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 Education
Lobby Works New Angle
Tim Skubick, MIRS, October 29, 2004
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The details have
not been flushed out, but the passion is there to launch yet
another effort to drum up more dollars for the K-12 budget in
the new legislative year.
Heading the effort is former Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow
(R-Port Huron), the current superintendent of the St. Clair
County Educational Service Agency, and the Michigan Education
Association's Al Short. You'll recall a similar coalition known
as the Red Cedar Coalition was floated two years ago, but it
died of its own weight. Backers predict things will be different
this time out.
Motivated by the fact that schools have not seen a K-12
foundation grant increase in more than three years, the DeGrow-Short
axis is working on a proposal that may result in an automatic
inflationary increase for schools each year.
And if lawmakers refuse to move on it, the strategy being
debated internally would be to launch either an initiatory or
constitutional petition drive to get the job done.
One source familiar with the talks that have been underway for
about a month says "We're not ready, but hope to be within 30
days … perhaps the first week in December."
Faced with intense opposition from the Michigan Chamber of
Commerce, this education group is not expected to push the sales
tax on services, but will suggest lawmakers close some tax
loopholes where some $30 million is currently given out in tax
breaks for this group and that. The so-called tax expenditure
route has been talked about before but none of the special
interest tax cuts have been eliminated so far.
This source predicts there will be a "power lobby effort to get
us back to where we were."
Some cynics in town may say, "We've heard that song before."
FIA Picking Up Overdue Energy Bills
MIRS, October 29, 2004
The Department of Human Services (FIA) today announced a new pilot
project in which three utility companies — Detroit Edison,
Consumers Energy and SEMCO Gas Company — will send shut-off
notices directly to the FIA for payment (up to $550) as opposed
to the notice going directly to the welfare recipient.
The shutoff will be avoided for 30 days. The FIA will tell its
clients when a shut-off notice has been paid and refer them to
local weatherization services to help reduce their energy
consumption in the future.
"This initiative has three goals," said FIA Director Marianne
UDOW. "Reduce administrative overhead for our agency and the
energy providers, provide seamless service to FIA cash
assistance customers, and reduce work for FIA case specialists."
"DTE Energy is thrilled about this new program and the
opportunity to assist our customers when they need it the most,"
said Carolyn MACKOOL, DTE energy assistance manager. "The
outstanding partnership and creativity we encountered with the
FIA and the other utilities to establish this program
exemplifies how organizations can collaborate to improve the
lives of Michigan's citizens."
The project will be piloted from November until next September.
The three companies currently have about 234,000 accounts with
FIA customers.
If successful, the project will be expanded statewide next year.
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