Breaking News

Letters to the Editor

Rebuttal to “Why did Michiganders elect El-Sayed?”

This letter is a rebuttal to a letter published on Sept. 24, 2026. The letter titled “Why did Michiganders elect El-Sayed?” takes a complicated problem and presents a simple solution: put everything under one government payer, call it “free,” and tell taxpayers they will somehow have more money in their pockets. That isn't a serious explanation of how health care works. Abdul El-Sayed is not a licensed practicing physician. He earned a medical degree but never completed a medical residency and therefore did not become a licensed practicing doctor. His public-health background ...

Why did Michiganders elect El-Sayed?

Abdul El-Sayed was born, raised, & schooled in Michigan. His parents had relatives in Egypt. He never met some since they died young of preventable diseases because they didn’t get the childhood vaccines there we do. So he became an Epidemiologist: a public health investigator of effects of diseases & injuries in populations. He worked in public health, not big money medical practices because he cares about people & families. He sees how U.S. lower wage earners get less healthcare & their life expectancy is 10-15 years less than wealthier people! Why is that OK in ...

Two Ballot Proposals, Two Very Different Choices

In November, Michigan voters will decide on two state ballot proposals. They may sound hard to understand, but both would affect everyday people. Proposal 2026-1 asks voters if Michigan should hold a meeting in 2027 to rewrite the state constitution. Proposal 2026-2 would change campaign finance rules. It would stop some utilities and large government contractors from giving campaign money to officials who make decisions that affect them. It would also make more political ads show who paid for them. Proposal 1 may sound like a fresh start, but it could cost taxpayers a lot of money. ...

Bike lane additions to Ludington

With the addition of bike lanes on Ludington Street, please remember that the new bike lane is that. A bike lane. Not a pedestrian gathering place to chat. Not a "swerve allowance" for motor vehicles. If you are parking, please, please, please check your driver's side mirror well before swinging open your door into the path of an oncoming cyclist legally in the path. And when pulling back into the traffic again, check, check, check your mirrors. Swivel your head and look back before you cross the bikeway into the path of a cyclist legally using their lane. Having been a year-round ...

Remembering September 11

We had no idea what was about to happen. The setting is Starker Gym, Fort Hood Texas. Our son, a 3-year Iraqi war vet, was coming home after his first tour and we were going to Texas to greet him. The soldiers were supposed to be at Ft. Hood by 4 p.m. Steve called us from Maine, explaining the plane was having mechanical problems and they wouldn’t be there until 1 a.m. We didn’t care… he was coming home! We were one of the first to walk into the gym at midnight. Our first surprise was when we noticed all the signs posted all around the gym. They were everywhere! As the gym began ...

The Presidential Fecklessness Weakens National Security

This letter was addressed and sent to congressman Jack Bergman on Sept. 7 Mr. Trump has been consistently antagonistic towards military service. While the Vietnam War raged, many young men avoided the draft by going to Canada. The president avoided the draft using a medical deferment by claiming bone spurs. Years later, the president’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, asked the president for medical documentation relating to his bone spurs. President Trump didn’t give him any and said, “You think I'm stupid? I wasn't going to Vietnam.” Retired four-star Marine General John ...