Wow, 39 episodes are in the can! This week, I speak with progressive activist Joe Spaulding on the right wing movement happening with the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners as they passed a resolution declaring the county a “constitutional county.” It’s quite similar to what the equally extreme right wing Livingston County Board of Commissioners…
Tag: Michigan Politics
Left of Lansing Podcast–Episode 38: Rick Haglund, Business Writer for Michigan Advance
Here’s the 38th episode of Left of Lansing! Coming back to the podcast is veteran business writer, Rick Haglund. He writes the “Micheconomy” on Michigan Advance, and has been covering the state’s economy, and the auto industry, since the 1980’s. We talk about Michigan’s population problem in which not only are people leaving, but we’re…
Left Of Lansing Short–Michigan Democrats Offer Free Lunches, MAGA Offers Trauma Kits In Schools–May 19, 2023
This Friday’s LOL “Short” highlights how the education budget is looking different since Democrats are finally in complete control. Democrats are spending more on students, more on at-risk students, more on teachers, and want to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students. Republicans want to less spending on public schools and more on for-profit…
Left Of Lansing Podcast–Episode 37: Talking Livingston Co. Politics w/ Kasey Helton
A new episode of the Left Of Lansing Podcast is posted. This week, progressive activist Kasey Helton joins me to talk about life as a progressive in ruby red Republican Livingston County. We talk about Livingston County politics, why it’s been difficult for progressives to make a dent there, but how progressives are beginning to…
Left Of Lansing Short–GOP Loses Young Voters, But Democrats Must Fight To Keep Them–May 5, 2023
Here’s this week’s LOL “Shorts,” which I post every Friday right here exclusively on the blog. I take my cue from this fine article by The American Prospect’s Gabrielle Gurley, which is titled, “Republicans Declare War On Young Voters.“ Even though Michigan had the highest youth voter turnout in 2022, that’s still lower than the…
Left Of Lansing Podcast–Episode 36: State Rep. Kelly Breen
If we’re not helping to protect our kids, honestly I don’t know what the hell we’re doing here in Lansing because that should be our number one priority. Democratic State Representative Kelly Breen On this week’s LOL Podcast, Democratic State Representative Kelly Breen from 21st House District talks with me to discuss a number of…
Left Of Lansing Podcast 35: Michigan Democrats Fixing 40 Years Of Republican Rule
In this week’s episode, Pat Johnston covers how Democrats are fixing what Republicans destroyed during their 40 years of power in Lansing. He covers how Republicans across the nation are working to erase American history, ban books, silence their opponents, and destroy the public school system. Pat also gives another shoutout to Democratic State Rep….
Left Of Lansing Podcast–Episode 34: State Rep. Dylan Wegela
It’s time for another episode of the Left Of Lansing Podcast! This week, I discuss how young people showed-up at the polls in a big way in Michigan, which helped Democrats pull-off the trifecta in state government. But despite the Generation Z breaking for Democrats in the last few elections, Democrats must continue showing that…
Michigan Is Too Old. Democrats Must Pass Laws To Attract Young People
As I mentioned in this week’s episode of LOL, Michigan is getting older: Deaths outnumbered births in all but seven counties in Michigan in the year ending July 2022, new Census figures show, a result of the state’s aging population and the devastating impact of thousands of COVID-19 deaths. That’s 92 percent of Michigan’s 83…
Left Of Lansing Episode 33: Bigotry Is Bad For Business
It’s another episode of the LOL Podcast! Michigan Democrats are banking on Gov. Whitmer’s slogan that “Bigotry Is Bad For Business.” I explain why being the anti-Indiana, the anti-Ohio, and the anti-Florida is the best strategic move for Michigan–both morally and economically. By becoming a more welcoming state for women who want to make their…
