Friday, January 9, 2026

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Editorials

COMMENTARY

Minimum wage raise not instant fix

Minimum wage in Michigan rose to $7.15 an hour this month, but a recent report by the Michigan League for Human Services stated it's still not enough. A single person working full-time would need to earn $9.08 an hour to scrape by, according to the report titled "Economic Self-Sufficiency in Michigan: A Benchmark for Ensuring Family Well-Being." The amount factored in necessities such as housing, health care, transportation, taxes and personal items.

COMMENTARY

'Green' policies show progressiveness

MSU is stepping up and becoming an environmentally friendly leader for universities everywhere - one step at a time. While it would be very easy for the university to sit back and continue doing things the way everyone is used to, MSU is spending a little bit more money and time to formulate ideas and solutions around campus to reduce emissions, promote biofuels and create a more natural environment. Lawn mowers and other landscape equipment on campus now use biofuels to replace diesel fuel, lubricants, oils and grease.

COMMENTARY

Higher tuition drives students away

It comes every year - a tuition hike making students cringe. For many, what follows is a frantic scrambling to come up with funds to pay the bill. Students should be prepared for this to happen again this year. The university is facing at least a 6 percent increase in tuition this fall.

COMMENTARY

Strict laws needed for drunken drivers

The choice to drive drunk is not one that begins and ends with a single person. Making that decision can put the safety of many others in jeopardy. In 2005, 16,885 out of 43,443 traffic fatalities in the U.S., or about 39 percent, were alcohol-related, according to www.alcoholalert.com.

COMMENTARY

Students' speech must be protected

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a potentially damaging blow to students' rights to free speech in a ruling Monday. In 2002, Joseph Frederick unfurled a 14-foot banner that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" near his school in Juneau, Ala., as the Olympic torch passed through town.

COMMENTARY

Guantanamo key factor in '08 race

Presidential candidates for the 2008 election will often not give a definitive stance on many of the issues facing them. Health care, immigration, the war with Iraq and other topics are discussed but often shirked when a solution is needed.

COMMENTARY

Lenders' interest policy makes sense

In a letter to Congress Thursday, Andrew Cuomo stated some private lenders are setting interest rates for student loans based on the college the student attends. Instead of looking at each individual student's credit history, the lenders base rates on factors such as previous graduate default rates, graduation rates or the credit trends of the colleges' neighborhoods, according to The New York Times. Cuomo wrote the letter to Congress in an effort to expose a trend of unfair lender discrimination.

COMMENTARY

Duke prosecutor sets poor precedent

A lot of presuppositions exist regarding lawyers. There are countless jokes and jabs portraying them as liars and cheats, meant to be taken as half-jokes. Michael Nifong, the prosecuting attorney in the case against former members of Duke University lacrosse team, is making it harder to think of these assumptions as jokes. With almost 29 years of prosecuting experience, the Durham County, N.C., district attorney was found guilty Saturday of ethical violations and disbarred.

COMMENTARY

New tax renews hope for businesses

Michigan finally has a replacement for the controversial Single Business Tax, or SBT, and the change looks to be a step in the right direction. State lawmakers from both political parties worked together to craft the Michigan Business Tax, or MBT.