Opinion
Resistance from Within
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | April 27, 2024
It must be difficult to lead when those you hope will follow demand you agree with them 100 percent of the time. That’s the predicament Speaker of the House Mike Johnson finds himself in after having had the temerity to usher through the House a bill providing, among other things, aid to Ukraine and Israel. Surprisingly, there are now Republicans who favor Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to the detriment of the Ukrainians ... Read More >>
How Can YOU Invest in Housing?
Guest Opinion
By Yarrow Brown | April 27, 2024
We have an opportunity in northwest Michigan to invest in our community and work collaboratively to address the housing crisis. If you are a community member, business owner, or employer, you can help. Everyone can work to be effective and support housing solutions in their community! How can you help bring housing for employees? One way is to consider a partnership with other business owners or companies. This can be very impactful, ... Read More >>
The Real Fraud
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | April 20, 2024
We know Donald Trump is going to continue spouting his delusions about the results of the 2020 presidential election because those lies appear to be foundational to his 2024 campaign. It’s more distressing that his followers continue to believe that which has been proven as untrue over and over again. Now Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, has started her tenure as co-chair of the Republican National Committee with a recorded message ... Read More >>
May You Be Happy
Opinion Columnist
By Mary Keyes Rogers | April 20, 2024
Very few people need to maintain their mental health. Maintenance is not the struggle. I mean let’s be honest, who says, “Boy, every day is such a joy, how do I stay on this train?” The reality is that most of us need to improve our mental health. For those of you lucky enough to be in maintenance mode, as well as the rest of us, I offer you the benefit of ... Read More >>
Crossing Bridges
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | April 13, 2024
Is that bridge you’re about to cross safe? Are you sure? This comes to mind as salvage crews try to clear the remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key bridge that spans the entrance to Baltimore harbor. Of course, the bridge you’re on probably does not have a 984-foot-long, 95,000-ton (when empty) behemoth of a ship about to impact the structure, so you’re likely safe…though boat strikes aren’t our only bridge worry. ... Read More >>
In Praise of Goodness
Guest Opinion
By Greg Holmes | April 13, 2024
As I write this column, former president Jimmy Carter has been receiving hospice care for over a year at his home in South Georgia. Whether you believe Carter was a “good” president or not most likely depends on your own political affiliation. It’s much easier to lump people in a party together and judge them one way or the other than to carefully consider each individual on their respective merits. Like most, ... Read More >>
The Medicaid Mental Health Gap
Guest Opinion
By Emma Smith | April 6, 2024
If you have Medicaid, like a third of all Michigan residents, you may have noticed that finding a therapist who is willing and able to take your insurance has become increasingly difficult in the past year or so. At the start of 2023, mental health therapists began noticing a sharp decrease in the reimbursement rate from Meridian of Michigan, the largest Medicaid provider in our state. This decrease was instituted without notice ... Read More >>
Congress Shall Make No Law
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | April 6, 2024
The misinformation is ramping up as the next election approaches, and that means religious bigotry can’t be far behind, complete with nonsense about this being a “Christian nation.” A former president, in what has to be one of the tackier moments in modern American political history, has sold his name—yes, a licensing fee was paid—to sell a Bible for $59.99. (You’d need to have actually read the book to fully appreciate how ... Read More >>
Taxing Times
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | March 23, 2024
Have you filed your tax returns yet? No? The deadline for the annual unpleasantness approaches rapidly. Our tax code can be a nightmarish morass of nearly inexplicable rules and regulations. It is so big the Government Printing Office has to produce it in two volumes; one of 1,404 pages and the second a much tidier 1,248 pages. It is a common assumption that most of us somewhere in the middle of the ... Read More >>
A Look at Originalism
Guest Opinion
By Stewart MacLeod | March 23, 2024
O Tempora O Mores! Oh the times, oh the culture. This Latin phrase relates to both the 18th century and our current times. Are Originalists—those who think we should base the interpretation of our country’s founding documents on the times and the views of their crafters—basing their theories on actual history? This is not just a pedantic question; it affects legal decisions being made today, from the lowest to the highest courts ... Read More >>
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