To all of our fellow progressives attending Netroots Nation: Welcome to Detroit and to the Great Lakes State! I’ll make this quick so we can all get back to building a stronger progressive movement. We need your help while you’re here. Our right-wing governor, Rick Snyder, privatized the prison food services in our state-run prisons.…
Despite residing in a state that is completely controlled by conservative politicians who favor their corporate donors over middle class Michiganders, living in Michigan does have some perks. This Thursday through Sunday, the ninth annual Netroots Nation conference comes to Detroit. Netroots Nation is the largest gathering of progressive activists in the country. And guess…
For TWIP I want to make one thing clear: Kids are kids. And they deserve compassion. This Week in PM Blogging: Get registered! If you’re planning on voting in the August primary and you’re not registered, you’re SOL. But fear not! You can still register to vote for the big kahuna — the November General…
I’ll keep this short: Today is the deadline to register to vote for the August primary. Once upon a time, Mark Twain famously said, “If voting made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it.” I vote Mark Twain is wrong (in this instance.) Sorry, Mark. In reality, voting is one of our most fundamental…
It’s been a short workweek, but a hell of a lot has happened. SCOTUS, maggots, and more SCOTUS! Happy 4th, everyone! This Week in PM Blogging: Liberty and Justice for Some Religious liberty now means having your boss’s beliefs shoved down your throat, thanks to the Supreme Court. But those religious values only apply when you’re…
When maggots were found in a food preparation area in a Michigan prison, Governor Rick Snyder told reporters: “The most recent problems are not acceptable.” He was talking about Aramark, the private, out-of-state corporation he awarded a $145 million, 3-year contract to run our state’s prison food services last year. Apparently, maggots near the meatloaf…
This week the Michigan Legislature… Oh, wait. That’s right. They didn’t do anything because they’d rather spend three months sunbathing and pandering for reelection than do anything that benefits our state. It’s only been a week since they’ve been gone. How bad can things get, right? This Week in PM Blogging: So Much for the…
It was recently announced that the Muskegon Heights school district would buck the trend of seeking a for-profit management company and instead operate under self-management. The move is a victory for local residents who wanted to see more local control for the struggling district. In late May, a group of concerned citizens sent a “Citizens…
Well, what do you know? As it turns out, giving corporations billions of dollars in unaccountable tax giveaways, cutting $1 billion from public schools, raising taxes on seniors and working families and passing Right to Work have not made Michigan the epicenter of economic progress that Gov. Rick Snyder likes to claim they have. According…
How about them roads, eh? No progress from our elected “leaders” on that front. That’s why we have TWIP! This Week in PM Blogging: Summer School for Snyder? Basic math tells us that Gov. Rick Snyder has not raised funding for our neighborhood schools. That CPA thing he’s always talking about doesn’t appear to be…