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:

January 2012

• 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.

• 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.