… the Mackinac Center, Reitz spent eight years with the Freedom Foundation as general counsel and director of labor policy. An expert on government transparency, he is a member of the board of directors of the Michigan Coalition for Open Government. Lunch is free and is included with reservations. WHEN: …
… the $1,500 charge for the paper copies was designed to be a roadblock to the public’s access to information. ~~~~~ See also: How CapCon Uses Transparency Laws To Hold Government Accountable Government Entities Stymie FOIA Requests To Hide Information Court Order City To Comply With FOIA City Sued …
… “Under current law, there is little transparency or accountability on the taking … bill that would require greater transparency for when government seizes the … letter grades, while also adding a transparency dashboard for schools, will be … local governments, increasing the transparency and accountability of local “economic …
… as with any attempts to set prices, there are likely to be unintended consequences. The movement from the MCCA to a new entity will provide more transparency, but it will probably be more subject to political pressures with regard to both claims and assessments. The establishment of an insurance fraud …
… to adopt as little reform as possible Michigan’s forfeiture laws are rated among the worst in the nation. Pending legislation would increase transparency and raise the standard of evidence required before the state could claim a person’s property through forfeiture. While positive, these are half-steps …
The LMRDA’s union financial transparency requirements apply to any private sector union that is “engaged in an industry affecting commerce.” This includes various types of labor groups “in which employees participate and which exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning …
… This would allow the government to take possession of property only in criminal proceedings after a person has been convicted of a crime. Increase transparency reporting requirements for property that is forfeited, since currently policymakers, citizens and the media have very little information on how …
… study. The Michigan Legislature listened and overwhelmingly passed some reforms to the current civil forfeiture system in Michigan, requiring transparency and raising the standard of evidence the state must meet before taking possession of property suspected to be connected to illegal activity. These …
… are both federal and state agencies charged with collecting and making this data available to the public.[*] Plus, in the interest of additional transparency, Michigan law requires public school districts post even more information about their operations on their websites.[1] But there is far less information …
… were created by a consulting firm that has been the beneficiary of successive no-bid contracts from the MEDC. Yet the firm refuses to meet basic transparency requirements that would allow independent investigators to check its work.
… consider discontinuing the 21st Century Jobs Fund. Taxpayers should not have to pay for a government program that lacks clear objectives, fails transparency requirements and cannot demonstrate how it benefits the public. If policymakers choose to continue this operation despite its obvious shortcomings, …
… Fund, they should at least require the program to be fully transparent. As noted in Graphic 1, the program fails to provide even a basic level of transparency. The statutes controlling the 21st Century Jobs Fund already require a number of disclosures to be made, but the 21st Century Jobs Fund program …
… This new law follows a package of bills from 2015 that raised the standard of evidence before assets could be forfeited and established broad transparency requirements. But the groups urged state legislators to go further. “This new law will further protect the constitutional rights of citizens,” …
… periodically recertify, or re-elect, their union; End taxpayer-funding of union work called “release time;” Subject government unions to the same transparency requirements as those of private sector unions; and Establish the right to a secret ballot in government unions’ organizing elections. SB 210 …
… tourism officials accountable to their claims that these expenditures provide a positive return on investment, but Pure Michigan continues to lack transparency,” LaFaive said. “If Pure Michigan is worth the cost, show us.” # # # # #
… websites going forward,” said Fred Woodhams, spokesman for the Secretary of State. “There are many excellent organizations that offer campaign transparency and disclosure resources so citizens can be informed voters. However, as we are not realistically able to link to them all, we have decided to …
… Center has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Bronze ranking from Guidestar based on our financial health, accountability and transparency. The Mackinac Center Legacy Society also is growing, with new and varied options for remembering the Center in your will while also providing …
… Program showed that the program was not effective and even cost jobs. “Michigan’s business subsidies have hurt the economy and done so with little transparency. This scorecard shows that lawmakers have consistently put the welfare of select business owners ahead of taxpayers,” said James Hohman, director …
… progress over the past few years to do a better job protecting innocent people from forfeiture, by raising the standard of evidence and increasing transparency. But as this report shows, there’s a lot of work to do. More than 3,500 people in Michigan had the government take ownership of their property …
… to have never once voted against taxpayer handouts to a corporation or developer. But she has voted against scaling back or even requiring more transparency for these subsidies. According to one recent voting record analysis by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Love has approved at $1.2 billion …
… disproportionately burdened by processes meant to serve all people equally. We will continue to condemn government overreach. We will continue to call for more transparency about how money flows in the justice system and for better accountability for our court and corrections officials, so they will rule justly and …
… than in 2019. We believe it can be a banner year for a number of critical policy reforms that eliminate government red tape, expand government transparency, remove arbitrary barriers for those looking for work, and reestablish sensible justice within our criminal justice system. We are confident that …
… initiative, the first national effort of its kind to advance pro-worker labor reforms across the states, is anchored by four policy principles: Transparency and implementation of Janus rights: Even before the Janus decision, unions were working with lawmakers and administrations in certain states to …
… than others. As a result, some states may underreport how much corporate welfare they engage in compared to other states with more comprehensive transparency requirements. In addition, the New York Times included some tax provisions that should not be classified as corporate subsidies. This study ranks …
… published an op-ed written by Michael Reitz, our executive vice president. In the piece, Reitz emphasizes the importance of increasing government transparency, saying, “Bipartisan accomplishments may be difficult to come by with Michigan’s shared government. Shining a light on government operations is …
… direction,” McGraw said. According to McGraw, residents and journalists sometimes have trouble getting information through FOIA requests, and proper transparency is important to an effective democracy. The legislation now moves to the Senate Oversight Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan. …
… high schoolers to fill out the financial aid form Enshrining Obamacare rules into Michigan law Creating a task force to focus on prescription drug transparency and lowering costs Extending health coverage for low-income women with babies You can view the tally of past number of expansions and limitations …
… continuing to make full payments on existing debt and reducing spending on gimmicky and one-off special-interest projects, such as corporate handouts. Transparency is another priority of ours in 2020, and it surfaces in several policy areas. We’ll push to make government unions more accountable to their members, …
… There will always be some natural limitation to what the public can know and how fast they can know it, but Michiganders have a right to meaningful transparency from their elected officials, even in times of emergency.
… published by The Hill, contributing editor John LaPlante wrote of state government efforts, “When extraordinary curtailment of freedoms are involved, transparency is key.” It’s critical to always be looking ahead, and the Mackinac Center and Michigan Chamber of Commerce did just that when they published …
… from the governor. Furthermore, the writers and editors at Michigan Capitol Confidential, our journalistic arm, redoubled their efforts to promote transparency in the state government’s response to COVID-19. CapCon’s readership has grown tenfold, to over 15,000 readers daily. While recent crises, including …
… a lot of speculation surrounding the inconsistencies in Gov. Whitmer’s COVID-19 response plans,” said Steve Delie, the Center’s policy lead on transparency and open government. “The public deserves to know what data was used as the basis for these decisions that impacted their lives and livelihoods.” …
… Dec. 4 and then again to Dec. 23. “The public deserves to have expedient access to public records,” said Steve Delie, the Center’s policy lead on transparency and open government. “We have waited five months for a request that should have taken less than 20 hours to produce. When government entities keep …
… record roll call votes. The service was started to help citizens make more informed voting decisions, and its main benefit has been increased transparency and accountability. The site’s database now contains 20 years’ worth of legislators’ votes — complete records of the full legislative careers of …
… associate with an organization they don’t agree with. Likewise, no one’s speech should be suppressed even if it is unpopular. View cases Government Transparency Laws that require government agencies to provide public records are a fundamental element of making the government transparent to the people. …
… even then, the department could simply withhold these details while still fulfilling the rest of the FOIA request. That is what Michigan's public transparency laws require. On May 19, the department released a portion of the requested records, including the ages of the deceased and the dates of their …
… pandemic. It deals primarily with improving the process governments use to respond, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, consistency and transparency. Van Beek pointed out that although a pandemic can pose a serious risk to the public, policymakers need to remember all health concerns when crafting …
… sent out hundreds of public records requests to states, cities, counties and school districts across the United States. Under statewide government transparency laws, we requested the number of employees paying union dues from each entity, then added this year’s numbers to a data set that goes back to 2018. …
… employees, saying the information was not subject to the state’s open records law. U-M lost that lawsuit, but conflicts related to the state’s transparency law continue. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has filed eight lawsuits in 2021 over governments failing to share public information, as required …
… accounting records.” When asked about the issues, an official replied in a written response: “At Flint Community Schools, we are committed to transparency and working alongside our community to determine the best use of funds.” “The district recently hired a new accountant who started December 2021. …
… the Legislature the chance to override her veto with a second vote. Our work to keep an eye on Lansing continued when we found out through our transparency work and a lawsuit that the state cannot determine how many COVID-19 deaths happened at nursing homes. We published a report that the state was …
… copies of the materials. “Schools must make curricula available to parents under Michigan law,” said Steve Delie, director of open government and transparency at the Mackinac Center. “Despite this, Rochester schools has repeatedly failed to fulfill this legal obligation. It shouldn’t take months of back …
… has particular expertise. We are proud to announce that in the case Sole v. MEDC, the Michigan Supreme Court asked us for a brief on the issue of transparency in economic development programs. In another case, TPOAM v. Renner, justices asked us to address whether a union’s duty of fair representation …
… laws soon. We are, however, working to bring more accountability to the commission that enforces them. The Michigan House has passed a series of transparency bills we advocate, and they are in the Senate now. The bills would increase public access to the commission’s meetings and commit the Legislature …
… student-based, choice-driven funding system, it’s important to see the outcomes that are linked to available resources and spending decisions. That type of transparency better enables informed decision-making by parents in partnership with educators. “Schools and districts exist as institutions to serve children, …
… many of the people I met with also are becoming more alert to our state’s problems in energy policy. Other issues that surfaced were government transparency, emergency powers and corporate welfare. Walker: These insights and others that donors shared help us calibrate messages to take to lawmakers, …
… 2022), https://perma.cc/3P5A-S9ME. 7 Data provided to the author by California State Library Communications Manager Alex Vassar. 8 “Voters for Transparency and Term Limits” (Yes on Prop 1, 2022), https://perma.cc/8ZSJ-48WN. 9 Author interview with California State Library Communications Manager Alex …
… dating back to 1983, and found that the costs greatly outweighed the benefits. “Last week's spending spree shows a serious lack of restraint and transparency on the part of the Legislature,” said Michael LaFaive, senior director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center. “To start a legislative session …
… typically cash or cars, but also cell phones and even homes. Over the past decade, state lawmakers have passed several reforms: more reporting and transparency, raising the standard of evidence governments must meet before taking someone’s property and requiring a conviction in criminal court, in some …
… we analyze and often support mechanisms to constrain it. Examples include free and fair elections, separation of powers, federalism, government transparency, spending limits and balanced budget requirements. We look to the future with optimism. To get there, we depend on forces for good outside the …
… that a membership authorization form must inform employees of their right to join or not join a union. The form has new information that boosts transparency efforts by including the amount of any initiation fee, monthly dues and the compensation for the five highest-paid union officers. Additionally, …
… for the protection of public employees’ rights, but taken collectively, these latest state efforts are creating tremendous momentum for expanding transparency and accountability around government union activity in the year to come. Public employees deserve to be informed of their First Amendment rights …
… purpose of certain campaign finance regulations. Supporters say the bill will strengthen workers’ political voices. But it would also reduce the transparency of unions’ spending in politics. As the House fiscal analysis reads: “A labor organization would still be subject to reporting requirements but …
… quick, cheap and transparent. Michigan needs these changes because it consistently ranks as one of the worst states in the nation for government transparency. Citizens attempting to obtain public records frequently find themselves stonewalled by long delays. When government offices finally respond, they …
… The letter ends by noting the subcommittee’s mandate. “The Select Subcommittee is authorized to investigate ‘the efficacy, effectiveness, and transparency of the use of taxpayer funds and relief programs to address the coronavirus pandemic, including reports of waste, fraud, or abuse’ under H. Res. …
… commit to taking the next two months, and going and engaging with our constituents and asking them, what is it we should do regarding financial transparency, to start the process of regaining the trust of the people of Michigan?” Lindsey asked. Lindsey and Runestad’s protest went unheeded. The rest …
… not a secret,” Byrum wrote in one post. “If this filing was a mistake, it is time to fix it and if you are going to err, do so on the side of transparency, not obfuscation,” Byrum added. “You owe it to the voters to ensure that they have the full picture when asking them for their votes.” Byrum noted …
… out emails to various parties, seeking comment on these projects. No recipient responded. Critics of pork projects say there is no process or transparency for awarding these grants. A representative or senator requests the grants that will benefit his or her district to be included in the budget. …
… A Mackinac Center supporter for more than a decade, Mike believes a flourishing society needs citizens who demand character, accountability and transparency from their government. Michigan runs in Mike’s blood. He grew up on a farm outside Imlay City that his great-grandfather established in 1904. …
… for Public Policy's "Show Michigan the Money" transparency project. A similar request was made of the … following a request from Peyton Walcott, a Texas transparency advocate. The Chippewa Valley School District … the director of the 'Show Michigan the Money' transparency project for the Mackinac Center for Public …
… new strategic tools built around government transparency and Internet communications, we are increasingly … two reasons. First, it’s because government transparency upsets the old way of doing things in the legislature … the related legislative activity. Government transparency, and direct communication with citizens, makes …
… ambiguous status would let it evade regular transparency and open records requirements. It was Rivet … liabilities payable over 20 years. “The issue of transparency has been there with MEDC for years and I don’t … Corporate Welfare Agency Tone Deaf to Requests for Transparency Three Cheers for Michigan House Democrats …
… full House in December 2013 Q. Regarding MEDC transparency, which the legislation was supposed to address, … are ongoing about how to create even greater transparency than is contained within the as reported versions. … previously mentioned in the discussion about transparency within the Michigan Strategic Fund, clawback …
… reason for concern. 6. Get patients full price transparency Whether the concern is treating COVID-19-related … build on recent federal regulations on price transparency to ensure a competitive market that will benefit providers and patients alike. Price transparency should be: Dependable: Prices must be real …
… requirements of the Open Meetings Act. This increases transparency, which is the overarching goal of the Commission. … conduct meetings electronically, both to increase transparency and to permit the Commission to be more responsive … public bodies, the Commission can increase transparency by establishing clear expectations for a public …
… websites. The Mackinac Center recommendations are aimed at supporting democratic principles and functions, and ensuring fiscal integrity and financial transparency for all union dues payers. Robert P. Hunter, the Mackinac Center’s director of labor policy, said the new labor department rules “… are long overdue. …
… are to be made, why not at least tie the receipt of incremental funds to university compliance with certain practices, like complete financial transparency or requiring that schools provide evidence of the amount of student learning occurring? States should be wary of succumbing to the "new investments" …
… percentage of revenues to finance PEG channel programming. PEG channels do offer some benefits today. Broadcasts of local government meetings increase transparency of government functions and help inform interested viewers about local issues. School concerts, sporting events and graduation ceremonies may be …
… getting more job announcements from this expensive government bureaucracy than real jobs. It's no wonder legislators and others are demanding more transparency from the agency." According to LaFaive and adjunct scholar Michael Hicks, unemployment rates and migration are intertwined. A high home state …
… Corporation," (Michigan Office of the Auditor General, 2003), 7. [57] "Public Act 261 of 2008," Sec. 1002(4). [58] Total derived from "MEGA Transparency Project" documents available at https://www.mackinac.org/depts/fpi/mega.aspx. [59] "Economic Development Job Training Grants," in Michigan Economic …
… institute. Our priorities remain the same — education, labor, property rights, tax and budget, economic development, political speech and government transparency. In our first case we're representing home-based day care owners who were illegally dragooned into a union along with 40,000 others. If we're …
… and not the means by which some constituents acquire resources from others; to spend public monies and exert government authority with complete transparency, subject to the greatest public scrutiny and highest moral standards. For candidates for public office — Resolved, to campaign on policy issues …
… not the means by which some constituents acquire resources from others; and to spend public monies and exert government authority with complete transparency, subject to the greatest public scrutiny and highest moral standards. For candidates for public office Resolved, to campaign on policy issues …
… based on very subjective criteria. It is hard to imagine a program more open to abuse. Abuse there has been; although due to a growing lack of transparency at the Michigan Economic Development Corp., we cannot (yet) quantify just how much. That Richard Short with his questionable background could have …
… move the MEDC into the governor's office so there could be more accountability and he'd cancel the MEDC's advertising budget and call for more transparency. "You can't even find out how much they are spending on the advertising," Hoekstra said. Bouchard said eight out of 10 jobs are created by small …
… Michigan. "I learn how our state politics are working or not working. I learn how you can't tell the Democrats from the Republicans in most bills. It's transparency that we don't get anywhere else. We get it from (State Representive Dave) Agema. Occasionally we get it from (State Representative Tom) McMilli …
… Mackinac Center broke this story May 20 when it raised questions about the total "investment" made in Hangar42, and exposed the state's lack of transparency about anything related to the subsidy. In his latest report Knape lists a variety of non-responses he was given while attempting to get information …
… that granted the tax credit for Hangar42 is retiring after being the center of a "storm of criticism." Detroit News - An editorial says that more transparency is needed for the Michigan Film Office and its tax credits. Mackinac Center - Huron Valley Schools Superintendent Robert O'Brien earned $418,965 …
… 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 …
… 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 …
… BUSINESSES VOTE DOWN "GIVE AWAY" PROGRAMS Michigan #1 for Economic Development? THE MOST DANGEROUS VOICE IN THE HOUSE? MEDC needs accountability, transparency - Livingston Daily Editorial MEDC outdoes fiasco - Traverse City Record-Eagle Ann Arbor.com video: Gov. Granholm defends MEDC tax credits MEDC: …
… 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 …
… Websites Give History a Rewrite SMALL BUSINESSES VOTE DOWN "GIVE AWAY" PROGRAMS Michigan #1 for Economic Development? MEDC needs accountability, transparency - Livingston Daily Editorial MEDC outdoes fiasco - Traverse City Record-Eagle Ann Arbor.com video: Gov. Granholm defends MEDC tax credits MichCapCon …
… BUSINESSES VOTE DOWN "GIVE AWAY" PROGRAMS Michigan #1 for Economic Development? THE MOST DANGEROUS VOICE IN THE HOUSE? MEDC needs accountability, transparency - Livingston Daily Editorial MEDC outdoes fiasco - Traverse City Record-Eagle Ann Arbor.com video: Gov. Granholm defends MEDC tax credits
… Websites Give History a Rewrite SMALL BUSINESSES VOTE DOWN "GIVE AWAY" PROGRAMS Michigan #1 for Economic Development? MEDC needs accountability, transparency - Livingston Daily Editorial MEDC outdoes fiasco - Traverse City Record-Eagle Ann Arbor.com video: Gov. Granholm defends MEDC tax credits MichCapCon …
… for a variety of reasons. That includes such things as incomplete information, broken links, improper formatting and improper placement of the transparency icon on the web site. Van Beek downloaded the salary information for all of the employees of the Battle Creek School District. Weeks later, he …
… schools more than $16 million. JOURNALS Michigan Capitol Confidential MCC2010-04 Key stories: Ann Arbor budgeting, state audit, government transparency, county land banks. VIDEO The School Employee Concession Myth School employees on the whole have not saved taxpayers money through contract …
… Fabiano, of Grassroots In Michigan said she liked the dashboard idea where the government would be graded on its performance. “I like it for the transparency and accountability,” Fabiano said. “But it has to be updated frequently otherwise it becomes another big PowerPoint presentation.” Other tea party …
… has no business supporting what is essentially a lobbying group.” Kersey also recommends other targeted reforms, such as increased union spending transparency and a state legislative requirement that government employee collective bargaining contracts conform to state and local law. The report comes …
… here: www.michcapcon.com/14700 ~~~~~ See also: Firefighters or Mitch Albom's Movie Subsidy? Hollywood Battles Michigan's New Budget Chief Film Transparency – Just say No? State Subsidies for Hollywood Dying in Iowa and Drawing Fire In Missouri and Michigan Congressman-Elect Bill Huizenga discusses …
… Rochester Schools Raise Pay, Report Cuts, and Blame Governor Does the Lansing School District Reall Pay ‘Below the Poverty Line’ for Teachers? Transparency Not Rapid For Kent Co. Transit Agency West Michigan School Super Claims Budget Cuts - But Do the Numbers Add Up? Decade of Cuts Is Claimed by …
… Rochester Schools Raise Pay, Report Cuts, and Blame Governor Does the Lansing School District Reall Pay ‘Below the Poverty Line’ for Teachers? Transparency Not Rapid For Kent Co. Transit Agency West Michigan School Super Claims Budget Cuts - But Do the Numbers Add Up? Decade of Cuts Is Claimed by …
… policy terms of the teacher union’s insurance company, competitive bidding on non-instructional services, consolidating some services and more transparency. The budget includes $133 million to cover potential transition costs of a possible school employee pension reform. The bill also appropriates …
… regime represents an improvement over the old one. But no corporate welfare handouts would be even better. At the very least, a number of additional transparency provisions should be added to the bill that passed the Senate, and the discretion of the favor-giving political appointees should be greatly narrowed. …
… foolishly when it gave such broad powers to land banks. Hopefully, work by groups like Kent County Taxpayers Alliance will at least bring some transparency to actions that have little to do with protecting taxpayers and end up hindering private development.
… will agree with the Board of Canvassers, the Attorney General, the Governor and residents across the state — Michigan voters deserve honesty and transparency at the ballot box and from the start this deceptive proposal has not given them either," said Rich Studley, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber …
… weeks ago, the MEDC made all of its promotional videos “private.” This is not the first time questions have been raised about the MEDC’s lack of transparency. The company is a poster child of government subsidies for green energy initiatives. Michigan gave A123 Systems $100 million in MEGA tax credits …
… paid for with Natural Resources Trust Fund money. Among other things, the bill would impose term limits on members of the NRTC board, require more transparency in its property selection process, and ban sales if the seller was harassed, intimidated, or coerced by the Department of Natural Resources, a …
… are pleased that you are able to access all of the information you needed to analyze the salaries of our administrators, as we are proud of our transparency. Unfortunately, similar information is not so easy to come by with the private, for-profit companies looking to expand in Michigan." Jan Ellis, …
… vices, one of which was creating many new government “authorities.” These entities are largely insulated from democratic accountability, lack transparency and tend to fly under the radar of media scrutiny. They also often become the “playground” of particular special interest groups, which then lobby …
