The first time I read about the story of the Hudson Riverkeepers, I was introduced to two important concepts -- the concept of market-based environmental initiatives and also the deep connection between local economies and environmental stewardship. At the heart of it was a man who may be the greatest [...]
Very bad news. Very bad news indeed.
The decade-old battle to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes might be over.
New research shows the fish likely have made it past the $9 million electric fish barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, a source familiar with the situation [...]
Dave Camp doesn't usually unleash Teh Crazy. In fact, he's mastered the art of dodging difficult questions and issues so softly that you don't know that the subject has been changed without him actually saying anything worthwhile. It's a skill I think he probably learned from Bill Schuette.
Anyway, that all [...]
Someone the other day was wondering if physical geography was maybe playing a part in whether Pam Byrnes plans to run for a Washtenaw County state Senate seat. Today comes news from a state senate district where geography is definitely a consideration for one of the candidates.
In a WKZO exclusive, [...]
Hobbled by opposition from the carbon incumbents and their short-sighted allies on Capitol Hill the Obama administration acknowledged this week that it would not return from Copenhagen with any groundbreaking commitment to control green house gases. Meanwhile, Congress is backsliding on the administration's wise commitment to impose [...]
Why is it that the people who talk the loudest are always the most easily frightened?
The Obama administration's decision to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed and several of his associates in a federal district court in New York is both unnecessary and dangerous. Mohammed is the confessed mastermind of the [...]
If "sex offenders" remain such a menace to children that they can't be allowed to pass out Halloween candy, then why in God's name are we letting them out of prison?
Halloween will no longer be a treat for the 24 registered sex offenders in Allen Park: City Council [...]
Despite a blog discussing abortion and another focusing on potential gubernatorial candidate Andy Dillon's potential choice of a lieutenant governor candidate, it's been a slow week at Michigan Liberal.
Perhaps most readers are out harvesting deer? Perhaps we can kick up the conversation a bit by focusing [...]
Judy McGovern, writing for the Ann Arbor Chronicle, says that Pam Byrne's absence from the field for the 18th state Senate seat is noticeable and fueling speculation that Byrnes may get the nod as Andy Dillon's lieutenant governor if he opts to get into the race for governor. Byrnes [...]
Many thanks to yesterday's sponsor, which coincidentally is the same at today's sponsor, which in turn is coincidentally the sponsor for the next two weeks ... i3 Strategies. Please show your appreciation for that company's support by paying its Web site a visit and finding out what it is [...]
Wind farm=green manufacturing jobs. They also equal lease payments to local property owners, who can avoid turning farms into semi-liquid retirement funds, sold off to developers bit by bit. Good news for the Bay area ... stuff our good friends in the trades can do instead of doing temp [...]
Just a quick update to the story unfolding up here in mid-Michigan that is also unfolding around the state ... school boards work to deal with the big per-pupil cuts made by the governor and sniffed at by the no-revenue state Senate.
Rosebush School and kindergarten enrichment programs in Mt. [...]
As the son of a nurse who worked in primary care for many years, I've long held the belief that decisions about childbearing should be made by a woman in consultation with her family and doctor. The government doesn't belong in the room when these very personal, private decisions [...] (Sniff) ... smell the maverick-y goodness (and, no, this has nothing to do with that Going Rouge woman, you awful perverts).
McCain blamed unions for creating the conditions leading up to the bailout while questioning Chrysler's ability to survive, despite the $15 billion in loans it received.
"It" [...]
I wonder if part of the severence package* is an independent distributors' kit and a piece of paper with the name and phone number of the diamond they're supposed to report to.
ADA -- Amway Corp. announced today it expects to eliminate 93 jobs, mostly at its Ada headquarters, over [...]
Today, someone thought that you should learn a little more about the Dream Act of 2009, and put forward a little money to get your attention and to help pay this site's operating costs/editor's rent. Please show this site a little support and take a few minutes at that [...]
This story is old, but it's related to the flier I posted last week about how the state Senate's blockheaded approach to budgeting has managed to nail as one of its casualties a local hybrid all-day kindergarten program that is very popular with parents.
"Our kindergarten parents are going to" [...]
Laura Berman in today's News, frustrated that the reaction of inept leadership to inept leadership is to throw up its hands and declare it all a collective wash.
But Cherry, and other Lansing would-be leaders, cannot be allowed the luxury of throwing up their hands and hoping smart people out [...]
Nolan Finley gives some space to the state's most pressed-upon public official, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop. Specifically, he says that Jennifer Granholm has picked on the poor dear.
Give Bishop the last word, since he's been so meanly treated by the governor in recent weeks: "What she's doing is" [...]
Michael Moore has an Op-Ed in today's Traverse City Record Eagle that demonstrates what a credit to this state he really is. Among his highly controversial suggestions for a better Traverse City?
7. CREATE WHAT DOWNTOWN STILL NEEDS. A small grocery store. An affordable diner (where young people can go [...]
I'm going to do something unusual here. And, when I say something unusual, I mean I'm going to actually blend real post commentary in with a pitch to visit our sponsorship link today. The two are connected only because of the confluence of time and event, not because of money.
Anyway, [...]
The News opines today that the shortfalls in school funding could be solved by more partisan squabbling.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has been holding town hall meetings across the state to hear community concerns about school funding, which the Legislature and Granholm have slashed. To restore the money, the governor is [...]
I came across this excellent article on climate change this morning, and in it are two things that should be of particular note for the state of Michigan. It's Al Gore getting behind two things. Exhibit A:
By all accounts, Gore was open to changing positions he brought to the [...]
There's been a lot made over the last few weeks about the comparative weakness of John Cherry to the rest of the Governor 2010 field, especially his Republican counterparts. It's almost as if the conventional wisdom coalescing around the thing is that Cherry has no shot of winning. That would [...]
The man who would be governor:
In confirming, on the record, that the government knew about Hasan's e-mails to al-Awlaki, Hoekstra, at the very least, could have given the cleric notice that his e-mails were being monitored, officials said. But even more than that, his words appear to confirm a [...]Most thinking persons recognize term limits as an abominable failure. Even the News got it right on this the other day. However, I have reservations about a proposal to ease term limits restrictions coming from people who would most directly benefit from it.
The plan sponsored by Rep. Tim Bledsoe, [...]
My man chanupi says this was sent home with one of his kids:
It's one of those things you'll need to click on to see the whole thing. But, you don't need to do that, because I'll summarize it for you ... thanks to the state [...]
Can you believe that we are two weeks from Thanksgiving? On that note, here is the November State Senate and State House candidate update, that you can talk about with your relatives around the dinner table when you are tired of watching the Lions lose.
State [...]
The people at Pew worked with a couple of national polling firms and asked some questions about climate change and clean energy of 600 Michiganders. The results are as follows:
A majority believe that global warming is a serious problem.A majority would support legislation to reduce carbon emissions (including a [...]Via a MIRS breaking news thingy:
Responding to a question from MIRS this morning, Lt. Gov. John CHERRY shared his belief that the Legislature may be incapable of accomplishing structural tax reform to address the state's ballooning fiscal issues.
"I'm not convinced the Legislature is capable of dealing with it," [...]
Thank you, generous soul, who has sponsored Michigan Liberal today on behalf of the Upper Peninsula Sportsmen's Alliance. Please show your appreciation by following the link and visiting that group's Web site.
While we're on the topic, feel free to check out our growing list of sponsors, and if [...]
The GOP must be absolutely terrified of Jocelyn Benson. They put out a hit piece filled with wild-ass allegations in such a rush they apparently didn't bother to read the thing over first for spelling errors, coherence of argument, or even consistency of typeface ... within the same paragraph. In [...]
Letting our roads fall apart is one of the dumbest things we could do, if we are in fact serious about trying to revive our economy. Nobody’s going to want to relocate businesses and jobs here if the roads look terrible, and driving to the store puts your [...]
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee is announcing today that a $10,000 online ad purchase aimed at holding Bart Stupak accountable for the Stupak amendment to health care reform.
The ad will ask that people sign onto a letter to strip the Stupak amendment from the final health care reform bill, [...]
Who will replace Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge? Two Republicans and a Democrat are looking to jump into the race. Most of us realize this isn't really too early to start running for office, or trying to get as much free media exposure as Ye Olde Emm Ess Emm finally [...]
Today was originally set aside to recognize the end of World War I in hopes that future generations would never again know what war is like. As you might have guessed, things didn't work out that way. Today, the 11th day of the 11th month is set aside to recognize [...]
As if you needed a reason not to shop there:
NILES — The two Bic multipurpose lighters and a package of smaller lighters Joe Paolucci bought at the Niles Wal-Mart on Aug. 16 cost $15.84.
So how did the lighters end up the centerpiece of a situation that resulted [...]
Back in the day, most of the people I knew who lived in Midland would talk about the occasional afternoon that a civil defence alarm would sound across the city and people would go indoors to avoid some kind of unexplained fume floating through town. Then, we learned about the [...]
I told you last week to pay attention to Jonathan Oosting of MLive. This is why:
Accountant Lisa Howze last week narrowly lost her bid for Detroit City Council, finishing tenth in voting for the nine-seat council.
Now comes word that Howze may keep her campaign rolling, shifting focus [...]
New report out. Conclusions predictable. Michigan roads suck, are apt to get suckier.
(AP) — LANSING, Mich. - One-third of Michigan roads were in poor condition in 2008, a percentage that could climb dramatically in coming years if lawmakers don't pump more money into transportation, road advocates said Monday.
The [...]
Democratic State Representative Joel Sheltrown of West Branch will introduce legislation this week that would put green energy production within the financial reach of most Michigan homeowners and business owners. The proposal was brought to his attention by MichLib bloggers and is modeled after similar laws in other states.
The [...]
A couple of articles popped up while doing the ticker this morning. Neither is really worth its own post, but they're both kind of interesting in their own regard.
Steven Chu, the Secretary of Energy, is a big promoter of white roofs. Paint a roof white, rather than the traditional black, [...]
I'd like to thank ... whoa!, what happened to today's sponsor? Oh, yes, we don't yet have a sponsor today.
And a great sadness falls over the land...
I'd like to thank our sponsor for the last two days. Again, I'd like to thank everyone who is a part of [...]
At the top of the news ticker (for those of you lucky enough to see it here, live, on this site), you'll note a story from the Boston Globe about Michigan -- specifically the governor -- luring green-related businesses from Massachusetts to Michigan.
Two years ago, Michigan Governor Jennifer M. [...]
Peter Luke takes data from a Republican-leaning polling firm and Bill Ballenger, and talks to a new Republican state senator and discerns that Democrats are screwed.
According to fresh polling by Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group and Bill Ballenger’s Inside Michigan Politics newsletter, nearly all the independents said the economy had [...]
If I would have had money to donate to one political campaign this year, it would have been in favor of the Ohio proposal to allow casinos to be built in that state's biggest cities. My thinking on this is, "They're welcome to them. In fact, [...]
I was listening to this week's Two Joes podcast when they were talking about a certain postcard mailed out and in which it was discussed why anyone would question the conservative credentials of Mike Cox, and I thought, "Wait a second, I've heard this before!"
It was just a few years [...]
This week's special guest on the Two Joes podcast is Peter Bratt, who's blogged here and also blogs pretty heavily at West Michigan Rising. Together, there is some breakdown of Tuesday's Senate special election seat. They discuss the impact of the labor endorsements, and whether the base constituencies were [...]
It's time to award our pollster prizes, looking at the eighteen candidates for Detroit City Council:
VOTES PPC EPIC-MRA PUCK
1 Charles Pugh 88,704 [...]
Jane Hamsher at FireDogLake posts a lists of corporate PAC donors to Bart Stupak and wonders aloud what they might think of his abortion-related activism as regards healthcare reform.
If Planned Parenthood and NARAL are just going to lie down and let access to reproductive health legislation to be [...]
Bart Stupak's amendment to prohibit federal-funded abortion to be part of health care reform is going to get a vote on the House of Representatives. An overall vote is expected sometime before dawn tomorrow. Stupak in the past has said that as long as he gets a vote on [...]
Many thanks to the generous benefactor who has come through sponsored MichLib for today. You may thank that person by visiting Big Down Entertainment.
I'd like to thank ... whoa!, what happened to today's sponsor? Oh, yes, we don't have a sponsor today.
And a great sadness falls over the [...]
Tim Skubick, in his latest blog post, is what Tim Skubick is when he tries to put his finger on the pulse of Mr. Average Man ... half-right, half-wrong. I think he'd wind up being mostly right if his turf were the cities and villages and townships and school [...]
A couple of months ago when I was on the Two Joes podcast, Joe Munem read the "About us" page to me on air and suggested some of it was a touch off base. At the time, I said that the information in that particular section was a touch out [...]
Before we get into the body of this post, let's for a moment reflect on the death of conventional wisdom last night ... and also the unrecognized victory on the part of Teh Ghey Agenda.
Most of us have today been happy with the results out of Kalamazoo. And, indeed, those [...]
Via the inestimable Todd Heywood:
Byrnes, a Democrat from Washtenaw' [...]
I'd like to introduce you to a little thing called reality.
"The current fiscal year marks the fourth straight year in which our primary source of operating funds ... has declined," Skarritt said.
"Those four years of decline follow nearly 10 years of virtually flat revenues. We'll receive less" [...]
Fortunately for me, the local television stations have opted for broadcast networks, so I can watch 'V.' I don't mean the anti-Obama porn 'V' on ABC right now, but the old 'V' on Sci-Fi. The one starring Mark Singer.
Meanwhile, polls statewide have now closed. Results as they come in.
Snapshot [...]
The food fight begineth:
UPDATE: The Walberg campaign was quick to dub Rooney a "carpetbagger" for only recenty moving to the district. "We do not need a lawyer from Wayne County when we have Tim Walberg," Walberg supporter Mark Behnke, the mayor of Battle Creek, said in a statement released [...]
Lessenberry's most recent essay is a must read:
“This is the budget we have, but not the budget we need. It is a budget I don’t agree with and don’t support.” To which I wanted to say, What do you mean? You just signed it. You are responsible for this. [...]
Hey, there are elections today ... did you hear? If your village, town, city, or township is having one, don't forget to get out to vote. That is, if you've properly educated yourself. If you're now finding out from me, do the rest of us a favor and just pretend [...]
Three paragraphs in a Freep article today:
Michigan's law is confusing, McCamman said, with conflicting language on whether a medical marijuana user is protected against disciplinary action.
One section of the law says a registered user can't be "subject to arrest, prosecution or penalty in any manner or denied any right" [...]
If you haven't already, please make sure you swing by the page for Clean Water Action's 2009 Great Lakes Awards and show your appreciation to the person sponsoring this site for today, the past couple of days, and the next couple of days. Without the help of sponsors, [...]
Tim Skubick makes a point during this week's Off the Record:
I think the general public wants both sides to sit down at the table and cooperate and try to find a compromise. I don't believe they respond positively to "take it or leave it."
When he got to Bill Ballenger -- [...]
I mostly agree with this morning's Peter Luke column. As is typical of him, it is well thought out and intelligent and, best of all, reflective of how the usual games in Lansing play out for everyone else in the state. I do quibble with one small thing, however.
The [...]
As Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed final bills Friday to complete the 2009-10 state budget, it seemed Bishop cleaned Dillon's clock. Yet Dillon is hopeful they can rebuild trust.
Dillon told the Free Press on Friday that if the budget battle were baseball, "We're only in the sixth inning." He predicts [...]
Just plain awful...
I suppose when you're running a campaign based on bigotry, you've got to rely on frightening people into believing that a housing and employment anti-discrimination ordinance will provide perverts access to small children.
Little wonder that the only names you can find on the site belong to [...]
Attorney Brian Rooney (R), brother of Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), is filing paperwork Friday to join the race for Michigan’s 7th district seat.
Brian Rooney plans to do a formal campaign launch next week, likely Thursday, in Jackson, Mich., where his campaign will be headquartered. Then, the following [...]
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox said Friday he's agreed to sit for a deposition with the [...]
We're sadly remiss here in not recognizing that the coming changes to national health care have been essentially the life's work for John Dingell. He gets a little deserved attention in the New York Times.
In a bit of theatricality, Representative John Dingell, Democrat of Michigan and dean of the [...]
From the Freep story on the end of state government services as we know them in Michigan.
House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, said the budget Granholm signed takes Michigan in the wrong direction and blamed the Senate for not funding priorities such as education.
"This Senate-led 'all-cuts' budget will" [...]
For the first nine months of 2009, CMS Energy had reported net income of $216 million, or $0.92 per share, compared to reported net income of $224 million, or $0.94 per share, for the first nine months of 2008.
On an adjusted basis, the company had net income [...]
I give you the instantly worst campaign Web site in the history of electoral politics ... the group opposed to the Kalamazoo non-discrimination ordinance (Yes, they spelled the word Discrimination with an "e" in the Web site name). By the way, according to that Web site, here is the [...]
Aren't these the same people who bitch non-stop about how business expansion is held up by environmental regulations?
Tom George, a Republican from Kalamazoo, is trying to pass a package of “regulations” he says would “define and clarify” the rules for stem cell research. In fact, they would make [...]
It's generally assumed, based on factless assertion by the Right, that an aggressive climate policy would destroy the economy, create chaos across the nation, and force everyone to live in caves subsisting on a diet entirely made up of roots, berries and the occasional tufted titmouse.
Anyone who's actually read stuff [...]
Thanks again to the generous soul who is supporting this site on behalf of an upcoming Clean Water Action's 2009 Great Lakes Awards. Please show your appreciation by following the link. It'll take you just a second and helps keep this site up and active.
Also, feel free to check [...]
I've done some polling, sponsored by Bill Ballenger and Inside Michigan Politics. And EPIC-MRA has covered the same ground for WXYZ. Since there are 18 candidates for 9 spots, we'll have a great opportunity to compare the two polls' accuracy, by comparing them to the real numbers next Tuesday. There [...]
Don't ask me what wag is responsible for this, off to the left. I'm assuming it's in part a reaction to Skubick's latest blog post.
The legislature's celebrated odd-couple is at odds. For months House Democratic Speaker Andy Dillon and Sen. GOP leader Mike Bishop have walked [...]
Somewhat shocking results ... the people of Michigan support changes to term limits. Not shocking results ... the people of Michigan want a non-partisan redistricting process to produce competitive districts.
What say we put those on next November's ballot with a graduated income tax?
Update: A donor has stepped up and offered to match all gifts made through this page up to the first $3000. Donate now and your gift will be doubled!
It's just a Kalamazoo issue right? Passing an ordinance to disallow discrimination of housing, [...]
In the 2008 cycle the Michigan Democratic Party emerged victorious for the second straight election, picking up nine seats to bring their seat total to 67 and helping President Barack Obama win the state in [...]
Someone videotaped Bart Stupak at a town hall meeting last weekend and the Heritage Foundation posted it to their blog, and based on what he said on C-SPAN the other day are claiming that Stupak wasn't truthful, that he is laying the groundwork to vote for taxpayer-funded abortions. They [...]
Everybody's sick of the state budget crisis, and for good reason. The idiots in Lansing have not only screwed us over, they have bored us to death. We've had pretty much all we can take of droning Andy Dillon, the caveman-like Mike Bishop and our governor.
As [...]
Mike Cox testy over questions that his office failed to support a vigorous investigation of an alleged violent crime. Five days old, but the guy does want to be governor.
“People keep confusing the investigation into the allegations surrounding Gary Brown and the Manoogian Mansion party with the murder [...]
Most of us are at least vaguely aware that next Tuesday there will be a vote in the city of Kalamazoo on a civil rights ordinance that would bar discrimination against the LGBT community. Here in this state, it's probably the second most important election question (behind who gets elected [...]
From the Associated Press:
The Evening News of Sault Ste. Marie, WPBN-TV in Traverse City and WLUC-TV in Marquette say Army Spc. Brandon Steffey died Sunday in a roadside bombing. The 23-year-old was on his second tour of duty as a combat tracking dog handler.
Messages seeking more details [...]
I'm not sure who is responsible for the headline on this morning's Op-Ed piece by Tom Watkins, but I do like the imagery it evokes. And, thankfully, Watkins has himself earned status as a Very Serious Person because he was fired for saying something unpopular, which means that we [...]
Remember that cheap, quick Halloween e-card I made via JibJab a couple of weeks ago? You know, the one I made because I didn't have time to do anything really creative to make the very obvious connection that the continuation budget will expire just in time for Halloween?
Do you [...]
It would be a most unfortunate thing for Democrats and the state of Michigan if Bart Stupak's position on this cost him his seat. Thankfully, I don't think that it would.
