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Mackinac Center Blog

Response to a Welfare Worker's Cry From the Heart

An e-mail exchange between Jack McHugh and a Department of Human Services employee. ...more and comments

Economy Contracts, Government Expands

Is Detroit’s economic plight a bellwether for the nation? “Detroitification,” a phrase coined by my colleague, Jack McHugh, is defined as the hollowing out of the private economy to prop up unsustainable (and often unresponsive) government establishments. Is this an apt description of Washington’s policies?

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Teachers and Taxpayers

The president of the Michigan Education Association stated on the radio recently that school employees have "given and given and given and given." Comparing teacher salaries to personal income demonstrates that the taxpayers bearing school employee costs have "given" a lot more.

...more and comments

Mackinac Center Scholar Assisting Pontiac

Lou Schimmel, a Mackinac Center adjunct scholar, has been appointed to a committee that will investigate whether the city of Pontiac should contract with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for police services or maintain its own department.

Schimmel has written previously about Pontiac's financial woes, and this issue of Michigan Privatization Report focused exclusively on the city, including this commentary about the Pontiac Police Department.

...more and comments

DHS Won't Tell Legislator Where They Got Funding

Even though the state Legislature voted to defund the Michigan Home Based Child Care Council in the current budget, the agency is still operating, and the Department of Human Services, which oversees the MHBCCC, won't tell the Legislature where the money is coming from.

DHS cites a lawsuit filed by the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation as its defense for remaining tight lipped.

One state legislator, however, isn't happy with the "non-answer" answer.

...more and comments

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Spotlight Picks

The New PTO

How schools use your money, and you, to get more of your money.

News Release: Michael Moore's Anti-Greed Film Subsidized by Taxpayers

Moore now benefits from a program he once seemed to criticize.

News Release: Court Decision Undermines FOIA

Court of Appeals ruling regarding e-mails decreases transparency.

Are Schools Underfunded?

Resources on current and perennial issues surrounding Michigan's public school system.

The Overton Window

An explanation of the influential idea developed by late Mackinac Center Vice President Joseph Overton and popularized by Fox News' Glenn Beck.

News Release: Insurance Data Online

Health insurance data for school employees now available.

News Release: MSP Misses FOIA Deadlines

The Michigan State Police has missed the legal deadlines on two FOIA requests from the Center about how public monies are spent.

The Overton Window

An explanation of the influential idea developed by late Mackinac Center Vice President Joseph Overton and popularized by Fox News' Glenn Beck.

101 Recommendations to
Revitalize Michigan

A compendium of policy ideas.

Eight Is a Start

Gov. Granholm and the Mackinac Center agree on eight state budget reforms. Now what about the Legislature?

Cigarette Taxes and Smuggling

High cigarette taxes can be hazardous to public health.

Leveling the Playing Field

Charter schools can remain union-free.

Lock Step

Pay steps for teachers should be reconsidered.