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Econ
Those Who Work From Home Should Consider Co-Working Spaces
CLOUD TECHNOLOGY and wider use of freelancers has more people working from home, remotely or even from coffee houses.
Being away from the rigid hierarchy of office cubes suits many, but some miss collaborating with colleagues. Enter…
Keeping Tabs—Locals to Watch In 2014: Yousef Rabhi
On a path where politics and principles meet.
AT POLITICAL GATHERINGS, Washtenaw County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi is often the tallest man in the room and at 24-years-old, often the youngest. He is serving as the Chair of the BOC, one…
Keeping Tabs: Locals To Watch In 2014—Carter Malcolm
Brought manufacturing back to the United States from overseas. Provided dozens of jobs for area teen workers.
IT’S 2013, AND there are 2.5 million Americans ages 16 to 19 who are out of work or underemployed. This group includes teens…
Keeping Tabs—Local To Watch In 2014: Matthew M. Davis, M.D., MAPP
Crowd funding for medical research? Introducing the WellSpringboard Site.
Crowd funding is all the rage these days, with everyone from charities to start-up companies offering ways for masses of people to kick in small amounts of money…
In “Tense” Meeting Ann Arbor SPARK Executive Board Votes To Make 2012 and 2013 Audit Statements Available to The Public For First Time
Please note: Kai Petainen is a member of The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board.
ON DECEMBER 4th Ann Arbor SPARK CEO and President Paul Krutko sent a letter to local elected officials, as well as the Ann Arbor City Administrator Steve…
“Retired” Ann Arbor City Employees Earning $100K+ While Collecting Taxpayer Funded Health Care/Pension Benefits
AS OF DECEMBER 1, 2012, Ann Arbor city engineer Homayoon Pirooz “retired” with a pension funded by the taxpayers of Ann Arbor. However, in a scenario that has become common, Mr. Pirooz did not retire. He took a new job—a full-time position…
City Administrator Defends Refusal of SPARK Board, On Which He Sits, To Release Audit Statements To The Public
Please Note: Kai Petainen is a member of The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board.
ANN ARBOR CITY Administrator Steve Powers (below) sits on the Executive Committee of Ann Arbor SPARK. SPARK is funded with public money from both state…
Michigan’s Unemployment Rate Creeps Up, Now Fourth Highest in Nation
DUE TO THE shutdown of the federal government, Bureau of Labor Statistics data collection, analysis, and dissemination activities were suspended from October 1 through October 16. The September 2013 Regional and State Employment and…
Audit Statements Raise Questions: Is Ann Arbor SPARK A Private Venture Capital Firm or A Public Nonprofit Organization?
Please note: Kai Petainen sits on The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board.
SINCE 2009 ANN Arbor’s elected officials have given Ann Arbor SPARK over $5.1 million dollars in public money. In addition, a Washtenaw County tax has…
EDITORIAL: Time To End Public Money For Ann Arbor SPARK
ANN ARBOR SPARK officials have refused to provide audited financial statements to the public and elected officials. When Governor Rick Snyder and MEDC CEO Michael Finney headed the organization, the Annual Report claimed that over 12,000…