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Fresh Thoughts

SPECIAL REPORT: Inside the fight over state employee pay

March 18, 2010 – 10:22 am

By John Foren
On one side are those who say state of Michigan employees are getting Cadillac salary and benefits in a junker of an economy and must cough up some of it.
On the other are those who contend the workers are self-sacrificing public servants who have already made more concessions than the fat-cat legislators who [...]

By The Center for Michigan | Also posted in Accountability, Government Collaboration | Comments (4)

Five key tax and budget reform lessons from other states

March 18, 2010 – 10:21 am

A long-term, sustainable solution to Michigan’s public budget woes appears as far away as ever. The governor is refusing to accept cuts to education proposed by the Senate and the Senate is refusing to accept the governor’s plan to restructure the state tax system with a sales tax on services.
It smells an awful lot like [...]

By John Bebow | Also posted in Clear Taxing & Spending | Comments (5)

Phil Power: Bipartisan freshmen legislators need our support right now

March 18, 2010 – 10:21 am

When a bunch of newly elected state representatives organized themselves into the Michigan House Bipartisan Freshman Caucus – a first in state history – old Lansing hands were inclined to snigger.
Comments ranged from the merely dismissive – “freshman sewing circle” – to the outright cynical – “good try, but they’ll never break through the culture [...]

By Phil Power | Also posted in Columns | Comments (0)

Keep those letters coming on budget and term limits reform!

March 18, 2010 – 10:20 am

Fresh thoughts readers sent nearly 100 letters to legislative leaders in response to our plea last week to help state representatives Bill Rogers and Tim Bledsoe gain hearings and support for their proposals to get no-budget, no pay and term limits reforms on the ballot later this year.
Don't stop there!
Flood the capitol email boxes! It [...]

By John Bebow | Also posted in Accountability | Comments (0)

SUCCESS STORY: Four Detroit neighborhoods take matters into their own hands

March 18, 2010 – 10:20 am

By Jo Mathis
This week, Robert Bobb, the emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools, unveiled a plan close 44 schools, raise $700 million more in bond money for school improvements, and set higher goals for student achievement.
In the meantime, residents in six Detroit neighborhoods are determined that regardless of what happens at the district level, [...]

By The Center for Michigan | Also posted in Quality of Place | Comments (0)

Business Leaders' new benchmarks suggest Michigan is far from a return to prosperity

March 18, 2010 – 10:19 am

In May, the Center for Michigan will publish the 2010 Michigan Scorecard — a report card on nearly 30 quality of life measures.
This week, Business Leaders for Michigan beat us to the punch — at least as it relates to economic measures — with their 2010 Economic Competitiveness Benchmarking Report.
BLM's key conclusions this year:

Michigan's economic [...]

By John Bebow | Also posted in Accountability | Comments (0)

Bipartisan freshmen demand movement on term limits and budget reforms

March 11, 2010 – 11:14 am

Two strong reforms are sitting idle because the bosses in the Michigan House of Representatives won't take action.
That's the charge levied by two leaders of the House Freshman Bipartisan Caucus.
In a March 3 letter to leadership, State Reps Bill Rogers, R-Brighton, and Tim Bledsoe, D-Grosse Pointe, demand attention to their joint proposals to extend [...]

By John Bebow | Comments (12)

TAKE ACTION: Tell House leaders to take up budget and term limits reforms

March 11, 2010 – 11:13 am

If you invest one minute of your time, you can help Bipartisan Freshman Caucus members Bill Rogers and Tim Bledsoe force the issue on term limits and budget reforms.
Call or email House leaders today. Tell them to get off their hands and move forward with important budget and term limits reforms. The easiest way is [...]

By John Bebow | Comments (10)

Education Town Hall Report: Support for Pre-K and funding, scrutiny of bennies

March 11, 2010 – 11:13 am

The Center for Michigan's town hall meeting in East Lansing Wednesday was jam-packed with citizens, business people and educators eager to see the issues of children and schools go to the top of the agenda for the 2010 statewide elections.
Click here for a quick guide to the big issues.
In case you missed it, [...]

By John Bebow | Comments (8)

Audience vote totals from Wednesday's Education Town Hall Meeting

March 11, 2010 – 11:13 am

Following are the vote totals from the Education Town Hall meeting. Over 200 participants voted on a range of issues from Pre-K Education through Higher Ed.

 
 
 
 

 

By John Bebow | Comments (0)

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