Tag Archives: Michigan

Scouting for graft: Look for Michigan in California

Posted on May 13, 2012 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell If I were a district attorney or attorney general in California — someone with subpoena power — I’d be asking hard questions about the behavior of public school officials and the people who arrange loans, aka bonds, … Continue reading →

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Disaster shadows Poway

Posted on May 10, 2012 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell I thought Michigan was bad. Back in 1993, when I was writing about Michigan school debt, I was astonished to find school districts taking on debt with interest costs at two, three and in one case almost … Continue reading →

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CABs and the high cost of secret deals

Posted on May 8, 2012 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell If you want the best price, bid the work out. That’s a no-brainer, right? Well, the people who love high-interest Capital Appreciation Bonds also love making their deals behind the scenes. Why allow competitive bidding when you … Continue reading →

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Long after goodies are junk, it’s pay, pay, pay

Posted on May 5, 2012 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Who would pay $117.5 million for computers priced at $28 million? Who would pay interest three times principal years after the computers were junk? It happened in Romulus, Michigan in 1990. It’s happening in California now. From … Continue reading →

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Hank Fonde: “I beat Ohio State!”

Posted on November 30, 2008 by admin

Hank Fonde: “I beat Ohio State!” 11/19/08 [donation] By Joel Thurtell The 80-year-old old guy with the shock of white hair wore a fading maize and blue University of Michigan t-shirt. But this was not just any Michigan fan. Nor … Continue reading →

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The bomb under the Ambassador

Posted on November 30, 2008 by admin

The bomb under the Ambassador 11/11/08 By Joel Thurtell Forbes Magazine once referred to Detroit Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel “Matty” Moroun as “the troll under the bridge.” There’s no troll under that bridge. What’s under the Ambassador Bridge is a … Continue reading →

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