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.
DETROIT — On Tuesday, the city council voted to pay future city charter revision commissioners $50 per meeting. The nine commissioners, who will be elected on Nov. 3 will be responsible for updating the city’s governing document.
Due to economic hardships, the payments are 33 percent less than former revision commissioners earned in previous years.
Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr. was among those who supported the pay cut while Councilwoman Alberta Tinsley-Tilabi and Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins suggested paying original rate of $75 per meeting, according to the Detroit Free Press.
While $50 a meeting is nothing to bank on, Detroit Board of Education members are paid $30 per meeting.
Charter revision candidate Jonathan Kinloch said he personally has no problem with the decrease in per diem rates but due to the small amounts of money in question he sees it as more of a political move than a fiscal one. “It’s laughable to think [council members] believed a decrease in $25 would have an affect on a $300 million budget deficit,” Kinloch told Michigan Messenger. “[The pay decrease] was political posturing if anything.”
Kinloch, who said he is would be willing to serve as a charter commissioner for free, wants city council members to make internal cuts. “If they’re serious about eliminating the deficit they’ll cut their own salaries and their insanely high office budget,” he said.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter