Dale Flaherty said he and his friends in the resort town of Lake Ann used to joke that buying gasoline at the local convenience store was risky, because the fuel was allegedly contaminated with water. And they were right, sort of. Contamination did occur. No one knew until the late 1990s, though, that gasoline from the […]
Big job, little money: State lags in tank cleanup
Posted inMichigan Government
Fuel-tank cleanup leaves mess above ground, too
Michigan’s program for cleaning up leaking underground storage tank faces a major overhaul this year, one that could make cleanups simpler and less costly. But the planned changes, which are moving through the Legislature, won’t address one of the program’s biggest weaknesses: The program is grossly underfunded. Michigan spends $20 million annually cleaning up leaking […]
Posted inPhil's Column
A birthday letter to Bill Milliken
Dear Governor: You celebrated your 90th birthday Monday. I’m sure you and Helen did it in your usual low-key manner, enjoying the serene beauty of the Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City. All of your friends know how proud you are of the tradition of public service that has run through your family for generations. […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Gov. Bill Milliken: Too good — and steely — to fail
By Craig Ruff William G. Milliken marked his 90th birthday on March 26. He became Michigan’s governor in 1969 when Gov. George Romney was appointed to the U.S. Cabinet. Milliken served as governor through 1982. During his tenure, Michigan moved to the forefront on a variety of reforms, among them passage of open meetings and […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Local govn'ts say union relations are fine
There’s been plenty of speculation about the prospects for, and motivation behind, Right Work legislation in Michigan. Why a big puswh on unionization rules since those rates have been dropping for years? And it can’t pass unnoticed that the Right to Work effort does not have the heads of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors standing at […]
Posted inMichigan Government
'Issues & Ale' tackles emergency manager law
Do you like beer? Do you care about state policy? Well, come enjoy both at the next “Issues & Ale” event in Flint next Monday (March 26). Co-sponsored by the Center for Michigan (Bridge’s parent organization) and Michigan Radio, “Issues & Ale” is a continuing series of public forums to illuminate key issues before […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
No easy answer on Right to Work benefits
Rep. Mike Shirkey reeled off statistics about the economic growth of Right to Work states faster than the person on the other end of the phone line could jot them all down. Shirkey, a Jackson-area Republican, also said he spent weeks anonymously calling corporate site selection specialists and asking them if their clients, mainly manufacturers, […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Right to Work sparks political frenzy
Supporters of a proposal to end compulsory union membership had high hopes that neighboring Indiana’s recent adoption of Right to Work legislation would lead Michigan to soon follow the Hoosier state’s lead. That all changed on March 6 when a group backed by organized labor announced a ballot proposal for the November election that would […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Who's right on Right to Work?
The recent decision by Indiana to become the 23rd state (and first in the Great Lakes region) to enact a Right to Work law had Lansing buzzing this winter that Michigan may soon be the next. At least one legislator was preparing to push the idea and Gov. Rick Snyder, while downplaying the concept, did […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Legislature yaps at critical part of state's recovery
For years, physicists and science-fiction writers have speculated about whether parallel universes might exist alongside our own. I’m certainly not qualified to get into the domain of theoretical physics, but I can testify that when it comes to higher education, there are parallel universes existing right here in Michigan: Universe One has to do with the […]
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