The following post was written by Rebecca Ramaswamy. Rebecca is a civil rights attorney at Equal Justice Under Law, and one of the attorneys on the Fowler v. Benson case in Michigan. The Litigation Long Game As a Michigan native, I was excited when my D.C.-based civil rights organization, Equal Justice Under Law, decided to bring a lawsuit against my […]

The following essay was written by Mike Wagner. Mike is a musician who lives in Texas. He is the composer of the Flint Water Crisis theme music, from the song Unclaimed, used for our podcast, The GOTMFV Show. Let me get this straight. In regards to Individual 1, this is what we learned from the Mueller investigation and related cases: […]

The following essay was written by Ben Zylman who lives in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District and is “represented” by Congressman Fred Upton. I use quotes around “represented” intentionally and you’ll come to understand why when you read Ben’s piece. Enjoy. I’m not the kind of person who ever thought I’d write a political opinion piece. For years, I paid little […]

The following post is cross-posted from our good friends at Michigan Clear Water Action. In mid-June, after months of pressure from Clean Water Action members and public health advocates, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) finally released their study on the health effects of PFAS contamination. Emails between Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials, the White House, and […]

The following essay is by Michael Andrade, a friend who sent it to my wife as a Facebook message. It was powerful enough that she read it to me and I thought it was a perfect piece to run today on Martin Luther King Day, particularly as we approach the one year anniversary of Donald Trump taking office as the […]

The following guest post was written by Friend of the Blog Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga). Barb is currently serving her second term as the Ingham County Clerk. Before that, Clerk Byrum served in the Michigan House of Representatives for six years. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Michigan Association of County Clerks (MACC) and also […]

The following essay was written by Dr. Ben Pauli, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Social Science in the Department of Liberal Studies at Kettering University in Flint. Enjoy. In a special meeting on May 17, the Flint City Council voted to approve a one-year moratorium on the city’s practice of putting tax liens on properties for overdue water bills. A […]

The following essay was written by my friend Desiree Cooper. Desiree is the author of Know the Mother, a freelance writer, and the former Communications Director for Planned Parenthood of Michigan. Enjoy. Birth control is a no-brainer. Americans have agreed that family planning is a good thing as far back as 1936, when Gallup first asked whether Americans favor the […]

The following guest post was written by Dennis L. Green, a retired certified Professional Engineer from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). Dennis graduated from Cass Technical High School’s Electrical program in 1963 and received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Lawrence Tech in 1969. After graduation, Dennis went to work for the Detroit Water Department, Engineering […]

The following editorial essay was written by Ingham County Clerk and former State Representative Barb Byrum. Enjoy. Administering elections is a fascinating job, and one that I take very seriously. Like Michigan’s other 82 county clerks, I’m focused on providing reliable, secure, and hassle-free voting for all U.S. citizens, including military and overseas voters who face unique challenges in exercising […]

The following guest post was written by Jenny Doezema, a Kalamazoo resident who sends her children to Kalamazoo Public Schools. Enjoy. Earlier this month, Kalamazoo schools were closed when more than 1,900 students fell ill on the same day. The district closed all schools on a Friday to allow them to disinfect the school buildings over a long weekend. Other […]