We have a problem in Michigan that no one in power, including the governor, our senators or the press, really seem to care about.
Our flagship universities are run by elected boards or people who have almost no affiliations with the schools, routinely are embroiled in controversy and are, in my experience, universally hated by anyone who even knows who they are, which is a fraction of the populace.
Michigan State University’s sixth president in eight years just took a pay cut to leave the school, and the University of Michigan has been without a president for two years, and its in large part because nobody wants to deal with these boards, selected by party conventions and elected solely due to the party under their name on the ballot.
For the love of all that is holy, fix this broken system of selecting university boards via election.
Jordan Zammit
Brownstown
Iran war is making a lot of money
Are you getting tired of paying $4.80 per gallon of gas? The Guardian reported that big oil reaped $30 million in windfall profits every hour during the first month of the Iran war. Of course, that money flows from your pocket to theirs and continues to this day.
The oil industry is not the only hog with its snout and hooves in our pockets. The defense industry is set to make billions as well. Despite the kaleidoscope of public announcements from Washington, don’t expect the Iran war to end any time soon.
Norm Howe
Ann Arbor
Colbert contributed to political landscape
Julie Hinds, in her elegy for Stephen Colbert’s eleven years hosting the “Late Show,” praises his “smart, satirical comedy.” (“A look back at Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ trials and triumphs,” Detroit Free Press, May 20.) Perhaps, though that’s a matter of taste.
What can’t be denied is that in recent years — say, since President Donald Trump was first elected — Colbert and his fellow late-night hosts have become increasingly edgy, more political and downright partisan. Ms. Hinds says that his tenure at CBS “coincided” — her word — “with a divisive, ugly and exhausting era of politics.”
“Contributed” is a better description of Colbert’s part in the current nasty tone in American politics.
Roger Leemis
Southfield
Jan. 6 participants should not get taxpayer money
Can you imagine reading in the paper or watching the TV news that a small group of thugs decided to rob a store, and in the process the police were called to that particular location. When the police arrive, instead of arresting them, the police, through our tax dollars, compensate them for a job well done and then allowed to go free. Shocking? To say the least. That scenario is exactly what Donald Trump is doing with our tax dollars. He wants to appropriate $1.776 billion dollars of our tax money to compensate convicted Jan. 6 rioters for being unjustly charged for what they did that dreadful day in 2021. Everyone in this country needs to be outraged and incensed over this. This man must be impeached and removed from office immediately.
Jim Jeziorowski
Wayne
I was for Duggan
Now that Mike Duggan is out of the race there is nobody left worth voting for.
Joel Fox
Oak Park
Tigers should bunt more
During times of a team wide slump along with many injuries why not try playing “small ball”? This team can’t bunt or play outstanding defense. We have one hitter averaging over .300. We have eight players hitting under .200. Surely there must be more talent in Toledo or other affiliates. If not, we’ve been sold a bill of goods by management.
If we do nothing, the season will be over by July 1 and we will have lost another season with Tariq Skubal in the fold.
John Tomey
Fort Myers, Florida
This name just makes sense for Detroit’s WNBA team
As the WNBA team will be on the old Uniroyal property, maybe the name should be the Detroit Royals.
Gary Miron
Eastpointe
I can’t get over Pistons heartbreak
Pistons fans, like most fans, have suffered through heartbreak with their beloved team. Isiah’s errant pass, stolen by Bird. Laimbeer’s non-foul on Kareem. And Rasheed, inexplicably leaving Robert Horry wide open. These are all burned into our collective memory, if you’re a fan of a certain age.
I think we can all agree that this year’s Pistons are still a player or two and a year or two away from a championship, but it doesn’t make the heartbreak any less devastating.
In a way, even though a title wasn’t on the line, this year’s frustrating losses were tougher to accept. This is because it was not one momentary lapse or one bad call. Our pivotal moments against the Cleveland Cavaliers felt like complete meltdowns. Lapses that were extensive, ill-timed, and absolutely unacceptable.
For instance, Cade Cunningham (who was admittedly mostly brilliant) had three of the worst turnovers you could imagine in just 40 seconds as we gave away Game 3. Then, we were up nine with two and one half minutes to go in the next game and we completely imploded to lose again. Finally, to finish our collapse, we had one of the worst showings ever for a home team in a Game 7. We were thoroughly embarrassed by Cleveland on our own floor.
A tough call or a bad bounce happens all the time. However, the implausibility of the Pistons’ demise this year will sit with fans for quite a while.
Bryan Chase
Huntington Woods
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stephen Colbert’s goodbye is good for TV | Letters
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