After observing this last storm, and the ensuing floods that have ravaged our state due to dams and some failures, it is time for our Legislature to act on and enforce rules and regulations on the dams in our state.
We have already had the three-dam fiasco at Sanford, and almost another tragedy in Cheboygan. There is so much damage in those backwaters now and it is yet to be figured out. Will we wait until another one goes with possibly some loss of life? And with Consumers possibly selling some of the largest ones in the state to private investors there could be major issues ahead as we already seen how they maintain them.
I would encourage each reader to reach out to your state representatives with your concerns.
Dale Borske
Au Gres, Michigan
GM, Ford should aid military if they can make EV deal
Maybe General Motors and Ford Motor Co. need to make a deal with our dealmaker president. Make the aid to rebuild military available if he reinstates tax credits on EV sales and guarantees continual tariffs on foreign built EV sales in the U.S. After all, they both invested billions in EV development over the years.
Dan Tollis
Novi
Divorce proceedings should trigger protections
The recent, alarming uptick in murder-suicides triggered by marital dissolution makes one thing painfully clear: our divorce proceedings are failing to protect the most vulnerable moments of a family’s collapse. We can no longer treat these tragedies as isolated incidents of passion. They are predictable, preventable patterns.
It is time for an all-hands-on-deck approach from lawmakers. We need emergency safeguards backed by law during divorce proceedings. This means mandatory risk assessments filed with any separation agreement, automatic temporary restraining orders where threat indicators exist and expedited hearings for weapon relinquishment.
We require family court judges to have both the authority and the data to intervene before rage turns lethal. A divorce filing should automatically trigger a safety protocol, not merely a property settlement timeline. Victims should not have to predict their own murder; the system must do that work for them.
Every day we wait, another family is torn apart not just by separation, but by violence. Let’s make divorce proceedings a circuit breaker for danger, not a countdown to tragedy.
Timothy Hardville
Auburn Hills
I’m thankful for poetry
My first introduction to poetry was hearing Mother Goose. I not only enjoyed the rhyme, but felt the beat in the meter. We were exposed to poetry in elementary school, where it taught us memorization and public speaking skills. By the time we reached high school, we knew what to expect, and enjoyed reenacting Shakespeare and hearing our best friend recite Lady Macbeth.
My personal preference for poetry is music. Lyrics give music a whole new platform for its meter. From Irving Berlin’s sentimental and patriotic songs to Cole Porter’s intricate word pairing, the combination of both satisfies our musical and poetic needs. From rap to opera, we are all indulging in poetry in musical form.
Poetry is part of our everyday lives, and I, for one, am glad.
Ginny Richardson
Farmington
FY 2027 budget should include global aid, housing help
Congress is debating the fiscal year 2027 U.S. budget. In my view, Congress must provide sizable funding across three key areas: U.S. housing, global health and global education. Why? Because lives are at stake. Many of us were shocked and saddened by last year’s dismantling of USAID, our country’s foreign assistance department since 1961. And the country has seen our increasing housing crisis. The U.S. budget must help.
For example, tuberculosis is the world’s leading infectious killer. It exploits and exacerbates poverty. Here at home, half of renters are cost-burdened, having to make incredibly tough choices between a roof overhead, food, and needed health care. The needs are great. But we can play our role and meet the moment.
The U.S. has been right to invest in global health and global education for decades. And the U.S. must face the sharp, increasing challenges for renters seeking stable housing. These investments are some of the smartest, most compassionate moves we can make as a country. We can’t stop now.
Sylvia Lewis
Rochester
Ranked choice voting
What I’ve heard so often as a young voter is, “If you vote for that candidate, they just won’t win, so it’s basically a vote for the other one.” So I’ve spent my few elections voting for the one closest to what I want that has a “chance to win.”
But what about a candidate I actually want? Now I have learned about ranked choice voting, a system I encourage all readers to look up.
With this system, your vote means something more because you can vote for the candidate you actually want without throwing that vote away, because you can also rank the more “electable” candidate. As a young voter, I find this inspiring, and I feel many people will too. If you see a petition for ranked choice voting in Michigan — I encourage you to ask the petition holder some questions and give it a sign.
Tessa Hanrath
Ann Arbor
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Storms, flooding reminders to enforce regulation standards | Letters
Reporting by Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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