Congress advised General Washington to feed his troops by having them steal food from farmers. Instead, he promised to hang any soldier caught stealing food. Such theft might have solved a short-term problem, but it failed Washington's character test.
Second only to parental involvement, teacher quality dramatically affects student academic success. By relaxing certification requirements, Michigan can actually increase the quality and energy of teachers in the profession
The International Monetary Fund 's efforts to bail out failing foreign economies with American tax dollars harm not only those economies but also Michigan workers whose jobs depend on exported goods.
Irregular school board and bond election dates confuse voters, decrease turnout, and enable narrow special interests to unduly influence school governance. Consolidating all school elections on the Novermber ballot would alleviate these problems.
The International Monetary Fund 's efforts to bail out failing foreign economies with American tax dollars harm not only thoseeconomies but also Michigan workers whose jobs depend on exported goods.
The UAW and other unions routinely urge Michiganians to "buy American," but the growth of the global economy has forever blurred the lines between "foreign made" autos and those "made in the USA."
A law known as "paycheck protection" would shield Michigan employees' union dues from unauthorized expenditures and allow the state's nearly one million union workers to keep more of what they earn.
Charter schools offer parents greater choices, but they shouldn't be the only available choice. Tuition tax credits would help offset the unfair competitive advantage that tax-funded charter schools enjoy over tuition-charging nongovernment schools.
One hundred years ago, former Detroit lumber baron and U. S. Secretary of War Russell Alger signed the treaty ending the Spanish-American War. Historians agree that Alger made a much better businessman than bureaucrat.
Bridgeport parents Ed and Becky Kohlhoff wanted their four-year-old son Justin to join his brother in neighboring Birch Run's schools, but their home district refused, preferring to keep Justin-and the state subsidy for educating him.
Global warming alarmists want to impose burdensome energy restrictions on U. S. citizens, but scientists disagree over the role human use of fossil fuels plays in the earth's climatic changes.
Michigan school districts that want to pass bond issues for needed building projects often face skeptical voters. Adoption of sound guidelines for debt issuance would help assure voters that their money would be wisely spent.
The latest silver bullet to cure what ails failing government schools would bankrupt the state treasury and swell the ranks of teacher unions, but do little to improve student performance.
Michigan Senator Carl Levin's efforts to improve the way federal regulations are issued have been stymied by political wrangling. State and local regulatory reform could help Levin's sensible reforms pass at the federal level.
One hundred years ago, Saginaw Representative Joe Fordney was first elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. His 24-year career shows how protectionist tariffs hurt everyone-even the people they're supposed to help.
Astronauts and people in 28 countries eat food made safer by exposure to small doses of bacteria-killing radiation. Why aren't more American consumers able to take advantage of this potentially life-saving technology?
Politicians promise to help children learn better by passing new laws and spending more money, but Michigan school districts could improve education themselves simply by negotiating better contracts with teacher unions.
Detroit and other Michigan municipalities can learn a powerful lesson from the city of Indianapolis, which has used free-market competition to improve the quality of over seventy-five government services and dramatically slash costs to taxpayers.
Nostalgia for the 1960s civil rights movement runs strong in the 1990s, and polls show that Michiganians believe that government recognition of parents' right to choose their children's schools is today's civil rights struggle.
Billy Durant wouldn't let his daughter ride in a car because he thought they were too dangerous. So he took advantage of Michigan's free-market business climate to found General Motors and make safer cars himself, ninety years ago.
