Posts Tagged ‘michigan’
4 items.
And we’re back in the saddle. Resizing lettering continues to frustrate. I’m going to have to seek out an expert.
In any case, you have to hand it to Governor Rick, the man has a plan for Michigan… a wicked scary plan, but a plan none-the-less. The guy has only been in charge a few weeks, and he already has sweeping authority to dismiss local governments at a whim and appoint emergency managers (be they human or corporation). It’s amazing. I’ve actually been looking at the criteria required to declare the necessary “state of emergency”. There are, in fact, a list of criteria that would have to be met, and they all sound very reasonable until you get to that last little line where the requirement is that the Governor need only suspect that the current city government (or other public body such as school districts, public utilities, etc) policies would incur a debt.
Well he can suspect anything…
It will be interesting to see if any of these powers are actually used, and the ensuing court battle that follows. Dismissing an elected body and appointing someone (or something) that is not answerable to the governed seems… contrary to the constitution somehow… we shall see.
[ 10 Comments ]
…and with part 3, we end our annual exploration of Michigan Tourism.
It was with some concern that I read an article a few weeks ago that various counties throughout Michigan had switched from repaving their primary roads to grinding them down to gravel. The economics of the situation are clear. According to the article it costs about $100,000 to repave a road versus the $10,000 it costs to gravel it. This is certainly an obvious cost saver, but it cuts down on bicycle-friendly roads in this beautiful state, and gosh darn it, I’ve already lost enough windshields to rocks in this state!
Oh, Michigan is a lovely vacation spot if you’ve never been (as long as your keep our tourism tips in mind, of course). If you want to check it out for yourself, well… your trip really does begin at Michigan.org. Heck, they even have a facebook page! Maybe just spare your windshield and rent a car when you visit.
For myself, I’m thinking of a vacation out of state. Maybe Madison or Autumn Lake…
[ 3 Comments ]
See?!? Just as I promised. Nothing to do with the daily headlines. I happily present part two in our annual three-part look at Michigan Tourism! As always, we just try and fill in the gaps where the billboards and commercials leave off.
Actually, the mosquitoes don’t seem that numerous yet this year. The ones we have are vicious though… They’ll raise a welt in 10 seconds flat! We do have an overabundance of gnats, aphids and other have-nothing-better-to-do-than-buzz-in-your-face-and-chew-up-your-garden pests, though. So many, in fact, I’ve resorted to biological warfare and brought in some Ladybugs to chew their way through the pests… at least the aphids! My roses will thank me… and hopefully my neighbors!
[ 6 Comments ]
Is it Spring again, already? Must be as the Michigan countryside has been covered with these "Your Trip Begins…" billboards. If they haven’t placed one in your front yard, you can see a few examples here. I’ve gotten used to this annual adver-spurt grasping for the almighty tourism dollar, but I knew things had gotten out of hand when I was driving in Chicago a few weeks back and saw one of the signs downtown. The placement was actually quite good as it gave the illusion from the Skyway of being more prominent than ANYTHING in the Chicago skyline. Whoever placed the sign certainly knew his/her business.
Now Michigan is a fabulous state, and it is, in fact, a lovely vacation destination if you know where to to, but I do believe they should offer a little truth in advertising…
[ 2 Comments ]
