Politics & Government

This morning, former Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra stopped by Michigan Radio's studios to talk with host Rick Pluta and callers from around the state.

Topics covered included energy policy, foreign policy in the Middle East, trade policy with China, and, of course, jobs.

You can listen to the conversation above.

Be sure to listen to last week's conversation with incumbent Debbie Stabenow.

Tomorrow is the 201st birthday of a politician you may never have heard of, who nevertheless may have had a bigger influence on shaping our state than anyone.

His friends called him Tom. Tom Mason.  And here are some of the most remarkable things about him. He was put in charge of the Michigan territory at age 19, before he could even vote.

Ballot proposals could negatively affect state credit rating

"The state’s top budget official says Michigan would have a higher credit rating if not for the six proposals on the November ballot. Budget Director John Nixon says credit agencies are otherwise happy with Michigan’s budget situation. But Nixon says they’re uneasy about the possible consequences of the ballot proposals. He says Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch all decided not to upgrade the state’s credit rating this month. Supporters of some of the proposals say Nixon’s claim is bogus and only meant to scare voters. Budget officials say they might ask the rating agencies to reconsider after the election," Jake Neher reports.

Allen Park gets an emergency financial manager

"The City of Allen Park is the latest to get a state appointed emergency financial manager. Allen Park went from having $5.5-million in the general fund in 2009 to around a half-million dollars just two years later. A failed movie studio the city bought is mostly to blame. Voters declined to pass a millage to pay for the debt in May," Lindsey Smith reports.

U.S. Post Office investigating missing absentee ballots in SE Michigan

"The Post Office is now investigating the hundreds of undelivered absentee ballots in southeast Michigan. A spokesman for the United States Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General says it’s directed its special agents in Michigan to contact city clerks in Auburn Hills and Roseville to ask about the undelivered absentee ballots. The clerks say they mailed thousands of absentee ballots earlier this month…but an unusually small percentage of the ballots have been returned. And the clerks have received calls from many voters who say they haven’t received the ballots," Steve Carmody reports.