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It’s Foster Care Awareness Month: My Colleagues in the Legislature Should Adopt My Plan to Help Foster Care Children
by Rep. Kathy Schmaltz
This week I supported a resolution adopted by the Michigan House to declare May as Foster Care Awareness Month in the state while reminding other legislators that reforms must be made to help set foster care…
A2Politico: County Pols Plan to “Protect” the Mental Health Millage. They’re Five Years Late & $35M Short
by P.D. Lesko
The 2016 Mental Health and Public Safety Millage was the brainchild of County Commissioner Andy LaBarre (District 7). It was the perfect way to get voters to pony up tens of additional millions for two of the poorest run…
A2Politico: County Commissioners Will Be “Invoiced” For 2023 Overspending; That’s Not Good Enough
by P.D. Lesko
On April 1, I sent an email to County Administrator Greg Dill:
Mr Dill,Have Commissioners Lyte and Sanders been invoiced for their 2023 FlexSpending account overspending yet? Could you please post 2024 spendingto…
After Safehouse Scandal and Ouster of Former Executive Director, All 18 Board Members Involved Have Quietly Left
by P.D. Lesko
Since the July 31, 2021 publication of the first in a series of investigative articles about the mismanagement of SafeHouse Center, the County's domestic violence shelter, all 18 members of the Board of Directors on whose…
A2Politico: City Bicentennial Celebrations Include a “Fun” Opportunity to Pay $795,000 to Pave a Parking Lot
by P.D. Lesko
So far, Ann Arbor's Bicentennial "celebrations" look like a "delicious" get together planned by out-of-touch, rich, white people: crustless mayonnaise sandwiches, only the best Lipton tea (but a charge for cracked cups for…
Ann Arbor’s Guaranteed Income Program Starts Giving Out $528 Monthly Payments
by Ken Coleman
A two-year project aimed at providing monthly payments to 100 current and future Ann Arbor entrepreneurs with low and very low incomes kicked off this month. Over 1,000 people applied in Oct. 2023.
Powered by Poverty…
A2Politico: Ann Arbor Hires As Police Chief Candidate Who Allegedly Battered and Injured a Woman
by P.D. Lesko
On Dec. 19, Ann Arbor City Council voted unanimously to approve the City Administrator's recommendation to hire Andre Anderson as the City's next Chief of Police. In recommending Anderson despite his blemished service…
A2Politico: Ypsilanti’s Local Government is a Dumpster Fire, With No Water in Sight
by P.D. Lesko
Ypsilanti is a Third World country thanks to the stunning ineptitude and ethically suspect conduct of the City's elected and appointed officials.
Public records show Ypsilanti's former City Manager Frances McMullen…
Violent Crime and Growing Homelessness Are Destroying Ypsilanti and Its Small Businesses
9/20/23: This story was edited to remove a mention of the Ypsilanti Public Library.
by Monica Ross-Williams
“I’m 83-years-old, have lived in Ypsilanti all my life and I’m afraid to visit downtown Ypsilanti,” an Ypsilanti community…
Watch: Shannon McFall and County Sheriff Candidate Ken Magee Talk Spike in Murders and Gun Violence
The Ann Arbor Independent's "Urban Exile" columnist Shannon McFall lives in Pittsfield Township and vlogs about race, local, county and national politics. He shares commentaries with The Ann Arbor Independent. Tune in to watch a video…