Hopes for 2003
Ideas for a better Michigan and nation from the staff of the Mackinac Center … more
Curtailing Carnage at the Traffic Light: Are Cameras the Answer?
A pilot program by AAA Michigan and the City of Detroit demonstrates a sound alternative. … more
Keep Politics Out of Mutual Funds
Unions want to force mutual funds to vote on public policy measures involving wages, layoffs, and other issues that advance union politics. … more
Unintended Consequences of Cigarette Tax Hikes
Michael LaFaive's speech today in Washington explains that terrorists can profit from unwise tax policy. … more
Henry Ford's Reinvention and the Implications for Public Education
Government schools can learn what Michigan's most famous entrepreneur learned 75 years ago this month. … more
Federal Law Allows School Choice Options
Michigan is slow to enact them. … more
Union Contract Keeps Money & Teachers Out of the Classroom and in the Bureaucracy
Rigid union rules keep Detroit Public Schools from doing the right thing for kids. … more
Six Habits of Fiscally Responsible School Districts
New study will help schools marshall scarce resources for better education. Register for Wednesday forum. … more
A Green Light for Choice
Opportunities and cautions regarding the Supreme Court's decision upholding vouchers. … more
Friend of the Court Not So Friendly
Is there a private alternative when government fails to collect child support payments? … more
The Forgotten Robber Barons
Does government produce "robber barons?" … more
A Toxic Thanksgiving Menu?
Don't let health scaremongers or a few naturally occurring toxins spoil your celebration. … more
Engler's Education Legacy
Proposal A, public school choice, district takeovers, voucher opposition, and at least $6,700 in per-child funding. … more
From Crystal Palace to White Elephant in 150 Years
Britain's "Millenium Dome" flop is a sad symbol of the decline of the industrial "workshop of the world." … more
Grand Rapids Schools Opt out of School Board Associations
Huge, cash-strapped district bases decision more on principle than the $17,000 it will save. … more
Control Shifts in Nation's Highest Labor Tribunal
Worker rights are in good hands with new chairman from Michigan. … more
Scandals Bilk Public School Students out of Millions of Dollars
The same districts say they need more tax money. … more
Engler's Impact on State Government
Has Gov. Engler altered the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches? … more
Why Tax Credits Are Better than Vouchers
Senior Fellow Andrew Coulson writes for The Independent Review. (pdf file) … more
Schoolhouse of Hope
This private school is so good, public school union members donate their union dues to help. … more
Privatize MacMullen Conference Center
Does the state need its own multi-million-dollar lakeside conference hideaway? … more
If the Food Doesn't Kill You, the Wait Will
Everything in Canadian health care is political -- even the food. [PDF file] … more
Labor Freedom Makes Moral and Economic Sense
If compulsory union dues were put to a moral test, they would flunk. … more
Ann Arbor & Pontiac May Privatize Garbage Pickup
Pontiac's current system runs million-dollar deficits. … more
Special-Interest Ballot Proposals a Threat to Democracy
In yesterday's election, two special interests sought to grab for themselves massive streams of public dollars. … more
The Message of the Non-Voter
Is higher turnout needed to "make democracy work?" … more
Where There's Smoke, Is There Asthma?
Michigan counties show no correlation between particulate concentration and childhood asthma. … more
An Inspiration for All Time
Some of the world’s greatest accomplishments required perseverance against seemingly insurmountable odds. … more
Michigan Not a Big Supporter of National Teacher Certification
The state is wise not to expend resources on national certification as a way to improve teaching. … more
No Business in Snow Business
Should taxpayers be forced to pay for an Upper-Peninsula ski resort? … more
Government Unions Want Binding Arbitration
The reason: Fear they won't be able to compete with private bidders. … more
Should the State Borrow Money for Environmental Projects?
Before deciding on Proposal 2, voters should examine how $675 million approved in 1998 is being spent now. … more
The DNR's Latest Land Grab
The DNR says private land enjoyed by the public must be brought under state control to be … enjoyed by the public. … more
Public Policy & Public Interest Litigation
Policy research and public interest law have more in common than meets the eye. … more
Incentives and Trash Collection
Should residents pay the same amount no matter how much trash they generate? … more
The Value of Asking Questions
One parent's experience with her child's school. … more
Detroit Mayor Won't Watch the Grass Grow
He calls a private contractor instead. … more
Marketplace or Morality Play?
The market rewards good behavior, and punishes bad, more effectively than the state. … more
Regulatory Wrangling Stifles Telecom Competition
Should Ameritech be subject to bureaucratic scrutiny or market discipline? … more
Newest Nobel Laureate Calls for Privatizing Government Land
Michigan's government owns 12% of the state's land. Can officials learn from modern economic research? … more
Michigan Ballot Proposal 4: Tobacco Money
Should voters amend the constitution to reallocate tobacco lawsuit proceeds? … more
Michigan Ballot Proposal 2: Sewer Bonds
Voters should ask questions before voting on $1 billion worth of sewer projects. … more
Making Health Care Healthy Again
Two market-based innovations reward consumers for choosing wisely. … more
If It Ain't Broke ...
Michigan Ballot Proposal 3 would needlessly mandate binding arbitration for 44,000 unionized state employees. … more
Banning Straight Party Votes
Michigan Ballot Proposal 1 asks voters if they approve of a law that would ban straight-ticket voting. … more
School Choice Down Under
New Zealand's progress leaves U. S. behind. … more
Alleviate the Organ Shortage with the Golden Rule
A voluntary, incentive-based organ donation program saves lives. … more
New Web Resource Helps Michigan Voters Evaluate Statewide Ballot Proposals
'Hot Topics' provides objective descriptions and pros and cons of policy issues in the news. … more
Michigan Ballot Proposal 3
Should Michigan's constitution mandate binding arbitration for 44,000 unionized state employees? … more
An Inside Look at the Government-School Mentality
A letter from a union president vividly captures what reformers are up against. … more
Michigan's November Ballot Proposals
Commentary on sewer bonding, straight-party voting, and mandatory binding arbitration for state employees. … more
Which Educational Achievement Test Is Best?
Comparing the MEAP to two private alternatives. … more
Staffing Services Industry Under Fire
The state's "Michigan Works" program threatens the existence of 500 Michigan companies. … more
Lawsuit Would Stop State "Rent-to-Own" Project
Such projects bypass accountability and cost taxpayers more. … more
Agency Says Michigan Teacher Quality Lagging
Federal law will require new teacher training and certification standards. … more
Fighting for Free Speech
How the Institute for Justice defends a think tank under attack by a labor union. … more
Supreme Court's Voucher Decision Was the Right One
Cleveland program helps school children and protects religious freedoms. … more
School Choice Can Save Money for Public Schools
It all depends on what the state does with the money it saves when a child chooses a non-public school. … more
Should Road Builders Warranty Their Work?
Road builders in ten states warranty their work. Why not Michigan? … more
Resolving Property Rights Disputes
Land exchanges help one Michigan city settle disputes with property owners it regulates. … more
Michigan Charter School MEAP Scores
Charter school students scored lower, but are improving faster, than those in regular public schools. … more
The Sinking Fund Gambit
Slick legislation to expand uses of "sinking funds" is an open door to higher school property taxes. … more
Regulation of Hospital Purchasing
Once this is regulated, hospitals will have no way to control costs other than reducing the level of care. … more
Poll: Unions Should Open Their Books
Nearly three-fourths of Michigan voters want union books open to scrutiny, just as corporate books are. … more
The Privatization Song
Now that songs are sung about public policy, we're near the tipping point.
… more
A Peer Review Without Peers
Should published research be pre-approved by other researchers, or should the market decide its worth? … more
Back to the Future?
Government's "car of tomorrow" relies on yesterday's failed policies. … more
Logging is Good for the Environment
It can help prevent catastrophic forest fires, like the ones now raging out west, as well as reduce housing prices. … more
Fourth Time's the Charm?
Builders broke ground Wednesday on a new, government-subsidized supermarket in Kalamazoo—near a site where three private supermarkets have failed before. … more
Politics and the Governor's Race
Are the candidates for governor adequately addressing the most pressing concerns of Michigan citizens? … more
If Marx Had Been Groucho
The world would be a much different place if the humor of Groucho Marx replaced the destructive ideas of Karl Marx. … more
Cigarettes, Taxes, and Terrorists
WNEM-TV5 asks a Mackinac Center economist about the link between cigarette smuggling in Michigan and Middle Eastern terrorism. … more
Charity and the Presidency
The president can do our nation a world of good if he understands the indispensable role of voluntary charity. … more
Concentrated Philosophies
What is the implied message and philosophy behind a bumper sticker that reads PEOPLE NOT PROFITS? … more
Digging the Big Ditch
A new book sheds light on the double-dealing, deception, and dollar diplomacy involved in the creation of the Panama Canal. … more
Can Southfield Afford a "Feel-Good" Wage Law?
The "living wage" ordinance is a prime example of how good intentions, linked with shallow thinking, can lead to terrible policy. … more
Guns, Cigarettes, and Cheeseburgers
A recent lawsuit against fast food restaurants is the kind of economically destructive litigation this classic Lawrence Reed Viewpoint warned about in 1999. … more
If You Build It, They Can't Leave
Remembering the tragedy of the Berlin Wall, which for 28 years prevented many thousands from escaping communist tyranny. … more
Federal Pork to Fight Obesity
A $200-million bill that's supposed to combat Americans' alleged obesity is meddlesome social engineering. … more
Taming the Tax Beast
Highly taxed Michigan should adopt a law requiring a supermajority of legislators to approve any tax hikes. … more
Ready for Right-to-Work
Michigan citizens support workers' right to not join or pay dues to a union in order to get or keep a job. … more
Enron, Worldcom, and... Amtrak?
While Congress thumps its collective chest over corporate malfeasance, it continues to perpetrate an even greater fraud on the American people: Amtrak. … more
The Trouble with Tax Favoritism
Staff economist Michael LaFaive criticizes the selective "corporate welfare" programs of state government. … more
The Muckrakers Reconsidered
"Capitalism has failed; more government regulation is needed!" Today's headlines could have been written 100 years ago... and were. … more
Candidates use MichiganVotes.org
Michigan political candidates are using the Mackinac Center's innovative legislative tracking web site to see how their opponents voted on key issues. … more
Warning: Cigarette Taxes Hazardous to Your Health
Politicians who advocate ever-higher taxes on cigarettes are not counting the costs of their efforts with as much care as they count their tax revenue. … more
