Opinion

FIRE CHIEF LARRY Collins was welcomed to his new job at a ceremony held last Friday. He was sworn in and feted at a reception. It was an event attended by City Council members, as well as members of the Ann Arbor Fire Department and the Ann…

By Lou Glorie I’M NOT CHARLIE. It seems that almost every day some outrage is reported that sends one into a tail-spin of despair for the human soul.  The brutal attack on the Charlie Hebdo office was one of those events that seems to…

If we are going to spend billions every year on health care and food assistance programs, then we need to start investing more of that money into sustainable projects that are nearly free or can pay for themselves over time. Community farms…

WHEN HIS ARREST for drunkeness was made public by the media, Washtenaw County 14-A Circuit Court Judge Kirk W. Tabbey was already well on his way to having the crime adjudicated.  The judge had been charged under Michigan’s “super drunk”…

by Joel Elconin WITH ONE OF the most publicized head coaching searches ever coming to a conclusion, many pundits questioned if the University of Michigan may have overpaid for the services of Jim Harbaugh and his staff. Quite the…

IN THE CITY of Ann Arbor, “property owners and/or occupants are responsible for removing/treating snow and ice on the adjacent public sidewalk,” according to local ordinance. Accumulation which has fallen prior to 6 a.m. must be cleared by…

WARD 3 COUNCIL member Stephen Kunselman was first threatened with recall by a member of the homeless advocacy group MISSION. A few days later, the same member of MISSION who had announced at a public Council meeting the group was behind the…

THE REDISTRICTING THAT pitted Rep. John D. Dingell, Jr. against Rep. Lynn Rivers caused many bruised feelings when Rep. Rivers lost. To his credit (and that of his wife, soon-to-be U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell) the pair worked mightily to win…

AAATA’S FORMER CEO Michael Ford was hired because he had experience with light rail. In the end, he was unable to do little more than spend money on staff time, studies, marketing and consultants aimed at determining when and how the WALLY…

Lyft and Sidecar have described their services as “ride-sharing.” They’re not taxi companies, or even a driving service - instead, they provide “marketplaces” where drivers can offer their services and users can get a ride. Lyft even goes…