The media recognize that without a trusted, independent source of data and analysis, the flow of information about state and local government issues would be controlled by two sources -- the governmental units themselves and interest groups. CRC is that trusted source. Here are the latest articles in which CRC is cited:

February 2012

• Retirement costs shrink Snyder budget K-12 funding, study says
  Detroit News, February 17, 2012

When retirement costs are considered, Gov. Rick Snyder's budget proposal would result in a 1 percent decrease in K-12 school funding next year and a 3.3 percent drop in 2014, according to a study released Friday by the Citizens Research Council.

• Tax reforms make Michigan competitive
  Detroit News, February 17, 2012

Those findings are paralleled somewhat in a report just out from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan with findings that both state and local tax burdens have declined in Michigan.

• Gov. Rick Snyder: Reforms turn Michigan's tax climate sunny
  Detroit Free Press, February 14, 2012

Although the Tax Foundation rankings are valuable, they are not the only thing businesses look at when making decisions on where to locate, said Jeffrey Guilfoyle, president of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a Livonia-based public policy research nonprofit.

• Detroit crisis may force sale of crucial assets
  Detroit News, February 13, 2012

Theoretically, the city could sell off assets, but there are several hurdles involved, said Betty Buss, who compiled a recent Citizens Research Council of Michigan report detailing the city's debt load. Either the sale wouldn't generate enough money to be worth it, or there could be problems because of how the asset is funded, she said.

• Is contract enough to ward off Detroit emergency manager? Yes, say Bing, union leaders
  Detroit Free Press, February 2, 2012

"This is clearly the city’s best effort to convince the state that city officials and union leaders should be allowed to resolve the city’s challenges without state intervention," said Bettie Buss, senior research associate for the Citizens Research Council. "It is clear that the state will very carefully consider the promises made in this document in their determination."

January 2012

• President Obama has it right: America needs education
  AnnArbor.com, January 29, 2012

A recent study by Citizens Research Council (crcmich.org) highlights the importance of teachers and how Michigan could do a better, more efficient job of preparing its classroom leaders. We need to engage classroom teachers and listen to their voice as we embrace and lead school change.

• Detroit Must Cut Income Taxes, Worsening Crumbling Tax Base
  Huffington Post, January 26, 2012

Detroit, already hurting for revenue, must cut personal income taxes by July 1 to comply with Michigan law, according to a report released Friday by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a non-partisan think tank.

• Detroit Faces $8.5M Setback
  MIRS Capitol Capsule, January 25, 2012

The City of Detroit is facing an $8.5 million reduction in income tax intake becaause it is doing well enough economically that it does not meet the standards needed to keep its tax rate higher. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan (CRC) released a report last week that showed Detroit would have to reduce its municipal income tax rate beginning July 1, the start of the new fiscal year in the city, because it did not meet three out of four requirements to prevent the reduction.

• Cash-strapped Detroit to lose $8.5M under state law requiring cut in income tax rate
  Detroit Free Press, January 25, 2012

An analysis by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, released Friday, estimates that the lost revenue to the city -- or savings to taxpayers -- would be about $8.5 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1.

• Big township bank accounts draw concern, defense
  Bridge Magazine, January 19, 2012

Eric Lupher, director of local affairs at the nonprofit Citizens Research Council of Michigan, said townships and villages tend to have higher fund balances than cities or counties because of the way they fund large expenditures.

"Cities usually go to the bond market to borrow money for capital improvements," he said. "Townships tend to save up the money for when they need to buy things. They’re making wise use of the taxpayers’ dollars."

• Detroit teeters on the brink despite autos comeback
  CNN, January 18, 2012

"The financial situation in the city is quite complicated and there are no easy answers," said Bettie Buss, senior research associate, Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonpartisan public policy think tank.

• Strong teachers key to student success
  Detroit News, January 17, 2012

The report, from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, offers worthwhile observations. Gov. Rick Snyder has recognized the importance of training teachers effectively and making sure only the best teachers make it to classrooms. He's asked teaching programs to strengthen their course requirements and requested that the State Board of Education and Education Department raise the bar on teacher certification tests.

• Report puts Detroit's total debt at $20 billion
  WXYZ TV-7, January 16, 2012

Yes, $17 billion with a "B" dollars when you include interest. But the real figure is even higher, according to the Citizens Research Council, a non profit, non partisan "better government" organization that’s been around for nearly a century - since 1918 to be exact.

• In a Detroit fire sale, assets might not prove worth much
  Crain's Detroit Business, January 14, 2012

Generally, at this point in the conversation, the talk turns to Detroit's assets. Jewels, if you will. The kinds of things Public Act 4 empowers an emergency manager to sell. That's "any asset that (the sale of) doesn't put residents in danger or that doesn't impair a legal obligation," Bettie Buss of the Citizens Research Council told me a few months back.

• State Spending Up 20% Since '77, But . . .
  MIRS Capitol Capsule, January 10, 2012

Jeff Guilfoyle, president of Citizens Research Council of Michigan, concurred, calling Proposal A a "profound shift."

"If you're going to compare (spending) you need to adjust for Proposal A. It's critical to make that adjustment," he said.

• C.R.C.: Fewer Teacher Colleges, Better Certification Needed
  Gongwer News Service, January 9, 2012

Though research has shown that quality teachers are essential to student achievement, the current certification process does not guarantee that quality and does not necessarily provide what it does in the most efficient manner, the Citizens Research Council said in a report released Monday.

• Talks Continue Over Onekama Consolidation
  Interlochen Public Radio, January 9, 2012

In a report released in October, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan concluded that while there may not be any money saved by folding the village into the township, the community would likely see improved planning, economic development and stewardship of Portage Lake.

• Bing: Detroit won't run out of cash in April -- thanks to cuts, more revenue
  Crain's Detroit Business, January 5, 2012

Bing's team also downplayed the city's debt. A recent report by the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council estimated the city's total debt and long-term liabilities and obligations at roughly $13.2 billion -- or $18,500 per Detroiter.

• Possibility of emergency manager in Detroit prompts civil rights concerns
  Washington Post, January 5, 2012

Snyder understands he is stepping into a political minefield if an emergency manager is appointed, said Bettie Buss, a senior research associate at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a public policy think tank. "There is no upside for the governor to appoint an emergency manager of Detroit, but the city is facing a crisis," she said.

• Detroit's legacy costs need long-term solution
  Detroit News, January 4, 2012

The city has a relatively high ratio of debts to assets. The debts include bonds of various kinds, including bonds to cover the city's pension fund obligations. If, as a report by the non-partisan Citizens Research Council notes, the assets of the city's pension funds grow more quickly than the cost of paying down the bonds, the pension bonds sold in recent years will prove to be a sound financial strategy. If not, the pension obligations will prove to be another drag on the city's financial fortunes. So far, the pension funds appear to be adequately funded to meet their obligations to retirees. Even so, the city's contribution to its two major pension funds last year was more than $70 million.

• Will Michigan be better off a year from now?
  MLive.com, January 1, 2012

In its analysis of the 2012 state budget, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan said the $1.4 billion in personal income tax increases could negate the positive economic impact of business tax cuts.