Top Stories

The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.

How budget cuts will affect your school

By Ed Brayton | 10.13.09 | 12:21 pm

The Detroit Free Press has put up a searchable database that allows people to see how much the budget cuts for K-12 education currently in the budget would affect their local school district. A couple quick examples:

Haslett Public Schools looks to lose $457,000. Detroit Public Schools would lose just over $14 million.

Comments

  • gtortuga

    It is time for the legislature to revamp how state governmental functions are funded. Schools, for one, have had basically flat funding over the past 6 or 7 years. A few years showed a small increase in funding but there was always a corresponding new cost that the state had previously paid that was passed along to local districts so there was actually no increase in funding at all.
    Schools like all other organizations are subject to increases in expenses like rising book costs, increased utility and fuel costs, and yes, increased personnel costs.

    The State of Michigan has seen approximately 60 tax cuts in the past 12 years. During prosperous times we can get away with that because revenues were increasing. During a recession revenues drop significantly but not the cost of educating children.

    This is as much an economic development issue as it is an educational issue. Businesses don't want to relocate in a state that doesn't support schools. It is almost as simple as that. If Michigan is to pull itself out of the current economic slump, it can't do it with a weakened educational system.

  • gtortuga

    It is time for the legislature to revamp how state governmental functions are funded. Schools, for one, have had basically flat funding over the past 6 or 7 years. A few years showed a small increase in funding but there was always a corresponding new cost that the state had previously paid that was passed along to local districts so there was actually no increase in funding at all.
    Schools like all other organizations are subject to increases in expenses like rising book costs, increased utility and fuel costs, and yes, increased personnel costs.

    The State of Michigan has seen approximately 60 tax cuts in the past 12 years. During prosperous times we can get away with that because revenues were increasing. During a recession revenues drop significantly but not the cost of educating children.

    This is as much an economic development issue as it is an educational issue. Businesses don't want to relocate in a state that doesn't support schools. It is almost as simple as that. If Michigan is to pull itself out of the current economic slump, it can't do it with a weakened educational system.

  • gtortuga

    It is time for the legislature to revamp how state governmental functions are funded. Schools, for one, have had basically flat funding over the past 6 or 7 years. A few years showed a small increase in funding but there was always a corresponding new cost that the state had previously paid that was passed along to local districts so there was actually no increase in funding at all.
    Schools like all other organizations are subject to increases in expenses like rising book costs, increased utility and fuel costs, and yes, increased personnel costs.

    The State of Michigan has seen approximately 60 tax cuts in the past 12 years. During prosperous times we can get away with that because revenues were increasing. During a recession revenues drop significantly but not the cost of educating children.

    This is as much an economic development issue as it is an educational issue. Businesses don't want to relocate in a state that doesn't support schools. It is almost as simple as that. If Michigan is to pull itself out of the current economic slump, it can't do it with a weakened educational system.

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