Listen to this week’s Left of Lansing “Friday Short.” Right after its inexplicable decision to build a tunnel around the Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, the Michigan Public Service Commission granted DTE Energy’s rate hike request totalling over $360 million. Despite DTE being part of the reason why Michigan has the…
Episode 66: Pushing The Overton Window w/ Democratic State Rep. Emily Dievendorf
It’s Episode 66 of Michigan’s Premier Progressive Podcast! This week, I can’t hold back my disdain for the Michigan Public Service Commission’s decision to green-light an expensive, and short-sighted, tunnel project for the stretch of the 70-year old Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. Despite studies showing why the pipeline must stop…
Friday Short: UAW Momentum Focuses On Non-Union Automakers
Listen to this week’s Left of Lansing “Friday Short,” where I highlight a major UAW organizational push to attract thousands of non-union workers with other automakers. Also, notice again how Republicans across the board are AWOL when it comes to standing up for workers’ rights. Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give…
Episode 65: Long Overdue (and imperfect) Clean Energy Future Is Michigan Law
Here’s episode 65 of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed some long overdue, albeit imperfect, clean energy legislation into law this week. I’ve covered the path The Clean Energy and Jobs Act had to take in Lansing throughout the year on the podcast. And while I believe Democrats missed an opportunity to…
Episode 64: Pro-Publica’s Anna Clark on Eliminating Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law.
Here’s episode 64 of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! It’s great to have author and Pro-Publica reporter Anna Clark back on Left of Lansing this week. Anna’s written an insightful article on Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law, which allows state government to erase democracy by completely taking-over financially-strapped cities. Anna highlights how despite Michiganders voting to eliminate…
Left of Lansing Monday Musing: Mass Transit Needed To Stop Michigan’s Mass Exodus
Listen to my “Monday Musing,” in which I agree with a Detroit Free Press column by Michael Griffie, who serves as Detroit Metro Leader for AECOM–an American multinational consulting firm. Mr. Griffie is pressing the need for a massive reinvestment in Michigan’s lacking mass transit system, particularly in the entire Metro Detroit region. If we’re…
Left Of Lansing Friday Short: MI Dems’ Clean Energy Bills Imperfect, But an Important Step
Listen to my LoL “Friday Short” on while the Michigan Democrats’ clean energy bills are indeed imperfect, they mark an important step towards much-needed changes in the state’s energy and economic future. Yes, the bills fall short in many areas, like considering natural gas “clean energy,” and ignoring environmental justice provisions to help those in…
Episode 63: No More Waiting For Environmental Justice w/ Roshan Krishnan of The Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition
Here’s Episode 63 of Michigan’s Premier Progressive Podcast! Michigan Democrats passed a package of clean energy and affordable energy bills last week. While these bills are for sure a step in the right direction in revamping our antiquated energy grid, these bills still fall far short of the aggressive push many progressives were hoping would…
Left of Lansing Friday Short: Could Michigan Become a Death with Dignity State?
The Left of Lansing Friday Short this week applauds a trio of state Senate Democrats (Mary Cavenagh of Redford Twp., Kevin Hertel of St. Clair Shores, and Veronica Klinefelt of Eastpoint) for introducing the Death with Dignity Act. If passed, Michigan would become the 11th state to grant terminally ill patients the power to make…
Episode 62: MAGA Keeps Losing On Abortion Rights, and My Defense of Rashida Tlaib
It’s episode 62 of Michigan’s Premier Progressive Podcast! MAGA Republicans suffered another beatdown at the polls this past Election Day, and once again, abortion rights proved to be the key reason. Abortion rights scored a major victory in Ohio, and played a major role in Democrats retaining the Virginia state legislature. Yet, MAGA is doubling-down…
