Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on April 25, 2007

Click here to view bill details.

I do not support this bill in any way! I believe that the tribes and the state have a government to government relationship that calls for a tuition waiver.

Of all the horror and prejudice that the invading European people have heaped on the Native of America. This is the most degrading of all. To take one more good and honorable right away from the decedents of the Native Americans is despicable. For the Fulton Sheen to have his name on this bill is adding insult to injury. To have a man from Ottawa County to have introduced this bill is disgusting. As one concerned American Citizen do not pass this bill.

Thats what this bill does, makes everyone equal. Pass it now...and then get the part time legislature going.

How many Native Americans each year actually take advantage of the free tuition to state colleges and universities in Michigan?

"Of all the horror and prejudice that the invading Native American people have heaped on other Natives of America before the Euros came and bought land from us fair and square, provided us physical protection from other Native American tribes out to eat our lunch, and gave us useful stuff like guns, horses, whiskey, wheels, and written language." I fixed that for you. Now get off my internet.

Small mind, small idea, insignificant rant. Try and contribute something intelligent.

Significant enough to get your attention, though I see there isn't much substance to your parry. Go back to sucking on your government teat.

Certainly no one can say that Native Americans have suffered throughout the history of this so-called great nation and many are still suffering today. The truth is that this bill would take away one avenue of hope for young people of native american decent. Many native americans, like many other americans, living in extreme poverty. The tuition waiver was passed to help them in some way become educated and make a better life for themselves and for their people. We all deserve to succeed and application of this tuition waiver to native americans may appear unequal. However taking away something that helps a small but historically-battered section of our population and removing the only hope of getting an education is not something that true liberty and justice for all should implicate.

Just how many Native Americans are eligible for the tuition waiver each year, and how many actually receive the tuition waiver?

"historically-battered section of our population and removing" Pretty poor excuse for more special-interest welfare. You would think that the last century would have given sufficient illustration of the ridiculosity of these scams, but I guess some people will always be greedy pigs.

Brief History In 1976, the Michigan Legislature enacted Public Act 174, "An act to provide free tuition for North American Indians" in public colleges and universities in the State. This legislation is most commonly known as the "Comstock Agreement". In 1934, former governor, William A. Comstock, petitioned the U.S. Government to establish state responsibility for Indian education in trade for the Mt. Pleasant Indian School, which was to be utilized as a training facility for the developmentally disabled. In 1976, Public Act 174, was passed by the Michigan House to enact 390.1251 Waiver of Tuition. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/16/f5/72.pdf

Read this stupid Michigan has had responsibilities for educating the state's American Indians since the Comstock Agreement of 1934. A 1976 legislative act and its subsequent revisions provided for state institutions of higher education to grant free tuition to certain American Indians through the Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver (ITW) program. Eligible Indians had to have a certain percentage of Indian blood, meet pre-enrollment residency requirements, and satisfy requirements concerning degree programs and full- or part-time attendance. A 1996 study found that typical ITW recipients were first-generation college students, part-time college students, unmarried females with 2-4 dependents, 30 years old, and not eligible for most other forms of financial aid. Recipients' mean gross annual income was $22,000. Attempts in 1981 and 1994 to repeal the program failed, and in 1995 the legislature continued the program in spite of the governor's objection. In 1996 the legislature eliminated the ITW, but waiver amounts were folded into higher education base per-pupil funding of each state university and college. Continuation of the program thus depended on colleges and universities deciding to allocate state funding to tuition reimbursement. Since ITW grants are no longer a line item, the state cannot determine the amount of ITW revenue each university and community college provides in free tuition. Since 1976, 15,000 Native Americans have enrolled in the program. Twenty years later, approximately 70 percent of those enrolled had completed some sort of certificate or degree.

wow jealous among.... these people if only you knew what this meant to the people. who are out their fighting for their dreams...why don't you fight for your own instead of being so negative... focus on something in your own life stop medeling in others.

my money to give to other people. I don't care who it is, it's MY MONEY not your, not theirs!

You got to be kidding me right? Im 17 years old in High school right now got like a 3.2 GPA. Im also 83% Native American from LVD. Ive grown up Low income all my life and have always counted on this agreement to get me to my dreams of owning my own business and helping out michigans S**ty economy. Just think, how ever many years ago this county or this part of the country belonged to my ancestors and it got taken and now we have a small reservation about 2 sq. miles and we own some swamp land, somethings not right there, and now this? this bill is just like saying yeah, we'll just never let em do anything with there lives, give them no hope at all. Some of us acutally try in school and dont get drunk all day and want to make something of their lives, and how am i supposed to do this with out this kind of help? Europe took our country they can at least waive our tuition. And to all you little haters out there, you dont have to be mad because you lost all your money at the casino. hahaha

Many many many many moons ago, different groups of people did bad stuff to each other. Fast forward to today, and *you* think you should get public dole showered upon you simply for having been born. If you can prove that I or anyone else has violated *your* personal rights or stolen your wealth and property, then might have a claim. Otherwise, step off. "Some of us acutally try in school and dont get drunk all day and want to make something of their lives, and how am i supposed to do this with out this kind of help?" Ummm... you could try working hard? Works for most everyone else.

If you take away the tuition waiver what will be left,you will have taken it all. We do not have access to casino money. Do not continue to punish us. Rep. David Agema drop this legislation now.

"Don't have access to casino money"? Hah! Members of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, for example, draw so-called per capita payments -- that is, each member of the tribe draws the payment -- approaching (or maybe exceeding) $100,000 a year, just for being tribe members. The money is generated by casino proceeds. Imagine a household with two or more per-cap eligible persons. It's true that not all tribes have gone in this direction. But let's make sure the record is clear: Some tribal members do share in casino proceeds, not because they have made an astute investment but simply because of who (or more precisely, what) they happen to be. And those who do share are wealthy by any definition, unless they have universally figured out how to piddle away these resources. It is time for a serious discussion of the indian tuition waiver issue, and coming to terms with the realities of financial resources native Americans actually are availed of in Michigan.

My spouse is Indian and all indian tribes do not get casino money! You are so very much ill informed. My husband has been disadvantaged from what the State has taken away from him and his family. To take away the tuition waivers is a crime. If the State of Michigan should cancel out a treaty - which by the way is a contract, maybe the tribes should request payment plus interest for all of the lands that were confiscated by politicians such as yourself. I would estimate that many attorneys would vie for the right to litigate this breach of contract. Try to get your facts correct before you condense all American Indians into one small pool. You do a disservice to all of us and mislead the public!

Pick on someone your own size Adema. Many Native American tribes in Michigan do not even have a federally recognized voice. Fortunately some of the state's laws still hold water and credibility. Or not???? Can't you find your couple mill for gas cuts in someone else's pot? The Native Americans have already paid with their lives and their dignity. Find someone white or rich to take from, at least perhaps that will be a small challenge for you.

The Wyandot of Anderdon Nation P.O. 68 Trenton Michigan 48138 Address to Dave Adgema Represenative Lansing Thursday June 12th 2008 11 :00 am RE: Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver You must remember the past to understand why we are here today as many Michigan Natives have been promised the protection of the law and the benefits and advancements of society as the original inhabitants’ of this land. Throughout the years since total colonization of the Americas we have been promised and denied, brutalized and forced from our homes, had children forcibly removed from there parents to attend Indian schools where they were beaten and abused for wanting to speak their own language and practice there own culture. Compensation for these many atrocities came in the form of treaties’ written by white colonists to benefit NOT the natives whom they were supposedly designed for but the hoards of Europeans that flooded into the Ohio/ Michigan territories, starting the forced removal of the native nations by the Indian removal act in 1830 by Andrew Jackson, a radical and spiteful President who sought only a final solutions for the “INDIAN PROBLEM”. Having been left by our Ancestors to maintain our culture and traditions we seek only what we have been promised since the inception of European cultural domination in this land, a free legal education and the right to practice our spirituality and culture without interference as the original people that lived here for literally centuries before the eradication and division of this continent occurred with the arrival of slave capturing groups to exploit the Americas. As you may well be aware today advancement and fulfillment cannot be found in entry level positions to meet the requirements’ of the “American Dream”, We ask that you not punish us further by the denial of constitution driven rights by the founding fathers of this country, that you consider in the acts of the oppressive nature of this legislation you are considering in denying the facts stated above. Pg 1 The Wyandot of Anderdon Nation membership is not supported by casino revenues, we are struggling to meet the requirements’ of petitioning the Federal Government for our rights as the original inhabitants of this land, there are no external sources’ for us to rely on for the thousands of dollars we will need to obtain legal help to peruse CFR 25, we rely on are own ability and our membership to pull us through with higher education to help us along this path If any group of people deserves this right it is Native Americans across this land for the sacrifice of being a displaced people in there own homeland. The Wyandot People have done what asked long before the final solution of removal, we tilled our land settled our farms and grew fruit and vegetables’ and founded community, but alas none of it was good enough to satisfy the European greed that disassociated us from our homes by warfare and oppression in 1812 and 1843. Today we will always be there to cry foul when we come under attack once again for the principals’ promised over and over for a better life by the sacrifice of our ancestors and the outright fraud that removed a way of peaceful coexistence for all Native Americans . We will work together today in hopes of a equitable stance that favors the sacrifice of Native Americans, we hope to enlighten you that we deserve this higher education to preserve our cultural and tradition to enhance society today by honoring the past and remembering why this all came to be. Please do not take what little has been left to a people that sacrificed all of there existence and territory for what has become Michigan today, it will only separate us in ideology further and mount more distrust of a political system gone astray from the original principals set to compensate a people for a sacrifice no group on the face of this Earth would willingly make today. Sincerely Tribal Chief / CEO The Wyandot of Anderdon Nation Taywanoka (Flying Arrow) Steve A. Gronda CC: Anderdon Council / Files PG 2

As a man in a position that you were voted into, I would think that you would get all of your facts straight and eliminate any and all forms of stereotyping and not anger some of the Native Americans who may have voted for you. Our tuition waiver program is a federal program. Are casinos a federal sponsored program? Yes, there are some other tribes who make money via casinos. But we do not. You have no right to put us into that category. A lot of proud Native Americans have the same right as anybody else for a quality education so that we may get a job in order to support our families. If you continue to push against this program that has helped many, you become a hypocrit and go against everything you said you would do before you were elected. If there are any cuts to be made in this state, how about trimming the budgets and salaries of all of these politicians who "promise" to make things right? Why punish people who want to make a better life for themselves?

There's a an old saying that goes, "Don't hate the player, hate the game." Where do you come off doing the same thing Adema is doing and that is stereotyping all Native Americans? Did we ever do anything to you? Why harbor these angry, resentful, hateful feelings against a group of proud people who are going to college to make an honest life for themselves?

But the people who claim all native Americans in Michigan are poverty stricken are. The fact is, some native American tribal members in Michigan have enormous personal incomes, simply because they are members of the tribe. Others do not. The tuition waivers certainly should lend a helping hand to those who really need it. It is far less certain that tuition waivers should be extended to native Americans made wealthy by accident of their birth. This is something that needs to be discussed with facts on the table. And the fact of high-income native Americans due solely their per capita payments from casinos operated by their tribes is one of them.

I do not begrudge any individual- Native, African or European American, seeking to improve themselve through higher education. The free tuition program for Native Americans is, on the face of it, a noble and worthy endeavor. However, I wonder what the graduation rate is for this program. Are the participants making progress towards their degree, or merely taking up space because it is their "right" to do so? I am sure the State of Michigan has statistics which would show the effacacy of the program. How about the Wyandot nation? Surely, the Chief has statistics proving the worth of the program for his people. Give us some anecdotal information, at least. Local squaw makes good in nursing program. Noble warrior excels in business school. Something that show that the program is working. With regard to his bitterness towards European Americans, the Chief would do well to remember that the "invading hoards of Europeans" who settled Michigan were often the refugees of war, genocide, and hunger in their own lands. This attitude that the aggrieved Native Americans are forever to be coddled is nonsense. People of varied cultures and backgrounds have succeeded in America, without such programs, but through their own industriousness. Is their an unaddressed achievement gap for Native Americans? The overall tone of the Chief suggests a sad retrospective attitude, not looking to the future. Even your name, "Flying Arrow," suggests an antiquated technology. I

In regards to your comments about Chief "Flying Arrow", that is exactly what a great leader should be named. He has led us in the right and proper path. As far as what do we native americans become, or do we just take up space in education, I would like to let you know that many of us have become great teachers. In life, everyone needs a great teacher to get them through and inspire them. This is just what our Chief has done. Tuition waivers for native american's are much needed and well deserved by our people.

In regards to your comments about Chief "Flying Arrow", that is exactly what a great leader should be named. He has led us in the right and proper path. As far as what do we native americans become, or do we just take up space in education, I would like to let you know that many of us have become great teachers. In life, everyone needs a great teacher to get them through and inspire them. This is just what our Chief has done. Tuition waivers for native american's are much needed and well deserved by our people.

The comment posted by the person saying that the Europeans that came here overcame their own hardships - really needs to take a history lesson. Native Americans haven't had the same opportunities that the Europeans or other immigrants have been afforded. The military forced them from their land. The government put them on reservations. The government tried to shut them up, take away their beliefs, and keep them separate by trying to keep them on the reservation, forbidding them to speak their language, practice their religion and other cultural practices, and keep them poor. They promised much but delivered little! What immigrant can say that when they came to America, they were told they must live in a certain area, not speak their language, not practice their religious beliefs and should keep their children in certain schools? American Indians are not coddled. They are hardworking, loyal citizens, who vote and love their country! A treaty should be upheld no matter the voice of oppressors. Also for your information, my daughters' (or as your rasist remarks called them squaws) - graduated as a doctor, nurse, and an International business major! They did not take up space - they set out to help others and to serve their communities! The rest of the Native American's in this great Nation deserve the same opportunities for all that was taken away from us!

That phrase stems from the white man giving to the Indian, only to take back the gift when it suited him to do so. This happened countless times, in land (which ironically the Indian already owned), in material gifts, and in promises. Seems that history is again repeating itself. However, now I say that we need a recall started for our new "indian giver."

Have "Given enough". There isn't going to be any workers to pay for the slugs at this rate. Oh, Yeah, I just described the socialist country that we are heading toward.

Renege on their deals. Conservatives honor their commitments. Let's have an honest examination of this issue and and honest debate about it.

History is full of sad stories: granted, the native american experience is especially poignant, but not entirely unique. When the Irish immigrated to America, they were forced to live in designated ghetto neighborhoods, their churches were often burned, and job opportunities were limited to the most menial labor. With regard to the tuition program, your anecdotal story regarding native american success is a start. I still maintain that the Chief would be wise to provide statistical proof of the program's success, instead of emotional rips at antebellum presidents like ole Andy Jackson. Don't go on the warpath with my squaw comment; just having a little fun. Ooops, there I go again... wasn't this an episode of Seinfeld? You probably didn't like that either.

Commentary - Peter Schweizer: Conservatives more honest than liberals? The headline may seem like a trick question — even a dangerous one — to ask during an election year. Yet there is a striking gap between the manner in which liberals and conservatives address the issue of honesty. Consider these results: Is it OK to cheat on your taxes? A total of 57 percent of those who described themselves as “very liberal” said yes in response to the World Values Survey, compared with only 20 percent of those who are “very conservative.” When Pew Research asked whether it was “morally wrong” to cheat Uncle Sam, 86 percent of conservatives agreed, compared with only 68 percent of liberals. Ponder this scenario, offered by the National Cultural Values Survey: “You lose your job. Your friend’s company is looking for someone to do temporary work. They are willing to pay the person in cash to avoid taxes and allow the person to still collect unemployment. What would you do?” Almost half, or 49 percent, of self-described progressives would go along with the scheme, but only 21 percent of conservatives said they would. When the World Values Survey asked a similar question, the results were largely the same: Those who were very liberal were much more likely to say it was all right to get welfare benefits you didn’t deserve. The World Values Survey found that those on the left were also much more likely to say it is OK to buy goods that you know are stolen. Another survey by Barna Research found that political liberals were two and a half times more likely to say that they illegally download or trade music for free on the Internet. A study in the Journal of Business Ethics involving 392 college students found that stronger beliefs toward “conservatism” translated into “higher levels of ethical values.” And academics concluded in the Journal of Psychology that there was a link between “political liberalism” and “lying in your own self-interest,” based on a study involving 156 adults. Liberals were more willing to “let others take the blame” for their own ethical lapses, “copy a published article” and pass it off as their own, and were more accepting of “cheating on an exam,” according to still another study in the Journal of Business Ethics. Modern liberalism is infused with idea that truth is relative. Surveys consistently show this. And if truth is relative, it also must follow that honesty is subjective.

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Let's make something else clear in regards to casino monies and surrounding communities: Do you think that Indians are the only proffitors of casinos? Do you really think the government is going to allow any one group to benefit from something that they too are not benefitting from? Some Tribes have compacts with the state to give the communities in which the casino operates a certain percentage of the revenues. Therefore not only does a casino generate jobs for the surrounding people, but also revenue for the community due to the spending now available by the workers. Indian people are not getting anything for free- how can the European ancestry expect to get off free on taking another Nation's land, abusing the people of the land (for centries). An Indian Tution Waiver is the least that can be given to Indian People in Michigan.

We are proud members of the Wyandot of Anderdon and are behind our Chief Steven Gronda 100%. He is a great and wise man with much to offer. Our daughter Stephanie is going to graduate from Wayne State University this year into broadcast journalism. Our son is in his second year at WSU also and will graduate in the coming years. Our oldest son is currently serving America in the US ARMY and just returned from a tour of duty in IRAQ. He returned home a decorated veteran with a Bronze Star on his chest. Without the tuition waiver 2 of our children may have never seen a university, we are very grateful for the chance to have our children go to college and receive higher education here in Michigan. Many Thanks to the state of Michigan, many more to our chief Steven Gronda. C.Stoddart

We are proud members of the Wyandot of Anderdon and are behind our Chief Steven Gronda 100%. He is a great and wise man with much to offer. Our daughter Stephanie is going to graduate from Wayne State University this year into broadcast journalism. Our son is in his second year at WSU also and will graduate in the coming years. Our oldest son is currently serving America in the US ARMY and just returned from a tour of duty in IRAQ. He returned home a decorated veteran with a Bronze Star on his chest. Without the tuition waiver 2 of our children may have never seen a university, we are very grateful for the chance to have our children go to college and receive higher education here in Michigan. Many Thanks to the state of Michigan, many more to our chief Steven Gronda. C.Stoddart

That the college money I EARNED for MY children to go to college - you just STOLE (with molefaces help) from me. Thank you very much Michigan.......!!!!! They now attend FL colleges as I have moved so no more of MY MONEY going to the Peoples Republic Of Michistian. God, what a bunch of commies........You;ll get what you deserve.

American Indians have Sovereignty (Education included- Indian Self-Determination & Education Assistance Act of 1975) based on: what they have retained-not what has been "given". Nothing has been given to A.I. by the states or the federal government. Read a history book, might I suggest: "A People's History of the United States by: Howard Zinn. It would be a good place to start to educate yourself about a people that are the original, authentic first people of America. You belive too many myths and per-cap casino stories.