Category Archives: Uncategorized

This week in Emergency Managers… The Hamtramck City Council voted to accept an Emergency Manager over the three other options under the law, which included Chapter 9 bankruptcy, a consent agreement, or a neutral evaluation process. The city of 22,000 residents … Continue reading →

Michigan’s GOP Senators are torturing the state’s working class by playing the waiting game on Medicaid expansion in another political hemming-and-hawing stunt designed to appease the Tea Party idiots that stand bullying to their right. They adjourned today without acting on legislation that would extend … Continue reading →

Last week we reported that the Michigan House passed legislation that would give the state the authority to dissolve smaller school districts at the mere whiff of fiscal crisis and force them to merge with a neighboring school district. The justification for this … Continue reading →

Here’s another lively and informative discussion with Blogging for Michigan on the topic of the new developments with Emergency Managers this week. Listen to audio here. It’s been so much fun engaging in an audio format, something that takes a little … Continue reading →

Michigan lawmakers were burning the midnight oil, trying to ram through willy-nilly as much legislation as they possibly could before they go on summer break in a week. Much of it ill-planned and poorly written, as is the case with a governing … Continue reading →

State Attorney General Bill Schuette told Detroit Emergency Manager, Kevyn Orr, hands-off the art buddy. In a ruling today, the AG said that the city does not have the authority to liquidate the treasures held in trust at the Detroit … Continue reading →

There must be something in the water in Northwest Michigan, ‘cuz Rep. Greg MacMaster (R-105) is at it again. Democracy Tree reported last July on legislation (HB 5785 of 2012) that he had introduced to “ban Agenda 21 implementation” and all … Continue reading →

Democracy Tree has a veritable cornucopia of Michigan fiscal crisis related news to share today. Where do we start — good news, bad news, in-between news? Let’s start with Sen. Tom Casperson, who has never failed to disappoint with his multitude of retrograde … Continue reading →

We are pleased to announce a new affiliation with Blogging for Michigan. Amy Kerr Hardin of Democracy Tree will be a regular guest on their podcast in an ongoing conversation with correspondent Christine Barry. Blogging for Michigan is a public policy and economic development blog which advocates … Continue reading →

This morning’s news brought an AP story that’s making the rounds about Detroit Public Schools being a shining example of how to re-purpose old school buildings. It is reported that other major metropolitan school systems are looking to DPS as a … Continue reading →