutions. * Michigan State University’s 126-1 student-to-administrative staff ratio is nearly twice as high as peer institutions. * Central Michigan University’s state aid of $3,699 per student is just slightly […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Job-based health coverage plummets
Linda and Ken Brauer went years without health insurance after Ken lost his job as a salesman in 2007. Ken became eligible for Medicare in January. But Linda, a 63-year-old unemployed social worker with a master’s degree, has been unable to find work and still lacks health insurance. “People are just so vulnerable,” said Linda […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan’s obesity straining more than waistlines
If Michigan took an honest look in the mirror, the reflected image would reveal far more than a few unsightly extra pounds. Now ranked fifth in the nation in obesity, state residents are on track to rack up 1.4 million new cases of type 2 diabetes, 2.9 million cases of coronary heart disease and 2.6 […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Blue Cross revamp: What does it mean for your pocketbook?
Blue Cross Blue Shield is, in some ways, health care in Michigan. The nonprofit firm and its family of companies cover 4.4 million Michigan residents – or almost half the state. It paid out more than $18 billion in claims in 2011 – most of it in Michigan – while doing business with 158 hospitals […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Road out of Fat City started with a stroll
About a decade ago, a flight of stairs was enemy territory to Kimiko Adolph. She was all too fond of fast food. Her favorite refuge: Sleep and the living room couch. At 268 pounds, this single mother of three realized she could change – or die. “I was having breathing problems,” Adolph recalled. “I had […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Arts and culture mean jobs for Michigan
By Jennifer Goulet/ArtServe Michigan ArtServe’s 2012 Creative State MI report undeniably revealed proven impacts of the nonprofit arts and cultural sector on Michigan’s economic vitality. This year’s data further defines the arts, culture and creative industries as a sector playing strategic roles in Michigan’s reinvention and one poised for more action. As Michigan’s economy struggled […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* We are letting thousands of our best teachers walk out the door each year, says a new report: “So who are the Irreplaceables? They are, by any measure, our very best teachers. Across the districts we studied, about 20 percent of teachers fell into the category. On average, each year they help students learn […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Truth Squad calls foul on ‘birthday tax’ claim on Snyder road proposal
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: “Happy Birthday From Governor Snyder” Who: Joel Charles Featured Material: Web video Truth Squad Call: Foul To background sounds of the Beatles’ “Birthday,” Gov. Rick Snyder is portrayed in a clownish birthday hat, noisemaker in mouth and birthday cake in front of him. What follows is an attack on Snyder’s plan […]
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