Progress Michigan blog posts.
Michigan students are paying the price for massive cuts to education funding, and it’s time for Lansing Republicans to do something about the problem they created. The financial mismanagement of the Buena Vista schools has resulted in the district closing a month early, even though teachers volunteered to work for free. It’s time for this…
OK, you got us: not every day. But every weekday, we’ll be updating this thread with the most interesting, relevant, and entertaining Tweet of the Day. The best part? We’re accepting nominations and you can join the fun! All you have to do is tag your Tweet with the hashtag #MITOTD and we’ll include it…
Yesterday, the Detroit Free Press’s Stephen Henderson said what everyone’s been thinking about Michigan’s alarming taste for secrecy and privatization: Privatization might sound, in theory, like the way to bring Michigan’s prison costs under control. But because the desired outcomes in the corrections system are about more than bottom-line dollar analyses, privatization is just not…
For many voters in Michigan, yesterday was Election Day. One Senate seat was up for grabs, and it was won by progressive state Rep. Jim Ananich (D-Flint) with over 75 percent of the vote. But far more voters had to decide whether they’d support new money for schools and local governments, which have faced billions…
The voice of the people might be the only thing standing between a young artist from West Africa and arrest and violence. Michel Mendel is gay and from Senegal, where it is illegal to be gay and where the U.S. State Department has noted widespread violence against LGBT people. Recently, a group of drummers and…
To the far-right, corporations are like people… only better. Last week, Gov. Snyder insisted that we treat citizens like customers, and despite his calls for “shared sacrifice” the only ones sacrificing anything are working Michiganders. This corporate-first mentality pervades every aspect of Michigan government, and if you didn’t know any better you’d think Michigan is…
What happened to us? When did we start asking ourselves “How can we provide our children with the cheapest education?” rather than “How can we provide our children with the best education?” From our outset, we prioritized education, using our taxes to build public schools – recognizing their economic and social value. Now, the same…
For the second time since taking control of Lansing, Republican politicians are working to gut Michigan’s model no-fault insurance system. What’s different this time? Rick Snyder is on board with the plan. The Republican plan to gut auto no-fault (known affectionately as “Snydercare” around our office) would fundamentally change how auto insurance works for Michigan…
Listening to Gov. Snyder you’d think Michigan is a business, he’s the CEO, and we’re all his customers. Just the other day, he urged GVSU graduates (in what must have been a truly inspirational speech) to treat “everyone like a customer.” This is the most disingenuous – and dangerous – argument being pushed by the…
I have no idea why Rep. Anthony Forlini decided he would write a column about the regular (rich) Americans who were affected by flight delays because of sequestration. But his column in today’s Detroit News missed the mark in more ways than one. Rep. Forlini decided he would try to thread the needle by simultaneously…