I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
The United Autoworkers of America has thrown its weight behind interim Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. for the May special election.
The Detroit Free Press noted that the UAW’s endorsement adds to a pile of support from organized labor to Cockrel, including the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights and the Detroit Police Officers Association.
Cockrel might have been helped in his effort to win the union’s endorsement by pushing for federal loans for General Motors and Chrysler in Washington, D.C., last year. This episode demonstrated the power of incumbency as a mayor, interim or not, has the ability to speak on behalf of a city, where insurgents don’t.
Ironically, Bing had UAW workers at his Bing Group automotive supplier plant, without a work stoppage or strike. However, Bing fended off allegations that he was anti-union based on previous support for charter schools (which don’t use unionized teachers) and a complaint from an unspecified union that he wasn’t interested in hearing them out.
Union volunteers are what makes endorsements from organized labor important in the mayor’s race. Neither Bing nor Cockrel are running with an organized political party, which could use its people and resources to campaign for its candidate. However, a union’s support can give the candidate the same political machinery he or she doesn’t have without a party.
At least two major unions will still endorse candidates: the Detroit Firefighters Association this week and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 25, which represents city employees.
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