Columns

May 18, 2012

A Question of Fairness | by Jack Lessenberry
The EITC reduction is hurting working families and small businesses. | more

Love And Marriage Belongs To All | by Tom Watkins
Marriage equality is a fundamental right. | more

Looking Over Overlooked Stories | by Eric Freedman
Capitol reporters are missing many stories that aren’t buried very deeply. | more

The Promise | by Lawrence Glazer
Can a scholarship program restore a city? | more

Personal Property Tax: Rhetoric vs. Reality | by Patricia Randall
How can one segment see this as such a clear victory for Michigan business, while the other views it as the loss of an entitlement? | more


May 11, 2012

Joe Schwarz: “To Run or Not to Run?” | by Jack Lessenberry
Joe Schwarz’s decision not to run shows what’s wrong with the way we elect Congressmen today. | more


May 4, 2012

Green Acres in the Motor City | by Stephen A. Jones
Urban agriculture offers innovation to Detroit. | more

Budget Battle Redux:Business or Education? | by Jack Lessenberry
There was a skirmish in the Michigan Senate this week that promises to be a long war over the state’s future. | more

Reform and Shenanigans | by Rich Robinson
The Michigan Senate’s SAFE Initiative is a decidedly mixed bag. | more

Vitriol Is Not the Truth | by Tom Watkins
Our anger and partisanship have blinded us. | more


April 27, 2012

Real Court Reform Overdue | by Jack Lessenberry
Task Force led by Justice Kelly releases its report after a year of intense review. | more


April 20, 2012

Say Yes To Autism, but No to Mental Health Parity? | by Tom Watkins
Passage of a Mental Health Parity law is long overdue. | more

Lansing and Licensing | by Jack Lessenberry
If there are two things Marie Donigan knows, they are Lansing and landscape architecture. | more

Detroit’s Changing Landscape | by Bill Johnson
Despite the consent agreement, expect things to get worse for Detroit. | more

Heading for the Slammer | by Eric Freedman
Legislators need to be upfront with taxpayers about the costs of tougher legal penalties. | more


April 12, 2012

Values of the Highest Quality | by Jack Lessenberry
The human side and Michigan connections of legendary journalist, Mike Wallace. | more


April 5, 2012

The Motor City Basket Case | by Neil Munro
In 1950, Detroit was the wealthiest major city per capita in the nation. Now it is the poorest. | more

Colored by Race | by Jack Lessenberry
Detroit’s challenges are deeper than its current fiscal crisis. | more

China’s Rise Can Work For Michigan | by Tom Watkins
Michigan’s bridge to China is not one-way. | more

A Turkish Revolution in Education | by Ken Winter
The “new Turkey” hopes an investment in technology will improve its educational rankings. | more


March 30, 2012

The Only Adult in the Room | by Jack Lessenberry
As April 5 approaches, Snyder seeks a solution for Detroit’s financial mess. | more

Fare Thee Well | by John Lindstrom
The Legislature parts ways with Governor Snyder on investment spending. | more

Professionals Need Not Apply | by Maxine Berman
Respect for professionalism in politics seems to be vanishing. | more


March 23, 2012

Michigan Among Worst for Risk of Corruption | by Jack Lessenberry
What may be even sadder is that state officials didn’t seem much concerned. | more

Lower than Slugs | by John Lindstrom
There is no constitutional right to good government. | more

Ford and Vietnam | by Marvin Kalb
A most reluctant critic and warrior. | more

Rush Provides A Teachable Moment | by Tom Watkins
We must rethink how we communicate with each other in the public square. | more

“Proud to pay taxes?” Sort of | by Eric Freedman
Despite strong anti-tax hyperbole, Michigan voters approve of taxes for services they value. | more

The End of Affirmative Action | by Bill Johnson
Preferential treatment under law has run its course. | more

Pure Magic | by Annie Rosa
Sheer determination and positive will seem capable of making nearly any dream a reality. | more


March 16, 2012

Change is Only Guarantee in Detroit Situation | by Jack Lessenberry
There is now no doubt that the state will soon take effective control of the city of Detroit, one way or another. | more

Let the Sun Shine! | by Rich Robinson
Michigan’s standards of transparency are among the worst in the nation. | more

Denial in Detroit | by John Lindstrom
Is Snyder’s consent agreement a map to financial control for Detroit? | more


March 9, 2012

Kicking a Hornet’s Nest | by Jack Lessenberry
A proposed constitutional amendment could be the biggest victory for labor unions in decades. | more

About Politics and Love | by John Lindstrom
Politics ends when policy decisions hit home. | more

Stop The Stereotyping — Celebrate People Making A Difference
| by Tom Watkins
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. | more


March 2, 2012

They Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot | by Stephen A. Jones
We must protect livable communities under emergency management. | more

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