The Politics of Spin: U of M President Touts Belt-Tightening to State Lawmakers
Dr. Mary Sue Coleman is smart. That goes without saying. She does have a Ph.D., after all. She's also clever. Her recent act in front of the Michigan State Legislature was a performance that the Academy should recognize next year with a…
Urban Exile: Common Courtesy & Every Day Strangers
A2PNotes: In 2010, John Hieftje and First Ward Council member Sandi Smith both ran for re-election and patted themselves on the back for "doubling beds at the homeless shelter." If you count a chair as a bed, Hieftje and Smith were telling…
The Politics of Oops: Council Member Email “Explanation” of City Debt Includes Factual Errors & Omissions
AnnArbor.com's political repeater Ryan Stanton struck again last week. This time, Stanton and AnnArbor.com simply "repeated" incomplete and incorrect information presented in a constituent email sent to the paper by Third Ward Council…
The Parent Trap: Can We "Please" Teach Manners? "Thank You!"
I told one of my readers that I would try my best to not be preachy, but I might cross the line this time. So if you think (grudgingly) that this title may apply to you and you have no desire to fix a possible problem, or you don't want…
The A2P Foodist: Investing Wisely in a Community Farm
On February 11, 2011 the World Bank issued a warning concerning a predicted sharp rise in global food prices. As a result, food sellers have been making concerted efforts to pass along the rising cost of ingredients to consumers. In the…
After 2 Months in Office, Gov. Rick Snyder’s Approval Rating Tanks
Newspaper editorialists and political pundits have praised Governor Rick Snyder for not attacking Michigan's public-sector union employees, or like Wisconsin's Governor, trying to restrict collective bargaining on the part of public-sector…
Weekly Whopper: “We are blessed to have one of the largest football programs in the country.”
The University of Michigan's Athletic Director Dave Brandon (pictured, left) is a confused man who has, obviously, never understood that value for money means paying the least amount of money for the most value. In a January 7, 2011 entry…
The Culture Vulture: On Glenn Beck, Benito Cereno and Scared White People
By Dorinda Fox
I don’t watch Fox News and don’t want to. However, many of my long suffering students, who patiently read what I ask them to read and perform academic tasks I deem worthy, do watch Fox News. If they can read material that…
The Politics of Money: AAPS Superintendent Candidate Signs With Larger Virginia School District For $70K Less Than Ann Arbor Job Pays
The former Superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, Dr. Todd Roberts, left in October 2010. Since then, the District has been headed by an interim Superintendent. In November, when the Board of Education trustees were trying to…
The Parent Trap: [Said Weakly, With Little Authority, From Far Across the Crowded Gallery] "Johnny, Don't Touch the Mona Lisa, Honey…"
"The Parent Trap"... I didn't choose this title for my A2Politico column on parenting, and at first I wasn't sure of it, as I definitely don't feel trapped in my role as parent, a.k.a. "Mumma." But then I realized it does fit, not so much…