Take note, Michigan GOP: It’s not just good for Michigan’s health. It’s good for Michigan’s economy, too.

I’m having trouble remembering the last time I heard Michigan Republicans talk about creating jobs, what with all their carrying on about defending religious liberty, protecting the unborn, railing against the LGBT community and … well, pretty much everything except creating jobs.

So let’s give them a nudge and make it easy for them to understand: Medicaid expansion will create jobs. It will increase economic activity and revenue. Which is what the GOP has always claimed is their top priority. Right?

In part 1 of this series, I wrote about why Medicaid expansion is good for the health of Michigan’s citizens. But I’m not entirely sure that’s enough to get through to those in the Michigan GOP who are dead set on crushing anything related to Obamacare. So it’s time for a primer on the positive economic impact of Medicaid expansion.

Click through for details.

There’s still lots of room in the tip jar

Today is the last day of our Second Quarter fundraiser. I, for one, and happy about that, mainly because I hate begging you for money. But these are necessary to help pay for all of the things that we spend our time and money on over the year. For example, this year we’ll be heading back to the Netroots Nation conference for a week which is in California this year.

If you’d like to donate, you can use the Paypal widget after the jump, putting in what ever amount you wish and even making it a recurring donation if you’d like. If you’d rather send a check, send me an email (click HERE) and I’ll provide you with my mailing address.

As a reward for putting up with the fundraiser this quarter, there are some photos by my wife Anne C. Savage if you click through. Her photos are the primary reason that this site looks as good as it does. Enjoy.

Don’t make me execute you to prove how pro-life I am. The only thing worse than abortion is birth control. I’m sick of big government letting the gays marry the people they love. I’m going to deport you from this country I want to secede from. I’m afraid of the government registering my guns so I’m registering myself in a gun owners organization.

Conservatives are so good at repeating each other that they never listen to themselves.

Here at Eclectablog, we do a lot of listening and do our best to use the far right’s words and actions against them in our ongoing mission to save and — one day — grow the middle class.

But nothing we do matters if we don’t have your support. Everything you can do — sharing on Facebook and Twitter, adding the discussion, contributing your hard-earned money — helps make what we do matter.

Details after the jump.

The Michigan GOP doesn’t seem to get why Medicaid expansion is good for Michigan. Time for them to hit the books.

Medicaid expansion isn’t exactly elementary. Then again, it’s not rocket science, either.

Members of the Michigan GOP have said they just haven’t had time to look into all the details of Medicaid expansion so they can make an educated decision. For now, let’s ignore the fact that they apparently needed no time at all to examine Right-to-Work (For Less) before making it a state law. Let’s also ignore the fact that they were clearly counting on the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, so they didn’t bother doing their homework.

Instead, let’s educate them on why Medicaid expansion is the right thing to do for Michigan. Follow me over the jump for details.

Counting bugs was never so fun (or useful)!

From my very good friends at the Huron River Watershed Council comes a terrific opportunity to meet some wonderful protectors of the amazing and beautiful Huron River and help to assess the river’s health at the same time.

Click through for details.

Hey, Republicans, are you listening?

The percentage of Michigan residents covered by health insurance through their job has dropped from 78.1 percent in 2000 to 62.9 percent in 2011 according to a new report out by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. That’s the second highest decline in the entire country, second only to South Carolina.

The study was done to get baseline information prior to the implementation of many of the core components of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) so that we’ll have something to compare to as the ACA is rolled out.

Some of the key findings and more after the jump.

This whole democracy thing is just getting out of hand, isn’t it? Last year, the Michigan legislature took wolves off the endangered species list and earlier this year, the Department of Natural Resources proposed hunting them again, despite the fact that there are less than 700 of these native animals in the state. A statewide coalition of people began gathering […]

For the Love of Goddess what is the matter with these heartless idiots?

Yesterday the Republican-controlled Michigan House and Senate passed budget bills that rejected the expansion of Medicaid in our state. The impact of this is that hundreds of thousands of working poor Michiganders will continue to go without adequate health care coverage, saving the state exactly nothing. In fact, we will still pay into the program but the only states to benefit will be those that wisely choose to expand Medicaid. In other fact, we actually will be in the hole by $200 million a year which will need to come out of other programs like, you know, food assistance for the poor and stuff.

Details after the jump.

Helping people frame the progressive message is what we’re all about

Welcome to Day 5 of our Second Quarter fundraiser. We’ll keep it short and sweet. The tip jar was pretty quiet yesterday so I’m hoping you’ll consider making a contribution today. Although we run ads on the site, they bring a scandalously low level of revenue so your direct contributions are extremely important.

Click through for details.

It doesn’t ALL go for beer

Hi, folks. Welcome to Day 4 of our Second Quarter fundraiser. As I have said in the past, we make scandalously little money from the ads on this site, despite our rather healthy level of traffic. Much like public television and public radio, our main source of funding comes from “Viewers Readers like YOU!”

Please consider making a donation. Details and some exciting examples of how we use your donations are waiting for you right after the jump.

A rare opportunity

The Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner is the biggest fundraising event of the year for most state Democratic Parties and Michigan is no exception. Named after Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, these events draw big name speakers and candidates for office.

This year, the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) has scored a real coup: Vice President Joe Biden will be the keynote speaker. The dinner is on the evening of Saturday, April 20th at the Cobo Center in Detroit. It kicks off at 6 p.m. Tickets are available HERE.

More after the jump.