Focus on the Day Care
Focus on the Family's weekend news program highlighted the Mackinac Center's legal fight against the DHS's forced unionization of 40,000 day care providers in Michigan.
Mackinac Center President Joseph Lehman was interviewed for the segment. He commented:
Mackinac Center President Joseph Lehman was interviewed for the segment. He commented:
[U]nion and government officials ... got together and said, "You know, there's a $300 million day care subsidy that's flowing from government to day care providers, and we wanna grab a chunk of that." ... So they concocted a way to siphon off $3.7 million a year from that day care subsidy.… more
The Court of Public Opinion
The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation's suit against the DHS continues to draw national attention. … more
Balancing Their Problems on Our Backs
The governor and Legislature won't cut their overspending crisis, so Michael LaFaive asks them what part of our own family budgets should we cut to satisfy their thirst for more taxes. … more
The Mitten State Waves Goodbye
Census Bureau figures released today continue to confirm the damaging impact of bad public policy on Michigan this decade. … more
Public School Funding, Consolidation Discussed
Michigan's public school funding continues to draw attention. … more
Expenses Consume Prop A Funding Increases
Personnel costs are responsible for public school budget problems. … more
Story on Film Subsidies Ignores the Full Picture
A report at AnnArbor.com indicates an increase in the number of hotel room rentals in the Ann Arbor area and credits the Michigan film subsidy, but the story fails to mention any impact on hotels - or other businesses - throughout the rest of Michigan that pay taxes to fund the subsidy. … more
School District Consolidation Talk in Lansing
A Detroit Free Press story today on school district consolidation cites a Mackinac Center study on the issue from 2007. … more
Littmann: Michigan Can Recover
Despite its myriad problems, Michigan is a place of "opportunity," David Littmann, the Center's senior economist, tells The Washington Examiner today. … more
David Littmann Discusses Michigan's Unemployment
Littmann: Prediction still valid. … more
Ethanol and HSAs Explained
Center scholars address two issues of the day. … more
Two More Ideas for Fixing Michigan
The anatomy of change. … more
Government Lobbying on the Rise
Government lobbying government: A wise expenditure? … more
MEDC Subsidies Questioned
Another Michigan Economic Development Corp. tax subsidy has come under fire. … more
House Bill 5319 Attacks Private Property Rights
Property owners should expect to be able to use groundwater under their own land without state interference. … more
Ethanol Subsidies Create Problems
Russ Harding's Op-Ed in The New York Times addresses the faults of ethanol subsidies. … more
'Climategate' Raises Questions About Money in Science
Russ Harding explains how money may impact research on global warming. … more
The Overton Window Opens to Another Audience
Joseph G. Lehman, president of the Mackinac Center, discussed the Overton Window on Detroit's WDET Public Radio today. … more
Center Scholars Cited on Economy, Environment, Education and More
Mackinac Center expertise on display. … more
Center Cited in Detroit, Grand Rapids
The Center's work on prevailing wage and government employee benefits was featured in two of the state's largest newspapers Sunday. … more
MEDC-SEIU Arrangement Still Raising Questions
Paul Kersey discusses MEDC-SEIU deal on Frank Beckmann's show. … more
Center Scholars Discuss Dollar, State Spending
Two center scholars were recently called upon for their expertise. … more
LaFaive 'Has Plenty of Ideas,' According to NRO
John Hood at National Review Online yesterday called Michigan the "epicenter of the fiscal earthquake," referring to the overspending crisis created by Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Legislature. … more
Will Michigan Sit Out This Race?
A Detroit Examiner columnist Friday cited Michael Van Beek, the Center's director of education policy, on Michigan's refusal to pursue school reforms that could help the state secure federal funding. … more
Cigarette Taxes and Smuggling
A study co-authored almost a year ago by Michael D. LaFaive, director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative at the Center, continues to garner media attention. … more
Data Mining
A look at mining issues and water regulation. … more
Epic FOIA Bill Provides Amusement
Politico's Ben Smith passed along the story about the $7 million fee the Michigan Department of State Police would charge to fulfill the Mackinac Center's Freedom of Information Act request. … more
Demanding More Transparency in Government
A Bay City Times editorial enthusiastically echoed the Mackinac Center's rallying cry for government transparency: "Show Michigan the Money." The Times goes on to ask, "Why not require [public posting of financial information] of all agencies and governments that receive taxpayer money? It’s the public’s money they are pending, [sic] and taxpayers have the right to see where it is going." … more
Center Ideas Featured in Detroit News
How to Fix Michigan. … more
Mackinac Center Cited in Wall Street Journal
In a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed, Shikha Dalmia cited the Mackinac Center's recent finding that Michigan's public-sector employees annually receive $5.7 billion more in benefits than their private-sector counterparts. … more
Russ Harding on WMKT
Russ Harding discusses property rights in Traverse City. … more
Reed Cited on Free Speech and Elections
Lawrence W. Reed cited in The Detroit News, Investors Business Daily. … more
Russ Harding on WTCM
Russ Harding, director of the Property Rights Network at the Mackinac Center, was a guest today on "The Norm Jones Show" on WTCM in Traverse City. … more
Getting Money, Saving Money
Mackinac Center media coverage today includes ... … more
New Client for Mackinac Center Legal Foundation
A new client who is part of the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation's lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Human Services is featured in The Flint Journal today. … more
Columnist Cites Michael Van Beek on School Consolidation
A Kalamazoo Gazette columnist Saturday cited Michael Van Beek, director of education policy, on a recent Current Comment he wrote about school district consolidation. … more
Michigan Messenger: Kersey Correct
A reporter with The Michigan Messenger contacted two college professors in response to an Op-Ed that Paul Kersey, labor policy director, wrote for The Detroit News. … more
Michael LaFaive Rebuttal in Detroit News
Michael LaFaive, director of fiscal policy, responded today to a Detroit News story that distorted information contained in a recent policy brief written by Gary Wolfram, Ph.D., a Hillsdale College professor and Mackinac Center adjunct scholar. … more
Coverage of Michael Tanner Speech at Northwood
A speech on health care reform at Northwood University last night sponsored by Students for a Free Economy was covered by WEYI-TV25 and the Midland Daily News. … more
Reed Receives JA Honor
Lawrence W. Reed, president emeritus of the Mackinac Center, will be inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Wednesday night, according to the Midland Daily News. … more
Mackinac Center Forum on Health Care Coverage
A public forum about Canadian health care hosted Monday by the Mackinac Center was covered by Reporting Michigan. … more
Center Media Highlights
Transparency, spending, health care and the state’s budget process were the topics of several media stories involving the Mackinac Center in the last few days. … more
Shanghai Surprise: The Unionization of Home Day Care Providers
Michelle Malkin said it best when she said, "The Culture of Corruption has never hit so close to home." The prominent author, blogger and commentator was referring in a recent blog post to a shady scheme to shanghai Michigan's home day care providers into a newly-formed, dues-paying labor union. Last month, the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation exposed this scheme in its first lawsuit, Loar v. DHS. … more
Center Cited on Prevailing Wage
Frank Beckmann, host of “The Frank Beckmann Show” on WJR AM760, cited the Mackinac Center in his weekly Detroit News column today. … more
Mackinac Center in the News
A roundup of recent Mackinac Center media citations. … more
Mackinac Center in the Media
Cigarette smuggling and student achievement drew two recent media mentions for Mackinac Center scholars. … more
Center Cited on Jobs (or Lack Thereof)
A new study by the Center's Michael LaFaive, director of fiscal policy, and James Hohman, fiscal research analyst, figured prominently in media coverage across Michigan Sunday and today highlighting Michigan's inability to create jobs, despite various programs, subsidies and other give-aways. … more
Center MEDC Study in National Spotlight
A recently released Mackinac Center study about the ineffectiveness of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. is receiving state and national media attention. … more
Labor Issues Highlight Center Media Coverage
Labor issues, including Michigan's Public Employee Relations Act and a lawsuit over forced union dues have been the focal point of the Mackinac Center's media coverage this week. … more
Legislature Adopts Center's Quest for Transparency
The Legislature has agreed to request greater transparency from Michigan's public school districts, adopting a cause the Mackinac Center first took up more than 18 months ago, according to The Grand Rapids Press. … more
Roadmap to Nowhere
Last week, while Michiganders shivered through more subnormal temperatures and watched their crop yields freeze from a summer of too-cool weather, a green echo chamber of media, government bureaucrats and activists gathered for a Midwest Governor's Association (MGA) conference in downtown Detroit to draw a "Midwestern Energy Security and Climate Stewardship Roadmap" to help Michigan navigate around . . . global warming. … more
Mackinac Center in the News
Mackinac Center scholars were cited in four different newspapers - including one from North Carolina - on four different topics Friday, Sunday and today. … more
Center Cited on Teacher Pay
WJR's Paul W. Smith mentioned the Mackinac Center and policy analyst Ken Braun's analysis of public school teachers’ salaries during a radio interview of Nolan Finley of the Detroit News. (audio) … more
Mackinac Center in the News
The Mackinac Center has been cited in various media outlets in the past few days. … more
Center Cited on Teacher Pay
Research by Policy Analyst Ken Braun was highlighted in a column by Nolan Finley in today's Detroit News. … more
Center Op-Ed on Nanny State
An Op-Ed by Communications Director Michael D. Jahr and Assistant Editor Hannah K. Mead was published in today's Midland Daily News. … more
Center Cited on State Budget
The Mackinac Center was cited today by World Magazine in a story about the Michigan Legislature's failure to balance the fiscal 2010 budget and its self-created $2.8 billion overspending crisis. … more
How Will They Solve the Budget Dilemma?
Mackinac Center analysts were cited in two Detroit-area newspapers today about how Michigan can address its current financial difficulties. … more
2007 Redux
Jack McHugh, senior legislative analyst, is quoted in a Detroit News article today about Michigan's budget negotiations and the possibility of a government shutdown if a balanced budget is not passed by midnight tomorrow. … more
Center Op-Eds in Detroit-area Newspapers
Op-Eds by two Mackinac Center authors were recently featured in the Dearborn Times-Herald. … more
Michael LaFaive Cited on Tax Hikes
Michael LaFaive, director of the Mackinac Center's Morey Fiscal Policy, was cited in today's Lansing State Journal in a story about the public's disinterest in tax hikes. The Michigan Legislature currently faces a self-created $2.8 billion overspending crisis and has until midnight Wednesday to eliminate it and pass a balanced fiscal year 2010 budget. The Legislature passed $1.4 billion in tax hikes in 2007 to balance the state budget, since which time Michigan's unemployment rate has doubled. … more
School Privatization Can Offset Budget Cuts
An Op-Ed by the Center's James Hohman and Eric Imhoff in today's Detroit News highlights the millions of dollars public schools can save by privatizing noninstructional services. … more
Harding Discusses Cap-and-Trade
Russ Harding, Mackinac Center senior environmental analyst, discussed cap-and-trade and other energy issues in Oakland County recently. … more
Center Cited on Transparency
The Mackinac Center's ongoing efforts to get public schools, municipalities and legislators to post spending online for public inspection was highlighted by WEYI-TV25 today. … more
Columnist cites Center on cutting taxes.
Detroit News … more
Center research cited on MEGA failure.
Livingston Daily … more
Editorial cites Center research on subsidies.
Pittsburgh Tribune … more
Michael LaFaive cited on state budget overspending.
Lansing State Journal … more
Center offers idea to fix Michigan's budget.
Detroit News … more
Center files lawsuit over union dues.
Petoskey News-Review … more
Center sues DHS over union dues.
Flint Journal … more
Center sues over forced unionization.
WEYI-TV25 … more
Patrick Wright interviewed about Center lawsuit.
Detroit Public TV … more
Center Legal Foundation files first lawsuit.
Lansing State Journal … more
Center Legal Foundation sues DHS.
Detroit Free Press … more
Center cited on public employee benefits.
Gongwer (pdf) … more
Center Legal Foundation files suit against state.
Gongwer (pdf) … more
DHS sued over illegal union dues.
Lansing State Journal … more
Mackinac Center Legal Foundation highlighted.
Washington Times … more
Center Legal Foundation Sues State Over Union Dues.
WJRT-TV12 Flint … more
Center co-hosts health care roundtable.
Crain's Detroit Business … more
Mackinac Center Legal Foundation cited.
WATZ Alpena … more
Center Legal Foundation files first lawsuit.
Michigan Public Radio … more
Center Legal Foundation sues over union dues.
Reporting Michigan … more
Columnist cites Michael LaFaive on MEGA failure.
Kalamazoo Gazette … more
Michael LaFaive on grocery store tax breaks.
Detroit Free Press … more
Colmnist cites Michael LaFaive on MEDC failure.
Grand Rapids Press … more
Columnist cites Center on MEDC failure.
Daily Citizen (Dalton, GA.) … more
Columnist cites Center on Michigan taxes.
Oakland Press … more
James Hohman cited on right-to-work protection.
Saginaw News … more
Center scholar cited on municipal finance.
Detroit Free Press … more
