Opinion Columnists
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- Op-Ed: Governors are coming on strong
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Jack Lessenberry: Snyder's 'guide' tells two stories
There was a lot of uproar across Michigan after Gov. Rick Snyder presented his “Citizen’s Guide to Michigan’s Financial Health,” mostly because of one small part of his report.
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Op-Ed: Michigan becoming ungovernable
Halloween is still more than a month away, but at this season a far scarier spectre is haunting the political landscape. Is Michigan — not to mention America itself — becoming essentially ungovernable?
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Forum: Dam restoration important to area
In response to the Record-Eagle's editorial of Oct. 9, I take this opportunity to commend the paper for continuing to question and challenge the supposedly objective "public process" structured to "determine the fate of the Boardman River Dams."
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Op-Ed: Michigan water wars continue
What happened in the Michigan Citizens for Water versus Nestle case that put an end to Michigan's longest water battle, and what does it mean for the future of Michigan's water?
Continued ... - Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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Forum: Dems' proposals offer relief
Michigan Democrats believe we must put people first during these challenging times in our state. We're facing record unemployment, a poor economy and an uncertain future. Our plan includes five proposals that put people first -- ahead of the greedy, corporate CEOs who are responsible for our economic meltdown.
Continued ... - Monday, July 27, 2009
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Forum: Be careful with public money
It's starting to look a lot like Christmas in downtown Traverse City, at least, for two local businessmen who stand to reap millions from a plan to redevelop the Whiting Hotel, assuming Traverse City and Grand Traverse County commissioners vote to endorse the project.
Continued ... - Saturday, July 25, 2009
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Op-Ed: Not every paper is struggling
We shot ourselves in the foot by publishing the reporting of the Associated Press that the Ann Arbor News, a publication in the Newhouse family's Advance Publications group, hit the streets for the last time as a result of "the struggling newspaper industry."
Continued ... - Saturday, July 18, 2009
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Forum: Two centuries of Mich. newspapers
When "The Michigan Essay: or The Impartial Observer" hit the streets of Detroit on Aug. 31, 1809, Michigan found itself with its first published newspaper and joining the new era of mass communication " print newspapers.
Continued ... - Tuesday, July 14, 2009
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Forum: Deficit resolution is priority
I believe the overarching issue for lawmakers must be the resolution of Michigan's structural spending deficit. This is not an issue to be pawned off to the next Legislature through yet another round of one-time fixes and gimmicks, nor should it be allowed to be swept under the rug until next year using one-time federal stimulus dollars.
Continued ... - Saturday, June 27, 2009
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Op-Ed: Exploiting religion is popular
There are matters of governance that have nothing to do with faith. Likewise, matters of faith aren't the domain of government. Injecting religion into government typically diminishes both. Watching the politicians proves that time and again.
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Op-Ed: What happens if GM car blows up?
If you are driving a defective Chrysler, the Bankruptcy Court has two words for you: Tough Luck. It looks like the Court is going to tell General Motors drivers the same thing.
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Op-Ed: What happens if GM car blows up?
If you are driving a defective Chrysler, the Bankruptcy Court has two words for you: Tough Luck. It looks like the Court is going to tell General Motors drivers the same thing.
Continued ... - Saturday, June 20, 2009
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Forum: Americans deserve health care reform
My Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives and I have proposed a common-sense health care reform plan focused on increasing the affordability, accessibility and availability of quality health care. Our plan will lower costs, make health care more convenient for patients and improve quality at a price our country can afford. Our chief concern is making health care affordable for all Americans.
Continued ... - Saturday, June 6, 2009
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Bill Thomas: Keeping 1st Amendment alive
There are truly courageous folks in our area who fight the good fight to keep the five freedoms of the First Amendment -- and indeed the purpose of our government -- alive. Were it not for their efforts, government transparency would be exactly where so many special-interests would consign it -- the trash bin.
Continued ... - Thursday, May 21, 2009
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Forum: Health care crisis hurts kids
- Friday, May 15, 2009
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Forum: Unemployment insurance costs
Michigan has a high jobless rate. However, a plan being pushed by Gov. Granholm and passed by the Democratic-controlled State House last week to increase unemployment payroll taxes on employers isn't going to solve the problem; it is going to make it worse.
Continued ... - Friday, May 8, 2009
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Forum: Great Lakes in great peril
When last we heard of the Great Lakes Compact in October, its advocates were throwing a party to celebrate ratification of the agreement to protect Great Lakes water by Congress and former President Bush. Well, the party's over.
Continued ... - Thursday, May 7, 2009
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Forum: Keep meds out of wrong hands
Abuse of prescription drugs is a problem for citizens of all ages and prescription drugs are being sold on our streets every day. As some of you may already be aware, there is a growing trend of prescription drug overdose deaths in our state, including three in February and March from Traverse City.
Continued ... - Friday, April 24, 2009
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Forum: Public trust in Great Lakes
By Jim Olson: In July 2008, Congress and the Great Lakes states passed the much-heralded Great Lakes Compact as the end-protection to prevent diversions of water out of the Great Lakes Basin. The fanfare masked a flaw in the diversion ban of the Compact, a loophole that will expand, undermining the diversion ban and leading to massive exports of water out of the Great Lakes if raw water is labeled a "product."
Continued ... - Monday, April 6, 2009
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Forum: Taxes should follow home values
Homeowners, neighborhoods and communities are best served when people are able to remain in their homes. Families across our state are struggling to do just that, and I want to make sure they have a fighting chance. That's why I am working on measures to protect homeowners from property tax increases that are out of step with their home's actual value.
Continued ... - Sunday, April 5, 2009
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Obama: We cannot let auto industry vanish
BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: One of the challenges we have confronted since the beginning of this administration is what to do about the state of our struggling auto industry. We simply cannot let our auto industry vanish. This industry is an emblem of America. It is what helped build the middle class and sustained it throughout the 20th century.
Continued ... - Friday, April 3, 2009
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Op-Ed: Record-Eagle is here to stay
The Record-Eagle has been here for 150 years and I don't see why we won't be here for the next 150. We continue to deliver newspapers to our readers seven days a week regardless of the weather. We continue to cover the stories that make a difference in your lives. And we have no plans to change any of that.
Continued ... - Thursday, March 26, 2009
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Forum: Don't forget creative class
Creativity in Michigan took a hard hit in Gov. Granholm's fiscal year 2010 state budget proposal with the near elimination of funding to the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The recommendation, if approved, could cut deeply into communities across our state large and small.
Continued ... - Friday, March 20, 2009
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Op-Ed: Behind the newspaper naysayers
As many newspaper companies try to turn themselves around in a brutal economy, under huge debt loads and against a backdrop of increasingly funereal media coverage, it's worth looking at the behavior and motives of some of the industry's harshest critics.
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Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48
Fans 'Speechless' Over Houston's Death
Romney Tops Santorum in CPAC Straw Poll
First glimpse of Blue Ivy Carter
Absolute Lin-sanity
Hate to be Rude: Bubba Watson
Peek inside Barbie's closet
Test on Comforter in Powell Unit Shows Blood
Angry Dad Shoots Teens Laptop
Hero Driver Saves Kids From Burning Bus
Funeral to be held for Powell boys
Sandusky on having to stay inside and people turning on him
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Woolly Mammoth Caught on Camera?
Did JLo 'Assault' Marc Anthony on Camera?
Christie Brinkley's Runway Slip
Toddler forced to run half-naked in snow
Halle Wants to Leave the Country
Northern Lights shine above earth
Plane makes perfect belly landing
