Michigan Schools to face payless paydays?

State Budget for Schools Needed Now
Posted: Oct 5, 2009 06:12 PM

If state lawmakers don't pass a new school aid budget bill by Saturday, some schools could face payless paydays. Legislators rejected a plan last week to cut 218-dollars for every student in Michigan, but it's unclear what they will do about that this week.

VenKat Saripalli, CFO Lansing: "If the cash runs out, we have to shut down. Not there yet, but we will be very, very quickly if the state budget is not passed."

So what are the chances the school aid budget will pass this week? Lawmakers have until October 10th, this Saturday, to raise new revenue for the schools or pass a continuation budget which continues funding at last years rate minus that. Is it possible to have payless paydays?

Stanley Kogut Jr., Ingham ISD Superintendent: "Certainly that's one of the potentials, probably not immediately, but that is a potential down the line at some point in time. Districts have to fund what they do and pay their bills, so ultimately, if they can't pay their bills, things like that could happen."

What a mess Michigan is in... :shk:

We're operating in the ~Twilight Zone~ now as it is...

I thought they had passed a continuation bill to keep the .Gov running for another month...now I'm not even sure of that...

I see some higher taxes being raised...which will run off what little employment we have left here...

...Guess one of my other posts, in another thread, might of been right...

I'm to poor to move now...sooo...will the last person leaving Michigan honk going by...and I'll turn out the lights... :shk:

Edit: I think I'll make a big sign and post that in my front yard...just to see who's honking...or hang it at the bottom of our City Limit Signs...

[edit on 10/5/2009 by Hx3_1963]

Sounds pretty bad. They'll lose teachers over this too who have to find something else or try to in order to replace the income.

Just in my Hometown, we've lost like 10%-20% of some job types in the past year, so they shouldn't stop here on the way out of Michigan...

It's really not that much of a surprise though...I've been reading of massive Teacher lay-offs all over the US for months now...

At this rate we'll be back to "Little House on the Prarie" days pretty soon...

Nellie!!!

i can see this developing in to a horrible trend, teachers always get screwed

how is it that teachers; the most (in my opinion and in reality) important profession, charged with teaching the future are being told to take a pay cut?

how about the politicians, beaurocrats, or hell, the military throw them a few bones? and maybe a raise?





[edit on 5-10-2009 by Naeem82]

God forbid Obama should bail out the states in need, especially if it means the schools will be effected.

reply to post by Naeem82
Meh...Education...Schmeducation...

Best to keep the masses ignorant...easier to pass yer agenda if they can't read it...not that most can anyways...

You take a look at a page of two of that Health Care Bill?

There's more legaleze/latin in that than the popes lawyers could understand... :shk:

This ~system~ is becoming quite unworkable, very quickly it appears...

Hi there Hx!
That's too bad!

But we can sure seem to afford wars, rich only tax cuts and bailouts, eh?
Hmmm......S & F!

reply to post by dodadoom
Why yes we can...

More change???

Here's a quick visual I came up with for our City Limit ~crusade~


If our State .Gov can't get their act together, I WILL make these signs and post 'em

If I had a Car and enough Gas $$$ to drive to the State Line I'd put them there also!

[edit on 10/5/2009 by Hx3_1963]

This is no surprise what is happening to the economy in Michigan. Will there be

a massive exodus of people when car sells plumit even more so in the near

future? The more people that leave Michigan the less tax base there will be

to run everything. Will there be ghost towns and cities in Michigan as the

banks tighten credit even more and you must have pristine credit scores

when buying a new car? Will housing drop to 20 cents on the dollar as more

and more people leave their foreclosed homes in Michigan for other states?


Since The United States Of America is broke will China come to the rescue

and buy up the auto manufacturing industry businesses that are still

remaining? When will the breaking point be for the state of Michigan or has it

already occurred? ^Y^

reply to post by amari
Good question...

Detroit is in real sad shape and houses there are going dirt cheap...

The City wants to mass raze tracts of Vacant Housing and turn it into Green Areas/Farms???

I think Flint is about to downsize it's City Limits to cut down on Fire/Police coverage...

Here they are talking about closing up one of our three fire stations after the chief resigned/retired over it and just rented out a already closed one to a local EMT company...

[edit on 10/5/2009 by Hx3_1963]

You know I've been pondering all this loss of jobs, certain states basically going bankrupt, cities becoming ghost towns with no police, firefighters, or medical emergency staff. And well, I think if I remember correctly a few years back there was a lot of talk about the giant super highway going from Mexico trough the U.S.A. and into Canada, and how some cities would have to be abandoned for the project. And I've also thought what if along with that project, TPTB want to cut off certain states, herding us all slowly but surely into other states, where eventually it would be easier for them to round us up, police us (martial law), or keep a better eye on us.

Just my rambling and thoughts.

O.K. Michigan are you going to stand up and do something about it or are you going

to lie down and watch your state go under. Come on and rally together and

figure this thing out and do not depend on this Centralized U.S. government

to bail you out because they are broke too.


Hold your own summit of the smartest business minds in the country coming

together and set up a plan of action not later right now for the state of

Michigan.


Come on you can get behind your favorite sports team, now rally behind

your state. This is survival folks this is for the future of your children and

children's children.


Wake up Michigan and again if you think Big Brother is going to help you

think again. Folks listen up there are still great capitalistic honest minds out

their like Iacocca who brought Chrysler back from the brink of disaster.

Remember the late great Dr. William Edwards Deming from the U.S. who

showed and taught management in Japan how to improve their business

model to compete and beat their competitors worldwide.


What is my stake in all of this? I was born in Coldwater, Michigan and

watched my grandfather co-owner of Quality Springs Factory build a thriving

business by manufacturing automobile springs for Oldsmobile and Cadillac.

Bill Donkin, my grandfather, was in Whose Who and was brilliant in

mathematics and managing a company.


My grandfather when I was a kid took me thru a tour of the Quality Springs manufacturing

plant in Coldwater, Mi and every single worker we passed stopped what they

were doing to shake his hand or said hello to him, and they all respected him.


He told me the reason he did not drive a Cadillac, that he could of had easily

afforded, was by driving an 88 oldsmobile he appeared more like the guys

that worked for him and he not appearing to be above them. We need

wisdom like this. ^Y^





[edit on 5-10-2009 by amari]

No money for education?! That's bull crap!
In Michigan, our cigarette tax rakes in $1,132,567,000, 41.620% of which goes directly to "School Aid Fund". Here is a LINK. That's nearly half a BILLION dollars...from cigs alone. Then add in property tax,ect and whatever else is going to education funding. Where the hell has it all gone, billions of dollars!?

There are 2,390,817 people under the age of 18 in michigan, they would all receive $200(actually, a little under) per kid, per year, just from people who smoke.
Oh but wait, schools have no money because...

In late July 1993, in lightning-like fashion, the Michigan legislature eliminated entirely the local property tax as a source of operating revenue for the public schools--and it did so without making any provisions whatsoever for replacing the $6.5 billion lost as a consequence

Proposal A placed the burden on the state to provide adequate revenue for core academic curriculum and achieving school accreditation. In 1993, the state contributed only 32 percent of total school funding—placing Michigan 48th among the 50 states. This meant that two-thirds of K-12 revenue had to be generated locally, hence the heavy property tax burden and the high variations in spending among districts. Under the new system, the state provides about 80 percent of the total cost, moving Michigan up to second among the states.

Another byproduct of Proposal A is that it subjected school funding to fluctuations in the state's economy. The shift in taxation from local property taxes to the state sales tax ties public school funding to the state's economy. The booming economy of the 1990s allowed for significant annual increases in public school funding. But the long-term impact of this tax shift is just beginning to be understood as we enter our first real economic downturn.

Not only is it a state problem, but also federal..

Establishing an effective accountability system for student testing is challenge enough for incoming Education Secretary Roderick Paige, but his more immediate challenge is to address charges of financial mismanagement at the agency that arose under the previous administration.

Representative Peter Hoekstra (R-Michigan) has frequently cited incidents of mismanagement in the department, and a recent investigation by an independent federal watchdog agency echoes his concerns.

A department employee, John Gard, alleged the Education Department failed to properly account for billions of grant dollars because of inadequate controls and incomplete audit trails. After an investigation, the Office of Special Counsel confirmed Gard's charges that the department "failed to account for billions of taxpayer dollars" and said the agency "was plagued by mismanagement issues."

Not only that, some schools are being caught in "counting"
scandals, and have to pay the STATE back!!

Tuesday October 14, 2008, 5:04 AM

WYOMING -- Despite more than two dozen people urging them to find another way, the Godwin Heights Board of Education on Monday unanimously approved cutting $800,000 from its budget -- the amount the state withheld in July after an audit showed the district received funding for 200 more alternative education students last year than it could legitimately claim.

The board's action means at least a dozen positions will be cut.

But there's more. Despite an enrollment hit sure to follow the impending closure of the 36th Street General Motors plant, Superintendent Valdis Gailitis said Godwin Heights also will raid its savings to repay by July 2009 state funding received on the basis of those inflated alternative education counts the previous two years.

Total cost of the paybacks will be $1.5 to $2.2 million, depending on which formula the state uses for part-time students, said Scott Powers, a new business manager the district is sharing with Wyoming Public Schools.

Despite a plan to keep cuts away from classrooms, many parents and grandparents who addressed the board complained only cuts from administration could accomplish that goal. Only low-participation classes and programs are being eliminated, Gailitis said.

"I am severely disappointed in the board," said Karen Hoezee, a Godwin parent and instructional assistant who doesn't know whether her position will be eliminated at the Godwin Learning Center. "Once again, they have voted cuts from students."

Everyone that isn't actually IN THE CLASSROOM is doing whatever they can to keep getting money, even though thier worth is less than the price we all
pay. Vote everyone out, this is not working.

Today, our governor the "esteemed" Granholm, has announced that yet again they are looking to increase tax on tobacco products to make up for the uber important education systems lack of funding. It's actually ironic, you see first they decided to tie school funding to the state sales tax, we went from 4% to 6%. Now there is a huge downturn in our economy, people are poor so they spend less, alot less. So that leaves this huge gap in school money funds. Now, to "fix" this whole situation they will yet again increase tobacco tax(or at least plan to...they have no real ideas of what to do just tax more). So, I ask, what happens when our state gets so poor the price actually forces people to quit? That's right, the schools will yet again be out of money plunging them into the same spot next year...what will they next? Bottled water? They already looked into it, tobacco is the current "easy way out", till everyone quits or cuts back excessively.

Now get this

According to calculations based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and figures from the Michigan Civil Service Commission, Michigan’s state and local government full-time employees are getting $5.7 billion more in benefits than they would if their benefits were equal to those of private-sector employees.

According to the BLS, Michigan’s private sector has shed 12.1 percent of its jobs since 2000. The number of jobs lost — 484,200 — is about the size of the total employment in Rhode Island. But the blows to Michigan’s public sector were much lighter. Local government employment dropped 6.1 percent, while the state government and state enterprises like universities actually expanded its workforce.

At the same time, the state disproportionately increased its pay rate. Since 2001, average annual pay for state government workers has increased by 26 percent and 20 percent for local government workers, compared to 15 percent for Michigan’s private sector.

And the full ARTICLE

Our government needs to take drastic paycuts themselves! Ortherwise they may just start taxing our tea next!

For those in other states, you will begin to see this soon in your area, be wary.

reply to post by LordBaskettIV
Well somehow we should of known the taxes would begin...

It's not like they're going to take a cut but, this is interesting...

Lawmakers Voting on Tax Hikes
Posted: Oct 6, 2009 05:10 PM
www.wlns.com...

~
One of the proposals is to freeze the inflationary increase on the personal income tax exemption. The anti-tax tea partly lobbyists where among those working lawmakers to vote no. The speaker and governor also want to extent bar hours from 2 to 4am and impose a new physician tax to pay for health care for the needy.

Gotta have a drink to go with yer more expensive smokes eh?

Hmmm...I see a tax increase in Boozes future...

[edit on 10/6/2009 by Hx3_1963]

reply to post by Hx3_1963
Here's a related article on BHO's plans for schools...right...

As Obama Advocates Longer School Year, Teachers' Unions Push for Shorter Weeks
www.foxnews.com...

President Obama is pushing for more hours in school, but some of his staunchest supporters are moving in the other direction -- seeking to adopt four-day school weeks as a way to avoid pay cuts and firings in the face of crumbling state budgets.

More at Link...

And this is how dumbed down the parents are in this article...

"I was really shocked, going 'What are they thinking. Are they insane'?" said Kristie Charron, an elementary school parent. "How are they (the students) going to learn?"

"As a parent I just didn't think it could happen. We thought we were protected by federal laws," said Debbie Schatz, co-president of the Parent Teacher Student Association at Aikahi Elementary School.

Yep...what a joke...like it's unthinkable...kids will be irreversibly damaged if our benevolent government doesn't educate them...

I'm speechless...really...