jack lessenberry

Commentary: Buena Vista's shame, and ours

Jack Lessenberry — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:21:13 +0000

If you want to see a perfect example of irrationality, go to Saginaw County’s Buena Vista School District’s website.

There, it says this:

“Buena Vista School District and its community of parents and stakeholders has (sic) a long tradition of pride and excellence. We pride ourselves on the caring and committed staff with which we are blessed and consider it our highest calling to be entrusted with the care and education of the community’s children.”

Commentary: The week that was

Jack Lessenberry — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:26:50 +0000

This was the week in which Detroit got an emergency manager and the state got a right-to-work law. That is to say, the law took effect this week. I’d say that makes for a pretty newsworthy few days. Some things this week were entirely predictable. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton showed up to protest the Emergency Manager. Crowds of demonstrators appeared at Detroit’s city hall crowds which swelled when TV cameras showed up.

The first major lawsuit was filed against the emergency manager law, and the Detroit Tigers sent an exciting new spring phenom, closer Bruce Rondon, down to the minor leagues. That story is worth mentioning, by the way, because a newspaper computer analysis shows that more people read it today than read any of the stories about the state or city‘s drama.

Dumb, complicated ideas floated to fix Michigan's roads

Jack Lessenberry — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:36:05 +0000

Pretty much everyone knows that our roads are in terrible shape, and need to be repaired.

However, at the same time, pretty much everyone also doesn’t want to pay to fix them.

We think somebody else should pay.

So far, Governor Rick Snyder has been the closest thing to a grownup on this issue. He reasons that those who use the roads, people otherwise known as drivers, should pay most of the cost.

That cost is pretty steep: Just to bring our existing roads back to acceptable condition will require $1.2 billion a year for at least the next ten years.

The governor proposes increasing the gas tax by nineteen cents a gallon on diesel fuel, fourteen cents on gasoline. This would be done at the wholesale level, which means the fuel companies wouldn’t necessarily have to pass them on to the consumer.

Okay, well, you’re allowed to laugh.

Snyder would also raise car registration fees by about 60 percent, and heavy truck plate charges by 25 percent.

Well, that plan seemed to bring people together: Everybody hated it.

What’s Next for Detroit

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:52:43 +0000

While Detroit can technically appeal the governor’s decision to appoint an emergency manager, it is clear that the city is going to get one within the next couple of weeks.

Detroiters are now waiting to find out the identity of the person who will have more power in their city than any mayor has ever had.

"Right-to-work": a historical perspective

Jennifer White — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:45:00 +0000

Governor Rick Snyder and leaders of the Republican led state House and Senate announced plans to introduce so called “Right to Work” legislation today. While police and firefighters are excluded from the legislation, it would prohibit contracts that require union membership and ban the requirement that union dues be paid for all other public and private workers. Clearly, this marks a major shift in direction for the state of Michigan. Michigan Radio’s political analyst Jack Lessenberry gives us a historical perspective.

Commentary: Income Inequality

Jack Lessenberry — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:55:29 +0000

Years ago, I put together a series of panel discussions on the American dream. The people involved differed a good deal as to what the dream really meant, but they agreed on some things.

Everybody thought part of it meant that America was a place where if you worked hard, you could get ahead. And that America was a place where a decent life was available for all.

Tragically, that’s not as true as it used to be. Today, the Michigan League for Public Policy, formerly known as the League for Human Services, unveiled a new national study on incomes.

The week in politics

Rina Miller and Jack Lessenberry — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 13:00:12 +0000

Every Saturday Rina Miller talks with Michigan Radio's political analyst Jack Lessenberry about some of the biggest stories in the week's news. Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson was ordered to be in federal court this week, even though she asked someone else to speak on her behalf. Also, controversy surrounding Speaker of the House Jase Bolger (R) brings up the question of whether Democrats can be competitive for the Speaker of the House’s seat in November. Plus, a Detroit scandal involving Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee creates head ache for Mayor Dave Bing.

Michigan politics: The week in review

Rina Miller — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 13:00:36 +0000

In the Week in Review, Thaddeus McCotter's abrupt resignation last month means there needs to be a special election to fill his spot.

Also, Michigan's a popular place with presidential and vice-presidential candidates this week.

And, ballot petition mania continues, but can the average voter keep up. Michigan Radio's Rina Miller speaks with political analyst Jack Lessenberry.

Commentary: Walking 'Ink Trails'

Jack Lessenberry — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:38:18 +0000

Normally at this time of day I talk to you about some current political or economic shenanigans. And I could talk today about the continuing election-rigging scandal in Grand Rapids, or about the rising unemployment rate across the state.

Commentary: View from Toledo

Jack Lessenberry — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 12:00:20 +0000

If you ever took a course in Michigan history, you may remember that Toledo was originally supposed to be part of Michigan. We lost it after the infamous Toledo War.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Jack Lessenberry — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:26:38 +0000

Sometimes I think Detroit should adopt a new motto, something like: “Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it."

This time, the focus is on the Detroit Public Schools, which for years have been famous for incompetence, corruption, and the squandering of money. There were almost two hundred thousand kids in the schools at the turn of the century, a dozen years ago.

This fall, there may be fewer than fifty thousand left. In recent years, the schools have been under state control much of the time. Most recently, they’ve been run by an Emergency Financial Manager with sweeping powers over the system’s finances and academics. But this week, the Emergency Manager law was suspended until after a referendum in November that may repeal it.

In the meantime, the state believes that means that the old Emergency Financial Manager law is back in place. According to a judge’s ruling, when Emergency Financial Managers were named to run school districts, they had power over finances - but not academics. The stronger Emergency Manager law gave them both.

But with that gone, at least temporarily, the Detroit School Board moved to reassert itself. You might think they would move slowly and sensibly, reviewing Emergency Manager Roy Roberts’ academic plan and keeping it, as far as possible.

But instead, the board is acting as if they were terribly afraid someone might accuse them of common sense.

The week in Michigan politics

Emily Fox — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:22:56 +0000

Christian Shockley checks in with Michigan political analyst Jack Lessenberry every Wednesday about what is going on in state politics. Today they discussed the results of Michigan's primary election.

Michigan politics: The week in review

Rina Miller and Jack Lessenberry — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 13:00:00 +0000

In this Saturday's Week in Review, Michigan Radio's Rina Miller speaks with Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry about auto earnings, the new state model for measuring K-12 academic achievement, and the primary election coming up on Tuesday.

RM: U.S. car companies announce their profit statements this week. How are things looking, Jack?

Michigan politics: The week in review

Mercedes Mejia — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 12:00:17 +0000

In this Saturday's Week in Review, discussions over font size take up time in the Michigan Supreme Court, the Senate tackles legislation that would more closely regulate abortion providers, and Gov. Snyder plans to go back to China. Michigan Radio's Rina Miller speaks with Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry.

Commentary: Hijacking our constitution

Jack Lessenberry — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 15:12:51 +0000

If what I am about to tell you doesn’t make you angry and indignant, then you must be completely cynical.

Huge corporations and other special interests have already spent $20 million on ballot drives designed to bend the Michigan Constitution to suit their selfish needs.

They have spent $20 million; they’ve raised almost $30 million, and every sign indicates they’re just getting started.

These numbers, by the way, come from the non-profit, non-partisan Michigan Campaign Finance Network.