INDIANAPOLIS — With passage of Right to Work legislation imminent, Indiana Democrats huddled on a Monday night in February 2011 to plot strategy. The following morning, some three dozen state representatives bolted for the Comfort Suites in Urbana, Ill., trying to wait out a Republican majority determined to push the measure through. The move left […]
Political fallout from RTW deal yet to land
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Right to Work is no guarantee of economic success
By Timothy J. Bartik/W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research Will “Right to Work” boost Michigan’s economic development? What does research say? Research suggests that the economic development effects of RTW are uncertain, with downside risks. Some studies find RTW boosts job growth, while other studies do not. Some studies find RTW reduces wages, while other […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* A new analysis by the Senate Fiscal Agency says, “During 2013, both the U.S. and Michigan economies are expected to expand at a slightly slower rate than during 2012. Both the U.S. and Michigan economies are forecast to exhibit both income and employment growth during 2013, although Michigan is expected to grow more slowly […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Capitol Hill chaos should drive voters to kill off old ‘gerrymander’
Most people agree that our politics and government today are too often severely dysfunctional. And there’s one big reason why: The taproot of much of all this can be traced to our severely gerrymandered state legislative and congressional districts. For a glimpse of just how powerful this is, all you have to do is glance […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Snyder vetoes looser rules on owning lions, tigers, bears
UPDATE 1-2-13: Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed two bills last week that would have changed the state’s Large Carnivore Act, but encouraged lawmakers to resubmit them with specific changes in the new session. Bridge reported on the tie-barred Senate Bills 703 and 1236 last month (story below), which passed in the last hours of the Legislature’s […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Prison savings to reach $250 million
By Daniel Heyns/Michigan Department of Corrections I know for the past several years the Center for Michigan has been an active participant in the dialogue surrounding lowering corrections costs in Michigan. The Center facilitated the creation of the Corrections Reform Coalition — a collection of business, education, local government and nonprofit groups focused on enhancing […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links — Gun data edition
This is the 100th edition of Land O Links. Thanks for reading. By the way, readers can send suggestions for links to dmelot@bridgemi.com. We are looking for the interesting, informative and, occasionally, odd. Today brings another round-up focused on the unfortunate No. 1 topic around the land — firearms. * Do concealed weapon laws result in […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
In Northern Michigan, a life made in glass
Jay Bavers and Glenna Haney labor in a small studio in the Northern Michigan community of East Jordan. But their blown-glass creations have garnered fans from Lansing to Siberia. Jordan Valley Glassworks, which Bavers and Haney co-own, is a business built on the desire to present the new or unique, but also to satisfy the […]
Posted inSuccess
A day at the Jordan Valley Glassworks
Jay Bavers’ Russian grandfather first taught the East Jordan glassblower the details of the craft. At Jordan Valley Glassworks, glassblowing remains a family affair, as Bavers and co-owner Glenna Haney rely on assistance from Bavers’ wife, daughter, son and grandson. Jordan Valley has been going for 14 years and, despite a recent dip due to […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Replace expensive, unreliable wind power with natural gas
By Kevon Martis/ Interstate Informed Citizen’s Coalition Michigan voters recently defeated a renewable energy mandate by a nearly 2 to 1 margin. Since Michiganders desire cheap, clean, abundant electricity, should we try again to mandate higher percentages of renewable energy? Or is there a wiser path? Industrial wind facilities are similar to that disappointing Christmas […]
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