Robin Williams always seemed like a tortured soul to me, someone with a mind way too big for his brain and body. I was sad to hear that he had committed suicide yesterday; sad but not entirely surprised. Here’s my favorite comedy sketch by Williams. It’s funny if you don’t play golf but if you DO play golf, it’s even […]

State Superintendent Mike Flanagan announced today that 11 of the 40 charter school authorizers have been put in “At-Risk of Suspension” status after a damning investigative report by the Detroit Free Press recently reveal gross negligence, a lack of transparency, nepotism, and, most importantly, poor performance in many of Michigan’s charter schools. In Michigan, which has a quarter of the […]

Food vendor employees having sex with prisoners. Maggots in the food service areas. Prison food shortages. Scores of employees banned from prisons. I’ve written about all of this and more about the for-profit prison food vendor Aramark in Michigan. But the scandals here are not the only scandals Aramark is facing. They are on the hot seat in Ohio for […]

Next year, an amazing thing will happen. Millions of Americans won’t be paying more for health insurance. Subsidized middle-class consumers — about 85 percent of the those who purchased a plan — currently pay an average of $264 less a month because of the law. And they will likely be paying just about the same amount in premiums in 2015 […]

First, let’s recap where we are regarding private for-profit prison food vendor Aramark: Sex scandals. Passing drugs to inmates. Running out of prison food. Maggots in prison food. MORE maggots in prison food. And now more sex scandals. All of this from one for-profit vendor for food in Michigan prisons: Aramark. In all, over 80 of their employees have been […]

First it was Michigan State Treasurer Andy Dillon. Then it was Education Achievement Authority John Covington. Now a third Snyder administration official is resigning in disgrace. This time it’s Scott Woosley, head of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority after revelations of misuse of tax dollars for extravagant travel and dining expenses on the public’s dime. This afternoon, MSHDA official […]

Last week I wrote about Warren, Michigan Mayor Jim Fouts’ decision to deny Douglas Marshall space in the City Hall atrium for a “reason center” where atheists could share their worldview. In his letter to Marshall, Fouts said, “The city has certain values that I don’t believe are in general agreement with having an atheist station, nor in general agreement […]

Chad Selweski of the Macomb Daily News has more revelations regarding Terri Lynn Land’s lies about the source of her immense wealth that has allowed her to dump millions of dollars of her own money into her increasingly failed campaign: Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land’s claim that she is a small business owner, not part of the lucrative Land & […]

A newly-formed chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby in Ann Arbor is holding an event on Monday, August 11th, 2014 at the Ecology Center titled “Climate Change: Learn How YOU Can Make A Difference!” The speaker will be Dr. Elizabeth Del Buono, MD, a Climate Reality Presenter and Citizens’ Climate Lobby Volunteer and she will discuss global warming and why […]

Warren Mayor Jim Fouts plans to file a lawsuit to overturn Proposal 1, approved by voters in Tuesday’s primary. The ballot initiative eliminates the Personal Property Tax which taxes businesses for equipment that they own, giving Michigan businesses a half billion dollar tax break on top of the $1 billion cut in corporate taxes passed in 2011. Fouts said the […]

This is getting ridiculous NOTE: See update below. An explosive report by the Detroit Free Press shows that Scott Woosley, head of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, along with other staffers has racked up huge bills, all paid for by Michigan taxpayers. Travel in stretch limos, $500-a-night hotel accomodations, $40,000 on international trips, all-alcohol “dinners”, and sumptious feasts were […]