Editorial

Candidates advised of rules for political sign placements

During this election season, the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Dickinson County Road Commission remind all candidates that campaign signs can interfere with motorist and pedestrian vision along streets and highways. Signage at intersections and other places in the right-of-way can also be problematic for maintenance operations. Candidates are advised of MDOT’s sign placement criteria: — Political candidates are responsible for obtaining approval from the adjacent property owner to place the signs. — Signs must be more than 30 feet from the edge of the roadway ...

Federal waste of office space stifles economies at many levels

The federal government is the largest owner of U.S. real estate, including more than half a billion square feet of office space. That is far more than it needs, and the cost of maintaining it has ballooned to unsustainable levels. The Public Buildings Reform Board recently identified 26 buildings across 15 states — totaling more than 7.3 million square feet — as potential candidates for the government to dispose of due to poor usage and high maintenance costs. It’s the third set of disposal recommendations since Congress created the board in 2016. That’s a great start, but the ...

Donald Trump, refugees and SCOTUS

The Supreme Court on Thursday expanded President Trump’s power over immigration—or so the press proclaims. The White House no doubt wishes that were true, but the six conservative Justices merely ruled that judges can’t usurp power that Congress delegated to the President. At issue in Mullin v. Doe was Mr. Trump’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrian and Haitian refugees. A 1990 law lets the Secretary of Homeland Security provide quasi-legal status to migrants if they can’t safely return to their home countries because of armed conflicts, natural ...

Cartoon commentary

It’s the big 2-5-0 for America

America always celebrates its birthday with sparklers, red, white and blue bunting, parades and fireworks. On Saturday, however, in Superiorland and elsewhere in these United States, expect all of the above to amp up considerably as the nation marks its 250th birthday. If truth be told, though, the fun in Marquette's Lower Harbor got rolling Thursday afternoon with the kick off of the Marquette County Exchange Club's 44th Annual Freedom Fest that will run until 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Look for great food, games for the kids, live music and a tent full of ice cold adult beverages, to name ...

Before lighting up fireworks, consider effects on others

It’s time for the annual reminder that while fireworks spark awe and delight for many, they are a source of dread for some in the community. Michigan law establishes 12 days in which local governments can’t ban fireworks, all around federal holidays. They are: • Dec. 31 until 1 a.m. Jan. 1 • Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend until 11:45 p.m. • June 29 to July 4 until 11:45 p.m. • Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend until 11:45 p.m. Local governments may have ordinances on just what, when and where fireworks can be used at other times, so before ...