theblackbottom

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: October 25, 2012
DETROIT — Tired of battling legislative efforts to roll back union rights in state after state, organized labor is trying a new strategy: going on the offense. The first target is Michigan, the cradle of the United Auto Workers and a bastion of union power.
Michigan’s unions are asking voters to [...]

By: Rapid Growth Media
Joseph Charles McIntosh | Thursday, April 05, 2012
There has been a continuous, if broken, poetry scene in Grand Rapids for nearly 20 years. It started notably with the beatnik/Bohemian Rainbow Collective in the late 80s and early 90s. It was revived by host Greg Bliss at the eclectic, anarchic poetry slam scene [...]

By: Steve Carmody
Flint mayor Dayne Walling being interviewed by Michigan Radio in his campaign office
(photo by Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio)
Flint’s mayor takes his oath of office today. What happens next is up to Governor Snyder. Incumbent Dayne Walling won a four year term as Flint’s mayor last week. He’s already been serving as Flint’s mayor [...]

Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD) meets author Ted McClelland to discuss the history of Flint, Michigan, urban decay, de-industrialization and the decline of the auto industry. Kaigler is a Flint native and popular video blogger.
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Becoming a Leader in Education: An Agenda for Michigan
Despite Michigan’s rich history of entrepreneurship and innovation, the state now trails most others both economically and educationally. This inaugural report from The Education Trust–Midwest documents the shockingly low performance of schools statewide. Although Detroit has the weakest scores on the National Assessment [...]

A city does not die when its last resident moves away. Death happens when municipalities lose the industries and vital populations that made them important cities.

(Via www.247wallst.com)
The economy has evolved so much since the middle of the 20th Century that many cities that were among the largest and most vibrant in America have [...]

Lets continue to support the Michigan Campaign for Justice. Learn their eleven principles of a public defense system.

I had the pleasure of hearing Flint Mayor Dayne Wailing at the Progress Michigan Conference in Lansing. He seems to exemplify the type of leadership Michigan Cities’ need to lead us to “greener” pastures… pun intended. Here Mayor Wailing talks with Kirk Heinze of News/Talk 760 WJR about his vision to make Flint a more [...]

The clash of the titans took place Monday night at Grand Valley State University. Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Virg Bernero Mayor of Lansing and House Majority Leader Andy Dillon participated in a lively battle royal of ideas, and who is would best serve as the next leader of the great state of Michigan. Personally I give [...]

One Story of Many (Short Documentary): On Gun Violence in Flint and it’s Effect on One family. This is a short documentary created to help bring awareness and hopefully help those in Flint to see that things need to change now. FlintOnTheSpot.blogspot.com