michigan

Three recent articles about Michigan and Detroit:

1) Global Michigan is a program designed to attract high-skilled immigrant workers to the state.

2) An article suggesting there may be fewer emergency managers than expected:

A 'sixth-generation' local resident speaks up

So another initiative from the governor would merge police and firefighter departments.

Even aside from issues of quality, as the Detroit News article suggests, there's a larger problem here that I see, and it came up three years ago in a BoingBoing article about the DHS tasking firefighters with looking for evidence of terrorism.

Legislative Democrats and activists for senior citizens are crying foul over a legislative ploy by the GOP to prevent a budget proposal to levy taxes on retirement pensions from being placed on the ballot for voter approval.

RALLY UPDATE

In response, various groups are organizing a series of protests at the Capitol for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15 and 16:

Tuesday, March 15th – AARP & MI ALFCIO Rally at Capitol 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. with Michigan League for Human Services – Stand up for Michigan’s poor, middle class, and elderly

Wednesday, March 16th – Teachers & MI AFLCIO Rally at Capitol 12 p.m. with affiliate unions, Working Michigan in Lansing – Protest the anti-worker legislation (over 40 pieces) such as Emergency Manager bills, ban on Project Labor Agreements, and cuts to education