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Whitmer's Back-and-Forth on Football Raises Questions On The 'Science' She Cites

Tom Gantert | September 4, 2020

Without Context, Water Use Claims Are Misleading (Millions? Billions? Trillions?)

Water use debate often occurs in an information vacuum

Tom Gantert | January 16, 2020

Corporate Subsidy Formula: Big Promises In Headlines, Failures Invisible

Take those job promises with a grain of salt

Tom Gantert | October 10, 2019

Michigan Teacher Pay Scales: Top Out Fast, Then Go Nowhere

That’s the union contract most teachers accept when they enter the profession

Tom Gantert | September 14, 2019

No Such Thing As An Average Teacher Salary In Michigan

One teacher saw a $19,166 increase over three years; another, $435 over seven

Tom Gantert | September 13, 2019

Will Wild Rice Really Save The Great Lakes?

Without prioritization, it’s hard to know if Great Lakes Restoration money is well-spent

Tom Gantert | September 5, 2019

Website Calls Detroit Charter School ‘Struggling,’ Silent On Failing District Schools Nearby

Charter scored a ‘C’ on income-adjusted school ratings, but its conventional competitors got an ‘F’

Tom Gantert | August 20, 2019

About

Licensure Mandates Cost Michigan Jobs And Millions In State Revenue

Job restrictions also have disparate impact on youth and minorities

Sandy Malone | December 2, 2019

What the Mackinac Center is Thankful for in 2019

Freedom, fairness and fiscal responsibility

Jarrett Skorup | November 28, 2019

House Republicans 'No Way' on Detroit School Choice Restrictions

Speaker Kevin Cotter faced down intense political opposition

Tom Gantert | June 7, 2016

Michigan vs. Minnesota Report Says Little About What Policies To Pursue

Michigan Future study lists lots of correlation, no causation

Jarrett Skorup | June 18, 2014

Holland Restaurant Owner Arrested Over COVID Orders

Marlena’s Bistro and Pizzeria has operated at near capacity despite lockdown mandates

Taylor Piotrowski | March 19, 2021

Marlena’s Bistro and Pizzeria has operated at near capacity despite lockdown mandates

Transparency Laws are Designed to Keep the Government Accountable. But do They?

Government has repeatedly resisted the openness requested by the people

Stephen Delie | March 18, 2021

Government has repeatedly resisted the openness requested by the people

Dodgy Metrics, No Real Accountability At Tax-Funded Tourism Marketing Program

Agency may have good reason to prefer Pure Michigan’s fluff to real transparency

Michael D. LaFaive | March 15, 2021

Lawmakers should insist on transparency

UK Variant In Just 0.02% Of Michigan’s COVID Cases; WaPo Blames It For Current Surge

Tom Gantert | April 7, 2021

Michigan 12th-Most Restrictive State For COVID Policies

Tom Gantert | April 6, 2021

Flint Has 29 Cents For Each Dollar Needed To Cover Pension Promises

Annual income: $100 million; total pension promises: $388 million; result: misery

Tom Gantert | April 1, 2021

Michigan Has More Teachers Per Student Than 13 Years Ago

More favorable ratio challenges often-repeated claims of a teacher shortage

Tom Gantert | March 30, 2021

Fewer Students And More Teachers Means - A Michigan Teacher Shortage?

That's what they say

Tom Gantert | March 29, 2021

Michigan Job Losses Nation's 12th Worst Since Pandemic Began

Employment down 6.9% here from Feb. 2020

Tom Gantert | March 29, 2021

High School Prom Planners Await Government Permission

Midland schools warn dancing may be banned

Tom Gantert | March 26, 2021

Michigan Daily COVID Deaths: 12 On March 21, Versus 133 On Dec. 14

Tom Gantert | March 25, 2021

Media Off-Base On COVID Hospitalization Rate Report

Tom Gantert | March 25, 2021

Michigan Residents’ 2020 Employment Income Decline Is Nation’s Eighth-Worst

Tom Gantert | March 25, 2021

Mayor Calls Stimulus ‘Critical’; His Pay Rose From $132k To $137k In 2020

Tom Gantert | March 23, 2021

Government Workers A Protected Class In 2020

Some Westland cops put in a few hours in 2020 and retired with six-figure payouts during the pandemic

Tom Gantert | March 23, 2021

Celebrate Sunshine Week By Suing A Government Open Records Act Scofflaw

Mackinac Center did; its new suit joins seven others against Michigan governments

Tom Gantert | March 22, 2021

After A Year Of COVID, Media Asks If Lockdowns Actually Work

Tom Gantert | March 18, 2021

Michigan Attorney General Rebuffs Lawmaker Request To Investigate Nursing Home COVID Deaths

Tom Gantert | March 15, 2021

Florida: Wide-Open Restaurants, No Mask Mandate, Plunging Case Counts

Tom Gantert | March 15, 2021

Detroit Schools Get Clean Audit, Released From State Fiscal Oversight

Tom Gantert | March 12, 2021

Biden Blowout: Spending Bill Unnecessary and Harmful

State lawmakers must act to minimize waste

Michael D. LaFaive | March 9, 2021

State lawmakers must act to minimize waste

Michigan’s Right-to-Work Law Led to Huge Drop in Union Membership

For the first time in decades, state falls outside of the top 10 nationally in unionization

Jarrett Skorup | March 4, 2021

For the first time in decades, state falls outside of the top 10 nationally in unionization

Indefinite Emergency Powers Are Unconstitutional

U-M law professor makes flawed case to overturn recent Supreme Court decision

Patrick J. Wright and Michael Van Beek | March 1, 2021

U-M law professor makes flawed case to overturn recent Supreme Court decision

Money for Nothing: Most Federal COVID Relief Went to Closed Classrooms

Districts raking in most CARES funds denied students in-person learning

Ben DeGrow and Allison Rigterink | February 22, 2021

Districts raking in most CARES funds denied students in-person learning

Texas Energy Crisis a Warning for Michigan

New generation facilities should be reliable

Jason Hayes | February 16, 2021

New generation facilities should be reliable

North Dakota Repeals Mask Mandate, COVID Case Numbers Plunge

Tom Gantert | March 10, 2021

Virus Hard On Everyone? Not These Rochester School Employees

Tom Gantert | March 10, 2021

Whitmer, Now Fauci: Michigan Business Man Vents Lockdown Frustrations With Billboard

Tom Gantert | March 9, 2021

Iowa Drops Mask Mandate, Cases Plummet

Media silent on case decline after repeal

Tom Gantert | March 9, 2021

Shortage? 10.5% More Teachers In Michigan For 2.1% Fewer Students

Tom Gantert | March 8, 2021

Detroit Teachers Average Salary Went Up 15%

Average pay went from $56k to $65k

Tom Gantert | March 8, 2021

Top Heads Of Detroit Teachers Union Enjoyed Big Raises During Epidemic

Schools still closed, though

Tom Gantert | March 5, 2021

In Flint, No Sneeze Guards, No School — Despite $53K+ Per Pupil In Promised COVID Bucks

Tom Gantert | March 5, 2021

Federal Spending Blowout — In Michigan’s Budget

A state fiscal replay of the Obama stimulus era

Tom Gantert | March 4, 2021

Vaccination Rate Higher in Michigan, But Texas Mask Free And Open

COVID case-level declines similar in both states

Tom Gantert | March 3, 2021

His Government Service Hardship Included 8% Raise, $155K Golden Parachute

And a new gig as a public service scholar

Tom Gantert | March 3, 2021

COVID May Be On The Run In Michigan

New daily case numbers plummeted from a 451 per million rate to 90 per million

Tom Gantert | March 2, 2021

Michigan No. 30 In School Reopening

Iowa, Montana and Wyoming schools open

Tom Gantert | March 2, 2021

49% Of Charter School Kids Black; State Civil Rights Commission Says Fund Them At 75%

Tom Gantert | February 27, 2021

Berkeley's Robert Reich Complains About CEO Pay, Collected $300k To Teach Three Classes

Tom Gantert | February 26, 2021

Whitmer Suggests ‘Effective’ Reopening of Schools Depends On Tripling Virus Testing

‘Three to four million binax antigen tests every single month’

Tom Gantert | February 26, 2021

Gas, Coal, Nukes Supply 88% Of The Power Keeping Michigan's Lights And Furnace Fans On

Tom Gantert | February 24, 2021

Fewer Teachers Get Required Assessments With COVID, But Results The Same

As usual, about 1% found minimally effective or worse

Tom Gantert | February 19, 2021

Michigan Government First Stops Businesses, Then Subsidizes Some

Michigan Capitol Confidential Staff Reports | February 19, 2021

Firm Made $1.6 Billion, Corporate Subsidy Agency Boasts Offering It $2.6 Million

Michigan taxpayers will pay for it

Tom Gantert | February 18, 2021

More Detroit School District Students Chronically Absent Than Not

54.1% were absent last school year, down from previous years

Tom Gantert | February 17, 2021

Virtual Classes Cancelled At Ann Arbor Schools During Cold Snap

Michigan Capitol Confidential Staff Reports | February 16, 2021

Big 2020 Paychecks For Many Government Workers In Michigan

Private sector experienced lost jobs and income; a CapCon series

Tom Gantert | February 16, 2021

Community College President Paid Over $525,000 Last Year

Michigan Capitol Confidential Staff Reports | February 15, 2021

Official State COVID Website Has Outdated, Conflicted Messaging

Tom Gantert | February 12, 2021

No ‘Defund The Police’ In Whitmer's State Budget Proposal

Michigan Capitol Confidential Staff Reports | February 12, 2021

Taxes on Michigan’s Record $1.1 Billion Lottery Ticket Will Fund State Government For Seven Hours

Michigan Capitol Confidential Staff Reports | February 11, 2021

As Fears Of COVID Variant Grows, Number Of Confirmed Cases In Michigan Steadily Decline

Tom Gantert | February 10, 2021

With Federal Aid, Detroit Schools To Get Nearly Double Its Last Budget

Law gives great latitude in how it gets spent

Tom Gantert | February 10, 2021

A Timeline of Inconsistency

Data don’t justify the governor’s continued restrictions on gatherings

Michael Van Beek | February 9, 2021

Data don’t justify the governor’s continued restrictions on gatherings

No Proof ‘Pause’ Worked

U-M study exaggerates its own findings

Michael Van Beek and Christopher C. Douglas, Ph.D. | February 4, 2021

U-M study exaggerates its own findings

All That is Not Permitted is Prohibited

Gov. Whitmer’s strict approach makes well-meaning Michiganders into criminals

Michael Van Beek | January 28, 2021

Gov. Whitmer’s strict approach makes well-meaning Michiganders into criminals

Gov. Whitmer’s Switcheroo on Schools

Do the COVID metrics matter anymore?

Michael Van Beek | January 19, 2021

Do the COVID metrics matter anymore?

Biden’s ‘American Rescue Plan’ Should Be Thrown Overboard

It racks up too much debt, isn’t targeted and includes priorities unrelated to COVID

Michael D. LaFaive and Jarrett Skorup | January 18, 2021

It racks up too much debt, isn’t targeted and includes priorities unrelated to COVID

Pandemic Response Boosts Michigan Budget

Large increases in state spending due to federal transfers

James M. Hohman | January 15, 2021

Large increases in state spending due to federal transfers

Will Restaurants Reopen Feb. 1?

Mixed messages and more confusion from the governor

Michael Van Beek | January 14, 2021

Mixed messages and more confusion from the governor

Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm Oversaw Parade Of Failed Green Energy Boondoggles

Would-be energy secretary’s record not promising

Jarrett Skorup | December 21, 2020

In the ‘Birthplace of Organized Labor,’ Union Membership Plummets

Since Michigan's right-to-work law was adopted organized labor struggles to retain dues-paying members

Jarrett Skorup | October 31, 2020

Second Wave Agony: Maybe The State’s Epidemic Policy Is To Blame, Not Its People

Officials scold the public, but a growing chorus of scientists say it’s politicians who are blowing it

Tom Gantert | October 30, 2020

Underfunded? Detroit Is State's 15th Best Funded Larger School District

Gets less from some sources and more from others

Tom Gantert | August 29, 2020

Five School Options For Parents And Children This Fall

But nothing is certain

Parker Thayer | July 30, 2020

Costly Drugs For Rare Diseases A Moral Dilemma For Society

A life-and-death issue for some

Parker Thayer | June 28, 2020

Possible Fire Sprinkler License Would Be Nation's Most Restrictive

‘Work experience’ requirement exceeds requirements for practicing law

Madeline Peltzer | July 15, 2019

Homeowner: Are All Uses Not ‘Permitted’ By Zoning Forbidden?

That’s what one Michigan city appears to claim

Dawson Bell | March 14, 2019

Respected Think Tank Shatters Michigan ‘Teacher Shortage’ Myth

Uncritical media has repeated this false teachers union claim

Tom Gantert | February 26, 2019

Michigan School Funding ‘Dead Last’? Watch That Methodology

Third in a series of how claims about public school revenue claims are often misleading

Tom Gantert | February 11, 2019

One Source Of School Finance Confusion: ‘Equity In School Funding’

Second in a series of how claims about public school revenue claims are often misleading

Tom Gantert | February 9, 2019

Warning: Michigan School Finance Is Complicated

It’s also confusing, and spending interests often don’t tell the whole story

Tom Gantert | February 8, 2019

Diversity Programs Big Business at U-M

University pays $11 million to 93 diversity program administrators

Derek Draplin | February 4, 2019

School Budgets Caught A Cold In 2000s, But Michigan Taxpayers Suffered Economic Pneumonia

Spending advocates’ budget comparisons ignore how Michigan’s ‘lost decade’ crushed taxpayers

Tom Gantert | January 30, 2019

Michigan’s Electric Companies Sign Onto Green Agenda

Expect costlier and less reliable electric power supplies

Evan Carter | December 31, 2018

Michigan Schools And Families Were Hurt By 800,000 Lost Jobs

Public school establishment complaining about cuts that happened 10 years ago

Tom Gantert | November 12, 2018

Utility’s Plan To Replace Coal With Solar Passes Regulatory Hurdle

Regulators advance it a step, but cost and reliability concerns remain

Evan Carter | October 8, 2018

U-M Research Guide Leans Left On ‘Fake News’ And Media Bias

Watching academia's taxpayer-funded media watchers

Tom Gantert | August 28, 2018

Gov. Rick Snyder’s Fiscal Policy Legacy

A review

James M. Hohman | July 28, 2018

This Michigan Utility Is Planning Your Energy Future

We’ll be much more dependent on intermittent power sources and buying electricity from out of state

Evan Carter | July 23, 2018

By Honoring Football Anthem Protests, Union Dishonors Teachers Who Dissent

Example of how NEA’s compulsory dues violated teachers First Amendment rights

Tom Gantert | July 6, 2018

Dems Get 99.9 Percent of 2018 Teacher Union Political Cash

But an imminent Supreme Court ruling could make unions more sensitive to GOP members

Tom Gantert | June 21, 2018

Detroit’s Tax-Related Debt To Wayne County Down $70 Million Since 2010

$4 billion drop in property values plays a role

Aaron Lehman | June 19, 2018

Despite Positive Buzz For Detroit, Downward Population Trend Continues

Moves of some corporate headquarters help the city but haven’t ushered in a new age

Evan Carter | June 8, 2018

Even In Low-Paying School Districts, It’s Hard To Beat Teacher Pay And Benefits

Teaching may have its frustrations, but total compensation in Michigan public schools isn’t bad

Tom Gantert | June 1, 2018

Michigan Dems Don’t Like Current Policies, Ignore Facts About What Came Before

State’s economy worse now than during ‘Lost Decade’? Data tells very different story

Tom Gantert | May 29, 2018

Union In Potential Landmark Case Gave To Sharpton, Progressives, Dem Party

Supreme Court ruling expected on state worker’s claim that government unions inherently political

Evan Carter | May 18, 2018

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