The truth emerges…

Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts announced this morning that he’s stepping down as EM when his contract expires later this month. He said, in his mind, the crisis is over and the DPS is on its way to being financially stable.

Roberts said something else, however, that shocked those who were present. He told them that his instructions when he took the job were to “blow up the district and dismantle it”.

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Coming soon to an Education Achievement Authority school near you?

Alternet has a frightening piece up this week about the experience of a small, impoverished California town that utilized a “parent trigger” to give its school system over to a private group. The piece, “Exposed: The Billionaire-Backed Group Strong-Arming Parents into Destroying Their Kids’ Public Schools” is worth your time to read.

The story is one of a corporate-funded drive to privatize schools in poor areas. What’s frightening is that there is legislation for doing the same here in Michigan and there is nothing in the bill that would prevent making these schools profit centers for for-profit corporate education companies. Funded by groups like the Walton Family Foundation, the Gates Foundation and the Broad foundation, a group called “Parent Revolution” used strong arm tactics and bullying to convince poor residents of Adelanto, California to privatize their school system.

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Michigan Republicans are the only ones who think it’s a bitter pill.

The evidence that Medicaid expansion is in the best interests of Michigan and its citizens keeps stacking up. Even Governor Rick Snyder gets it. But Michigan Republicans continue digging in their heels, trying every unsubstantiated excuse in the book to block expansion.

As I wrote here previously in a two-part series, Medicaid expansion would deliver measurable benefits to the state, insuring up to 730,000 uninsured Michiganders with the help of $1 billion in federal funding, creating 18,000 jobs and about $2.1 billion in economic activity.

Apparently, those aren’t good enough reasons for the Michigan GOP to take the money and run with a program that could boost the physical, emotional and economic health of our state.

Much more after the jump.

Run, Gary, run!

Moments ago, Gary Peters announced that he will run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Carl Levin in 2014.

Click through for details. Liveblogging begins at 2:00 p.m.

Time to go now, Ms. Platko

Last night, the Buena Vista Township Board passed a resolution calling for the resignation of Gloria Platko for calling Township Supervisor Dwayne Parker an “arrogant nigger” on a phone call with Interim Township Manager Dexter Mitchell.

Details after the jump.

Intentionally furthering the divide

Last week, Republican members of the House Insurance Committee walked out of a hearing on No Fault insurance reform to avoid having to hear testimony from victims of catastrophic accidents and their families. The disrespect shown to these citizens who had traveled to Lansing to participate in our democratic process prompted Democratic House Leader Tim Greimel to call for their replacement.

In response, House Speaker Jase Bolger, in what can only be described as a petulant and childish act, removed eight Democrats from their committee assignments for missing meetings in the past. He took no action whatsoever against Republicans, of course.

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ObamaCare is the best thing to happen to the middle class since Medicare — of course, the GOP wants to destroy it Republicans have fallen in love with repeating the warning from Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) that ObamaCare could be a “train wreck.” This has given them confidence to resume to their favorite pastime: pretending to repeal ObamaCare. It also […]

Hallelujah!

The small town of Ecorse, Michigan, under control of an Emergency Financial Manager or Emergency Manager since 2009, has been deemed to have emerged from its emergency and will now be indefinitely under the control of a Transition Advisory Board (TAB).

Joyce Parker, the Emergency Manager for both Ecorse and Allen Park will be on the TAB. Gov. Snyder provided a list of her accomplishments (after the jump.)