Wednesday, February 8,2012

Could Hoekstra ad be political genius?

by Kyle Melinn

The explosive reaction generated news coverage in India and England. Political bloggers at The New York Times, Washington Post and Politico panned it. Slate tweeted that it’s “stupid and blatantly xenophobic to an embarrassing degree.” Comedy Central awarded it the “Creepiest Super Bowl ad.”

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Wednesday, February 1,2012

Back for the board

Ferguson to run for fourth term on MSU Board of Trustees

by Kyle Melinn

Ferguson, a Democrat, says he still feels like he’s adding value to the university’s eight-member governing board. He enjoys what he’s doing and, at age 73, Ferguson is still viewed as the public face and leader of the statewide elected board.

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Wednesday, February 1,2012

He's gay, Republican and running for president

by Kyle Melinn

Karger lived with a male partner for 10 years, but he hid the news, rushing his partner out and hiding pictures on family visits.

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Wednesday, January 25,2012

Former local Dem Party chair running in 68th

by Kyle Melinn

Griffin Rivers, the former chairman of the Ingham County Democratic Party, announced Tuesday he was running for the open 68th House District seat being vacated by term-limited Rep. Joan Bauer, D-Lansing, at the end of the year.

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Wednesday, January 25,2012

It's a safe bet lobbyists and flaks will be big winners

by Kyle Melinn

Turning a Lansing Center parking lot into a casino floor won’t happen overnight. Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero understands that, which means getting the public’s support is almost as important as getting a judge’s support for the Sault tribe’s unproven legal theory that would allow a casino here.

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Thursday, January 19,2012

Who will lead Lansing Township?

Daher’s departure as supervisor after 28 years leaves open a full-time question in a disjointed township of five islands spread around Ingham County

by Kyle Melinn

For the first time in 28 years, John Daher’s name will not appear on Lansing Township ballots for supervisor, forcing the township’s 8,200 residents to reassess their government’s structure.

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Wednesday, January 18,2012

Who will lead Lansing Township?

Daher’s departure as supervisor after 28 years leaves open a full-time question in a disjointed township of five islands spread around Ingham County

by Kyle Melinn

For the first time in 28 years, John Daher’s name will not appear on Lansing Township ballots for supervisor, forcing the township’s 8,200 residents to reassess their government’s structure.

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Wednesday, January 11,2012

Robinson-Wood 'deal' spurred Jeffries-Dunbar deal

by Kyle Melinn

At about hour three of the Lansing City Council’s banging-head-against-the-wall deliberations over its 2012 president, community observer Mary Reynolds assumed the seat at the head of the table where the eight Lansing City Councilmembers should have been and announced:

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Wednesday, January 4,2012

12 state issues to watch in '12

by Kyle Melinn

Thank God, 2011 is over. That's the mindset of Michigan's unions and progressives, anyway. Act Two is coming here in 2012 with the state's Republican-led government attacking many of the same issues, but not with the fervor of the last 12 months.

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Wednesday, December 28,2011

11 groups run over by GOP agenda in ‘11

by Kyle Melinn

1. Organized labor - Gov. Rick Snyder's "reinvention" of Michigan equaled a "shared sacrifice" for just about everybody except business - who saw lower taxes, fewer regulations and long-sought policy changes that improve their bottom line at the expense of the injured and the unemployed.

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