MICHAEL D. LaFAIVE State lawmakers should eliminate statutory revenue sharing and direct those millions of dollars toward other needs such as infrastructure, shoring up the public school employees’ pension fund or cutting the personal income tax. By MICHAEL D. LaFAIVE Eliminating statutory revenue sharing and shifting that money toward infrastructure would help fix Michigan’s roads and bridges. Arguably no one in Michigan has made more recommendations to reform the state budget — literally hundreds of them worth billions of … [Read more...] about State budget savings idea: Eliminate revenue sharing
Editorial
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Lawmakers can learn much at home
Guest Editorial Just hours before Congress was set to shut down last week for a five-week vacation and leave town, lawmakers hurriedly jammed through some stopgap measures to keep the federal government limping along a little longer. They left a lot of important unfinished business behind. Still, maybe it is a good thing that members of Congress are returning to their home states. While they are back home, they should take some time to look at the way government operates at the state and local levels. They would see how community … [Read more...] about Lawmakers can learn much at home
Constitutional crisis for fun and profit
Republicans and Democrats are consumed in a vicious debate over which party wants to talk about impeachment more. Democrats say it is lunatic Republicans who are scheming, as we speak, to impeach the president. Republicans say it is manipulative Democrats who are eager to play up the nonexistent chance of impeachment to motivate their voters in the midterm elections. It is certainly true that conservatives have talked about and advocated impeachment, most recently Sarah Palin in a call to arms. But the Republican political … [Read more...] about Constitutional crisis for fun and profit
Rhyme no reason
Now the extremists have a lesson to teach, To their Satan, Obama, whom they want to impeach. But some in their party — the ones who are saner, Like Gingrich and Rove and notably Boehner, Say that tactically this is a gross overreach. Or how about this? Instead of folding or running away, White House folks taunt them into making their play, Their base has been quiet, their voters quite lazy, Impeachment could rile them, make them turn out like crazy, So, they’re telling the wingnuts, “go ahead make our day.” Silly, … [Read more...] about Rhyme no reason
Teachers’ window of opportunity to withdraw from MEA is now open
AUDRA SPALDING August is the only month in which the Michigan Education Association says teachers can resign from the union. Augustoptout.org provides them with the tools necessary to do so. By AUDRA SPALDING MEA members who wish to resign from the union can visit www.Augustoptout.org for more information. For teachers represented by the Michigan Education Association, freedom comes just once per year — in August. That’s because the MEA says August is the only month in which they will allow teachers to choose whether to … [Read more...] about Teachers’ window of opportunity to withdraw from MEA is now open
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Feds, VA have to find new way of operating
We’ve heard and seen it all before. But until Congress and the White House agree to a new way to provide medical care to the nation’s military veterans, there is little reason to think the latest deal — cooked up under the pressure of lawmakers itching to go on vacation — will serve us any better than the current broken system. Lawmakers this week cobbled together a bipartisan deal that would authorize about $17 billion to help veterans avoid long waits, hire more doctors and nurses and make it easier to fire executives at the … [Read more...] about Feds, VA have to find new way of operating