Browsing Tag
Ann Arbor SPARK
by P.D. Lesko
A FOIA request by Michigan Capitol Confidential revealed that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, whose mission is to foster economic development in the state which creates jobs, doled out $248 million in grants!-->!-->!-->…
Former Ann Arbor Administrator Tom Crawford Joins Ann Arbor SPARK as CFO
Ann Arbor SPARK announced that Tom Crawford has been contracted to serve as chief financial officer. Crawford brings to the organization a deep knowledge of financial strategy, human resources, and IT services in both the municipal and!-->…
Public Records Show Millions in Pandemic Grants Distributed Inequitably in Counties Serviced by Ann Arbor SPARK
Businesses in Livingston County received exponentially larger grants than they did to businesses in Washtenaw and Jackson Counties.
by P.D. Lesko
In 2021, between the Washtenaw Small Business Emergency Relief Fund, Michigan Small!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
Ann Arbor SPARK Officials Refuse Request for Public Records That Show Where Millions in Public Money Went
by P.D. Lesko
Ann Arbor SPARK receives the bulk of its funding from governmental sources, including state and federal grants, as well as the Ann Arbor LDFA, a tax-increment financing authority that diverts money from public schools and!-->!-->!-->…
Local Ann Arbor Landlord and Others Who Are Politically-Connected Received Millions in PPP Loans
by P.D. Lesko
In Ann Arbor, 57 businesses received PPP (Paycheck Protection Plan) loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration in amounts between $1 million and $10 million. Only one of the companies, Skysync, Inc., is!-->!-->!-->…
Feds: WCC IGNITE Job Training Program Spent $788K and Issued No Certifications
by P.D. Lesko
In 2012, WCC was awarded a federal grant totalling $2.99 million to implement a program under the auspices of which the college would recruit and train students for IT careers. A Dept. of Labor review dated Feb. 2015 cited…
EDITORIAL: Ann Arbor SPARK Numbers Games
SINCE 2009, ANN Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have come under intense criticism for misleading the public concerning the number of new jobs created. From the Detroit Free Press to the Lansing State Journal,…
Local Church Rocks to Feed the Homeless as Non-profits Pick up Tab for Human Services Funding
The Vineyard Church’s Homeless Ministry serves over 12,000 meals a year through its justice and compassion ministries, many to the homeless and underfed. Since 2006, the church’s Friday Night Homeless Ministry has gone to Liberty Plaza Park…
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: The Votes of Local Democrats Hurting Education
The Votes of Local Democrats Hurting Education
Ann Arbor is quite often viewed as the liberal hot-spot of Michigan. Ann Arbor is a Democratic stronghold, as one cannot win an election in this town if they are a Republican. Our…
Ann Arbor Esperion Therapeutics’ Stock Rises 35.1 Percent
SHARES OF ESPERION Therapeutics surged in aftermarket trading Wednesday after the company reported positive clinical trial results for its experimental high-cholesterol drug ETC-1002.
The company said patients who were treated with…