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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 | 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.
Opinion | We must work together to reverse Whitmer cuts to autism services
Two GOP representatives -- also parents of special needs children -- say Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was wrong to use vulnerable residents as leverage in the road funding debate. They've introduced a proposal that would restore funding for the autism services she cut from the budget.
Opinion | Don't repair or replace aging gas lines; shut the gas off
Wind and solar energy beat the cost of gas. Detroit and other cities don’t need to invest in gas lines, when they could save $60 billion on repair expenses and environmental and fuel costs, this energy economist writes.
Opinion | Why Michigan's complex housing issues don’t have easy solution
There is no single “Michigan affordable housing crisis.” Instead, there are varied housing challenges that need to be addressed in each region, city, suburb and rural community.
Opinion | Cutting Michigan Tuition Grant puts the state at stake
Funding for students at independent colleges and universities is a vital investment in the well-being of the state — a blending of the individual and common good, says this university president.
Opinion | New electric school buses will benefit student health in Michigan
Seven Michigan communities will have electric buses on the road soon.
Opinion | Treating stigma to prevent opioid overdose deaths
Michigan and other states have started to see a decline in deaths from opioid overdoses -– proof that strong action can help save lives. However, one critical barrier remains: stigma.
Opinion | Red tape blocks Michigan cancer patients from cutting-edge therapy
The governor and state Legislature must use their oversight powers to reject the proposal by unelected Michigan policymakers to strip access to this treatment from many Michigan patients.
Opinion | Michigan elections aren't hacked. They’re among the nation’s most secure.
An Ingham County Clerk says that the state’s elections have numerous checks and balances that offer a level of security unmatched by many other states.
Opinion | Governor’s cuts use people as negotiation tools
Being a leader is recognizing when you have made a mistake — and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made a doozy by cutting funds for scholarships and for programs to help children with autism or seniors with Alzheimer’s. It's cruel, and it's wrong.
Opinion | Marijuana retail bans stunt Michigan's economic growth
Shutting out the legal adult-use cannabis industry only drives revenue, talent and opportunity out of the state. The jobs associated with the cannabis industry will certainly still exist; they just won’t exist in Michigan if local bans persist.
Opinion | We have an agricultural crisis in Michigan. Action is required now.
Harsh weather, invasive bugs and competition for Turkish imports have strained the tart cherry industry this year. Three writers offer solutions -- and call for action -- on how to fix the tart cherry industry.
Opinion | Hey, Bridge, we are not anti-abortion, we are pro-life
Some readers took issue with Bridge Magazine’s use of ‘anti-abortion’ to describe those opposing abortion rights, calling the widely used label biased. This writer argues the term shortchanges the group’s positive message.
Opinion | Michigan minority-owned businesses left out in cold by Gov. Whitmer
Whitmer administration’s directives need to go farther for many Michigan businesses, especially minority-business enterprises.
Opinion | Is it time to increase taxes in Michigan?
If Michiganders want quality services, higher taxes seem appropriate and perhaps necessary, writes a Michigan State University professor of economics.
Opinion | Please Gov Whitmer, don’t end funding for pro-life pregnancy services
The state paid $700,000 for services to groups that encourage women not to end their pregnancies. A new Democratic governor is threatening to end that funding.
Opinion | The Republican school budget hurts Michigan students
The plan now being considered by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won’t help turn around Michigan’s schools, says a former teacher and current legislator.
Opinion | Real funding is down for Michigan schools. Thanks, DeVos family
Total dollars spent on Michigan’s School Aid Fund are up. But that doesn’t take into account inflation, the funds diverted to colleges, or the lack of real investment in the past decade, especially for the most vulnerable students.
Opinion | Michigan should fight weakening of federal school lunch standards
The federal government scaled back on requirements for healthy school meals. Michigan doesn’t have to.