… 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 …
… college credentials. A few have adopted a policy of paying their “highly effective” teachers The data for the analysis was taken from the district’s transparency link on its web page where it listed all of the employees’ salaries for 2012. ~~~~~ See also: $100K Teachers? For Some Educators, Unions Are …
… MichiganVotes.org and Michigan Capitol Confidential are empowering citizens to communicate effectively with elected officials through increased government transparency, and by providing the news stories that will truly inform them. Policy — good or bad — affects real people. The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation …
… counties where the recipient firms were located.” 2009: Mackinac Center’s Michael D. LaFaive published a policy brief criticizing MEGA’s lack of transparency. The brief described difficulties in obtaining records and data from the agency. 2005: On MEGA’s tenth anniversary, the Mackinac Center published …
… vacationing resident shortly after contracting with a company that records and produces the videos for the township website. Of course, with that transparency comes some conflict. A blog has popped up that questions and complains about Gonser and his colleagues who replaced some longtime board members …
… doesn't mention anything in its latest annual report about the deal. But Beerpulse.com reports that Michigan Brewing Co. went out of business. The transparency of the MEDC is a concern, said James Hohman, assistant director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. The MEDC only tracks …
… the article are not “flawed,” as the story asserts. They are designed to identify specific education thresholds in public schools, and provide transparency from which schools can strategize and improve. Michigan’s Top-to-Bottom (TTB) list ranks schools on their student academic performance in mathematics, …
… the service was started to give citizen-activists access to more information to help them influence the legislative process, its main benefit is transparency. “We now have 13 years of bills and votes in the system — the complete legislative careers of many lawmakers,” he said. “To obtain this information …
… examples of these. The EVIP provides extra revenue-sharing payments to local municipalities that meet the state’s requirements for accountability and transparency, consolidation of services and employee compensation.[77] The terms pertaining to employee compensation include the following: Capping retirement …
… these entities exist for just one purpose: To allow local politicians to tax-and-spend more in a manner that avoids democratic accountability and transparency. The Detroit News has a good record of exposing tricks that local governments use to extract more from residents (such as marketing property tax …
… MML's website, House Bill 4314, has not moved out of committee. ~~~~~ See also: House Panel Likely To Approve FOIA Reforms 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 …
… Fund Despite Lack of Jobs and Repeated Program Promises, Legislature Proposes Expansion of Corporate Welfare Program Pressure Mounting For MEDC Transparency
… Academies has offered a "School Accountability Pledge" to conventional public schools asking those schools to adhere to the same accountability, transparency and oversight laws as the state's charter public schools. One of the standards in the pledge includes closing any school that is in the bottom …
… effort to develop another one serving students at Grand Valley State University. ~~~~~ See also: Michigan’s Most Expensive Mass Transit Agencies Transparency Not Rapid For Kent County Transit Agency Flint Loses Out On $1.1 Million 'Green Energy' Buses, Now Wants $2.6 Million Version State Taxpayers …
… “economic development programs” by politicians. Measuring its growth is challenging because of frequent changes in programs and goals, a lack of transparency, and an abundance of spin and puffery in the information that is released. Moreover, the state has a poor record of actually confirming that subsidy …
… online on the body’s official website. (Public bodies that aren’t doing this already are missing a good opportunity to convey their commitment to transparency.) Post other documents online. Similar to the recommendation to post meeting minutes online, this recommendation would require the posting of any …
… the service was started to give citizen-activists access to more information to help them influence the legislative process, its main benefit is transparency. The site’s database now contains 14 years worth of bills and votes – the complete legislative careers of many lawmakers.
… the service was started to give citizen-activists access to more information to help them influence the legislative process, its main benefit is transparency. The site’s database now contains 14 years worth of bills and votes — the complete legislative careers of many lawmakers. # # # # #
… Fund Despite Lack of Jobs and Repeated Program Promises, Legislature Proposes Expansion of Corporate Welfare Program Pressure Mounting For MEDC Transparency There is No Good Reason the MEDC Should Exist Senator Says MEDC Should Stop Believing Its Own Press Releases State Loses 200,000 Jobs, State …
… online instead. Debate over the measure pits efficiency, the prospects of saving taxpayer dollars, and current reading habits against weakening of transparency. The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. Amanda Price, R-Holland, was reported out of the House Local Government Committee on March 11 and could …
… ability to enact right-to-work laws and the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959), which brought greater transparency to union finances. Robert P. Hunter, “Michigan Labor Law: What Every Citizen Should Know” (Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 1999), 9–11, http://perma.cc/ZH87-CNGV. …
… mandating reporting requirements of law enforcement agencies and raising the standard of proof that must be met before property can be forfeited. The transparency bills were passed almost unanimously by the 11-person committee. The state only has a rough idea how much property is forfeited each year to local …
House lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a package of bills that will improve uniformity, transparency and accountability for the practice of civil asset forfeiture in Michigan and raise the burden of proof in cases from “preponderance of evidence” to “clear and convincing.” Another bill prohibits police …
… 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 …
… U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the right of free association protected the NAACP from such demands. Enemies of debate like to conflate government transparency and private giving. The decisions and actions of government agencies should be open for review. It is quite another matter, however, for government …
… get it back. Skorup noted that the Michigan House is considering some good bills that would establish a higher standard of evidence and improve transparency. At the federal level, Walberg, a Republican from Tipton, has introduced the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act. Its bipartisan group of supporters …
… possession of property only in criminal proceedings and would require a criminal conviction of an individual before property can be forfeited; Increase transparency reporting requirements for property that is forfeited under current forfeiture laws; Reduce “policing for profit” by redirecting proceeds from …
… lieutenant colonel, major, captain, lieutenant, sergeant and trooper. Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” Senate Bill 539, Add more “promise zone” transparency: Passed 98 to 9 in the House To impose additional reporting requirements on “promise zone” tax increment financing authorities located in low …
… tries to offer facts and evidence and propose accountability in government.” The imbroglio in Flint also points to the larger need for government transparency, and the couple appreciates the Mackinac Center’s efforts to advance open government, Brian said. “The governor and legislature should open themselves …
… been making great strides on the issue of forfeiture. Last year, legislators passed laws requiring a higher standard of evidence and increased transparency. Recently, House and Senate committees passed a bill that would outlaw a bonding requirement for forfeiture. The state is moving in the right direction, …
… reforming the retirement plans offered to new school employees, requiring government unions to be periodically recertified, and requiring union transparency. # # # # # About the Mackinac Center for Public Policy The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonpartisan research and educational institute …
… required by statute. Lawmakers have not yet asserted their mandate to the bureaucrats managing the program, but they ought to. Yet additional transparency would only show that the program does not have the right strategy in the first place. The state is constantly adding and losing jobs. In the most …
… claims of extraordinary Pure Michigan returns on investment made by your consultant should be taken seriously, given this contractor’s lack of transparency. We believe that valid empirical scholarship is the means by which our knowledge of the world is expanded. Policymakers and the public benefit …
… without substantially changing their leadership and curriculum. Additionally, the Citizens Advisory Board was created to improve charter school transparency and efficiency and parents’ access to that information. Detroiters see the value in educational options. A 2016 survey found Detroit voters overwhelmingly …
… percent received a D or F. The report relied on public data and the methodology is detailed in the study. DeGrow told The Times Herald he hopes such transparency reinforces the need to improve the state’s approach. Read about the Context and Performance Report Card. Read the article in the Midland Daily …
… requirements. Lawmakers in both chambers are discussing meaningful tax relief for families. The state could take big steps toward more government transparency. It’s time for free-market reformers to act. The runner who is fastest off the block stands the best chance of winning.
… requirements. Lawmakers in both chambers are discussing meaningful tax relief for families. The state also could take big steps toward more government transparency. It’s time for free-market reformers to act. The runner who is fastest off the block stands the best chance of winning.
… extensively about this over the past two years, pointing out that such secrecy violates one of the most basic tenets of scholarly publication: transparency. That’s unacceptable because the MEDC uses the ROI numbers to justify $34 million in annual public expenditures for the tourism industry. In essence, …
… amount, but that foundation allowance is supplemented by various other funding sources. More from this author Special Needs Families Deserve Transparency July 12, 2017 Teacher Shortage in Detroit Calls For New Policies July 3, 2017 Free Press Omits Key CREDO Charter School Finding June 23, 2017 …
… past few years, the Legislature has passed major education reforms, including tenure reform, merit pay provisions, bans on automatic union dues, transparency laws and right-to-work. Unfortunately, hundreds of school districts have provisions in their union contracts that ignore these laws. We have represented …
… Treasury to name the companies and the amount each received either in payments or forgone taxes under MEGA. In a statement, Reilly called the lack of transparency for MEGA credits a serious issue of public interest. “Taxpayers have the right to know who is getting their money, to inform them whether this …
… call votes. The service was started to give citizens more information to help make democracy work better, and its main benefit has been increased transparency and accountability. The site’s database now contains 17 years’ worth of legislators’ votes — complete records of the full legislative careers of …
… assistance and agree that it is willing to provide “data described in the written agreement necessary for the fund to report.”[14] There are also transparency requirements for the Michigan Strategic Fund overseeing the program. Officials must post online information about each agreement, including the …
… personal income taxes? Using the model thus would put claims of large scale job creation from MBDP projects in greater perspective. 5. Improve the transparency of the program. The MSF obfuscates its poor choice of investments by expunging dismissed companies from its master count of deals in each year’s …
… million in state taxpayer funds. The money was appropriated without public discussion or scrutiny by means of an earmarking process that lacks transparency. The process makes it more likely that higher-ranking legislators can have their pet projects approved, by subjecting them to a single up-or-down …
… effects of these regulations were holding back investment and innovation in networks.” Pai added that the commission acted correctly to institute a transparency rule that requires internet service providers to make clear their business practices. The FCC chairman said he believes implementing net neutrality …
… 2019. In this guide, experts from the Mackinac Center offer recommendations on critical policy issues at the core of public debate on spending, transparency and regulation, education, energy and the environment, labor, criminal justice, and health care reform. The guide features actionable, timely recommendations …
… government retribution. We are committed to working with allies, lawmakers, administrations and others to advance these policy objectives in 2019: Transparency and implementation of Janus rights: Even before the Janus decision, unions were working with lawmakers and administrations in certain states to …
… work requirements rather than weakening or repealing them; Repealing excessive, inappropriate, and unused criminal statutes; and Promoting greater transparency and accountability in Michigan’s corporate welfare programs. There will come a time between now and November 2020 when both parties need to go …
… the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of Michigan, which oversees more than 700 pension systems. She said legislative reforms have increased transparency and discipline by pension fund managers. “We look at the progress of a plan over time,” Mausolf said. “It’s clear that many actions have been …
… bulk of the payments, though. They each received massive agreements to retain jobs in the state. But it’s tough, without the most basic level of transparency, to confirm this point. Consider that over the past five years, these companies have earned $64.9 billion in profit and collected an estimated …
… corporate welfare will be another major conversation. We have been working with a bipartisan group of legislators on several bills that will increase transparency and accountability for the state’s corporate welfare programs. We will also work to wind down the bloated and extremely costly MEGA tax credits. …
… should ask what they can do. Here’s my suggestion: Govern in a way that recognizes that political power comes from the people. Embrace government transparency and accountability. Most laws address how people in the private sector act, so we have criminal laws and, as recent events have reminded us, laws …
… the 1970s, under a promise that they would reduce health care costs. Christina Sandefur wrote the new paper for the Mercatus Center’s Regulatory Transparency Project and found that whatever benefits these laws may have, they haven’t been flowing to patients or taxpayers. “Instead, the primary beneficiaries …
… less restrictive orders. Whitmer’s latest stay-at-home order offered little explanation for why increased restrictions were necessary. Greater transparency about the decision-making process would help build additional trust with the public. As the state transitions into economic recovery, policymakers …
… Michigan rolling Testimony: F. Vincent Vernuccio Study: Worker's Choice Study: A Policy Guide to Union Recertification in Michigan Study: Financial Transparency Back to Top
… cases large and small, we’ve advanced freedom through the legal system. Along the way we’ve become the state’s foremost defender of government transparency by suing officials who try to prevent public access to public documents. We could say our work is possible only because of our supporters but …
… administration of Gov. Rick Snyder and was designed to replace the failed Michigan Economic Growth Authority incentive program. While it improved on MEGA’s transparency and offered smaller incentives, we believe the preponderance of evidence shows the program is ineffective. For our first examination, we tracked …
… MEGA analysis is that we were forced to work with incentives offered and not necessarily received by companies. The MEGA program has long lacked transparency, despite using public funds, which limited our analysis. Despite the best efforts of some to shed light on the topic, the actual fiscal benefit …
… Mackinac Center’s 2016 report found that the program lacked “clear and consistent performance benchmarks” and “did not meet legislative reporting and transparency requirements,” among other items. In 2012 and 2013 the Mackinac Center also catalogued a series of failures that likewise cast doubt on the programs’ …
… support the Mackinac Center because they bring together the expert resources to promote our beliefs in free markets and to fight for government transparency,” Mary Ann said.
… insurance company comes between patients and doctors. On “The Paradocs,” Larson and his guests have tackled such issues as health care pricing transparency, scope-of-practice regulations, board certification requirements, and government’s response to COVID-19. He also has featured innovative new health …
… heard nearly every year, but there’s an ironic twist this year. In September, with little public discussion and using a process that offered no transparency, Michigan’s governor and Legislature adopted in rapid fashion a record $61.565 billion state budget (up from $57.784 billion in 2018-19 before …
… many FOIA requests with Inkster this year, believes the rules changes are aimed at him. Blackwell describes himself as an advocate for government transparency. He said his FOIA requests in Inkster have focused on a variety of issues. They include the alleged delinquent property taxes owed by the mayor, …
… emails are exempt from Michigan’s FOIA law, but email from the University of Michigan is not exempt. The December lawsuit challenges the lack of transparency in the university’s response an open records law request from the Mackinac Center. In a document request sent to U-M on May 13, the Mackinac Center …
… is essential that the public have access to data about nursing home deaths in Michigan,” said Steve Delie, the Mackinac Center’s policy lead on transparency and open government. “Unfortunately, rather than simply providing anonymous data, the state has refused to shed light on this important matter. …
… requested for five months, despite having cashed the check. In November, the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation sued. An even larger obstacle to transparency is the fee demanded by units of government as a condition of gaining access to public records. In 2019, the Mackinac Center requested documents …
… Reform and State Policy Network affiliates. Collaboration doesn’t require lockstep agreement on all issues. For example, on the issue of government transparency (access to public records and meetings), we find common ground with organizations across the ideological spectrum. We may differ on the ideal scope …
… their own policies. So she continued most of what she had been doing before, until the public began to sour on her job performance. Government transparency remains a strong bridge between the philosophical left and right. Even our friends on the left applaud the Mackinac Center’s work to get to the …
… concerned about keeping its long-term budget balanced,” Vitti responded in an email. “Balancing budgets is a simple focus of priorities, strategy, transparency, and fiscal discipline and knowledge. All of which this elected board, superintendent, and CFO has demonstrated. Your self-fulfilling prophecy …
… them reelected, no matter what the science du jour indicates; sometimes lawmakers would rather blame political rivals than govern; and government transparency still unites the philosophical right and left. The next five are: The taproot of federalism remains deep. One might have expected a global emergency …
… outside the Great Lakes State demonstrated repeatedly that programs like MEOP are very ineffective. MEOP is also expensive and lacking even the basic transparency and accountability features of other company-specific incentive programs. Lawmakers should oppose giving up another $300 million to big corporations …
… eliminating these programs, what can be done to minimize their abuse? In addition to adopting the state compact mentioned above, there must be greater transparency and accountability around corporate handouts. Legislation has been introduced here to require members of the state’s economic development board …
… squeeze more cash out of taxpayers. Michigan already spends more on corporate welfare than most states, and it has major problems with spending transparency. Supporters treat this as the cost of doing business. If Michigan doesn’t offer truckloads of cash to the companies that ask for it, another state …
… squeeze more cash out of taxpayers. Michigan already spends more on corporate welfare than most states, and it has major problems with spending transparency. Supporters treat this as the cost of doing business.If Michigan doesn’t offer truckloads of cash to the companies that ask for it, another state …
… The objective should be not only to replace the former fuel tax revenue but also to remedy a number of other fuel tax shortcomings: their lack of transparency, lack of accountability of road providers to road users, and the fact that the current fuel tax works less like a user fee and more like just a …
… statement required by the IRS, and available as a public record. Want to search IRS 990 forms, for non-profits you know? Go here. The lack of transparency in the state’s budget process is made more obvious when taxpayer dollars are awarded to an organization that’s hard to reach, such as The National …
… member’s authorization every year before deducting that person’s dues, a change that would strengthen employee choice. Finally, the bill would ensure transparency for government unions by requiring them to file the same financial reports that private sector unions do. Public sector collective bargaining …
… Every dollar spent by Lansing comes from taxpayers. People who work for a living have to watch their hard-earned money being spent without any transparency — and even without any consideration of whether the spending is a good use of the money. Jamie A. Hope is assistant managing editor of Michigan …
… So we do not know how much this has cost taxpayers so far. Legislators expanded the program this year despite its poor track record and lack of transparency. The program offers developers the authority to collect the state taxes associated with the building, the income taxes paid by workers when constructing …
… information on bills, and the information available to the public is often months old. If you want to move to Michigan and be an involved citizen, transparency is a battle you will fight, from local governments to the state government in Lansing. We have a state government whose tentacles extend into …
… caselaw of when the exemption for FERPA information regarding students applies to public records requests. It is just the latest in a string of transparency victories the Mackinac Center has won over public entities across Michigan. But it should not take three years and hours of legal work to arrive …
… up for what’s right. This has meant establishing teachers’ right to resign from their union at any time, challenging state entities that refuse transparency requests, defending parents who want the best education for their kids, and protecting ten million Michigan residents against executive overreach. …
… control the legislative and executive branches of Michigan’s government. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer campaigned on the theme of having more government transparency, a theme echoed by many legislators. The current state budget, however, does not disclose who requested the money and why the company was picked …
… regarding Detroit politicians and their staff, FOIA gives them a powerful transparency tool to get the basic information regarding who works where and for … was getting how much in salary, McMorris judged most of the lawmaker "transparency" Web pages to be "basically useless." Even though just a tiny number …
… 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 … Gov. Jennifer Granholm was sworn into office, members of the GOP sought greater transparency from the MEDC, most notably state Rep. Jack Brandenburg of Harrison …
… day after the Howell Education Association said that taxpayers deserve transparency on teacher contract negotiations, district officials challenged them … the Press & Argus the previous day that "the taxpayers deserve some transparency about what has been proposed." The HEA and the district are at odds …
… supported the film tax credits but that the program would benefit from more transparency. As a state representative, Huizenga was one of the main supporters … Moore and Subsidies: A Love-Hate Story Lawmakers Tackle Film Credit Transparency Michael Moore Inadvertently Makes Case Against Film Subsidies (Again) …
… go, go! Where are we going to cut, cut, cut?” ~~~~~ See also: 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) …
… “I am happy that the House Republicans are again taking the lead on transparency,” said Lund. “Soon I hope to introduce my bill that will require the … May Finally Shine on State Pols' Staff Salary Secrets State rejects transparency despite minimal cost Schools Starting to Post Salary Details House …
… outrageous FOIA bill of $6.8 million, reformers pushing for more government transparency find that costs can serve as an effective barrier to the release of … Entities Team Up To Keep Information From Citizens 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 …
… while having the reputation of lacking transparency.Would you support transparency reforms to the program? Should the state of Michigan be giving out subsidies … business of picking winners and losers.” Rogers: “YES! YES! YES! to MEDC transparency reforms and NO! NO! NO! to the state of Michigan giving out subsidies …
… state spending on tourism ads. But these reports have a stunning lack of transparency that makes the uses to which they are put inappropriate and even patronizing … calculate the most careful estimations. But without full disclosure and transparency, we can’t know for sure when that happens. Given the MEDC’s incentive …
… Moreover, even this second vendor said Longwoods had a “lack of total transparency,” and acknowledged that reviewing its process would “require costly … the legitimacy of Longwoods’ claim. Notwithstanding Longwood’s lack of transparency, this second outfit chose to attempt its own version of a conversion …
… specificity that it can be replicated and its findings confirmed. Such transparency and openness are the core prerequisites of all valid scholarly inquiry. … and valid investigations is patronizing to scholars who transact in transparency, citizens, and policymakers, including state legislators. When independent …
… stake.” Proposal 2 backers say the ballot measure will increase the transparency of the redistricting process. The proposal requires the commission to … meetings.” The Freedom Fund said in its video that instead of bringing transparency, Proposal 2 would reduce political accountability. “You won’t be able …
… court decisions in such a way as to hamper the transparency goals of FOIA. The changes presented to this … https://perma.cc/T9T6-78CM. [†] Stephen Delie, “Transparency Laws Are Designed To Keep the Government Accountable. … information, see: Jaime Hope, “Court rules against transparency in Rochester schools FOIA case” (Michigan Capitol …
