With Detroit running out of money and options, Bridge visited two cities in California that have had their own fiscal woes – Stockton and Vallejo – to assess the impact of bankruptcy on neighborhood life. (Bridge illustration/A.J. Jones) STOCKTON, Calif. – Here in Stockton, the standard postcards show a palm-lined City Center, without revealing that […]
Detroit
Posted inMichigan Government
In Vallejo, residents rally to protect themselves
SORTA SILVER LINING: When bankruptcy led to vastly reduced police patrols in Vallejo, Calif., the number of neighborhood watch groups exploded from nine to more than 400. (Bridge photo/Ron French) VALLEJO, Calif. – The break-ins and the squatters in her middle-class neighborhood were bad enough. But when prostitutes began offering – and performing – […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Wayne County’s economy is doing better than you think
(courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) There has been an unrelenting dose of bad news in local newspapers and on national television about the city of Detroit’s financial difficulties, but one measure of business establishment employment in Wayne County is showing relatively healthy growth. And if the city of Detroit gets its financial problems under […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Detroit’s EM should surround himself with fresh faces, fresh thinking
RIGHT MIND-SET: Emergency manager Kevyn Orr, far right, and Mayor Dave Bing flank Gov. Rick Snyder at a press conference to discuss the city’s financial straits. (courtesy photo/city of Detroit) Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr came in with an impressive resume and a seemingly razor-sharp focus and determination to right the city’s finances. He is […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
With Michigan costs rising, rail group proposes surge in seats for high-speed Amtrak line
SUCCESS NOW, CHALLENGES AHEAD: More people are choosing to ride Amtrak lines in Michigan these days, but the state’s subsidy for passenger rail will increase significantly starting in October. A group of rail advocates is offering a plan to boost the number of seats available on Michigan rails to help the state defray those costs. […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
One policy change can help end blight of abandoned property in Michigan
CURE FOR BLIGHT: Financial commitments commonly used in the mining, petroleum and telecom industries could, if applied to residential and commercial development, help bring an end to the scourge of abandoned buildings in Michigan, argue MSU’s Rex LaMore and Michelle LeBlanc. (Bridge archive photo)For decades, many U.S. communities have suffered from population loss and economic […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
New reports ID five housing ‘hot spots’ in Michigan
Michigan’s housing stock is thinning, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which pegged the state as one of only two with fewer housing units in 2012 than in 2010. Neighboring Illinois is the other. But the state of housing is far from equal across Michigan. In fact, there are growing hot spots for housing – […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
A quick beginner’s guide to the world of Michigan craft beers
BEER SPLASH: Perrin Brewing isn’t as well-known as other craft brewers from the Grand Rapids area, writes Danielle Casavant, but it’s rapidly raising its profile among the ever-growing ranks of Michigan brewers. (courtesy photo/mlive.com) It’s hard to beat a refreshing beer on a warm summer day — and in Michigan these days, beer drinkers are […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
BELIEVE OR LEAVE: A woman says U.S. immigration officials tell her that she has to join a church or her bid for citizenship will be rejected. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) *Land of the free?: “Margaret Doughty … is being told by officials that her application to become a naturalized U.S. citizen could be […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Immigrants can help revitalize Michigan
(courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) Michigan State University and its surrounding community of Lansing-East Lansing are among the Top 10 for largest international student enrollment in the United States. Each fall, more than 6,500 international students — 1,800 of whom are new to the university — arrive in East Lansing. And these growing numbers […]