(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 […]
University of Michigan
Posted inTalent & Education
One-two punch for Michigan students: more loans, high interest rates
AND AFTER COLLEGE?: All the money being borrowed by college students in Michigan — $1.9 billion in one year alone — poses a significant threat to future economic growth says Mitch Bean of Great Lakes Economic Consulting. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) Michigan’s student debt problem is getting worse, with college kids borrowing almost […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
(courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) *On the subject of death, surveys show most people will agree to practically any “life-saving” treatment available. Doctors, by contrast, would reject almost all of the current treatments in such situations, except for pain meds. Why?: “First, few non-physicians actually understand how terrible undergoing these interventions can be. He […]
Posted inSuccess
Pipefitter’s daughter from Downriver becomes potent advocate for Michigan prisoners
WITH NEARLY 10 MILLION PEOPLE … : Each day, countless Michigan residents go about their routine business – but in the process do some far from routine things. Bridge will regularly feature some of their stories and the impact they are having on our state. (Bridge illustration/A.J. Jones) It began as a favor to a […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Children’s departure is part of the cycle of life
GOODBYE, FOR NOW: Michigan frets about the departure of young people after college, but it’s important to remember that such leavings are a typical rite, says Brunch with Bridge columnist John Schneider. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) I reared my children to be independent and adventuresome, and look what happened: They became independent and […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
(courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) *Maybe this is a great idea for Atlanta, Ga., and maybe it isn’t. But just note the difference in ambition between this project and Michigan’s inability to figure out a reliable funding stream to fix the transport net it now has: “His vision was to transform the mostly abandoned railroad […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
LOOKING GOOD: Housing prices in Detroit are up nearly 20 percent in the last year. (Bridge archive photo) *Home prices are rising across the country again – even in Detroit. The city saw an 18.5 percent increase over the last year in home prices, tracking nicely with the recoveries seen in other epicenters of the […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Youth Action Committees give teens head start on philanthropy
GOOD FOR EVERYONE: Sydney Harvey, a freshman at Lansing Catholic High School, volunteers at the Special Olympics of Michigan Area 8 games in May. Sydney is a member of the Capital Region Community Foundation’s Youth Action Committee. (Courtesy photo) High school clubs have come a long way since I was a teenager. Even my progressive […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest commentary: Survey finds hostile political rhetoric erodes trust in government
By Tom Ivacko/Center for Local, State and Urban Policy Oakland County Executive Brooks Patterson uses a comb to make a comparison between House Speaker Jase Bolger and Adolph Hitler during a recent taping of WKAR’s “Off the Record” program. Tom Ivacko argues that a Michigan survey shows that hostile political rhetoric damages trust in government. […]