Once upon a time in public education, when all schools were neighborhood schools and attendance was a matter of which side of the boundary lines you lived on, families like Marilyn Williams’ would have been rare indeed. The mother of two teenage daughters just two years apart, Williams’ daughters don’t just attend different classes, but […]
For parents, charters are about choice
Posted inQuality of Life
Ex-priest loves trees, but not the woods
See that guy digging in the dirt, removing dead trees in the middle of Detroit? How did he end up there? His story starts with a middle-class upbringing in Dearborn. But as a youngster, Todd Mistor aspired to be a priest — a shepherd of flocks, not a steward of trees. And it’s a course […]
Posted inMichigan Government
A Wings fan in Wasilla?
If you’ve ever worked on a film set, you know that nothing happens by accident — at least in front of the camera. Every prop, from throw pillows on the sofa to the painting hanging on the wall behind the actors, is vetted, to use a word from contemporary politics. To not do so is […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Rick Snyder, Bill Clinton, discuss
Reading over Gov. Rick Snyder’s special message on public safety, I was struck by its rather Clintonian tone in a number of areas. I know those are fighting words to certain folks, but I make note of this not to spark a conflict, but to attract attention to the ongoing political ferment in Republican circles […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan lags on ethics, lobbying, campaign rules
If Michigan lawmakers are serious about cluing the public in on the money being spent to win elections and influence policy-makers, there are plenty of places to look for guidance. Fifty states have crafted 50 systems, which vary substantially. Oregon, for example, is exceptionally strong in making sure that all campaign donations and spending are […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan campaign finance rules weak; reform prospects unclear
There are limits to the amount of money you can donate to the candidate of your choice in Michigan. But, as with other elements of Michigan’s lobbying and ethics rules, the state’s campaign finance limits are somewhat loose. Under current law, an individual can donate $500 to a candidate for the state House, $1,000 for […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Five decisions for a more ethical state government
By Phil Power and Derek Melot/Bridge Magazine Time and again – not least in the recent Republican presidential primary election – we hear of the countless ways money has infested and debased our political system. And in countless community conversations held by the Center for Michigan, we heard from citizens who want reform, of the […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Of cons and condiments: Prisons cut costs in dimes and dollars
The state Department of Corrections will cut back on patrols outside its prison walls and change the job classifications of some corrections officers next month to save an estimated $25 million a year. But the head of the union representing the nearly 8,000 corrections officers complained those moves could make the prisons less safe, while […]
Posted inPeter Luke: Eye on the Capitol
Primary focus showed Snyder ill-suited for national Republican mood
In the two weeks of Michigan campaigning before packing up his tent and moving the circus to Ohio and parts South, Mitt Romney warned that the application of his Massachusetts health-care overhaul at the federal level would consume that part of America’s soul the auto bailout hadn’t already devoured. Gov. Rick Snyder didn’t offer a […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Guest post: The inhumanity of for-profit prisons
By Shelia Bedi/Southern Poverty Law Center Before Michigan legislators send inmates to a GEO Group operated prison, I urge them to consider Mississippi’s experience with the nation’s second largest private prison operator. Mississippi’s Walnut Grove Youth Facility was known for its violent and corrupt culture – a culture perpetuated by facility management and staff. As […]