Oddly, the first question the politicians asked after the Detroit City Council finally voted to approve the consent agreement with the state of Michigan was not “will it work,” but “Who won?” Short Answer No. 1: Too early to tell. Short Answer No. 2: Wrong question. Third Answer, a little longer: Sadly, in most cases, […]
Everyone loses if Detroit's course doesn't change
Posted inBusiness Watch
Awaiting green energy's payoff
A North Carolina company canceled a wind farm project in January that would have placed as a many as 112 towering turbines across two counties in northwest Michigan. Energy Conversion Devices, one of the state’s pioneer manufacturers of advanced batteries and solar panels, filed for bankruptcy protection in February. Several ethanol refining plants planned for […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Is it bad to turn on a light?
As Bridge’s Rick Haglund reports in today’s magazine, the high hopes of many political leaders for the impact of “green” energy have yet to materialize. I wouldn’t say those hopes are dashed entirely, but the big talk has exceeded the actual results to date. A new report from the federal Energy Information Administration gives some […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
State sails toward renewable energy mark
Michigan electricity providers are making good progress toward meeting the state’s 2015 renewable-energy mandate, mainly because of a sharp drop in wind-power generation costs, a recent state Public Service Commission report found. The commission also says the cost of renewables is lower than the projected cost of producing electricity from a new coal-fired plant. Spokesmen […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Guest column: Parolable lifers are safe to release; expensive to keep
By Paul D. Reingold/University of Michigan Law School In the public debate over how to save money in corrections, one group is consistently overlooked — the roughly 850 “parolable lifers” who are eligible for release. Paroling just half of them could save about $16 million a year. And the risk to the public would be […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest” — Confucius. * From a new AARP report: “According to Genworth, the median daily rate in Michigan for a nursing home in 2011 was $235 for a private […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Debate continues, but Volt retains its buzz
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson recently lamented that the Chevrolet Volt had become “a political punching bag” for conservatives who see it as a rolling symbol of liberal economic policies. But the repeated right hooks haven’t knocked the Volt out yet. Just weeks after GM announced a temporary production shutdown due to slow sales, the […]
Posted inTalent & Education
The day I almost killed Mike Wallace
One of the last times I saw Mike Wallace, he was in my rearview mirror, back bent, pushing my car down Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor. He had a huge smile on his face. I had a look of terror on mine. It was Spring, 2003, and I was in the midst of an eight-month […]
Posted inQuality of Life
The unending ballad of Willie and Bronco
It takes three to make a trend, but maybe the word doesn’t apply for a city like Detroit, where the extraordinary news that fills the daily papers makes it one of the most interesting cities in the country. Last week, a 75-year-old man shot and killed an 18-year-old who had just kicked in his side […]
Posted inChildren & Families
Michigan Radio continues look at welfare reform's consequences
How are Michigan families faring after losing welfare cash assistance? Tracy Davenport lost her house and her car — and can’t find work because of a medical condition that causes her to fall down constantly. Learn her story at Michigan Radio, which has teamed up with Bridge Magazine to chronicle the first year after welfare […]