STATE APPROPRIATIONS TO the University of Michigan dropped from $320,662,000 in 2005 to a projected $279,108,700 in 2014, a loss of a total of 12.9 percent over the past descade—some $41.5 million dollars. Drops in state appropriations to…

Dr. Pescovitz owns shares in the company worth $385,000 and accumulated additional shares days before the October 2013 Board of Regents meeting at which the contract between UMHS and Life Technologies was granted approval.  IN THE…

NO THEY’RE NOT exchanging racy comments. However, a Freedom of Information Act request uncovered 130 pages of emails between David Askins, the editor of a local news site called AnnArborChronicle.com, and Ward 1 City Council member Sabra…

Editor’s Note: Katherine Griswold is the Chair of The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board. WARD 1 COUNCIL member Sumi Kailasapathy conducted an email exchange this Fall with city staff, including the city’s transportation project…

by P.D. Lesko There are five solid votes on City Council to bring to heel the members of the Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors. Those are the votes of Sumi Kailsapathy, Jane Lumm, Sally Hart-Petersen, Stephen Kunselman…

UNDER FORMER CITY administrator Roger Fraser, the amounts paid out in tax dollars for cell phone allowances increased almost 95 percent between 2009 and 2012. By 2012, 196 of the city's 693 full-time employees had been given cell phone…

In Ann Arbor, despite repeated cuts to services, cuts to police and fire, and hikes in fees for parking, parking fines, water, sewer, solid waste and city programs, cell phone allowances for city staffers, many of whom have desk jobs,…

by P.D. Lesko If the down-sizing and attrition continue apace at AnnArbor.com, Laurel Champion, former publisher of the Ann Arbor News, will be left to head the organization as Executive Vice President in Charge of, Well, Everything. Steve…

by P.D. Lesko The history of the telescope is fascinating. This piece is not about that. However, it is about The Ann magazine's futile and ultimately disappointing attempt to give readers insight into AnnArbor.com using what amounts to a…

by P.D. Lesko When I taught college, one writing assignment I most enjoyed was having my students compose letters to their elected officials. One woman chose to write a letter to the President. A couple of weeks later, she found her…