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Donate TodayGuest Commentary
At Bridge, we believe in listening to voices from all over our state. Got something to say? Contact us and join the conversation (details below)
How to submit a Guest Commentary
What to know:
Bridge Magazine welcomes a diversity of voices and perspectives from readers on issues important to Michigan. Guest commentaries reflect the views of the author(s), and are independent of the nonpartisan, fact-driven reporting of Bridge’s newsroom staff.
Commentaries must be the author’s original work and preferably will not have appeared first in other publications. Bridge reserves the right to decline submissions at our discretion.
We reserve the right to edit commentary for grammar, clarity, brevity or to address legal or factual concerns. We may offer editing suggestions, but in the service of making your work more accessible, not to alter your views.
We do not pay for guest commentary.
Here are some guidelines:
- Columns are usually 500-700 words
- They generally focus on a Michigan topic or policy and should avoid ad hominem attacks
- The more direct, distinct and/or intimate your perspective, the more effective your column will be
- The best columns do more than identify problems; they also offer solutions and facts to back them up
- Please include a one- or two-sentence bio, including the writer’s organization or relevant background
- Send a good quality, large headshot of the writer(s) as an attachment
- We also ask that, in return for publishing a guest commentary, the author(s) and their organizations generously promote the link to the published column through your Facebook, Twitter and other social or professional networks.
That’s about it. Keep the writing clear, conversational and free of jargon, and sell our smart and receptive readership on the argument you are trying to make.
Who to contact:
Email your submission or idea to Monica Williams at mwilliams@bridgemi.com. Please briefly describe who you are and what you would like to say.
Articles
Opinion | Detroit’s future depends on training Detroiters for today’s jobs
Manufacturing no longer provides the jobs for a city with the nation’s lowest workforce participation rate. In this Guest Commentary, the author of a new book on post-bankruptcy Detroit suggests a smarter training approach for the city’s forgotten workers.
Opinion | The veteran population is changing. We must change with it
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) is restructuring operations and expanding its reach amid a high suicide rate among young veterans and a rise in women who need service, the director writes in this Guest Commentary.
Opinion | John Conyers Jr. is laid to rest. His work, and legacy, live on in Michigan
The former U.S. congressman, who died at age 90 late last month, was a titan for justice and link from Martin Luther King Jr. to Barack Obama. He never stopped fighting for underdogs.
Opinion | Enbridge is not working to protect Michigan waters
Recent developments on the Line 5 tunnel provide another glimpse into Enbridge Energy's playbook of distraction and deception.
Opinion | Homelessness is solvable. We’re committing $5 million toward it
Supportive housing, like Detroit’s new development for LGBTQ youth, is a proven intervention, providing shelter without restrictions.
Opinion | Bipartisan hope emerging on climate change
It seems Republicans and Democrats are coming together for the good of our planet. National pricing on carbon offers promising common ground.
Opinion | Michigan spending more on education, but teacher pay stagnant
Lansing’s failures to adequately manage and fund the state retirement system of teachers is chewing up the small annual increases in the state budget for K-12 education.
Opinion | How a challenge helped us triple student voter turnout at U-M
The 14 Big Ten universities shared an overall goal of helping eligible students get registered to vote, learn about candidates and ballot issues, and cast their ballots. The winners of the challenge? The students who learn and become engaged in our democracy.
Opinion | 'Clean Slate' should simplify, not complicate, expungement process
The current process for expungement in Michigan is confusing and costly. A mechanism that automatically clears criminal convictions after 10 years is good policy that could create more law-abiding citizens.
Opinion | Restore financial aid to Michiganders in prison
Gov. Whitmer recently restored financial aid access for incarcerated college students but more policy changes are needed to fully restore access to college in prison.
Opinion | Gov. Whitmer’s effort to ban vaping products was the right move
A Michigan school superintendent says his district has seen a 71 percent increase in tobacco-related incidents in the past two years, despite efforts to both educate students and address offenses to the codes of conduct.
Opinion: Wayne County’s diversity poses Census challenges, opportunities
The county's diverse population poses challenges, especially regarding language and trust in local governments. These barriers increase the chances immigrant Americans will be undercounted in the 2020 census.
Opinion | Gov. Milliken's enduring legacy: civility, bridging divides
Milliken's biographer pauses after his passing to revisit what the former Michigan governor was able to accomplish, and how he got it done.
Opinion | I’m a victim of Detroit gentrification. Don’t let me lose my home.
As rents skyrocket in hip neighborhoods like Corktown, long-term residents are vulnerable and Detroit needs to consider subsidies or other programs to prevent displacement.
Opinion | Michigan: It’s time to honor our Native American heritage
Mackinac, Pontiac, Washtenaw, and even Michigan are names drawn from the amazing tribal heritage in our great state. That's why I proposed SB 568, a bill to rename the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Opinion: Michigan Legislature budget slices cybersecurity. This is alarming
Michigan's state government faces more than 1.5 million attempted cyberattacks on IT networks, servers, and systems daily. Fending off these criminal attempts to access private information is a top priority and the $4 million in cuts to the state's cybersecurity efforts is disturbing.
Michigan farmers, millennials, Yoopers, conservatives: What’s on your mind?
Bridge Magazine wants to hear readers’ perspective on Michigan’s critical issues. By reaching and hearing the views of others, perhaps we can find common ground and work together to move this state forward, our Guest Commentary editor writes.
Opinion | Gov. Whitmer prioritizes Native American students in Michigan budget
With more than 147 line-item vetoes, the governor signaled a stark change from her earlier stance on a roads plan and other funding. However, her 2019-20 budget does reflect one of her campaign promises to Native American communities: a fully-funded tuition waiver program.
Opinion | Michigan budget should reflect shared values on health, well-being
While the budget that went into effect on Oct. 1 funded many Michigan health priorities, many vital needs remain unmet.
Opinion | Michigan dental patients deserve better than Medicare for All
Access, affordability and coverage already act as major hurdles to proper dental care for too many families. Medicare for All proposals currently under consideration by Congress—and similar plans — could make things much worse.