Hey friends, Jer here.
Hope you're enjoying the cooler, cleaner air. I made sure to get outside for awhile yesterday as this is my definition of epic weather.
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💵 After the non-partisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan shared analysis yesterday morning showing a possible large gap in the state's budget to the tune of $600-$900 million, it turns out the Governor and legislative officials had something up their sleeves they hadn't told us yet.
They're draining the $450 million of remaining money from the SOAR business attraction fund to bridge the gap. [Crain's Detroit] [Bridge Michigan]
But here's the kicker: That's a one-time fix, so that no one has to make hard choices in an election year.
Whoever is elected governor (and controls the legislature) in November is likely going to have to deal with budget cuts next year as Michigan's economy continues to struggle, hampering any agenda.
📰 Speaking of the economy, this piece in New York Times Opinion is ostensibly about the primary Senate race between Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed... but the answers inside are some deep real talk about Michigan's financial future. [NYT Gift Link]
The local experts talked about how our economy hasn't adapted, the challenges of keeping and attracting young talent, and a lack of knowledge that the country is passing us by.
Independent pollster Richard Czuba said:
Michigan’s economy over the past 25 years has become calcified in its nostalgia for manufacturing. I do focus groups with voters regularly, and not much stuns me, but the conversations that do are when voters say, “No, no, no, we don’t want those high-tech knowledge jobs. We’re a manufacturing state. We build things.” And that is, at the very core, what has caused Michigan’s economy to just stagnate. We have got to change. We have got to adapt. We did this survey and we asked voters: Where does Michigan rank among the 50 states? And we asked them to give us a number, and it was right in the middle. They think we’re perfectly average. Michigan voters have no idea the rest of the country is blowing by them right now on the economy.
Go read the rest of the voices, and I'll love to know what do you think for a future edition.
🗳️ Detroit’s Department of Elections is kicking off early voting with a “Get Out to Vote” block party this Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside its West Grand Boulevard headquarters.
The event lines up with the first day of in-person early voting for the primary, an option expanded under a 2022 Michigan constitutional amendment.
City voters can cast ballots, register, and get information about eight early voting sites citywide, while enjoying live entertainment, family activities, and giveaways. [Detroit Votes]
Did you know that in 2025, for every 10 votes by people over 60 in the city of Detroit, there's just one vote cast by someone under 30? [Bridge Detroit]
🗺️ Oakland and Wayne counties just cleared a path to put a museum funding millage on the November ballot. The proposed 0.2-mill tax would support the Wright Museum and Detroit Historical Society, pending state approval and voters. [Detroit News]
🎂 In related news, the Detroit Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum are celebrating birthdays this weekend.
On Friday, July 24 from 10 a.m – 8 p.m., the Detroit Historical Museum marks its 75th anniversary with a free block party with museum admission and guided tours, plus a classic car show, food trucks, music/DJs/karaoke, family activities, and a birthday toast and cake cutting. [Register Here]
Then on Saturday, July 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Dossin Great Lakes Museum celebrates its 65th anniversary with a free Dock Party on Belle Isle spotlighting Great Lakes maritime history.
Expect guided tours, radio contolled boats on the cove, live music, family activities, food trucks, waterfront photo ops, ice cream, and a community mural-painting moment.
Both events are free. I'm hoping to get to both.
🐲 Also this Saturday is the second annual Detroit Chinatown Block Party. [Detroit Chinatown Vision Committee]
It kicks off at noon near Cass & Peterboro, celebrating the neighborhood’s history and future as a Pan-Asian business district. Last year more than 4,000 people came out.
Earlier this year, I talked on the podcast about the vision for the area going forward.
Jer Staes
🐧 Have you ever wondered how the animals at the Detroit Zoo were doing with the recent wildfire smoke? Or how they manage through extreme weather? Waddle on over to Planet Detroit.
🚑 I'm always fascinated when people make hard turns in their careers. I think reinventing oneself is a good thing, and I personally know all to well how hard it is to eat in the media world today, especially when you deeply value facts and truth.
So this essay by paused journalist Malachi Barrett who traded in his reporter's notebook for EMT training caught my eye. An excerpt:
I relied too much on the validation of strangers. I understood that success shouldn’t be measured by clicks or retweets, but I watched the numbers anyway, telling myself that reporting no one sees isn’t worth much either. Attention is currency.
Unfortunately, two things are true: Platforms optimized for emotional manipulation don’t reward an incremental effort to build civic engagement, and landing a hit tweet feels dangerously good. I became conflicted about whether to stay focused on city politics or seek “bigger” stories.
Read the rest on his Substack.
🍕 One of the most unique pizzas you will find is at Amar in Hamtramck. Infused with Bangladeshi heritage and flavors, you won't want to miss it. Above you'll find a video from Independent Lens about it.
But to be clear, my co-host Norris Howard already called it out as one his favorites in a recent episode of the podcast.
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Until next time — remember that you are somebody, and I'll see you around Detroit.
-Jer
