Posts published in “Guest Column”

  A couple months ago at a hockey rink in Kalamazoo, I enjoyed seeing democracy in action at one of the 15-plus public hearings held around Michigan by the new Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC).…

The pandemic has brought a welcome and long-overdue focus on child care as the bedrock component of a functioning economy and an essential service to support working families. Yet the simple fact remains: Wages for…

The Michigan Supreme Court recently held in Taxpayers for Michigan Constitutional Government v. State that there is nothing in the Michigan Constitution that prevents the state from orchestrating a financial swindle of local governments and…

With the new school year approaching, students have a lot more to deal with than which classes to take. It’s an understatement to say that the pandemic has created new challenges for many students that…

Here’s the truth: Without child care, parents can’t go to work and if they can’t go to work, they aren’t able to pay for child care. I’ve spent time in both the workforce development sector…

Michigan, as many other states in our nation, has had a long, distressing struggle with the opioid crises. Our attention to this crisis as of late has been diverted. COVID-19 has rightfully dominated our medical…

Educators have not just the right but the responsibility to teach the breadth of our history, and this history includes race and racism. Teaching about race and racism can be and is often done within…

Last month, the Citizens Research Council released a report on child and adolescent behavioral health in Michigan, finding increasing needs and a lack of services and programs to address them. Shortly thereafter, Bridge Michigan released…

When you hear the word “home,” what comes to mind? For young couples, it may be a starter home that allows them to create a family and equity. For working adults, it may be an…