“Knowledge … shall always bear witness like a clarion to its creator” — Leonardo Da Vinci. * The Michigan Campaign Finance Network reports a record year for lobbyist spending inLansingin 2011. The $35.3 million spent is more than the state general fund budget this year for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs ($33 million): […]
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Posted inQuality of Life
Guest column: Making good on 'Michigan 3.0'
By Jennifer Goulet/ArtServe Michigan On Feb. 9, important steps affirming the significance of arts and culture to Michigan’s economy, communities and the lives of its citizens were set in motion. For the first time in more than a decade, our state is poised to reinvest in its rich creative resources. Viewed as luxury in tight […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Smart, not tough: Reconsidering juvenile justice
As he looked around at the mix of politicians and social activists about to announce their support for reducing the number of people in Ohio’s prisons, Mike Brickner was struck by a revelation. He and other officials of the American Civil Liberties Union Ohio chapter had found common ground with politicians spanning the entire political […]
Posted inMichigan Government
With a sober eye, a conservative reconsiders
Craig DeRoche concedes there were times during his six years in the Michigan Legislature, including his years as speaker of the House, that he wanted to speak out against the conventional wisdom that sending more people to prison was the proper response to crime. But he was worried it might prompt questions of why he, […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Riverwalk rolling for a new Detroit
Faye Nelson’s office on the 17th floor of the GM Renaissance Center provides a panoramic view of the Detroit River and a daily reminder that the Motor City — despite its problems — is still capable of grand achievements. The proof lies in the Detroit Riverwalk, a sprawling walkway and bike path that transformed the […]
Posted inPeter Luke: Eye on the Capitol
The 'tough nerd' sidesteps a fight
For all the talk, from Clint Eastwood on down, that Michigan is turning the corner, Gov. Rick Snyder’s new budget fails to match the moment. Instead, the administration has agreed to play “small ball” with Republican lawmakers worried about re-election prospects. This budget appears to be carefully crafted to protect GOP House incumbents in 2012. […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Good for GM, good for social conservatives
General Motors says it had a record annual profit in 2011 of $7.6 billion, up 62 percent from the previous year. Since we are hip deep in a political campaign, it seems reasonable to ask: Who gets the credit for it? In practical terms, GM’s improvement benefits anyone who now holds political office in Lansing […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Ancient Chinese secret: No bad publicity
Even the star of Pete Hoekstra’s “Debbie Spend-it-now” campaign now says it was a bad idea, and has apologized, via her Facebook page: “I am deeply sorry for any pain that the character I portrayed brought to my communities,” Chan wrote. “As a recent college grad who has spent time working to improve communities and […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Biz leaders make prison-higher ed connection
Business Leaders for Michigan, a group formerly known as Detroit Renaissance, is a major player in how state policy is shaped in Lansing these days. So when it takes a stance, it’s advisable to pay attention. And BLM on Wednesday made an important statement about prison costs — in its bid to reinvent the state’s […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Policy winds blow through Mich. forests
An hour’s drive south of the Mackinac Bridge, a 67,000-acre patch of state forest known as Chandler Hills offers a stunning glimpse of how Michigan appeared in 1800, before a century of logging left much of the state looking like a moonscape. The hiss of wind coursing through towering hardwoods and the gurgle of a […]
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