Why Is Ann Arbor’s State Senator Accepting Free Meals From the City’s Own Lobbyist?
by P.D. Lesko
In September 2011, MLive political analyst Susan J. Demas outed Democratic State Senator Rebekah Warren (left) as one of only four Michigan legislators who had accepted more than $1,800 in free food and drinks from lobbyists…
Culture Vulture: IN TIME—A Movie Metaphor for the OWS Movement
by Nick Leshi
The new science fiction movie "In Time" opened and I had high hopes. It was written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the guy responsible for "Gattaca," one of my favorites, and it stars the multi-talented Justin Timberlake who…
Urban Exile: Do We Care More About Starving Kids in Africa Than Starving Kids in Michigan?
by Erika McNamara
Sometimes I wonder if needy people in Africa get more of our attention then people right here in our own state and town.
Almost a month ago a judge put a halt to the state of Michigan’s new cap on cash assistance for…
The Parent Trap: It’s ALL Our Fault—Parental Guilt
by Betsy McMillin
I am feeling a great deal of parental guilt lately.
My eight-year-old daughter has a medical (non-life threatening) condition. She is being tested for a learning disability as well. She is a sweet, bright, funny, happy,…
Michigan Messenger Online News Site Shuttered—Why You Should Care (A Lot)
by P.D. Lesko
If you never read the Michigan Messenger, you missed some of the best investigative reporting around. Eartha Jane Melzer on the Benton Harbor and environmental beats outreported virtually every other news outlet in the state.…
The Culture Vulture: The Unsolved Mysteries of Harry Potter
by Nelle Engoron
Now that the final film (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2) has unspooled in Muggle theaters, there are no real surprises for the fans, who know full well how the saga ends from having read the books (to…
New Report: Michigan Economy Is Moving “Significantly Backward” By Hiking Taxes on the Poor
by P.D. Lesko
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, one of the nation’s premier policy organizations working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and…
The Parent Trap: Raising Girls “Full Of Awesome” (Self-Esteem)
by Betsy McMillin
I am raising four girls ages three to fifteen, and I am scared. Cautiously optimistic, yet wary and scared.
Every day I, along with countless other parents of young girls, face obstacles that interfere with raising…
Savaged: Republicans Protect the Right to Bully in Michigan Schools (Thank The Good Lord)
By Chris Savage
On November 2, 2011, the Michigan Senate passed Senate Bill 137, a bill they called "Matt's Safe Schools Law." The bill, sponsored by Republican Rick Jones of Grand Ledge, passed on a 100 percent party line vote with no…
Urban Exile: Homeless Blamed For Closure of Downtown Ann Arbor Boutique Named, Yes, Poshh
by Erika McNamara
Being homeless, once again, is the evil that lurks in every shadow ready to destroy all that is good and right. This is obviously true after homeless individuals were blamed, in a recent piece posted to AnnArbor.com, for…