Hallelujah All photos by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog As I wrote back January (has it been that long?), the Detroit City Council set itself up to be the punchline of a bad joke when it rejected an offer by the State of Michigan to make the fabulous Belle Isle our state’s newest state park. However, in his best […]

That was a day we will all remember President Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, photo by Congressman Keith Ellison Well, I looked out the window the morning, Day Two of Obamacare, and the sky was still UP and the sun was rising. IN THE WEST! No, wait [turns around] IN THE EAST! Despite warnings of the […]

So, I got an email from my employer this morning. They went through what I’m assuming is the normal process of having the Department of Labor analyze the health insurance plan they offer to us, their employees. The verdict: “affordable”. I can keep my employer-based insurance. I can keep my doctors. I don’t need to go to Healthcare.gov to sign […]

Standing proud for kids, teachers, and public education The Michigan Education Association (MEA), Michigan’s largest teachers union, threw their support behind Mark Schauer for governor today, giving him their official endorsement. Schauer is the son of a high school teacher and a product of Michigan’s public school system. As governor, he’ll be a fierce advocate for public education, our educators, […]

Don’t feed the seagulls. Last Thursday, Democratic candidate for governor Mark Schauer ventured into the lion’s den and made a campaign appearance in conservative Howell, Michigan in Livingston County. From the reports that I’ve seen, over 100 people showed up which is remarkable because (a) we’re still 13 months out from the election and (b) there are people who would […]

It’s easy to make a fool look foolish As I mentioned earlier the other day, Michigan Congressman Gary Peters pledged to donate his salary to charity if Republicans were successful at shutting down the government. The story took an interesting turn when, earlier this evening, Luke Russert tweeted this little tidbit about Texas Senator Ted Cruz: Ted Cruz will copy […]

File this one under “Hypocrisy, blatant” This right here? This tells you everything you need to know about just how hypocritical Republicans in Washington, D.C. are: One other option includes canceling health-insurance subsidies for some government employees, including members of Congress and their staff. But there’s internal resistance to this measure among House Republicans, mainly because low-paid aides would be […]

“Why won’t you compromise on our refusal to compromise?!” – House Republicans That’s gonna leave a mark So, this is hilarious. After five years of Republicans refusing to compromise on just about everything and doing all they could to impede any initiatives President Obama put forward, including their own, we get these sorts of comments from GOP leadership regarding his […]

A conference for anyone who is interested in fair government. The corrosive impact of money in our elections, particularly here in Michigan, is clearly evident to anyone who pays the slightest bit of attention. Even the elections for our state Supreme Court justices are fueled by money from corporate interests and wealthy individuals. Unfortunately, due to the permissive laws of […]

#SaveTheArt Earlier this month, in the dark of night, a giant dragon sidled its way up to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). It belched out a giant plume of flame which ignited a gas-soaked sign on the front lawn of the museum which spelled out the phrase #SaveTheArt. The scene was the artistic creation of Detroit artist Ryan C. […]

The cavalry is coming! The cavalry is coming! [Image by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog] The Obama adminstration will be in Detroit today and bring with them $300 million in new federal and private investments, much of which is designed to eradicate blight and foster an environment of rehabilitation. The delegation is led by chief White House economic adviser, […]