DetroitWonk

A Royal Oak Night Out With Urbane Apartments

2008-06-09T15:27:00.002-04:00

Had a chance to go out with folks from Urbane Apartments, the Royal Oak apartment I live in. Love the place, and I'm glad I finally met the people who live in my building. I mean, come on, I've only been living there for like, a year and a half!

Smart Fortwo Crash Test

2008-05-14T08:18:00.002-04:00

The IIHS just released US-Spec Smart Fortwo crash test data. Guess what? The little tyke did "Good."

2009 Ferrari California

2008-05-13T06:51:00.002-04:00

Yup, it's real -- alternately called the "Dino" or "GT", we've now got the real name of the new Ferrari and pictures. It's called the 2009 Ferrari California and it's got one lovely face.

2009 Ford Focus Coupe

2008-05-13T04:36:00.002-04:00

What automaker would reveal their new econo-box on American Idol? Ford would. The 2009 Ford Focus Coupe? Lipstick on a pig.

2009 Porsche 911

2008-04-26T16:52:00.002-04:00

Who needs spy photos when you've got basically every detail in the book on the next-generation 2009 Porsche 911. That's what we just snagged over on Jalopnik -- all the deets on the entire new 911 lineup. Take a peek.

Cadillac CTS Wagon

2008-04-25T15:29:00.002-04:00

Jalopnik just snagged the first spy shots of the 2010 Cadillac CTS Wagon. Do want!

2010 Ford Taurus

2008-04-08T14:18:00.002-04:00

Jalopnik had a spy photo up of the 2010 Ford Taurus, but now they don't.

2009 Nissan GT-R

2008-04-08T08:39:00.002-04:00

Godzilla's back and hopefully we'll be driving him soon. That's right -- the 2009 Nissan GT-R is here and we're hoping we'll have one in hand post-haste. Of course, we could also wait for the 2010 model year when we're expecting to see the Nissan GT-R Spec V.

Max Mosley Sex Video?

2008-03-30T23:20:00.001-04:00

Seriously -- the Max Mosley nazi orgy sex scandal video has to be the weirdest thing I've covered since I've started blogging about cars.

Audi Super Bowl Commercial

2008-02-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

It's not quite as exciting as having Super Bowl XL in Detroit, but Super Bowl Sunday's still a blast and we'll be covering all the automotive Super Bowl commercials live over on Jalopnik this evening, so check out our coverage over there. We've already got a teaser screen capture of the Iron Man Super Bowl commercial up as well as the Audi Super Bowl commercial.

Chicago Auto Show

2008-01-28T09:17:00.000-05:00

I'll be at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show this upcoming week -- so head over to Jalopnik for the full deep dish -- all of the car and truck revealing action!

Detroit Auto Show

2008-01-11T07:19:00.000-05:00

Still looking for more Detroit Auto Show action? Fire away through the link above.

Tata Nano

2008-01-10T06:20:00.001-05:00

Jalopnik's got all the details on the Indian automaker Tata, and their new $2,500 car -- and yes, it's call the Tata Nano! Click the link for their full coverage of the Tata Nano.

Yes Folks, It's Now Time for the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Yay

2007-12-11T06:52:00.000-05:00

It's December and it's already Detroit Auto Show season. I'll be spending this week doing nothing but going from one embargoed auto show briefing and holiday party to the next. Last night and yesterday it was GM, today and tonight is Ford, Honda on Wednesday and Chrysler on Thursday. I'm not at all excited. Follow along with all my fun at Jalopnik's Detroit Auto Show tag.

Tigers Turn the Page, Prepare for 2007

2007-03-04T14:38:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again! Spring Training is underway, the Tigers are preparing for another season of baseball, except this year, things are different. After traveling all the way to the World Series last season, higher expectations await these Tigers, who look to have a promising season ahead of them. Just a few short months ago, it was the Cardinals shutting down Detroit's Tigers to become World Champions. Now, the Tigers have turned the page, and are looking forward to this season, forgetting about last season.

Jim Leyland's team is largely the same unit fans from across the country came to know and love during the 2006 American League Championship campaign. Jamie Walker jumped ship to the Orioles, and Jose Mesa is now a member of the bullpen, but otherwise, the Tigers pitching staff is in tact. Gary Sheffield was added in a trade from the Yankees early on in the offseason, and while acquiring an older player is always a gamble, the Iron Chef appears to be in good health, and poised to give the Tigers a legitimate designated hitter. The logjam in the outfield has also been somewhat negated as the Tigers attempt to change Marcus Thames into a first baseman. Craig Monroe, Curtis Granderson, and Magglio Ordonez will all be back to roam the outfield at Comerica Park, and the infield remains the same. Add in another year of experience to the young players, and this Tigers team has perhaps an even better shot at greatness than the one that preceded it.

I'm sure everyone else is also looking forward to April 2nd, when the Tigers open their 2007 season at home against the Toronto Blue Jays. Single game tickets went on sale Saturday, and the team sold over twice as many tickets on Saturday than they did on the first day of ticket sales last season. As we begin to move closer and closer to summer, the anticipation continues to build, for Detroit will soon be free of snow and a become a baseball town once again.

Single Game Ticket Information [Tigers.com]

Winning does wonders for Tigers' image [ESPN]

Chris Webber Adds New Dimension to Pistons

2007-01-27T23:11:00.000-05:00

When the rumors began swirling after Chris Webber was waived by the 76ers, I have to admit that I was skeptical. I liked the agility and size ratio Nazr Mohammed gave the team, yet felt C-Webb could add a much more powerful inside presence on the offensive end. With big men, it is usually difficult to predict how they will fit in with their new clubs. When Webber saw his first action in a Pistons uniform, I was pleased with his passing ability, but worried about his flat jump shot and difficulties in elevating. However, in the limited time we have been able to see Webber play with his new NBA squad, he looks to have been a solid pickup by Joe Dumars. Rasheed Wallace has been developing an increasing tendency to fire shots exclusively from the perimeter despite being a legitimate threat on the block. Adding Chris Webber, who can play from the high post or on the low blocks gives the Pistons a new dimension in the paint. Webber is an exception passer for a man of his stature and size, which means that players like Tayshuan Prince and Richard Hamilton can more effectively make their cuts and slashes towards the basket without the ball, and perimeter players can receive feeds when working from the inside out. And while Detroit's native son may appear to have trouble rising up much higher than the minimum height necessary to dunk the basketball, he still has shown that he can get up and throw it down in traffic. Chris Webber is a solid acquisition, and things will only get better as he learns the system and his teammates. While not the world's greatest defender, at least Webber has enough size to hold his own, and has averaged seven rebounds per contest in his five games with the Pistons. Plus, he has averaged better than three assists and nearly eleven points, proving that he can make a huge difference on the floor. Post-Webber, the Stones have put up a 3-2 record, however Friday night's loss to the Wizards went down to the wire, and things look to be largely back on track. The Pistons were already high on talent, but with the return of Chris Webber to Michigan, they could have gotten just the extra push they need to make them poised for a deep playoff run.

Masses Flock to Cobo as it Fills With New Car Smell

2007-01-18T12:54:00.000-05:00

It's a beautiful time of year. The magical time of year when Detroit is host to the North American International Auto Show, and when we can all take a look at just about every car worth looking at all within the confines of a single convention center. Though the shiniest and more interesting cars to look at may have only concerned those looking for a new Maybach or Rolls convertible (I figured I'd head to the NAIAS as I consider buying a new Bentley to help fill up my garage), there were plenty of cars for the common man. Best thing about it was that most of the cars for the common man are open, allowing you to sit in them, which is particularly important if you happen to have trouble fitting into cars. While I'm only 6'4", apparently that is just too tall in the eyes of those who design cars. They simply don't like the look of me in pretty much anything with a sunroof or the majority of convertibles (I can fit into a Porsche convertible quite well, however -- it's only too bad that Porsche is a little out of my price range). That aside, there were so many new cars in one area that the new car smell was almost overpowering, and there were plenty of shiny new concepts to check out from behind the safety buffer of velvet ropes as well. For those of you who have not been to Cobo to check things out yet, I highly recommend going -- it's a sight to behold. Show hours and ticket prices are available from the NAIAS website. You have until this Sunday before all the chrome wheels and soft velvet ropes pack up and move out of town.

The 2007 NAIAS has many particularly interesting technologies and concept cars, but I'll only list a few of them. GM's Chevy Volt "e-flex" plugin hybrid is worth taking a look at, as well as the new Chevy Camaro. Ford's Interceptor concept and the Airstream concept are both worth taking a peek at as well. The Airstream is mainly of interest because of the strange lounge setting that also includes a 360-degree TV that can function as a lava lamp or fireplace.

Ford also debuted their Sync technology, which allows for voice activated iPod integration that also works with any portable music player that can plug in via USB. GM's iPod Personal Audio Link system for iPod was also present. Ray tried them both out for Jalopnik -- Obviously Sync is more entertaining to look at, and looks like it could be a huge pull factor for Ford, but taking GM's PAL for a test drive is interesting simply because of the drive itself.

For more on the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, I suggest you head down to Jalopnik.

2006 Detroit Sports Awards

2006-12-31T18:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the 2nd annual Detroit Sports Awards, where we recognize the most notable teams, players, and moments of the 2006 calendar year in Detroit sports.

Best Overall Team: Detroit Tigers
When the 2006 season began, most fans shot for the goal of a first winning season in 12 years. The Tigers went beyond that marker, and made it all the way to the World Series behind a stellar pitching rotation and rising young stars. New manager Jim Leyland helped the team turn the corner from mediocrity into greatness, and a franchise that suffered through a 43-119 campaign just three seasons ago went 95-67, leading the AL Central for the majority of the regular season before falling behind the Twins on the final day of the regular season. Still, the disappointing finish to the regular season could not slow the Tigers, who beat the heavily favored New York Yankees in the ALDS. Detroit followed up the ALDS with a sweep of Oakland in the League Championship Series before falling in five games to the Cardinals. These Tigers put a contender on the field for the first time in years, and with the core players returning next season, the Tigers will look to continue a run for greatness in 2007.
Honorable Mentions: Detroit Shock, 2006 WNBA Champions; University of Michigan Football, #3 in BCS Rankings

Best Detroit Sports Athlete: Carlos Guillen
As the Detroit Tigers made their epic 95-67 regular season run, shortstop Carlos Guillen was among the few players who were consistent through the majority of the season. Carlos played 153 of 162 regular season games, and led the Tigers in batting average (.320), on-base percentage (.400), walks (71), as well as stolen bases (20). The 31-year old shortstop tallied 85 regular season RBI and crossed homeplate 100 times for the Tigers. Once the postseason rolled around, Guillen showed he was clutch, putting up a .362 average to go with a .434 on-base percentage. Throughout the Tigers' epic 2006 campaign, Carlos Guillen proved that his veteran leadership, talent, and consistency made him one of Detroit's premiere athletes, and the best of 2006.
Honorable Mention: Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons Guard

Biggest Surprise: Detroit Tigers
The 2006 American League Champions were projected to finish the season behind the Chicago White Sox, as well as the Minnesota Twins. Many even placed them behind the Cleveland Indians for a fourth place finish -- instead, the new-look Tigers led the AL Central for the majority of the season, settled for a Wild Card, and made it all the way to the World Series.
Honorable Mentions: The Lions Not Drafting a Wide Receiver; Mike Furrey, Detroit Lions Receiver

Biggest Disappointment: Detroit Lions Offense
Coming into the 2006 season, the Lions looked to be on the verge of mediocrity. With Joey Harrington out of the picture and veteran Jon Kitna at quarterback, things looked promising. Add in Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Charles Rogers, and Mike Furrey playing wide receiver, along with Mike Martz at offensive coordinator, and it looked as though the Lions could have been unstoppable. Kevin Jones was compared to Marshall Faulk out of the backfield. Instead, the Lions' offensive line was decimated by injuries, Charles Rogers was released, and Mike Williams rarely played. Kevin Jones suffered a season-ending injury in a Week 14 loss to Minnesota, and the Lions offense is now on its fifth-string running back due to injuries.
Honorable Mention: Neifi Perez

Best Newcomers: Justin Verlander & Joel Zumaya
Rookie pitchers as spectacular as the Tigers' dynamic duo come around once in a lifetime. In the starting rotation, Verlander tied for the team high in victories with a 17-9 record along with a 3.63 ERA through 186 innings. Justin also won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in a landslide. Verlander's partner-in-crime, Joel Zumaya, pitched 83.1 innings from the bullpen, and used his 100+ mph heater to rack up 97 strikeouts. Zoom finished the regular season with a 1.94 ERA and a 6-3 record. Zumaya brings a level of intensity to the mound Detroit hasn't seen out of the bullpen for awhile, and the classic fist-pump and lit up radar guns are fast becoming trademarks of the Tigers' 22 year old reliever.
Honorable Mentions: Ernie Sims, Detroit Lions Linebacker; Sean Casey, Detroit Tigers First Baseman

Best Comeback Story: The Return of October Baseball to Detroit
Baseball being played in frigid temperatures and in the October skies was something Detroit had been lacking for many years. Seeing Comerica Park jam-packed up to the rafters was a beautiful sight, and Downtown Detroit was bustling with all of the noise and activity that comes with a deep playoff run. The Tigers had never played on my birthday in my lifetime, but this season they lost 5-0 to the Cardinals in game three of the World Series. Watching a city become excited about baseball again was a fulfilling experience, and an autumn tradition that will hopefully continue for years to come on the field at Comerica Park.
Honorable Mention: Dominik Hasek, Detroit Red Wings Goaltender

Most Exciting Athlete: Joel Zumaya
Out of the Tigers' bullpen, it is Joel Zumaya who lights up radar guns in stadiums across the country. The fireballer has been known to light up guns into the triple digits with regularity, and with more strikeouts than innings pitched, it's easy to see why the Tigers have invested so much in this young pitcher who converted from starter to reliever before the 2006 season began. After seeing Zumaya pitch out of jams in pressure situations, walking off the mound with a pump of the fist, it is clear that he has more than the required passion and drive to make it in the Big Leagues, which is why he is so incredibly exciting to watch. It seems as though every time he gets into the game, the fans are in for a treat.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Maxiell, Detroit Pistons Forward; Brent Petway, Michigan Forward

Need More Of: Mike Williams
After drafting Mike Williams as the third and final receiver in a streak of three consecutive drafts in which the Lions drafted a wide receiver with their top pick, it is unclear why the Lions simply turn into a black hole for rookies. Certainly after releasing Charles Rogers, there would be plenty of snaps for the second Williams, but not so. Although Mike has had trouble with drops, it seems like if he had a chance he could still be a legitimate threat in the passing game, especially with Roy Williams and Mike Furrey tallying so many receptions. It seems as though the player who set freshman records at USC for most yards and touchdowns as a receiver would be able to take advantage of the defenses' extra attention on Furrey and Roy Williams, but that is not so. Regardless of whether Williams has had enough chances or not, his track record at USC is not a fluke, and the Lions could significantly benefit by developing their still young receiver.
Honorable Mention: Jim Leyland, Detroit Tigers Manager

Good Riddance Awards:

Detroit Lions Offensive Line
Matt Millen, Detroit Lions General Manager
Neifi Perez, Detroit Tigers Utility Infielder
Charles Rogers, Former Detroit Lions Receiver
Joey Harrington, Former Detroit Lions Quarterback

Up-and-Coming Awards:

Ernie Sims, Detroit Lions Linebacker
Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers Starting Pitcher
Jeremy Bonderman, Detroit Tigers Starting Pitcher
Brandon Inge, Detroit Tigers Third Baseman
Jason Maxiell, Detroit Pistons Forward
Dan Cleary, Detroit Red Wings Wing
Mikael Samuelsson, Detroit Red Wings Wing

Wake Me Up Before You Cobo

2006-12-05T15:50:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, Wayne County Executive Rob Ficano unveiled a new $968 million expansion and renovation of Cobo Hall. Adding about 300 thousand square feet, the proposal would also call for the demolition of Cobo Arena and the building of a new, Jetsons-ish skywalk connected Cobo 2.0 to the Renaissance Center and Sheraton Ponchartrain.

Here's a handy little graphic, via the Detroit Free Press:

I'm actually kind of excited about the proposition of a new Cobo, though the skywalk thing strikes me as a bit much. Wouldn't a really nice renovation of the waterfront make more sense?

And while we're remaking Cobo, I'd like to propose renaming it. Albert Cobo was a notoriously racist office holder in Detroit - if you don't know what I'm talking about, I recommend reading Thomas Sugrue's brilliant "Origins of the Urban Crisis," which ought to be required reading for every Metro Detroiter - and Cobo is not worthy of having such a building named after him.

I don't really have a new name in mind, though I would note (if memory serves) that Martin Luther King first delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech at Cobo Hall, so perhaps something connoting that. What would you guys suggest for names instead of Cobo?

With the Lions, it Never Ends

2006-12-01T23:51:00.000-05:00

As a Detroit sports fan, I must say, it's hard to complain. This past season, the Tigers were the 2006 American League Champions; with wins over Miami and New York the past two days, the Pistons have extended their winning streak to eight games as they climb to the top of the Central Division; and although the Red Wings may not be as dominant as in years past, their 32 points is good for second place in the NHL's Central Division. Plus, the University of Michigan has put together one of the country's premeire college football teams, and Michigan State seems to have yet another solid basketball team. Here in the D, it seems the winning never stops... There is one exception to this. With the Detroit Lions, it is the losing that simply never ends.

After reading a brilliant real life interview with William Clay Ford, I was talking to a friend online about firing Matt Millen. After showing him the interview, he asked, "How old is WCF, anyway?" Naturally, I fired up Wikipedia, where on the Detroit Lions entry, I found the most blatant, simple statement I've ever seen: "The Lions are a disgrace to both the city and state." While this is a widely-known fact, it generally isn't the type of statement you'd expect to be presented as one of the opening lines of a Wikipedia entry. Once you start to think about it, the truth hurts. As fans across Michigan beg for mercy, William Clay Ford stands idly by while Matt Millen runs the team into the ground. Although the Lions were unable to deliver a revenge victory against former QB Joey Harrington on Thanksgiving (Harringon instead went on to burn the Lions for three touchdowns), there was a beacon of hope to come from the Lions' latest chapter of shenanigans. John Czarknecki of Fox Sports has said, "Without a doubt, President and CEO Matt Millen won't be in charge of the Detroit Lions next season." Maybe there is still some humanity left. It's a good thing, too -- I'm not sure how much more I can take of these 2-9 Lions. With injuries beginning to heal and playmakers in place, there simply are no excuses. Jon Kitna should never be sacked eight times in one game, and Joey Harrington should never be able to throw three touchdown passes -- especially against his former team. The Lions could fill their skilled positions with a team of Hall of Famers, but with their disgrace of an offensive line, winning games would still be nearly impossible. At least the defense can at least hold their own (at least by Lions standards), and Jon Kitna is usually solid for the most part, at least when he can get any respectable amount of time in the pocket. In 11 games, the quarterback of our last place Lions has been sacked 41 times. In 11 games for the division leading 9-2 Chicago Bears, Rex Grossman has been sacked just 13 times. The woes of the Lions can be overwhelmingly frustrating at times, even when the bar is already set so low. In Detroit, we know how to win. But within the walls of Ford Field, the Lions are turning losing into an artform by finding new and creative ways to let games slip away each and every Sunday. Hey, at least we have the draft to look forward to, right? It might be safer to say that we can look forward to the draft as long as the Lions swear they won't take any wide receivers in the first round...

Truer words have never been written than, "The Lions are a disgrace to both the city and state." Perhaps the Lions could make our holiday wishes come true by replacing this absolute abomination of a rock-bottom team with one that is just plain mediocre. Or even a team that's just plain bad. Just about anything is better than our Lions, but don't hold your breath, because with the Lions, it simply never ends.

NY Times Raves About Detroit's Museum of Contemporary Art

2006-11-30T15:09:00.000-05:00

Today's New York Times has a great review of the realtively-new Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit. Currently the 8th most e-mailed story on the Times' website, the article lauds the architectural designs of native Detroiter Andrew Zago. I don't really have any more to add that the article doesn't say itself. Read it here.

Six Proposals for Abandoned GAR Building

2006-11-28T13:04:00.000-05:00

The long-unused Grand Army of the Republic building, perhaps better known as that triangle castle on Cass and Grand River, is going to be redeveloped with one of six new proposals delivered to the City, the Detroit News reports.

And now, the six proposals:
1. Olympia Development, owned by Red Wings/Tigers pizza magnate Mike Illitch, wants to convert the building into part-Civil War memorial, two floors of offices, and top the building off with some sort of club or cafe - which will surely draw the youngsters who always flock to Civil War memorials.

2. A "New GAR Development Team" wants to install retail on the ground level, with 15 apartments occupying the top three floors - despite the lack of any parking for the building.

3. Qualia Media Group, whose website is vaguely reminiscient of the Nuremberg rally, plans on having "a restaurant/bar/cafe on the first floor, along with a salon and retail area selling local products. The second floor would have TV production and design studios as well as a music studio that would be available for rent by the hour to the public; the third floor would have two separate theaters for live productions and film festivals; and the fourth floor would have a balcony for the theater and a lounge." Maybe it's just me, but the GAR building has never seemed - at least from the outside - to have the space to accommodate all of this. The News also notes that Qualia wants to "wrap" the building's memorable exterior with ads.

4. Robert Allen Architects PC plans on creating a "Camelot" nightclub (presumably not King Arthur-themed), complete with restaurant, a ballroom on the top floor, an ever-posh oxygen bar, and something I've never heard of: "a bar with flavored tobacco water pipes." I have no idea what to make of this; maybe Philip Morris has found a new "delivery device for nicotine."

5. Fieldstone Properties wants to house Mindfield Pictures, "a Detroit-based creative media design, production and editorial" group. Fieldstone also plans on constructing a Civil War museum on the site.

6. And finally, CS Veco wants take the famous building, and transform it into bed and breakfast (I can see a hotel, but a B&B?), "gourmet coffee shop" (read: Starbucks), restaurant and office space.

Well, I think my personal preferences are #1 and 2, but we shall follow this story to see how it turns out.

Untalented Singer, Plastic Woman Divorce

2006-11-28T08:49:00.000-05:00

Metro Detroit is reeling today with news that favorite son Kid Rock (who, incidentally, is not from Detroit, but Romeo) is divorcing Pamela Anderson, his wife of four months. I don't know about you, but it's the kind of news that upon reading, you merely shrug, as it is more or less what you expected (another recent piece of news like this was when Aerosmith frontman Stephen Tyler announced he has Hepatitis C).

We here at DetroitWonk wish Kid Rock the best. We're sure he'll rebound just fine.

Ford Seeks $18 Billion in Credit

2006-11-27T14:29:00.000-05:00

Ray posted on the Ford news over at Jalopnik. His commentary on auto industry issues is far better than mine; read it here. I've block-quoted it below.

Today, in a move that sounds an awful lot like a plot line from a Steinbeck novel of the 30's set in dust-bowl Americana, FoMoCo's asking JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs to help the automaker finance $18 billion in secured (meaning backed by tangible assets like equipment, buildings, nameplates, water coolers, etc). Except, in this Steinbeck novel, instead of the Joad family, Johnny's telling the story of Pa Mulally and Momma Ford asking the bank for a loan. The bank tells them they'll have to sign over the farm, the barn and all of FoMoCo's domestic assets -- plus Volvo and Ford Credit just to be safe. That's right, the Ford family will be putting up all of that for a measly $8 billion in a secured credit line to replace an existing unsecured $6.3 billion loan plus a new $7 billion secured term loan and some stock-insured loans amounting to around $3 billion. I guess that beats running out of cash and having to declare bankruptcy. Hopefully for the boys and girls in Dearborn, this won't end like the final scene in that Steinbeck novel -- you know, a scene of Bill Ford breast-feeding a starving Alan Mulally, with FoMoCo CFO Don LeClair crying in the corner.

MI's 2008 Primaries Likely Moving Up

2006-11-27T11:59:00.000-05:00

This past April, I wrote about Michigan trying to move up its 2008 presidential caucuses up to compete with the traditional early-primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire. The Boston Globe is now reporting that MI's Democrats and Republicans are working together trying to move our state's caucus to Feb. 2, which would bring all sorts of new attention to our state. From the Globe:

Though moving the caucus date would violate DNC rules, it could get signed into law during the Legislature's lame-duck session next month, said Michigan Republican Party chairman Saul Anuzis . "There is widespread agreement from both sides that we will do this. The question is just when we will get it done," Anuzis said.

It's nice to see such bipartisanship on this issue. There are always plenty of opportunities for disagreement and "us vs. them" attitudes - and rightfully so. But it's nice to see that we can work together to improve Michigan's importance in the nation. As I said in my post last April:

Michigan has a vast population - urban, suburban, rural, white, black, Catholic, Protestant, liberal, conservative, and moderate - much more like that of the nation as a whole. ...it would be nice to see a rotating system of primaries, with different states in front every presidential election year, offering each state its turn in the spotlight, and ending the monopoly on the election process held by the privileged few. Michigan Wants In.