Opinion

opinion Jara Hardt Zundel and Adbul El-Sayed Published 2:55 PM EST Nov 12, 2018 Ded and Flora Rranxburgaj live in a cramped apartment in Detroit’s Central United Methodist Church. They’re not there by choice—but because the Church is providing Ded sanctuary from detention and deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Flora, who suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS), requires round the clock care. And Ded, a committed husband, is unwilling to leave his ill wife’s side. That means he hasn’t left the church for nearly 11 months. This couple has become the local face of a complex, and increasingly polarized debate on immigration, where the complexity of individual’s nuanced stories is often bulldozed by the bluster of politicians who traffic in fear of the unknown. But right now, these two people, with real, complex stories, need our help. 17 years ago, Ded and Flora immigrated from post-civil war Albania. First they applied for … [Read more...] about Opinion: Protect our neighbors from ICE

opinion James M. Hohman Published 10:40 PM EST Nov 11, 2018 The state Legislature passed a paid sick leave initiative into law in September after supporters collected enough signatures to put their mandate on the ballot. As the law stands, it is an expensive and ineffective law that deserves to be repealed. Yes, expensive. A requirement that all employees in firms with over 10 employees get up to nine days of paid sick leave and employees in firms under 10 employees get five days of paid sick leave will cost companies $7.1 billion, based on workplace characteristics and average wage rates. Since the majority of employees in Michigan already receive some paid sick leave benefits, there will be a minimum of $2.3 billion of extra benefit costs imposed on employers. To put that in context, this leave mandate will cost business more than the state’s entire corporate income tax. While some employers are going to bear the extra costs, others are will pass them along to … [Read more...] about Opinion: Lawmakers should repeal paid sick leave mandate

opinion Keith Pretty, Timothy G. Nash, Rich Studley, Bob Thomas Published 10:51 PM EST Nov 10, 2018 The 48th governor of Michigan, Richard “Rick” Dale Snyder, is term-limited out and will complete his final year in office in January 2019. His time in office will to some degree be set in the rearview now, with the election of his successor just this week. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce Foundation and The Robert and Janice McNair Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Northwood University recently released the 2018 Michigan Economic Competitiveness Study. The study ranks Michigan relative to the other 49 states on multiple factors determining a states ability to compete in a complex global economy. The data illustrates the results for the Michigan economy since the late 1990s to date and also compares the state's relative performance from 2011 to now, under Snyder’s unlikely political leadership. Snyder is an accountant, MBA and … [Read more...] about Opinion: Snyder governorship improved Michigan