Forward momentum and signs of compromise are promising. Supporters of Medicaid expansion — which is pretty much everyone except the Tea Party and staunch conservatives, by most accounts — will be happy to hear some positive news. The House Michigan Competitiveness committee voted 9-5 to approve a Medicaid expansion bill, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press. Opponents […]

Wow, they are getting seriously desperate As I have written about before, Governor Rick Snyder has a pal of his working in the office next to his. Rich Baird is not paid by the taxpayers of Michigan. He’s paid out of Governor Snyder’s New Energy to Reinvent and Diversify Fund (NERD). This slush fund is financed by undisclosed corporate donors, […]

Draped in a flag, carrying a cross The funny thing about so-called “small government” Republicans is their hypocritical desire to pass more and more laws, many of them with no purpose (like the Senate resolution that was passed last week “to express support for the state of Michigan officially recognizing September 19, 2013, as International Talk Like a Pirate Day”.) […]

Save Michigan’s Public Schools

As I wrote about yesterday, two friends of mine, Rochelle Noel and Betsy Coffia, have organized a huge rally in support of Michigan’s public schools. It happens next Wednesday, June 19th, 2013.

Last night, Rochell and Betsy appeared on the Night Shift with Tony Trupiano radio show to talk about the rally. Tony will be the Master of Ceremonies at the rally. Listen to it after the jump.

Austerity is supposed to be dead but Tuesday night the Senate voted to cut $4.1 billion from the “Heat and Eat” programs that supplement food assistance for seniors and those with disabilities. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) offered legislation last month that would block any cuts to the SNAP program. It was soundly defeated after Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), chair of […]

Working America is the largest coalition of non-union workers in the country. In fact, although it is a project of the AFL-CIO union membership precludes you from being a Working America member yet their ranks are swelling. This week, my pals at Working America unveiled a new website called FixMyJob.com. The site is simple to use; a series of screens […]

An open letter urges conservatives to “sit out” Governor Rick Snyder’s re-election campaign. That’s how much the Michigan Tea Party hates Obamacare. They’d sabotage the Republican Governor’s chances of winning re-election to prove a point. They published an open letter today railing against Gov. Snyder’s continued efforts to convince the Michigan legislature to accept Medicaid expansion. Never mind the fact […]

ForProfitSchoolsFirst Last month, I wrote about yet another Republican attack on teachers in the form of House Bill 4625. This bill, as I said then, would make teachers’ pay primarily based on student progress. Current law says that teacher pay should be using job performance and job accomplishments as a significant factor. House Bill 4625, introduced by Republican Pete Lund, […]

Who knew we had six wind energy scientists in the state legislature? Six Michigan Republicans have decided that Michigan shall not have wind energy installations on the Great Lakes. Why? Not, supposedly, because they are against renewable, clean wind energy. No, it’s because they have decided that (a) it’s not feasible and (b) we should never conduct studies to determine […]

Hoo boy… The Detroit News conservative pundit and cartoonist Henry Payne has an op-ed with such comically convoluted (il)logic that it deserves public derision. His piece, “‘Pasha’ Dingell and the rise of Washington power” basically implies that Dean of the House John Dingell has secured his power through massive contributions from corporations and their lobbyists. He then goes on to […]

The House GOP is dropping demands for a 48-month cap on Medicaid coverage for able-bodied adults. The Michigan Tea Party can’t be happy about this. There are signs of Republican willingness to compromise on Medicaid expansion, a big step forward in making it a reality in Michigan. Yesterday, a story in Crain’s Detroit Business reported that House Republicans were abandoning […]