Mackinac Center Commentaries

Proposed Budget More Important Than State of the State

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:52:00 -0500

Members of a panel discussion on WXYZ TV's "Spotlight on the News" program agreed that Gov. Jennifer Granholm's final State of the State address last week was well delivered, but lacked substance.

http://www.mackinac.org/12082

Pension Obligation Bonds: Borrowing Our Way to Prosperity?

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Rick Dreyfuss.

http://www.mackinac.org/12085

Headlee?s Social Welfare Problem

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By James M. Hohman.

http://www.mackinac.org/12084

Most School Health Care Plans Are Too Expensive For Michigan

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Michael Van Beek.

http://www.mackinac.org/12083

Filling a Void

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Joseph G. Lehman.

CapCon Daily covers capital news no one else will. http://www.mackinac.org/12078

Response to a Welfare Worker's Cry From the Heart

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:42:00 -0500

By Jack McHugh.

Jack McHugh responds to a Department of Human Services employee on the challenges and conditions faced by front-line welfare department workers.

http://www.mackinac.org/12080

Economy Contracts, Government Expands

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:36:00 -0500

By Michael Jahr.

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?

http://www.mackinac.org/12077

Teachers and Taxpayers

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:43:00 -0500

By Michael Van Beek.

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.

http://www.mackinac.org/12075

The New PTO

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Jarrett Skorup.

How schools use your money, and you, to get more of your money. http://www.mackinac.org/12018

Mackinac Center Scholar Assisting Pontiac

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:24:00 -0500

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.

http://www.mackinac.org/11961

DHS Won't Tell Legislator Where They Got Funding

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:09:00 -0500

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.

http://www.mackinac.org/12067

Who Won't They Unionize?

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:49:00 -0500

The same forced unionization problem the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation is battling on behalf of home-based day care owners is now stirring up controversy in the in-home health care provider field.

http://www.mackinac.org/12066

Diversifying Michigan for Trial Lawyers

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:29:00 -0500

By Henry Payne.

Even when Gov. Jennifer Granholm picks winners and losers, the winners get knifed in the back.

http://www.mackinac.org/12062

Let Them Eat Doughnuts

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Ken Braun.

Politicians avoid voters at SOS rally. http://www.mackinac.org/12054

Veto-Proof?

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:14:00 -0500

Regardless of whether Michigan receives a share of federal education money under the "Race to the Top" program, new legislation in Michigan could help improve education by opening the door for more charter public schools and using student achievement as a starting point for teacher merit pay.

But Michigan's Public Employment Relations Act could stand in the way. Paul Kersey, director of labor policy, explains why in this Detroit News Op-Ed.

http://www.mackinac.org/12059

Cap Con Daily Has the Latest on Michael Moore

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:19:00 -0500

Controversy continues to swirl around the application for tax subsidies associated with a film by Michael Moore that attacks banks for taking bailout money.

The Flint Journal and Detroit News are covering the issue, as is CNSNews.

Tom Gantert, senior correspondent for Capitol Confidential Daily, provides a comprehensive analysis here.

http://www.mackinac.org/12061

Michigan School Funding Problems Solved!

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:24:00 -0500

By Jack McHugh & Michael Van Beek.

Incessant poor-mouthing is a staple of the public school establishment's perennial effort to extract more revenue from taxpayers. However, as described in a previous post, total state funding for Michigan public schools has actually increased by 14 percent this decade in real, inflation-adjusted terms. When combined with a 50,000-student decline in school enrollment, it adds up to our schools spending $2,000 more per pupil in 2008 than at the start of the decade.

From the AnnArbor.com news site comes additional evidence that our schools very well funded indeed.

http://www.mackinac.org/12057

Respect My Authoritah!!!

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:48:00 -0500

By Paul Kersey.

While labor law can be complicated and intimidating, school districts and the public should take a union’s claims about its own authority with a proverbial grain of salt.

http://www.mackinac.org/12050

Michigan Capitol Confidential Daily Unleashed

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:19:00 -0500

How does Michigan Capitol Confidential Daily describe itself?

http://www.mackinac.org/12055

Announcing Michigan Capitol Confidential Daily

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com

Forging Failure?

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:11:00 -0500

By Michael D. LaFaive.

Governor's final address expands government, offers little hope. http://www.mackinac.org/12049

Campaign to Increase Michigan Taxes Emboldened by Success in Oregon

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:21:00 -0500

By Jack McHugh.

Last week Oregon voters approved a union-funded ballot initiative imposing a $700 million hike in business and personal income taxes. Expect this outcome to embolden similar groups in other states, including Michigan. Indeed, the campaign here is already underway. MIRS News reported Tuesday on a state Capitol press conference organized by a group calling itself A Better Michigan Future (BMF), in which spokespersons and members of the union and liberal interest group coalition behind it made their case for a graduated income tax, and for imposing the state sales tax on services.

http://www.mackinac.org/12051

Center to Tally State of the State Expansions, Limitations

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:38:00 -0500

Mackinac Center Fiscal Policy Director Michael D. LaFaive on Wednesday will continue his tradition of counting and categorizing new initiatives offered by Michigan governors in their annual State of the State addresses. Mackinac Center analysts will compare the total number of proposed government expansions and limitations in this year's address to gubernatorial speeches dating to 1969.

http://www.mackinac.org/12048

State of the Statists

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:15:00 -0500

By Michael D. LaFaive.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm gives her last State of the State speech tonight.

Mackinac Center analysts have reviewed each State of the State speech dating back to 1969 and tallied the number of proposed expansions and limitations of government that each governor has offered. The "scorecard" of proposals below provides some insight into each administration's desire to see government solve perceived public policy problems.

These counts are not an exact science, but determining whether a proposal expands or limits state government is usually not too difficult.

Below is a set of historical averages covering the administrations of Governors William Milliken, James Blanchard, John Engler and Jennifer Granholm.

http://www.mackinac.org/12047

School Choice: Polluting Our Planet?

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:09:00 -0500

By Michael Van Beek.

A new study published in Environment Science and Technology analyzes the environmental impact of school choice policies in St. Paul, Minnesota. The authors found that eliminating school choice would lower emissions rates by 3 to 8 times and curb the "significant environmental consequences" of providing more educational opportunities for children.

http://www.mackinac.org/12046

Mackinac Center Analysts on 'State of the State' Address

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:25:00 -0500

David Littmann, senior economist for the Mackinac Center, was a guest on "The Frank Beckmann Show" on WJR AM760 Monday morning. He discussed Michigan's economic woes and proposed spending cuts Gov. Jennifer Granholm is said to recommend in her "State of the State" address Wednesday night.

Michael LaFaive, director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative, told The Detroit News that he is impressed by Gov. Granholm's calls to offer retirements incentives for state employees and restructure parts of their benefits. "It appears she wants to make the tough calls that will reduce the cost of government."

http://www.mackinac.org/12042

Blown Away or Blown Up?