My latest piece at A2Politico gives an illuminating look at the number two administrator in the Snyder administration in charge of our state’s Emergency Managers. His name is Roger Fraser and, until earlier he was the City Administrator for Ann Arbor, Michigan’s sixth largest city, a position he held for nine years. He currently has the position of Deputy State […]

Yesterday, Borders Books announced that it was going out of business and liquidating its assets. This will put another roughly 11,000 people out of work including many right here in Michigan. It’s a huge loss both in terms of jobs and in terms of having a good bookseller around. But P.D. Lesko at A2Politico points out, there is at least […]

This is from our good friends working hard to repeal the anti-democratic Emergency Manager law, P.A. 4 (aka, “the Financial Martial Law Act”.) Calling All Recall and Repeal Heroes, 500,000 folks will visit Art Fair next week. The Recall Snyder and Repeal PA4 (emergency managers) campaigns are linking arms to make the Ann Arbor Art Fair the biggest petition-signing event […]

Dude, give it up. Andrew Shirvell doesn’t believe he did anything wrong in his time as an assistant state attorney general for Michigan. And even if he did, he doesn’t think he deserved to get fired, according to filings with the state Civil Service Commission. Shirvell was fired in early November amid controversy surrounding his blog that attacked then-University of […]

The effort to repeal Public Act 4, the Financial Martial Law Act, in Michigan got a great jump start yesterday when nearly 100 local activists, concerned citizens and organizers got together for an informational townhall meeting. The event was put on by the Washtenaw Community Action Team, a group that describes itself as “a coalition of local unionists, activists, students, […]

This Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. is an informational townhall meeting on the effort to repeal the Financial Martial Law Act recently passed by the Republicans in Michigan’s legislature. I will be a featured speaker in the Michigan Forward-sponsored event, talking about the history of the law and what it does. Here are the details from their press […]

As you know, if you read my blog, this past spring, Michigan Republicans passed legislation that Governor Rick Snyder signed into law as Public Act 4 of 2011, otherwise known as “The Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) Law”. Although Michigan governors already had the ability to put EFMs in place in struggling cities and schools, this new law gives EFMs wide-sweeping […]

This Saturday, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder will be the commencement speaker at the University of Michigan, quite a departure from last year when President Obama was the speaker. A massive protest is being organized that involves a rally as well as action by the students themselves. The protest rally is being organized by the Washtenaw Community Action Team, Working Michigan, […]

Really, people, what the hell did you think you were going to get when you voted for a Republican? Some excellent analysis with lots of numbers and lists of Ann Arbor-area folks who contributed to Snyder’s campaign at A2Politico. I’m just sayin’…

Planned Parenthood arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan yesterday with its giant pink bus. They are currently on a tour around the country to raise awareness about the Republican effort to defund Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood’s Big Pink Bus All photos by Anne C. Savage — please do not use without permission Over 500 supporters showed up to show that they […]

On the heels of over 6,000 people protesting at the Capitol building in Lansing this week, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is getting more flak, this time from students at the University of Michigan. Snyder has been chosen as the commencement speaker for the Spring Commencement ceremony and a whole lotta U of M students are having none of it. At […]