Fabulous Ruins
Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 @ 11:57 pm
Filed Under Baseball, Baseball Pix, Michigan, Readings
No responses
Lowell's tribute to Tiger Stadium is a wonderful thing. Read it, and read all the Detour panels about the stadium. Read it even if you hate baseball, and despised the old ballyard. This is love, and it's something beautiful.
Republican Primary
Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 @ 12:26 am
Filed Under Joel, Michigan, Political Process
No responses
The national gerrymander habit must die. The practice of routinely creating one-party election districts undermines political discourse, and subverts republican government. One party elections encourage extremism, and create a climate where debate, discussion, and compromise are impossible--on many issues, the practice permits folks to honestly believe that reaching a compromise is indecent. Few politicians, and few citizens, are naturally extremist, but we've created a system which encourages an extremist culture. Party advantage is not a healthy basis for defining political boundaries, and ideology needs to be tempered by honest discussion. We ought to do better than this. We must do better than this.
Smoke and Mirrors
Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 @ 12:13 pm
Filed Under Michigan, Political Process, Work
No responses
American government is designed to accomodate disagreement, though the tension often makes folks uncomfortable. What we need, sometime soon, is a civil discussion about what Michigan's government is for, how we get to that point, and what tax structure we need to support that effort. The (less-than-complete) success of the Michigan budget efforts demonstrates that it's not necessary to continue talking past each other just because we've been doing so in the past. Discussion isn't helped when each side caricatures the other's positions. The habit many have of simplifying and dismissing the other party's position is really poisonous to the civil culture. It's time we stopped, and started finding solutions.
Seed and Grain
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 @ 12:01 am
Filed Under Eaton County, Mulliken, Picture Show, Stories
One response
For over a century, this grain elevator was the main reason for Mulliken. This railside complex was the farming community's touchpoint with the larger world. They'd come to buy seed before planting, then return to sell the grain they'd grown from the seed. This routine made for an interesting, seasonal parade of vehicles on Potter Street. July's winter wheat harvest was a particularly busy time; trucks, tractors, and trailors would line Main Street day and night as the farmers and staff would struggle to get the grain from truck to hopper.
Millie Jeffrey
Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 @ 10:14 am
Filed Under Michigan, Obituaries, Political Process
No responses
Millie was a key player in Michigan and national politics before I was born, and remained active pretty much forever. Her friends and her causes will miss her. We all owe her for a life well lived.
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