Drunk. With. Power. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation today that is one of the final steps in consolidating Republican power in Michigan. The new law moves the Court of Claims — the court where suits against the state government are heard — from the Ingham County Circuit Court where it’s been for decades to Michigan Court of Appeals. Governor […]

Michigan Republicans are starting look desperate and obsessed and controlled by the Mackinac Center It’s no secret that Michigan Republicans are hellbent on destroying unions. Teachers unions seem to be their prime targets, likely because teachers are particularly vulnerable because they are focused on educating our kids, not on political action and activism. When Republicans rammed right to work (for […]

They rock [All photos by Isaac Epstein, used with permission] In the spring of 2012, a handful of from various faith, labor, and community organizations began to meet to discuss building a local group to work on solving some of the intractable problem confronting their communities. Over time, that group swelled in size and became known as the Washtenaw Regional […]

C’mon, it’s not that hard to find black people in Detroit… [Photo credit: Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog] I want to start off by saying that I think Anthony Bourdain’s CNN program “Parts Unkown” is some of the best programming on television right now. From the insanely high-quality and artful videography to Bourdain’s ability to capture the heart and […]

#SaveMI, #SaveHamtownFarms Photo by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog Late last month, I wrote about the amazing Hamtown Farms urban farm in Hamtramck, Michigan. The farm sits on city land that had been vacant for decades. Now that the city is legally able to begin selling off their empty lots, Cathy Square, the Emergency Manager in Hamtramck has swept […]

We appear to have made the successful transition to the new server without any serious hitches. Old posts are all still there, images are still there, and so far as I can tell, everything is working as it should. Three cheers to Charles Gaba of Brainwrap Web Design for his efficient work on a Friday night. Let’s all carry him […]

I am happy/terrified to inform you that we are moving Eclectablog to a new server this evening, a process being handled by our intrepid web hosting provider Charles Gaba of Brainwrap Web Design. This will give us more bandwidth, more storage, and better service overall so it’s a smart move. It’s also one that gives me heartburn and anxiety. The […]

What the hell is going on in New Mexico??? [Graphic by Vectorportal | Wikipedia] On the heels of not one, but two men reporting being basically raped by medical personnel in search of illegal drugs inside their bodies, KOB4 is now reporting a woman has been subjected to a similar assault: Laura Schaur Ives, Legal Director for the New Mexico […]

How can you deny what’s in front of your eyes? [CC photo credit: Michael McCullough (ex_magician) | Flickr] In the mid-1990s, an outbreak of pine mountain beetle infestation began in the western United States up through Canada and has decimated a truly phenomenal number of forests. In Colorado this year, an estimated quarter million acres of forest are affected, down […]

“This is about treating all people fairly, with honor, dignity, and respect.” Today the U.S. Senate passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that would end discrimination based on sexual orientation. It seems unlikely the House Speaker John Boehner will even allow it to come to a vote in the House. Being this close to equality for all Americans in the […]

“The laws right now are written to mete out punishment to local officials, but there need to be clear partnership requirements for the state to address fiscal stress.” Flint, Michigan is rare in that it has not had just one Emergency Manager. It has had four different managers and the current “emergency” is the second one for the former manufacturing […]