Education Beat: Flint Schools ending Year One of three-year partnership; two hires debated; middle school locale still uncertain
By Harold C. Ford (Note: The following article is about two recent meetings of the Flint Board of Education on May 8 and May 15. Subsequently, a “Special Board Meeting” was held May 21 at the district’s administration building rather than the usual location at Southwestern Classical Academy. The special meeting had been scheduled for May 20, was cancelled on May 20, and then held on May 21. The only action item at the special...
Review: “Poisoned democracy, poisoned water,” activists’ impact — themes of new Flint book
By Harold C. Ford “The lesson learned from the battle over the river was that the hardheaded resolve of even a small group of people could move mountains.” … from Flint Fights Back, Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis,by Benjamin J. Pauli, The MIT Press, 2019 A wonderful photo is conspicuously positioned at the front of Benjamin Pauli’s new book on Flint’s water crisis, in which a water justice activist is...
Commentary: Fix the roads? Who gets the money?
By Paul Rozycki Gov. Whitmer is continuing her statewide campaign to garner support for a 45 cent gas tax increase, which would be used to “fix the damn roads.” It remains to be seen whether or not she will get what she wants. Most public opinion polls show little support for the large increase. Republicans in the legislature have already called the proposal a “non-starter,” and it seems to have little chance of success in Lansing....
Commentary: Fix the “damn roads”? But how do we pay for the “damn roads”?
By Paul Rozycki Are you ready to “fix the damn roads?” It was Gov. Whitmer’s campaign promise, and just about everyone agrees that it’s job one for Michigan this year. But, how do we pay for it? By most estimates, the state needs to raise about $2.5 billion to get the job done. And even then, it will take years to undo the harm from the underinvestment over the past decades. In 2018, only 77 percent of the state’s roads were in...
Commentary: Roads, schools, water, taxes–a short tour of Gov. Whitmer’ $60 billion budget
By Paul Rozycki In March Governor Gretchen Whitmer began a tour of the state to defend and explain her first budget proposal to the public. She’s already been to Grand Rapids, Detroit, Dearborn, Jackson, Port Huron and Adrian, and plans are to continue the statewide journey as the budget works its way through the legislature. Though her itinerary isn’t complete, there is a good chance she will be in the Flint and Genesee County area...
A number of numbers to watch in 2019
By Paul Rozycki I once knew a math professor who argued that everything in the universe could be explained by numbers and mathematics—from the creation of the most basic atoms, to the formation of the stars and galaxies, to the most complex life forms, to all types of mechanical and electronic devices. I don’t claim to be enough of a mathematician to prove him right or wrong, but numbers do matter a lot. And most of the biggest...
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