“Every addition to true knowledge is an addition to human power” — Horace Mann, 19th century American educator. * George Romney was the first member of his family to bid for the presidency. His effort for the 1968 Republican nomination disintegrated, however — and in ways that may have influenced his younger son’s political career […]
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Posted inMichigan Government
Snyder's legislative rocket slows in year 2
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder started his term in Lansing in 2011 on a hot streak. For six months, he consistently won quick legislative approval of his prime agenda items, capped by a $1.7 billion business tax cut and a balanced state budget months ahead of expectations. In the nine months since, however, Snyder’s rocket has slowed. […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Tallying up the Snyder administration
Rick Snyder took office in January 2011 as Michigan faced yet another budget deficit and as plenty of citizens wondered whether state government could act with alacrity. Armed with large Republican majorities in both chambers of the Legislature, and aided by a good economic tailwind, Snyder rushed through the first six months of his term […]
Posted inPeter Luke: Eye on the Capitol
Gov. Rick Snyder misses big opportunities in 2011-12
Determined to measure their work against the bipartisan legislative train wrecks of past years, Republicans who run the Legislature are pretty close to their goal of closing up shop for the summer by the end of the week (June 1). That’s three weeks ahead of last year when they overhauled the business tax code and […]
Posted inLand O Links
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“The degree of one’s emotions varies inversely with one’s knowledge of the facts” –Bertrand Russell, 20th century British philosopher. * A CBS reporter this month said that no person born in the U.S. circa 1985 and after has ever experienced “normal” weather — at least as defined by average 20th century conditions. Since 1985, the nation’s been […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Michigan, let's target and sideline special interests
Travel often gives you new ways of looking at things … and that is certainly true of travel to China. My wife Kathy and I just got back from visiting our son, who lives and works in Shanghai. We were there for 10 days, and it’s good to be home. But even through the fog of […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Vaccine 'gap' costs Michigan $500 million a year
On the subject of vaccines, medical opinion is widespread and settled: They are among the triumphs of public-health medicine, preventing thousands of deaths every year — not to mention millions in lost sick time and other productivity. And yet, getting a fully vaccinated populace, from infants through senior citizens, remains an elusive goal for doctors […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Web helps Upper Peninsula stores bolster hometown success
No one would mistake Marquette’s Front Street for the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. There’s only so much foot traffic retailers are going to see in this city of 21,000 on the southern shore of Lake Superior. Two Marquette retailers, though, have found ways to thrive both as a “brick and mortar” shop for their hometown […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Double-duty fire chief serves two Lansings
Randy Talifarro has dealt with his share of dangerous situations during nearly three decades in firefighting. Perhaps that’s why the veteran East Lansing fire chief didn’t exactly charge into the fray when asked to assume the task of also running the city of Lansing’s Fire Department. “Candidly, I was a little hesitant,” said Talifarro, 51, […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives” — James Madison, “Father of the Constitution” and fourth president of the United States. * The overall student loan debt number isn’t cause for panic, argues Andrew Rotherham, the man behind […]