EDITORIAL: Ann Arbor, AAPS and The University of Michigan—All For One and One For All
WARD 4 COUNCIL member Margie Teall and Ward 3 Council member Christopher Taylor recently co-sponsored a resolution objecting to an immense electronic sign the University of Michigan has placed on its own property adjacent to Stadium…
OP-ED: The Political Agenda of the Michigan GOP Has Created Economic Apartheid, Not Jobs
by Rob C. Smith
IN DECEMBER 2012 Governor Rick Snyder was quoted in the Detroit Free Press as saying that “Michigan is well-positioned for a comeback.” A few days later, for the third year, Forbes Magazine ranked Michigan 47th in Forbes’…
Deliverance: Why Liberals Need to Read Pravda and Politico.com
by Warren Liverance
MY NOT-SO-benevolent editor and I had a chat about how and where we get our news and information. We agreed that the way we access the written word has changed radically over the past decade. So, I decided to devote a…
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…
Changes At The Ann Arbor Summer Festival
ROBB WOULFE, THE Executive and Artistic Director of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, will be stepping down from his role to take up a new post in Colorado. He will become the new Chief Executive Officer of cultural arts for the city of…
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…
U of M Professors Average $148,700 Per Year According To AAUP 2013 Salary Survey
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of University Professors has released its 2013 Salary Survey. The comprehensive look at what colleges and universities across the U.S. pay their faculty includes breakdowns of state-by-state data.
In Michigan,…
Interview: Rick Dekeon—Don’t say “I can’t do it.” Say “I can’t do it right now.”
by Betsy McMillin
I truly don't know how to do justice to long-time Ann Arbor Public Schools teacher Rick Dekeon. Anyone who knew him knows exactly what I am talking about. He was by far one of the most amazing teachers you will ever…
Ward 4 Council Member Claim “Residents Don’t Shop Downtown” Draws Sharp Criticism
AT THE NOVEMBER 7th City Council meeting, Ward 4 City Council member Margie Teall made an observation: She said that Ann Arbor locals shop at big box stores and that downtown is supported by “tourists.” It should be noted that Teall did not…
Citizen Complains To Michigan Attorney General to Get Ann Arbor SPARK’s Audited Statements
Editor’s Note: Kai Petainen serves on the Editorial Board of The Ann Arbor Independent.
THESE ARE THE facts:
1. Between June 2009 and November 2013, the City of Ann Arbor gave Ann Arbor SPARK $5.1 million dollars from its General…