… decentralized, empowered and collaborative." The event is part of a movement looking to bring better care to patients through things like price transparency and direct contract care. One of the featured speakers at the event is Dr. Kevin Smith, founder of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma. Dr. Smith has …
… opening up the books, demanding that city employees (whose salaries and benefits are paid for by taxpayers) be receptive to requests, and bringing transparency to Detroit city government. That would be a good start.
… unless a person was convicted of a crime. House Bill 5081, introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, would require substantially more transparency for asset forfeiture proceedings, including details showing if a person was convicted of a crime, the value of the assets and other information. …
… also agreed to pay the Mackinac Center's attorney fees. Westland Mayor William Wild told The Detroit News that the changes were made to promote transparency. "We're glad to see that the city has agreed to change its policies to conform to state law," Wright said. "They were charging fees that were …
… Fund Despite Lack of Jobs and Repeated Program Promises, Legislature Proposes Expansion of Corporate Welfare Program Pressure Mounting For MEDC Transparency
In this issue: Teachers Sue MEA To Escape Union Pressure Mounting For MEDC Transparency Anti-GOP Professor Going Back to the Classroom Celebrating the Past, Looking Forward Court Ruling Supports State Law That Prohibits Discrimination of Non-Union Contractors New Bill Would Shed Light On Asset Forfeiture …
… having the reputation of lacking transparency. Even legislators have complained … information from the MEDC to test its transparency? If you thought the results were … out publicly about the lack of transparency at MEDC. In fact, I was quoted … talking about the need for more transparency from MEDC and against the high …
… the following: Require complete transparency, including financial disclosure … penalties for failing to comply with transparency and financial disclosure requirements. … including a lack of financial transparency and accountability, authorizers … performance, accountability, openness and transparency that public schools must follow. …
… years, Mackinac Center experts have said that the practice is unfair to taxpayers. In addition to being ineffective, the MEDC lacks openness and transparency in how it spends taxpayer money. The poll consisted of 599 likely 2016 general election Michigan voters. Of the respondents, 46.1 percent self-identified …
Thursday, June 18, 2015 “Transparency is inoculation against corruption.” — Rich Robinson “Privacy in politics is a virtue, not a vice.” — Bradley A. Smith MIDLAND — Kyle Melinn, news editor and co-owner of the Michigan Information & Research Service (MIRS) will moderate a debate on money in politics …
… local law enforcement units and the bills would require more reporting and greater detail. House bills 4500, 4503, 4504, 4506, and 4507 dealt with transparency and were all passed with at least 107 votes out of 110. Two other bills in the package would raise the standard of proof needed to justify seizing …
… Current law provides little in the way of oversight for or limits on its use, but a package of bills awaiting a vote in the Senate would provide transparency and some limits on its use. On September 29, the Mackinac Center released a study, Civil Forfeiture in Michigan, detailing the many abuses of …
… Legislature listened and responded, overwhelmingly passing seven bills that raise the standard of evidence before assets can be forfeited and require new transparency once this property is taken over by the state. Good progress has been made, but it doesn't go far enough. We believe civil forfeiture should be …
… Mackinac Center’s many initiatives work to address a variety of problems facing our state, from advancing property rights and promoting government transparency to reducing regulatory burdens and supporting education choice. We provide timely, nonpolitical and peer-reviewed research and analysis to support …
… They suggest four reforms that could help Michigan and its unions see continued growth: Enact Worker’s Choice, require re-certification, demand transparency and reform release time, each of which is detailed in the op-ed. The more we can root out many of the entrenched problems associated with compulsory …
… the government is able to take people’s property even though they might actually not have done anything wrong. While Michigan has recently added transparency and reporting requirements to the process, Skorup said civil asset forfeiture should be done away with altogether. If the police want to take …
… arriving on the scene, this is a great opportunity for the MEDC to demonstrate the confidence it has in its program. It should mandate 100 percent transparency in the methods and data sources used by its new contractor.
… can mean that someone is wrongfully convicted of and sentenced for a crime. So, the panelists agreed, it’s critical to enact policies that ensure transparency and quality control in crime labs. It’s also important that courts do not admit evidence that is based on bad science. The lunch event was very …
… collect public data. "Reviewing government spending is only available for wealthy citizens?" Andrzejewski said in an email. "Charging these fees - transparency taxes - is a direct assault on the First Amendment. Without government spending data and information, the citizen’s ability to review basic government …
… fulfill. NMU Spokesman Derek Hall provided this response: The first document request on July 24 was granted, in part, through the Public Act 108 transparency website with salaries and titles. NMU complies with all state reporting requirements through this site. The second document request for names attached …
… defeated a $21 billion tax-and-fee package to pay for light rail in Texas’ metropolitan areas. Legislators also adopted our ideas for increased transparency in higher education, despite the stonewalling of the higher education committee chairmen in both chambers. At my heart, I am a movement builder …
… the Flint water crisis, which is also costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Michigan residents deserve full access to these public documents and transparency over how their tax dollars are being spent. Documents & Timeline June 2018 Press Release Announcing The Case June 13, 2018
… occupational licenses could soon get an overhaul from a package of bills recently introduced in the Legislature. The bills would impose greater transparency requirements on licensing authorities and prevent them from denying a license for a past criminal offense not directly related to the field of …
… tweaks to Michigan’s civil forfeiture system. This included a bill package in 2015 raising the standard of evidence for forfeiture and establishing transparency requirements, and a 2016 law that repealed a bond requirement for people challenging forfeitures. The 2019 bills would require a criminal conviction …
… company gets. It says the information is confidential under the same law that bans the state from releasing individual tax returns. “This is a transparency problem,” said James Hohman, the director of fiscal policy for the Mackinac Center who did the analysis. “Your money is going to these companies …
… Schools Community District sent the staff of its Office of Strategy to a six-day conference in Los Angeles at a cost of $286,596. Under a spending transparency requirement lawmakers added to the school aid act in 2009, school districts must publish such expenses on their websites. Other travel expense …
… of quality, accountability or transparency in the communities where they operate. … of quality, accountability and transparency.” According to a 2019 report, … be held accountable to the same transparency and quality standards that apply … demonstrate the accountability and transparency they owe Michigan students and …
… The database compiles the information from two sources: Freedom of Information Act requests for current superintendent contracts and district transparency websites. Nearly 90% of districts and ISDs responded. The database reports how much districts spent in the most recent year, which varies by district. …
… decision about how to vote on the whole package. Final passage of the budget included only four dissenting votes. Michigan still lacks some basic transparency and accountability measures for its subsidy programs, and legislation has been introduced that would change this. But lawmakers are approving more …
… latest report says that there are no jobs yet at any of the facilities that have received awards through this program. But the state is bad at transparency, and lawmakers do not seem interested in doing better. Business subsidy supporters themselves claim that creating “good jobs” is their goal. What …
… within five business days. “A government cannot ignore FOIA requests in hopes that they just go away,” said Steve Delie, the Center’s lead on transparency and open government. “The city has a legal obligation to ensure that the public is given timely access to public records.” The Mackinac Center …
… an unwillingness to allow the public to gain access to records they have the right to review,” said Steve Delie, the Mackinac Center’s lead on transparency and open government. “Michigan courts have continued to hold that it is paramount for the public to know how their tax dollars are being spent. …
… “History will repeat itself unless we learn from this lesson and modernize health data systems, invest in public health departments, and increase data transparency.” Spending by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, or what the department calls “investment,” has risen steadily over the past …
… Michigan Court of Claims turned back the university’s claim. Mackinac Center attorney Steve Delie commended the ruling. “Michiganders deserve transparency and responsiveness from our government and the public institutions subsidized with our hard-earned tax dollars,” he said. “We are pleased that …
… will encompass the training of aspiring journalists in the field of investigative reporting, initiatives aimed at achieving greater government transparency and new means of communicating with audiences across the state of Michigan. "Frank was a titan in Michigan broadcasting. News, sports, commentary …
… give parents more control and choice over their children’s schooling. We call it Let Kids Learn. Other friends of freedom told us that government transparency was important and finding reliable sources of information was a major challenge. So, we launched The Frank Beckmann Center for Journalism. The …
… But the district’s response revealed the extent to which school districts and other units of government have made the law’s promise of government transparency increasingly a dead letter — at least for regular people who lack deep pockets. Local governments have become creative about prohibitively inflating …
… package of 31 bills would help provide accountability and consistency to a variety of emergency powers laws. If enacted, these bills would increase transparency and legislative oversight of state departments’ emergency powers. These bills would also eliminate some redundancies and remove unnecessary powers …
… the ground running at CapCon. His focus is for CapCon to become the watchdog of Michigan’s government and ensuring that it serves the people with transparency and accountability. CapCon has covered important topics exposing corruption, government ineptness and frivolous spending of taxpayer dollars. …
The Wall Street Journal Michigan’s Gender Studies Secret “The Mackinac Center’s interest is in transparency that ‘affords parents the opportunity to understand what their children are learning, and to fully engage with local government officials about these lessons.’ The FOIA sought access to student …
… funds, information the university supplied Gov. Whitmer’s officials about COVID policy and political statements made by the university president. Transparency is an ideal worth fighting for. We are residents of this state. We want our elected officials to serve with integrity or at least with respect …
… 15.233(5): Although rare, some public bodies do not have easily accessible contact information for their FOIA coordinators. To encourage greater transparency, this information should be freely accessible to the public. Only the FOIA coordinator’s official contact information should be provided — personal …
… than one occasion when spoke out when state officials allocated millions of dollars to a Chinese-based company for a factory. Sensing a lack of transparency, the people of the township recalled the officials who approved the project. We will have a greater focus on education in 2024. As some state …
… so over the top, huge compared to other kinds of economic development incentives,” LeRoy says. Lawmakers also fail to provide the kind of basic transparency over the film subsidies that people ought to get, like who is collecting their money and what movies and TV shows are receiving taxpayer funds. …
… MEDC, then-state Sen. Alma Smith, D-Salem Township, complained about the transparency problem, saying, "I don't think the Legislature should have to FOIA … Jennifer Granholm was sworn into office, members of the GOP sought greater transparency from the MEDC, most notably state Rep. Jack Brandenburg of Harrison …
… 989-631-0900 989-430-8669 MIDLAND — As the Legislature debates the transparency and scope of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. — the state’s chief … being eliminated in 2007. The authors also detail the increasing lack of transparency at the MEDC. The study offers specific recommendations for the Michigan …
… deal has prompted two politicians to create legislation to bring more transparency in the state agency overseeing it. State Reps. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, … Moore and Subsidies: A Love-Hate Story Lawmakers Tackle Film Credit Transparency Michael Moore Inadvertently Makes Case Against Film Subsidies (Again) …
… of our new strategic thrusts — public-interest litigation, government transparency and "being the media." These amplify the impact of our foundational … and lawmakers have introduced five bills to end the abuse. Government transparency is all about making government data more visible and easy to use, whether …
… safer and better K-12 schools. Mike Cox pledged to increase government transparency by posting all state spending online, just as scores of Michigan school … voting records and bill descriptions, sets the standard for legislative transparency. Michigan Capitol Confidential, our print and online news journal, highlights …
… actual job creation data over the past half year shows a pattern of less transparency regarding actual jobs produced by companies. There are varying reasons … PROGRAMS Michigan #1 for Economic Development? MEDC needs accountability, transparency - Livingston Daily Editorial MEDC outdoes fiasco - Traverse City Record-Eagle …
… the investigation is ongoing. All the while, bills to require more transparency with film office dealings had been languishing in the Michigan House … cited the Mackinac Center's investigation as reason for more film office transparency. Also amidst all of this, Michigan Film Office Director Janet Lockwood …
… ~~~~~ See also: Hollywood Battles Michigan's New Budget Chief Film Transparency – Just say No? State Subsidies for Hollywood Dying in Iowa and Drawing … Moore and Subsidies: A Love-Hate Story Lawmakers Tackle Film Credit Transparency Michael Moore Inadvertently Makes Case Against Film Subsidies (Again) …
… involved in the deal. To their credit, the office is getting better with transparency. The original report contained two pages of little detail. The 2009 … Movie Subsidy? Hollywood Battles Michigan's New Budget Chief Film Transparency – Just say No? State Subsidies for Hollywood Dying in Iowa and Drawing …
… the state in a positive direction with greater tax simplicity, more transparency, less corporate welfare and fewer discriminatory tax policies. Among … straightforward legislative appropriations, bringing a huge leap in transparency. And there are real cuts in this budget, including revenue sharing …
… Movie Subsidy? Hollywood Battles Michigan's New Budget Chief Film Transparency – Just say No? State Subsidies for Hollywood Dying in Iowa and Drawing … Moore and Subsidies: A Love-Hate Story Lawmakers Tackle Film Credit Transparency Michael Moore Inadvertently Makes Case Against Film Subsidies (Again) …
… nothing would stop local governments and unions from stripping down transparency laws by prohibiting the disclosure of information that would otherwise … Government Collective Bargaining Is Counterproductive How CapCon Uses Transparency Laws to Hold Government Accountable
… Contracts In Michigan Schools Multiple School Districts Breaking Law on Transparency How CapCon Uses Transparency Laws To Hold Government Accountable School Districts, Union Working …
… Contracts In Michigan Schools Multiple School Districts Breaking Law on Transparency How CapCon Uses Transparency Laws To Hold Government Accountable School Districts, Union Working …
… Contracts In Michigan Schools Multiple School Districts Breaking Law on Transparency How CapCon Uses Transparency Laws To Hold Government Accountable School Districts, Union Working …
… opposed. Rathburn said he would support “practical and cost efficient” transparency reforms to the MEDC and would vote to eliminate the film subsidy program. … winners and losers when they do so.” Miller agreed. He agrees with more transparency and the eventual elimination of the MEDC funds. “The problem is the …
… addressed some of the other concerns about charter schools, such as transparency and the difficulty of navigating choices. “I don’t think it’s hard … but now lives in Eastpointe where her son attends a charter school. On transparency, she says the results speak for themselves. She is shopping around …
… statewide. We believe that major reforms are needed at the MEDC to ensure transparency and accountability and to rein in corporate welfare. “Retaining the … Programs State's Corporate Welfare Agency Tone Deaf to Requests for Transparency There is No Good Reason the MEDC Should Exist
… crime. A legislative proposal introduced in 2012 to establish basic transparency requirements died in committee without ever receiving a vote. For anyone … rights. But last year, in fall 2015, the Legislature not only passed a transparency bill, it also made it more difficult for the government to take ownership …
… “No” House Bill 5851, Limit Tax Increment Finance Authorities; require transparency: Passed 60 to 48 in the House To establish new revenue limits and reporting and transparency requirements for downtown development authorities. The bill is part …
… your government. To show the importance of this week and government transparency laws, here are some of the key ways we’ve used Michigan’s FOIA law to … it can be done easily and cheaply electronically. Without government transparency laws, it would be very difficult for reporters to do their jobs. And …
… address. This site is just a small part of a larger issue: the lack of transparency in Michigan’s Quality of Life bond issue. In the 1988 general election, … Life bond issue has a long way to go before it reaches the level of transparency the public deserves.
… energy regulators reflects poorly on the state’s climate for political transparency. “The fact that we’re finding out that a highly regulated business … document is indicative of why we’re rated 50th out of all 50 states for transparency and accountability,” Mauger said. Consumers Energy, Michigan’s other …
… which state bureaucrats operate. The five bills would mandate greater transparency in corporate handout programs, require quicker public disclosure and … state administrators to make better choices in the first place. On the transparency front, three bills would grant the public greater access to information …
… the quality of Mackinac Center work. Eight FOIA Lawsuits Government transparency is one of the Mackinac Center’s core issues. We believe that the government … information. The Freedom of Information Act is a powerful tool in pursuing transparency. Once a state agency or other public organization receives a FOIA request, …
… state Supreme Court recently heard a case challenging their lack of transparency. The Mackinac Center has filed an amicus brief in the case in favor … legislation were required to sign non-disclosure agreements. Lack of transparency is all too prevalent in deals involving taxpayer giveaways. While the …
… Treadaway said. “Six of the candidates were local parents, concerned about transparency issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Treadaway said that after all … years, we’ve pulled our daughters from the local district. We asked for transparency and communication during the pandemic about how and what schools were …
… bargaining unit want union representation. SB 256 also offers meaningful transparency requirements designed to ensure employees can make an informed choice … about representation in their workplace. The bill also offers greater transparency into union business. If the bill is adopted, unions would be required …
… discouraging poor policework. Reforming union contracts is necessary to improve transparency, encourage high-quality policing and remove officers who fail to meet … bargaining agreements in Michigan contain terms that are problematic for transparency, adequate discipline and stewardship of taxpayer dollars. In our sample …
… payment of staff and teachers will be administered in a professional manner. 5) Administration and Budget Re-examine budget formulas and increase transparency of district financial records. Reduce staffing where appropriate. Allow for retention of budget surpluses for future use and prohibit overspending. …
… Patrick J. Wright Senior Legal Analyst or Kathy Hoekstra Communications Specialist 989-631-0900 MIDLAND — In stark contrast to the government transparency celebrated during Sunshine Week, the Michigan Film Office has issued a report that is "sorely lacking in key information required by state law," …
… repeatedly highlighted examples where the Michigan Film Office, which oversees the incentive, and the MEDC, which oversees the Film Office, have lacked transparency. Five months ago, the Center issued a statement pointing out that the Film Office violated state law and the spirit of Sunshine Week by omitting …
… homeland security grants. The fee may be a national record for a FOIA request, according to SunshineReview.org, a Web site that tracks government transparency. One request, which asked for information about how the Department of State Police came up with the $6.9 million fee, had a legally required deadline …
… network were the first to discover and write about these ZIP code errors. In fact, you can read more here, including an update with comments from transparency board official Ed Pound. Again, the story is gaining national momentum, with mentions in today's World Net Daily and Drudge Report, among others. …
… members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee scratching their heads. State Rep. Dudley Spade, D-Tipton, said with the increasing call for transparency in government, they should have answered the simple question: Who is paying for this? Spade said the committee wasn't asking questions he thought …
… agency would also post on the Internet regular updates with audited figures on how many jobs each deal actually produced. This is just one of the transparency reforms the agency should adopt. Until it does, the presumption stands that it has something to hide. Specifically, that the favors it grants are …
… however, has so far refused to release any details to the public that would support this contention. The key to restoring public confidence is transparency and independent audits. The MEDC and the governor's staff have strong political incentives to puff up the putative good news and bury the genuine …
… members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee scratching their heads. State Rep. Dudley Spade, D-Tipton, said with the increasing call for transparency in government, they should have answered the simple question: Who is paying for this? Spade said the committee wasn't asking questions he thought …
… questions about the project. "They can demonstrate that the Mackinac Center is wrong for raising these questions," LaFaive said. All they need is some transparency. Secrecy is the core issue here. There's no reason, at a minimum, that the buyer and seller shouldn't want to explain themselves." The Press has …
… Subsidy Hangar42 Studios' Incentives Raise Questions Film Noir Michael Moore and Subsidies: A Love-Hate Story Lawmakers Tackle Film Credit Transparency Michael Moore Inadvertently Makes Case Against Film Subsidies (Again) Analysis of Michigan Film Subsidies: Two Years, $117m — and No Film Job …
… granted MEGA deals. How many other dubious deals have skated through the process with a similar lack of background checking? Without much greater transparency from the increasingly secretive MEDC, it is impossible to know, but with tens of millions of dollars worth of lucrative tax breaks and outright …
… Hoekstra's September 2009 query nearly two months later with a bill for a jaw-dropping $6.8 million, a national record for FOIA fees, according to the transparency-tracking Web site Sunshinereview.com. The department claimed there were more than 2 million pages related to homeland security grants, which may …
… will be filed by the party that was denied access to the e-mails. At that time, Wright is likely to file another brief in support of government transparency.
… Corpus Christi Caller-Times between Sept. 30 and Oct. 22. The Washington Examiner and San Jose Mercury News both cited LaFaive about the lack of transparency at the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
… firms. While eliminating the agency’s discriminatory tax breaks and subsidies would be better, more honest accounting is a giant step forward in transparency and accountability for an agency that has had little of either in the past decade. New MEDC President and CEO Mike Finney has directed his staff …
… market ideas and recommendations • Litigation — to defend our liberties and challenge illegal government activities in the courts • Government transparency — to hold elected officials accountable through investigative news reporting. As we work for sound policy in Michigan, we know from the furor …
… Cops While City-Owned Pools Swim in Red Ink Thirty Percent of Shelby Twp. Police Salaries Exceed $90k The Art of the Ann Arbor City Budget A Transparency Fight in the Village of Armada
… development agencies that hand out tax breaks and subsidies to select industries and businesses. As a service to the public and in the interest of transparency, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy has built and made available a searchable database of all interlocal agreements on file with the Secretary …
… resulted in a much smaller executive branch, which is less burdensome on the state budget and practically free of corrupt officials. Last year, Transparency International ranked Georgia as the world's leading anti-corruption reformer. I readily acknowledge that Georgia is not a model for the United …
… Costs Public Bus Fares Cover Less Than 20 Percent of Costs Analysis: Michigan Should Reject High-Speed Rail Money Stimulus Boosts Bus Transit Transparency Not Rapid for Kent Co. Transit Agency
… email a lawmaker. Mackinac Center research evaluates existing policies and devises alternatives more consistent with free markets. Our government transparency division reveals the detailed workings, successes and failures of federal, state and local policies including those of public schools. And the …
… issued a joint statement to members of the media, legislators and the public warning about the implications that Proposal 2 would have on government transparency. If passed with a “yes” vote, these organizations argue, stipulations in government collective bargaining agreements would trump the Freedom of …
… other government entity in the state that is able to raise property taxes. Further, unlike school districts, transit agencies have no mandated transparency." CATA served 11.8 million passengers in 2011, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. The agency's 145 buses served about 223 …
… American Educators. Use online resources for salary information: Most of the data the MEA uses for this service can now be found online behind the "Transparency Reporting" buttons on public school district websites. Set a budget: Develop a financial plan that will include prices for liability insurance, …
… authorizer, Bay Mills Community College, to cancel its charter. The school's design and mission might hold promise for students, but if it cannot meet transparency and accountability requirements, it will have to shut its doors. Since most parents actively shop for their children's schools, closing them is …
… to be doing quite well when compared to schools serving students from similar backgrounds. If the state’s TTB list were simply used to provide transparency, there would be not be as much cause for concern. But since the list has been used to replace principals, reorganize schools and may eventually …
