Conquering the 2010-11 Budget

April 8th, 2010 · 1 Comment

Conquering the 2010-11 Budget by John Lindstrom Gongwer News Service April 9, 2010 Once more into the breach, once more into the teeth of the fray, up boys, arise virtuous maidens, cast off your drowsy ways — for your state has need of you again. Come gallant lads and lassies, take up the cudgel, draw [...]

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Tags: Weekly Update

Nothing Getting Done

April 1st, 2010 · 4 Comments

Nothing Getting Done by Jack Lessenberry April 2, 2010 When it comes to responsible state government, Michigan may be on the road to disaster. Nobody seems to be able to agree on anything. The lawmakers are all scrambling to keep their jobs or find other jobs, since this is an election year for virtually every [...]

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Tags: Jack Lessenberry

Ducking Taxes

April 1st, 2010 · 1 Comment

Ducking Taxes by Tim Skubick April 2, 2010 In an election year, lawmakers are loath to vote for a tax increase. Nothing new or profound about that. But they are more willing to belly up to the tax hike bar in the lame-duck season after everyone is safely re-elected. Nothing new or profound about that [...]

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Tags: Tim Skubick

The Sugar-High Story

April 1st, 2010 · 4 Comments

The Sugar-High Story by Susan J. Demas April 1, 2010 It was, perhaps, the stupidest story I have ever had to write. Now keep in mind, I’ve done years on the community beat in rural Iowa and Michigan. I’ve covered feuding senior citizen quilters, a chubby lawmaker’s quest to shed some extra pounds and the [...]

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Tags: Press Box

Little Red Hen

March 18th, 2010 · 4 Comments

Little Red Hen by Tim Skubick March 19, 2010 Many lawmakers proudly profess that education is their top priority. If so, why is there serious talk about slicing the K-12 school aid budget by almost $400 per pupil and higher education by 3 percent, which will most assuredly result in tuition increases above 5 percent? [...]

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Tags: Tim Skubick

Stupid Administration Tricks

March 18th, 2010 · No Comments

Stupid Administration Tricks by John Lindstrom Gongwer News Service March 19, 2010 One could forgive Governor Jennifer Granholm if she were seen about the halls of the governor’s residence this week muttering to herself, “With friends like these…” Not since former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick publicly stabbed her in the back on the issue of [...]

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Tags: Weekly Update

Fireside Chat

March 18th, 2010 · 1 Comment

Fireside Chat by Jack Lessenberry March 19, 2010 The poor, philosophers used to say, will always be with us. Michigan has two problems that have gotten worse, and seem unlikely to disappear anytime soon: the plight of the Detroit public schools, and the state’s enduring financial crisis. Robert Bobb, the emergency financial manager who now [...]

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Tags: Jack Lessenberry

Clearing the Air

March 16th, 2010 · 11 Comments

Clearing the Air How the Smoking Ban Was Won by Peter Ruddell and Emily Gerkin Palsrok March 16, 2010 Chapters 1 & 2 | Chapters 3 & 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapters 6, 7 & 8 Chapter 1: The Campaign for Smokefree Air April 2005 With less than 24 hours to go before launching [...]

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Tags: Features

Clearing the Air: Chapters 3 & 4

March 16th, 2010 · No Comments

Clearing the Air Chapters 1 & 2 | Chapters 3 & 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapters 6, 7 & 8 Chapter 3: The 2006 Elections A monumental event in the fight for smokefree air occurred prior to the 2006 elections, when U. S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona issued his landmark report The Health [...]

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Tags: Features

Clearing the Air: Chapters 6, 7 & 8

March 16th, 2010 · 5 Comments

Clearing the Air Chapters 1 & 2 | Chapters 3 & 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapters 6, 7 & 8 Chapter 6: Headed to Conference We were given the choice by House leadership to either ping-pong HB 4163 back and forth between the Senate and House in hopes of achieving concurrence, or to send [...]

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Tags: Features

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