Auchtoon!

Originally published in the Ann Abor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
May 26, 2012

All three of my kids had Jan Burlowski for their second grade teacher at East Elementary in Grandville. What a wonderful teacher! A kind, caring, and giving person with an obvious natural rapport with children and a dedicated work ethic for teaching them. (Editor Note: The drawing here looks nothing like Mrs. Burlowski — I was going for a more stereotypical “school marm” look.) In fact, my kids have had a lot of wonderful teachers in their public school education. For my family, it has been an overwhelmingly positive experience and — if you want to talk strictly financial terms — a huge return on investment.

So it is somewhat counterintuitive for me to see teacher pay and benefits chipped away under the guise of “their failure.” Yes, I know that some public schools are not run nearly as well as Grandville’s and difficult decisions need to be made, but that does not mean the entire system is broken. And it does not make it right to demonize all teachers so it’s easier to break promises to meet budget goals.

Originally published in the Ann Abor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
May 20, 2012

And then sometimes the target of my editorial cartoon — the individual I set in my sights to flay, to eviscerate, to impale upon my razor pen is …me. (I buy a lot of stuff online….)

Originally published in the Ann Abor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
May 13, 2012

For the record, I don’t blame George W Bush for the horrible year Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander had in 2008. But I can’t give Mitt Romney credit for the impressive recovery he has had since then. Does that even need to be said?! Well, maybe not now, but the closer we get to November, the more outrageous the claims are going to get. Just trying to be a little proactive….

Originally published in the Ann Abor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
May 6, 2012

It is easy to despair over “how things are in America these days” — how government is dysfunctional, change is slow, issues are muddled. It makes us feel like something has gone fundamentally wrong with the system. But while there is certainly room for improvement, I think our system is pretty much working the way it is designed to work, which is annoying and uncomfortable but no reason to despair.

And here’s something you can do — it’s an Election Day, go out and vote!

Originally published in the Ann Abor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
April 29, 2012

Matty Maroun and his Dad are like 19th century robber barons. Looking forward to many more comics if their ballot initiative succeeds….