Jarrett Skorup, Research Associate [Mackinac Center]

Jarrett Skorup is a research associate at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. He is a graduate of Grove City College with degrees in history and political science. He also studied economics and religion.

While there, he was captain of the Grove City wrestling and Ultimate Frisbee teams. He was a student fellow at the Center for Vision & Values, the school's research and scholarship think tank.

An Illinois native, Skorup is an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs, Bears and Bulls. Besides studying and writing about public policy, he coaches and officiates high school wrestling.

Skorup is the content manager for Michigan Capitol Confidential. His writings have been published in The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, MLive, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Orange County Register, Manchester Union-Leader, Daily Caller, Townhall.com, National Review , America's Future Foundation - Doublethink and many newspapers across the country. He lives in Midland, MI with his wife, Karen and son, Grayson.

Film Subsidy Money Has to Come From Somewhere

It's like "feeding sparrows through a horse." … more

Posted on August 14, 2012 at 2:50pm

Commentary: A Different Kind of 'Waste'

Detroit Water and Sewage Dept. and government unions. … more

Posted on August 10, 2012 at 7:45am

State Gives Company $1.65 Million, Creates Zero Jobs and Goes Out of Business

Published on July 27, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

SEIU Ballot Proposal Raises Questions

Union has skimmed $30 million from caregivers. … more

Posted on July 24, 2012 at 8:01am

A Bipartisan Disaster: Michigan 'Corporate Welfare' Program Rolls On

Published on July 21, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

New Report Card Compares High School Test Scores and Adjusts For Economic Status

Published on July 20, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Teacher's Pet

School employees shouldn't get special treatment on pensions. … more

Posted on July 17, 2012 at 9:12am

Emergency Managers Are Bad, Bankruptcy Far Worse

EM's a less painful alternative for desperate cities. … more

Posted on July 11, 2012 at 4:36pm

GOP-Led House Passes New ‘Tax’ On Private Contract Workers To Pay For Retirement System Liabilities

Published on July 10, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Select Tax Breaks For State 'Renaissance Zones' Program Returns One-Fifth of Predicted Jobs

Published on July 10, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Commentary: Shifting School Employees to a 401(k) Is the Most Important Thing

Published on July 3, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

State Program Awards $67 Million, Creates One-Third of Projected Jobs

Published on June 28, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

'Green' Company Awarded Up to $120 Million Promised 70 Jobs — Creates Just Three Jobs in Three Years

Published on June 25, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

The State as Venture Capitalist: Michigan Fund Loaned $7.7 Million, Creates Only 20 Percent of Promised Jobs

Published on June 19, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Jobs Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Licensing and regulation overkill hurts job market. … more

Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:02pm

Putting Up Gutters and Putting Down Tile Will Cost You in Michigan

Published on June 11, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Minimum Wage, Maximum Harm

Why Michigan's minimum wage shouldn't be increased. … more

Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:20pm

Taxpayers Pay Twice for Union 'Release Time'

Union bosses doing union work on taxpayers' dime. … more

Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:53am

Learn to be a Citizen Watchdog

Published on May 31, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

'Green' Energy Agenda Exposed

It's not really about energy at all. … more

Posted on May 30, 2012 at 1:57pm

Paint by Numbers

State licensing mandates unnecessary, burdensome. … more

Posted on May 29, 2012 at 12:15pm

The Dangers of Painting — State Law Requires Training, Exam, Fees For the Right to Earn a Living

Published on May 29, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

GOP Budget Spends More on Film Subsidies

Republicans want to keep giving your money to Hollywood. … more

Posted on May 24, 2012 at 4:38pm

Commentary: States and Federal Government Should Stop Funding Higher Education

Published on May 19, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Michigan Senate Takes Up Bill to Ban Government Union Stewards Working on Taxpayers' Dime

Published on May 18, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Commentary: Productivity Leads To Prosperity

Published on May 17, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

How CapCon Uses Transparency Laws to Hold Government Accountable

Published on May 14, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Corporate Welfare Backers Change Tune

Subsidies now about "groundwork" after jobs fail to materialize. … more

Posted on May 11, 2012 at 8:17am

Commentary: Arbitrarily Low College Loan Interest Rates Harm Students, Taxpayers

Published on May 2, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Commentary: Laws Should Be Just, Benefit Consumers

Published on April 23, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Same Old Story on Energy Policy

Politicians show continued folly of central planning. … more

Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:25am

Commentary: 'Corporate Welfare' Hype Yields Few Economic Results

Published on April 12, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Sen. Debbie Stabenow Addresses the Issues

Published on April 11, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Commentary: 'Card Check’s' Big Lie Exposed

Published on April 7, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Other Big State Universities Tighten Their Belts — U-M Has Much To Learn

OSU and Kentucky Cut Back; U-M Has Much to Learn … more

Posted on April 3, 2012 at 9:11am

Commentary: Tourism Study Flawed

State needs to abandon subsidy favors. … more

Posted on March 28, 2012 at 10:29am

Commentary: Bailout of Student Loan Debt Is Not the Answer

Published on March 20, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Commentary: Stop Forcing Michigan Taxpayers To Pay for Government Union Stewards

Published on March 16, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

The Importance of 'Sunshine Week'

Published on March 15, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Why Don't Superintendents Have Tenure?

No public employees should have it. … more

Posted on March 12, 2012 at 3:50pm

Government Incompetence At Its Worst – The Tragedy of the Forced Unionization of Home Health Care Workers

Published on March 8, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Train Wreck: Amtrak Is a Case Study in Government Waste

Subsidies for Amtrak, other rail projects should end. … more

Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:06pm

Detroit: The Triumph of Progressive Public Policy

Published on Feb. 14, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Commentary: When Stadium Deals Fizzle, Taxpayers Lose

Published on Feb. 13, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Is President Obama Correct That State Budget Cuts Are the ‘Largest Factor’ in Tuition Increases At Public Colleges?

Published on Feb. 1, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Bringing Freedom to Afghanistan

Published on Jan. 28, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Some Tea Partiers Gunning For Republican Senate Majority Leader

Published on Jan. 20, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Fake Tea Party Scam Ends In Fraud Convictions

Published on Jan. 12, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Our Mission For 2012 and Beyond: Continuing to Hold Their Feet to the Fire

Published on Jan. 4, 2012 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Flashback: The Health Care Bill Is Full of Stocking Stuffers

Published on Dec. 27, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Republican-led Legislature Votes Overwhelmingly to Continue 'Big Hollywood' Film Subsidy

Published on Dec. 16, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Legislature Reforms Retiree Health Benefits

Published on Dec. 14, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

10 Stories Showing Why Mandatory Government Collective Bargaining Is Counterproductive

Published on Nov. 29, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Dues and Don'ts

No one should be forced to pay dues to any organization. … more

Posted on November 16, 2011 at 10:55am

Majority Rule

An overwhelming majority of economists side with liberty. … more

Posted on November 15, 2011 at 10:44am

The Rich Are Getting Richer; So Are the Poor

Data trumps emotion ... again. … more

Posted on November 4, 2011 at 9:42am

Free Lansing Lunch Event: The Future of Oil and Gas Energy in Michigan and the U.S.

Published on Nov. 1, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Pot, Meet Kettle

Subsidized solar firms decry solar subsidies ... in China. … more

Posted on October 21, 2011 at 10:28am

Conservative Scorecard Doesn’t Grade on a Curve

Published on Oct. 21, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

School District Seeking Tax Hike Challenged on Dollar Figures

Published on Oct. 6, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Hall of Fame Quarterback Connects With CapCon

Fran Tarkenton contrasts the NFL and public schools. … more

Posted on October 3, 2011 at 12:00am

It's Not Easy Subsidizing Green

Goverment should stop wasting money on green jobs. … more

Posted on September 16, 2011 at 4:59pm

More GOP Backlash Against Recall-Happy MEA?

State Senate pushing deeper school reforms lately. … more

Posted on September 12, 2011 at 3:15pm

Less Than 0.001 Percent of Tenured Teachers Fired Over Past Five Years

Published on Sept. 6, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Why True Conservationists Should Cheer “Fracking”

Published on Aug. 12, 2011

How Federal Money Doesn't Translate Into Jobs

Who spends money better, the government or private individuals? … more

Posted on August 11, 2011 at 10:30am

Four School Districts Spend $525K in Attorney Fees Trying to Remove Four Tenured Teachers

Published on July 19, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Who Is the Real Target?

Government union involvement in recalls is a dangerous trend. … more

Posted on July 14, 2011 at 9:05am

Fact Check: Michigan Government Employees ‘Under Attack?’

Published on June 16, 2011

Teachers' Unions vs. Schoolchildren

The NAACP teams up with a New York City teachers' union to shut down charter schools for low-income students. … more

Posted on June 7, 2011 at 3:46pm

Selective Economics

Some argue that taxpayer bailouts of favored corporations create jobs, but that business tax cuts do not. … more

Posted on June 6, 2011 at 2:58pm

Michigan Business Owner: Tax Reform Means 'Our Company Will Create Jobs'

Published on June 4, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

'A "Crisis" That Never Ends'

Published on May 28, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Tax Cuts vs. School Spending

Spending more on schools doesn't guarantee better results. … more

Posted on May 27, 2011 at 1:28pm

Anatomy of How to Kill a Tax Hike

Published on May 14, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Commentary: Five Easy Questions to Ask School Officials

Published on May 10, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Michigan Budget Helps the Afflicted

The governor's budget proposal would relieve the afflicted at the expense of the protected. … more

Posted on May 9, 2011 at 4:51pm

Brownfield Credits Are No Level Playing Field

There is nothing “fair” about unelected boards deciding which companies pay higher taxes and which companies pay less. … more

Posted on May 5, 2011 at 3:59pm

School District Saves $60K by Being More Transparent

Published on April 24, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Who Benefits From Lower Business Taxes?

Just as individuals respond to changes in their personal financial situations, businesses, too, are affected. And taxing business will surely give us less of it. … more

Posted on April 15, 2011 at 3:45pm

Do Pricing Guns Create Jobs?

Published on April 2, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Transparency Not Rapid for Kent Co. Transit Agency

Published on March 24, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

A Transparency Fight in the Village of Armada

Published on March 20, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Natural Disasters Are Good?

It is only when you ignore the unseen that one can see a disaster that killed 6,000 people and left 300,000 homeless as a positive economic event. … more

Posted on March 16, 2011 at 12:00am

A Tip on the Effects of Raising the Sub-Minimum Wage

Legislation introduced in Congress would increase the minimum wage for restaurant servers and other tipped workers. But raising the minimum wage, as Congress has done repeatedly the past few years, almost always generates unemployment higher than it would otherwise be, and is a net loss for society and the poor. … more

Posted on March 2, 2011 at 3:17pm

A Lesson on Public-Sector Unions

With public employee unions throwing tantrums in Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan over proposed budget cuts, it’s worth remembering that no matter how out of whack they get, government employee compensation levels will never be enough for these unions. This attitude is in the DNA of public-sector unions, and it defines their reason for existing. … more

Posted on February 18, 2011 at 4:15pm

Education Group Documentary Aims to Show 'Kids Aren't Cars'

Published on Feb. 5, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Government Is Not a Jobs Bank

Regardless of what the public employee unions believe they are entitled to, Michigan taxpayers and businesses are not getting better service despite paying higher costs. The purpose of government is to provide necessary services for the least cost, not provide a jobs program and wealth transfer from the people to public employees and their unions. … more

Posted on February 1, 2011 at 2:58pm

Public-Sector Unions Fight to Keep Bloated Benefits

Published on Jan. 31, 2011

Weekly Roundup - Jan. 29

Published on Jan. 29, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Tax Hikes Chase Jimmy John's From Illinois

While Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches had planned to expand in its hometown of Champaign, Ill., new massive tax hikes from the Illinois Legislature are sending Jimmy John's looking to relocate in more business-friendly states. … more

Posted on January 24, 2011 at 3:14pm

Weekly Roundup - Jan. 22

Published on Jan. 22, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential

Illinois Jobs Coming to Michigan?

Early this week, on its last day of session, a lame-duck Illinois Legislature passed a 67-percent income tax increase, along with large business and corporate tax hikes. The measure was approved by just a single vote, and was shrouded in backroom deals and payoffs to constituency groups across the board. The Chicago Tribune’s lead editorial the following day had a short headline: “Goodbye, Jobs.” … more

Posted on January 13, 2011 at 2:41pm

Research Associate

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By Jarrett Skorup