Category: Column
-
Village Life: “Where am I from?” or “Who are my people?” are questions worth exploring
By Tom Travis I’m writing this on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. Soon after Putin’s unprovoked invasion last year I reached out to some local Ukrainians for their reactions. I soon found out they all wanted to talk. They all wanted to share their unique stories and emotions about the impending doom…
Written by
-
Commentary: The Tom Sumner Program leaves a history of civil conversation in an uncivil time
By Paul Rozycki After a decade and a half of giving Flint area listeners hours of civil and wide-ranging conversations in politics, music, science, writing, and the arts, Tom Sumner has decided to end his radio program. It has run on WFOV 92.1 FM in Flint. In his recent post, Sumner said “I’m suspending production…
Written by
-
In praise of (good) politicians
By Paul Rozycki “Politics is more difficult than physics.” –Albert Einstein Last month’s East Village Magazine was devoted to the idea of good governance and the problems with dysfunctional government in Genesee County, as we took a look at the Flint City Council, the Flint Community School Board, and the many problems they have faced.…
Written by
-
Commentary: Addressing Flint’s racial and economic inequities should be top priority for $94.7 million ARPA funds use
By Linda Pohly On June 1, 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd murder and during the early days of the COVID -19 pandemic, the city council and mayor of Flint adopted a joint resolution declaring that racism is a public health crisis and setting out a plan for addressing the crisis as a…
Written by
-
Commentary: How COVID has changed us, and what it means for East Village Magazine
By Paul Rozycki It’s been two years. March 10, 2020. That was the day when Michigan saw its first two COVID cases. Ironically, it was also an election day, and the beginning of the widespread shutdown of much public activity in the state. Within days, colleges and K-12 schools were closed to in-person learning. Bars,…
Written by
-
American democracy is facing serious threats. Let’s make sure it survives.
By Paul Rozycki “The ship of democracy, which has weathered all storms, may sink through the mutiny of those on board.” –Grover Cleveland “While democracy in the long run is the most stable form of government, in the short run, it is among the most fragile”. –Madeleine Albright Democracy isn’t easy. It’s not easy to…
Written by
-
Commentary: Secure MI Vote petition won’t secure your vote — or democracy
By Paul Rozycki A few years ago I was asked to give a presentation on the right to vote to a large number of prospective election workers at City Hall. As I looked out over the audience, I realized that almost none of those present could have voted when this nation began. The great majority…
Written by
-
Commentary: Flint loses 20,000 residents. What does it mean for the city?
By Paul Rozycki With the current census, the city of Flint has lost Grand Blanc, Davison, Swartz Creek, and Montrose. I don’t mean that those places are gone. They are still here in Genesee County and doing fine. But the City of Flint has lost enough population to fill those cities, and that has powerful…
Written by
-
Commentary: For the Aug, 3 city council primary, take the time to learn about your candidates, and vote!
By Paul Rozycki They typically have eight- or ten-hour meetings that often last until dawn. They spend hours bickering and attacking each other personally. They failed to approve the current city budget on time, a violation of the city charter. Only after the city faced the prospect of a shutdown was the budget finalized. Some…
Written by
-
Is it time to get back to “normal”? Maybe, but not yet.
By Paul Rozycki “It ain’t over till it’s over” -Yogi Berra There is a feeling of spring in the air. The days are getting warmer. The snow is melting. More and more people are getting the COVID vaccine. The Flint water crisis seems to reaching some sort of conclusion. And the divisive, tumultuous election of…
Written by