CFM Chairman Phil Power was riffing today in his weekly column about the growing role of big-bucks contributors on the campaign process. The boss is not going to like the latest news out of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network: “First quarter television advertising in Michigan related to the 2012 presidential election stands at $7.6 million. […]
Dollars many; delegates few
Posted inMichigan Government
Are private prisons Mich.'s cost savior?
Michigan has shrunk its prison population by more than 7,000 inmates since 2006. Nevertheless, the state’s prison system continues to consume more than 20 percent of the state’s general fund budget. Now, some legislators are considering whether shipping some of the state’s 43,000 inmates to a private prison would, finally, make a dent in Michigan’s […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Lock 'em up and send taxpayers the bill
When Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette prescribed longer prison terms to cure the state’s crime rate recently, he was reaching back for an old belief based on the assumption that longer sentences mean safer streets. His critics and independent researchers suggest his plan would do little to reduce crime — but would drive up the […]
Posted inSuccess
In West Michigan, a promise of its own
Priscilla Silvas wanted to go to college. But like many high school students, she had limited knowledge of the road to get there, and even less idea how to pay for the rocketing cost of tuition. As a senior at Holland High School in 2010, Silvas didn’t apply for a college scholarship — until a […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Smoke-filled rooms beat robocalls
Well, the votes are in; the millions spent on TV ads and the candidates have moved on. But when you survey the results of the Michigan Republican primary election, all I can say is: “Bring back the smoke-filled room!” That’s not because of the way things turned out. What bothers me are all the evils […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Does college prep begin in grade school?
If Michigan wants more minority college graduates, it needs to invest in quality school counseling. Grade school counseling. That’s one of the recommendations in a report released today by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The report, “The Quest for Excellence: Supporting the Academic Success of Minority Males in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers” — Alfred Lord Tennyson, 19th century English poet * What’s going on inFinland? The Center forMichigan is engaged in a statewide round of community conversations on how to improve K-12 education. Our outreach coordinator, Courtney Thompson, tells us that in sessions so far, one nation keeps cropping up for praise: […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Get in line, kid. It's a long one.
The University of Michigan released data on the application process for next year’s freshman class, and it is eye-popping: Provost Philip Hanlon told a group of faculty Monday that the school has received 41,600 freshman applications to date, compared to 38,700 at this time last year. U-M received 39,570 applications total for entry to the […]
Posted inTalent & Education
At Wayne State, easy to get in, difficult to get out
Since LaQuanda Pratt enrolled at Wayne State University three years ago, many of the African-American students she shared classes with are gone. Some left the college because of family difficulties, Pratt recalled. Some ran out of money. Others couldn’t cut it academically. “A lot of students aren’t prepared,” said the 20-year-old psychology major from Detroit. […]
Posted inTalent & Education
A new Detroit turnaround plan: Wayne State's
After spending most of his career as an executive at Ford Motor Co., Wayne State President Allan Gilmour knows plenty about retooling. Taking a redesigned car from the drawing board to the showroom can take three or four years. Building a successful student retention program could take longer. From free housing for the summer to […]
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