By Rich Robinson/Michigan Campaign Finance Network It was welcome news when Gov. Rick Snyder announced, during his 2012 State of the State address, that he believes Michigan needs campaign finance, lobbying and ethics reforms. It has been a long time since a Michigan governor has expressed serious interest in this important area of government accountability. […]
Guest post: Mich.'s campaign disclosure rules stink
Posted inTalent & Education
Education conversations reach Traverse area
The Center for Michigan, Bridge Magazine’s parent and Michigan’s very own “citizenship company,” is engaged in a year-long series of community conversations on a vital topic to our state: the future of K-12 education. Modern lives are busy, especially so for parents, but I urge you to take the opportunity to join a community conversation […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“The wisest mind has something yet to learn” — George Santayana, philosopher. Gov. Rick Snyder and his staff said passage of so-called health exchange legislation to implement the federal Affordable Care Act is a top priority in 2012. Michigan appears to be a bit behind on this, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The White House says more than […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Big township bank accounts draw concern, defense
We all know Michigan’s local governments have been struggling because of a plunge in tax revenues caused by the Great Recession and the housing collapse, not to mention shrinking state revenue-sharing payments. Or do we? A controversial new study by Isabella County Administrator Tim Dolehanty claims there is, in fact, an “embarrassment of riches” at […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Behind savings, townships operate in vastly different ways
Michigan’s 1,240 townships are as diverse as the state that spawned them – some little more than a rural framework for delivering the most basic services, others quasi-cities, with ambition to match. Because of their unique fiscal management, townships frequently carry fund balances – assets and cash on hand – well in excess of expenditures. […]
Posted inSuccess
Song pushes Ann Arbor, state for 'better story'
Every Friday, at 4:30 p.m., local geeks are invited to pop a cold one at Tech Brewery in Ann Arbor. The start-up co-op, located in what was a brewery in the 1880s, rents space to network-hungry entrepreneurs. “Beer-30,” as the gathering is called, offers not just libations, but a good chance to tap into the mind of […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Truth Squad tackles 'State of State' speech
In Michigan in 2012, there’s really only one issue on the radar: jobs. How does the state get more of them? How do residents fill them? How much do they pay? In the hours leading up to Gov. Rick Snyder’s second State of the State Address, some notable numbers came in: Michigan’s unemployment rate in […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Guest column: Lawmakers lose way on higher education
By Thomas Haas/Grand Valley State University Bridge Magazine has performed an important public service by pointing out the state of Michigan’s near-wholesale abandonment of support for public higher education. For most of the 20th century, Michigan was a Top 10 state in support of the spectacular universities its citizens built and nurtured. Today, we are […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Michigan college cost dilemma bankrupts all
I’ve been observing Michigan public policy discussions for nearly 50 years. It’s amazing that, so often, it’s as though people with differing views live in two different universes. Take Michigan universities. Analysis presented last week in Bridge showed costs at Michigan public universities are higher than the average at comparable schools around the country and […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan job forecast bright – for 2030
The Michigan economy is recovering. For those of you with weak hearts, let’s leave it at that. Spend a few minutes watching a kitten stuck in a hamster ball. For those of you still here: the economy is recovering slowly. Just how slowly? I could show you a chart, but this will give you a […]