Commentary
Susan J. Demas: Dear Michigan Republicans: Your party never wins government shutdowns
Michigan is a mere 22 days away from a government shutdown (but who’s counting?) and you might be confused as to why. It’s actually pretty simple. From a policy standpoint, Michigan has chronically underinvested for decades — but most egregiously under the GOP in the last decade of relative economic prosperity — in core areas […]
Told you so: Columnist floats Whitmer as Biden VP
I hate to say I told you so (OK, I so don’t), but an Insider NJ columnist this week is out with a column that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would make a fine running mate for former Vice President Joe Biden in 2020. Yes, it’s early. And sure, no one know who the Democratic nominee […]
Amy Greene: These women’s accomplishments tell another story of America
Two American Democratic representatives have been forbidden to enter Israel: “What are Trump and Netanyahu afraid of?” questioned the New York Times in an op-ed stating that such a decision “shows weakness and intolerance, not strength”. The two Democratic representatives are Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib. Together with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York’s […]
Brian Elder: On Labor Day, here’s why Michigan needs a working-class agenda
Organized labor didn’t just give rise to the auto industry; it gave birth to the American middle class. These jobs set the standard around the country and allowed for the American dream to be made possible for all — regardless of their gender, race, religion or class. And because of that, there is no group […]
Column: Worker-protection laws aren’t ready for an automated future
Science fiction has long imagined a future in which humans constantly interact with robots and intelligent machines. This future is already happening in warehouses and manufacturing businesses. Other workers use virtual or augmented reality as part of their employment training, to assist them in performing their job or to interact with clients. And lots of […]
Rick Haglund: Warning light is flashing for Michigan’s auto industry
It’s been a great decade for Michigan’s critically important auto industry, which almost died 10 years ago during the Great Recession. Annual U.S. sales for all automakers jumped from 10.4 million in 2009 — the lowest since 1982 — to an almost-record 17.2 million last year, a 65% increase. Automakers and their parts suppliers in […]
Column: Schools can’t afford to wait as the Legislature drags its feet on the budget
As schools throughout the metro Detroit area have begun to open their doors to students again, they’re doing so with an unusual and alarming amount of guesswork involved. Instead of spending the summer months implementing their budget planning for the new year, including filling critically important teaching and support staff positions, school administrators were instead […]
Column: We need to focus on kids’ strengths in school and beyond
Seeing all those back-to-school posts on Facebook is making me more than a little misty this year. As a mom, I know my days of having a “little kid” are dwindling. And as a former teacher, I feel a rush of emotions. Guilt about not being there for my students. Sadness about missing out on […]
Susan J. Demas: Trump’s crazy 2 weeks underscore just how much we’ll lose if he wins in 2020
President Donald Trump is diverting disaster funds during hurricane season to his precious border wall. Migrant children are being raped, falling ill and dying in border concentration camps. His administration is planning to stop regulating the greenhouse gas methane as the Amazon is literally on fire. Trump has managed to unleash even more mad-king rantings […]
Column: When you fix those damn roads, include mobility for all
Michigan has a transportation funding problem, and it’s been with us for years. We don’t invest enough in our system, and when we do, it doesn’t help everybody. This dysfunction has led us to the point where we need to invest at least $2.5 billion annually to “fix the damn roads.” As bad as they […]
Column: How the government can steal your stuff: 6 questions about civil asset forfeiture answered
Should someone wearing a badge have the power to relieve a suspected drug dealer of his Maserati on the spot without giving him an opportunity to flee or liquidate and launder his assets? Known as civil asset forfeiture, this practice might sound like a wise policy. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in […]
Apocalypse watch: New West Michigan school designed with hiding spots in case of mass shooting
As Republicans continue to refuse to solve America’s gun problem, desperate parents are sending their kids off to school in bulletproof backpacks. And now a West Michigan school district is taking even more extreme measures. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2019/08/05/after-ohio-texas-mass-shootings-heres-the-legislation-michigans-gop-legislature-could-take-up/ WTHR-TV in Indianapolis talked to Fruitport Schools Superintendent Bob Szymoniak about the $48 million renovations to the high school: […]