HEALTH GAMBLE: Greg Hunt has diabetes, Addison’s Disease, a thyroid condition – and no health insurance. The Kent County man works and goes to school, but he has had to defer purchase of a prescription due to cost and has had major health bills that have gone unpaid. Advocates say Medicaid expansion in Michigan would […]
Kent County
Posted inBusiness Watch
Do you live in a ‘magnet’ or ‘bedroom’ community?
Job commuting patterns are analyzed after every census in order for the federal Office of Management and Budget to determine the naming and composition of metropolitan and micropolitan areas. While the data have resulted in a number of changes to Michigan’s metropolitan/micropolitan landscape, the individual county flows are of particular relevance in that they help […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Truth Squad issues flagrant foul to Schmidt, foul to Bolger on election scheme
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: What: Public statements concerning state Representative Roy Schmidt’s political party switch. Who: Schmidt (a Grand Rapids Republican) and House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall. Truth Squad Call: Flagrant foul against Schmidt; foul against Bolger. In May, at the filing deadline for this year’s state House of Representatives elections, Schmidt switched parties, from […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Michigan's libraries, learners will lose if tax funds aren't replaced
By Lance Werner/Kent District Library Libraries and other organizations such as schools, police, and fire departments that provide essential tax-supported services have been working with state lawmakers for nearly a year to brainstorm ways to replace the business equipment personal property tax (PPT), if it is eliminated. Replacement is critical because, without it, the services […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Fighting fire better, from manpower to money
Rockford is up against same dilemma confronting communities across Michigan: Too many expenses and not enough revenue. Police, fire and public works consume about 70 percent of the budget in this city of 5,700 in northern Kent County. So why not combine all these functions into a single department? Public safety departments providing police and […]
Posted inChildren & Families
100,000 Michigan kids still lack health insurance
(Originally published Aug. 18, 2011) Imagine a city somewhere between the size of Lansing (114,000) and Sterling Heights (129,000). Imagine this city is populated only by children. Imagine every single one of these children lacks basic health insurance. That’s the reality in Michigan, says a health expert engaged in a campaign to get tens of […]
You must be logged in to post a comment.