Commentary: Will a cool spring give us a hot summer?
By Paul Rozycki After a fairly mild winter, spring has been rather cool, gray, and rainy. However, what’s been true for the weather may not be true for this summer’s political outlook. More than a few political issues offer the prospect of being very hot. On the national level On the national scene, President Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey, growing rumors of a possible Russian involvement in the 2016 campaign, and the...
Commentary on Flint’s water: Is the glass half full or half empty?
Oh, what’ll you do now, my blue-eyed son? Oh, what’ll you do now, my darling young one? … I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest… Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters… And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall. -Bob Dylan By Paul Rozycki It may be an omen that the most recent town hall meeting on Flint’s water crisis, held at the House of Prayer...
Commentary: Woodside pastor weighs in on town hall, separation of church and state
By Jan Worth-Nelson Following last night’s town hall in a North End sanctuary, one who responded was Deb Conrad, pastor of Woodside Church. In a personal blog post shared with East Village Magazine today, Conrad said, “the building isn’t the problem — city leadership is the problem.” At the end of the tumultuous meeting, six were ejected from the church and arrested for disruptive behavior, assaulting...
Commentary: Flint’s taxes 2017–any happy returns?
By Paul Rozycki If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street, If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat. If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat, If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet. George Harrison, The Beatles, “Taxman” Like many at this time of the year, I’ve just hit the ‘File’ button on my Turbo Tax, and I’ve stuffed all my W2s, 1040s, 1099s, bank statements, receipts, random papers...
Commentary: Flint Huddle, “nasty women” inspire hope
By Robert R. Thomas Fittingly, revelation occurred in the sanctuary of Woodside Church, where I was photographed grinning like a Michigan loon in the company of 60 or so “nasty women” and men of all ages, persuasions and races. But it was “nasty women” who had convened it. I had seen the light, and it was “nasty women.” The gathering was a Flint Huddle. Organized as an outgrowth of the Women’s March...
Commentary: Trees, transparency and trust in Flint
By Paul Rozycki “Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath, no man manages his affairs as well as a tree does.” – George Bernard Shaw “A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conservation.” -Adlai E. Stevenson “Peace and trust take years to build and seconds to shatter.” ― Mahogany SilverRain The problem with...