Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Detroit News decries A2 income tax proposal

Posted by Murph on 3. January 2005

The Detroit News has an article on proposed city income taxes in Ann Arbor, Ypsi, and Mount Clemens, including a complaint from a commuter that non-residents would be subject to the tax without an opportunity to vote on it:

“It’s like taxation without representation,” Rob Nicholl said . . . Nicholl, a native of England, now lives in Pinckney and commutes to his engineering job at Ann Arbor’s Federal-Mogul. “They could just be getting back (at me).”

The News also runs an editorial calling local income taxes “a desperation move that cost jobs, and ultimately tax revenue,” noting that while the University of Michigan is a “captive” employer, others (like Pfizer, Proquest, etc.) are not.

A poll on whether readers would support a local income tax shows 91% polling against, with comments indicating that the Detroit News’ readership is probably made up of TJ and the Michigan Review staff.

Comment [6]

U-M Asia Relief Meeting

Posted by Matt Hollerbach on 3. January 2005

sorry for the slightly redundant posts…

FIRST COLLABORATIVE MEETING
Wednesday, January 5th
7:00 PM
Michigan Union Tap Room
(ground floor behind food vendors)

The purpose of this open meeting is to begin a coordinated effort by student organizations to raise money for the victims of the Asia Tsunami disaster.

from www.msa.umich.edu/asiarelief

Michigan road construction: $0 in 2009

Posted by Murph on 3. January 2005

The State of Michigan has just released a draft transportation budget for the next five years. Continuing Governor Granholm’s “fix it first” strategy, combined with predicted declines in available funding, means that money for new construction will decrease drastically, hitting $0 in 2009 and possibly staying there. In addition to an article on the general impact of the plan, the Ann Arbor News discusses local projects jeopardized by lack of money. Widening US-23 between Brighton and Ann Arbor, rebuilding the I-94/Baker Road interchange, and constructing a new interchange at US-23 and US-12, all currently at various planning stages, will probably be delayed indefinitely.

The News quotes a Michigan Road Builders Association spokesman as saying that the state has “abandoned congestion relief” by not allocating enough money for new construction, and Ann Arbor’s State Representatives Chris Kolb and Liz Brater as supporting alternative methods, such as encouraging employers to allow flexible work hours, carpooling, and mass transit. The News does not comment on the possibility of financial motivations behind the Road Builders’ opinion that roadbuilding is the only way to alleviate congestion, nor does it mention the accepted wisdom in transportation planning (a field with a somewhat wider view than the roadbuilding field) that construction of new roads does not have any effect on reducing congestion.

MDOT will be holding “listening sessions” to collect public feedback, as well as taking comments by phone and e-mail, on the plan before presenting it for final approval at the end of January. The entire plan (and region-specific plans) is available at MDOT’s website.

Submit comments
> by e-mail to MDOT-2004-2008FiveYearPlanComment@michigan.gov
> by phone to 866-667-0001
> at the University Region listening session, Monday, 10 January, 2-4pm, 4701 W. Michigan Avenue, Jackson
> at the University Region listening session, Tuesday, 11 January, 5-7pm, 3535 Grand Oaks Drive, Howell

Update, 6 December: Today’s Michigan Daily editorial, Construction Free, speaks in favor of the lack of new-build funds, as well as in favor of a higher gas tax.

Comment [4]

"blog" makes Lake State's banished words list

Posted by Murph on 2. January 2005

Lake Superior State University (in the upper peninsula’s Sault Sainte Marie, MI, for non-Michiganders) releases an annual list of banished words—words they hope they’ll never hear again. The 2004 list includes pretty much everything you’d expect it to, from “flip-flopper” to “enemy combatants”.

“Blog” is included, with the note, “Many who nominated it were unsure of the meaning. Sounds like something your mother would slap you for saying.”

This blogger expects that none of these words are going anywhere, but you can submit your own wishful thinking for 2005 at http://www.lssu.edu/banished/submit_word.php

Comment [3]

Ash Borer to cost Ann Arbor more than $6 million

Posted by Murph on 31. December 2004

The Ann Arbor News reports that the City may place a special millage on the November ballot to raise money to pay for the removal and replacement of 9000 city ash trees. The city has already spent about $1 million to remove 1800 trees and replace 1000 of them.

Ann Arbor’s expense in dealing with the emerald ash borer is greater than that of other cities because of the number of publicly maintained trees. For example, the city of East Lansing hasn’t seen the Asian beetle yet. But Dave Smith, that city’s environmental specialist, said it’s just a matter of time. He estimates it will cost East Lansing $500,000 to take down and replace its 837 street trees.

By comparison, Ann Arbor has to replace 7,500 street trees.

Add another 3,300 city park trees and overall, Ann Arbor will have to replace some 10,800 public ash trees, roughly one-fifth of its tree population. The costs range from $450 to $600 per tree, for removal and between $120 to $330 for replacement.

And the infested trees must be removed within three years because of safety concerns, McCormick said. The trees become brittle once they are dead.

The Detroit News, meanwhile, reports of the spread of the ash borer, with three times as many counties now quarantined for the beetle as two years ago, despite a $35 million state containment program.

Comment [1]

U-M relief efforts

Posted by Matt Hollerbach on 30. December 2004

A website has been set up to display information on student efforts to aid relief in South Asia:
> www.msa.umich.edu/asiarelief

You can also join an e-mail group to help coordinate the various fundraising activities on campus (you must log in w/ a U-M uniqname to join the group; if you do not have one, e-mail asiarelief@umich.edu and ask to be added):
> Click here to join e-mail group

Comment [2]

New Year's Eve in Ann Arbor

Posted by Brandon on 29. December 2004

Stuck in Tree Town for New Year’s Eve? Fear not, you’ve got options:

December 31, 2004
NEW YEAR’S EVE BLOWOUT

Saturday Looks Good To Me
Those good looks, those good Phil Spector sounds
+
Great Lakes Myth Society
Great Lakes, Great Times from former TOBASOL members
+
The Book Was Better
Instense roof-removing indie rock

LEOPOLD BROS. BREWERY
523 S. Main St. | Ann Arbor, MI 48104 – 734.747.9806 –
Amazing music, complimentary food, stiff drinks, endless beer, all your friends…

Doors at 9:30pm * Music starts at 10pm * $10.00 * 21+

Or, if you want to joyously sweat even more, head over to the Blind Pig:

THE BANG!
featuring Esquire
and The Hard Lessons
$15 Cover. 18+
Doors 9:30 p.m.

South Asia disaster hits home

Posted by Matt Hollerbach on 28. December 2004

Sunday’s earthquake in the Indian Ocean and the ensuing tsunami that struck over a dozen nations has caused the deaths of over 50,000 people—at least one third of whom were children. Millions have been displaced and aid agencies easily put relief costs in the billions. The White House has pledged $15 million; compare this to the $30 million price tag for a B-52 bomber.

Many members of U-M’s South Asian community are waiting anxiously to learn the fates of family members and friends in the region. Several student organizations are planning to collect aid donations once Winter classes begin on January 5. In the meantime, you can donate to UNICEF by clicking here.

> BBC News In Depth: Asia Quake Disaster

Michigan Unemployment Up

Posted by Ari Paul on 23. December 2004

Is the economy getting better for Michigan? The Detroit Free Press reports that “Jobless rates went up in all of Michigan’s 12 major labor market areas in November, state officials said Wednesday.”

AU site design: request for submission

Posted by Murph on 21. December 2004

Readership, I demand obedience!

Wait, I mean “request for submissions”, not “submission”. In that case, forget that obedience thing. . .The real post will begin now. Ahem.

The ArborUpdate writers are not particularly attached to the current site design. In fact, we often discuss scrapping it and redesigning, but never actually get around to it. Therefore, we would like to invite any reader who is more graphically talented than we are to design a new layout, logo, color scheme, etc. Please contact us at arborupdate@umich.edu with ideas, prototypes, stylesheets, or whatever else you would like us to consider.

If you know design but don’t know the technical details of web design, one of us can help you with the implementation. (Or, if you know the technical details of web design, but aren’t inspired to come up with an actual design, feel free to volunteer to help with implementation—it will speed up the process over having me or Scott write the code.)

If we use your design, you will be credited, linked to, and given other ego-related compensation.

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