Knife Fight in a Phone Booth, Food Waste Research Project, Status of Former Marquette Hospital Site Development, and the High Cost of Higher Education

– INFORMED BREVITY –

Knife Fight in a Phone Booth

We all recently read of the rather rough and tumble primaries for federal and state offices around the United States. Democrats versus Democrats and Republicans versus Republicans. Sometimes not observed outside of the state where the primary fights are occurring, but nonetheless a knife fight.

Here in the Upper Peninsula we have a bit of a knife fight going on in the primary election in August for the 38^th State Senate District. The seat is currently held by term-limited Senator Ed McBroom. He and other Republican State Representatives endorsed the UP’s State Representative Prestin in a show of Republican unity. UP’s Congressman Jack Bergman had his own thoughts and endorsed another person for the office. Lots of yelling and complaining about Bergman’s stepping into the politics of the state-level election.

The Democrats in Michigan have a similar knife fight going on in the August primary election. Three leading Democratic candidates for the US Senate are going at it about who is more qualified and who is taking money from what PAC or what organizations.

Knife fights occur all the time in politics, but this year there seems to be more of them.

Just occurred to me that some of our younger readers might not know what a phone booth is and what it looked like. So here is a picture of one for you:

Food Waste Research Project

Want to help with some research that is important to the Upper Peninsula? Well, if you do, NMU’s Dr. Adebiyi has a short 15 minute survey for you to fill out that will help collect data to better understand food waste patterns across the Upper Peninsula. “Your responses will help sharpen the development of more effective and practical food waste reduction and composting strategies at both the community and regional levels.” The survey is confidential, voluntary and risk free.

To take the survey, please contact Dr. Jelhi Adebiyi at jadebivi@nmu.edu.

 Status of Land Development at Former Marquette Hospital Site

We have had more than a few inquiries from our readers about what is happening with this property. It was sold to a local UP developer who said he was going to build affordable housing on the site. So far nothing has happened on the site that shows movement on the construction of housing. Many other large housing projects were finished up or near finished this year so far, but nothing on this site.

Could be part of a normal process for the developer or there could be some other reason. We have no idea and folks who we contacted do not know either. So if you know, give us a holler. The other question we get from readers is how much state and federal dollars have been given to the developer for this site. The answer from us is the same as above—do not know. We will begin to check this all out in the coming weeks and months. We would love to hear from federal, state and local officials with knowledge about this project. Also we are more than happy to talk with the developer if he would like to bring us up to date so we can let you know.

 The High Cost of Higher Education and What To Do About the Future of Funding Higher Education

Families all across American and in Michigan are talking about how current and future university students will be able to afford the cost of tuition and housing. University administrators are debating how to keep operational costs down and helping to reduce tuition/housing costs for students. Newspapers and streamers are editorializing. Politicians are adding their proposals to university appropriations legislation.

Well a new voice is coming out and a voice with a large stake in this topic. A group of Michigan university students have formed an organization to lobby public policy makers and the public. It is called United Student Governments. It is planning on bringing together student governments from public universities across Michigan. “They will lobby on affordability, student experience, and post-graduate opportunities.”

This new organization has a big Upper Peninsula connection. Its executive director is a student at Michigan Technological University (MTU) and his name is Ford Schoonover. He says “the alliance gives students a unified voice that no single university can provide on its own.”

 Quotes That Make Us Go Hmmm

“No law has ever abolished hatred, but law shapes behavior and signals what a society will and will not tolerate. Without such limits the loudest and most hateful voices set the terms, and that is no freedom worth the name.” Alexander McPherson.

“If you are ignorant, books won’t laugh at you.” Marilyn Monroe.

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