“The great aim of education is not knowledge but action” — Herbert Spencer, 19th century English philosopher. * The Delft Theater building in downtown Marquette has been sold and closed, reports the Mining Journal. The new owners don’t plan to revive a theater, but do hope to renovate the structure. http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/575670/Delft-Theater-sold–closed-in-Marquette.html?nav=5006 * The money-losing U.S. […]
Land O Links
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Student loan debt is next big bubble
By Evan Montague/Lansing Community College Graduation stories abound this time of year, inspiring students and educators alike with the promise of a career and personal success. Imagine starting this journey with a monthly payment of $276 for the next 10 years — if not longer. The average Michigan undergraduate student loan borrower is graduating with […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Half the investment on colleges means a full measure of trouble for Michigan
To grow Michigan’s economy, we need more skilled workers, an estimated 1 million two- and four-year college graduates are needed to fill the job vacancies by 2025. Employers all over our state are complaining they can’t find workers with adequate skills to meet their job openings. The logic of increasing state support for higher education is […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Report: Michigan's license 'burden' is above average
The Institute for Justice, which describes itself as the “nation’s only libertarian public interest law firm, has published a new study on the burden of licensing requirements for 102 different professions across the United States. The report also developed a “burden” ranking of the states — and placed Michigan at No. 21, the 21st most […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Drug courts a win-win for users, taxpayers
Judge William Schma retired from the Kalamazoo County Circuit Court bench in 2006. Six years later, he still runs into people whose lives turned around thanks to his drug court. Repeatedly. “I just got a call from someone graduating from the humanities program at Western Michigan University who wants me to come to graduation,” said […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Conservationist's message: Nature is just out your door
Ask John Hartig about his childhood, and you’ll hear about fishing with his father in Northern Michigan, biking around Belle Isle and hiking and canoeing at church camp Up North. Hartig, who manages the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, wants every Michigan kid in even the most urban environment to develop a love for the […]
Posted inMichigan Government
GOP leaders eye state contribution in tweak to MPSERS reform bill
Confronted with concerns that a bill to revamp the teacher retirement system would lead to a mass exodus of veteran teachers this year, Republicans who control the Legislature are tinkering with Senate Bill 1040 to reform the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System. Faced with $45 billion in unfunded liability and with contributions from school […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Cost of '4 strikes' plan drops, still means millions more for prisons
When Attorney General Bill Schuette first proposed his “4 strikes and you’re out” plan for repeat felons, the Michigan Department of Corrections said the additional costs to the prison system could exceed $1 billion per year by the middle of the 21st century. New calculations by the department, incorporated into a Senate Fiscal Agency analysis, […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“We are here and it is now. Further than that, all human knowledge is moonshine” — H. L. Mencken, 20th century American newspaperman. * Publius, a nonprofit in Michigan dedicated to promoting civic participation, put together a short video clip that explains how Detroit got in a position where fixing streetlights or providing police protection […]
Posted inPhil's Column
State leaders run wrong way on higher education
The progressive group Business Leaders for Michigan just held a leadership summit devoted to the topic of learning and our state’s economic future. The theme was “Higher Education: A Growth Engine for the New Michigan” and it drew a lot of high-powered, knowledgeable people to the Lansing Center Monday afternoon. They came from various places […]