The former governor helped to give far more to Michigan’s public universities than his Democratic and Republican successors
John Engler
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan gets high marks for private management of Medicaid
While Medicaid is a public health program jointly funded by the federal and state governments, it has been largely managed by private health firms since the late 1990s in Michigan. (courtesy image/state of Michigan) About 30 years after Congress authorized Medicaid, then-Gov. John Engler launched reforms that would change the face of its coverage in […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Handshake deal with state haunts Detroit
DEAL BREAKER: Fifteen years ago, the state and Detroit agreed on a funding scheme – a deal that Detroiters say the state soon broke, helping propel the city into its current fiscal crisis. That agreement has been a point of contention between Detroit mayors (Dennis Archer, Kwame Kilpatrick, Dave Bing) and Michigan governors (John Engler, […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Governors run after companies, waving dollars
Governors can’t resist using their economic development agencies to try to pick business winners and losers in the economy, even when they say they are opposed to doing so. Gov. James Blanchard bankrolled efforts to grow biotechnology and advanced manufacturing industries in the state, with mixed results. His successor, Gov. John Engler, heavily invested in […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Rick Snyder, Bill Clinton, discuss
Reading over Gov. Rick Snyder’s special message on public safety, I was struck by its rather Clintonian tone in a number of areas. I know those are fighting words to certain folks, but I make note of this not to spark a conflict, but to attract attention to the ongoing political ferment in Republican circles […]