Michigan Votes Forum

 House Bill 4058 (Require state to pay off Detroit schools deficit )
Introduced by Rep. LaMar Lemmons, Jr. (D) on January 22, 2009, to
require the state to assume the deficit incurred by the Detroit
School District during the period prior to 2006 when it was under the
control of a state imposed reform school board. In 2004 the district
had a $122 million deficit.

Heck NO, Why should the State be required to assume the debts that the Detroit School District? The School District has suffered enough for the past 15 years because of School Board criminals using funds for their own benefits, and awarding contracts to Friends & Family members who have a business.  The Detroit School District is now under a Emergency Financial Manager, due to the facts that the Board was not qualified to handle its own expenses. HIghland Park School District should be the next State takeover project. Its the same thing in Highland Park like it is in Detroit. I think Lamar has really overstepped his limits by asking the State to pay a $122 million dollar deficit. I am urging the Michigan House not to pass this bill. Because the children in the Detroit District was not thought of then, and its not happening now. 

 the people of michigan did not cause the debt.

the people of michigan did not AUTHORIZE the debt.

the people of michigan did not ACCEPT the debt.

the people of michigan should not have to PAY the debt.

any more than the people of michigan should have to pay ANYBODY'S DEBT.

YOU SCREWED IT UP. YOU FIX IT. AND DON'T USE OUR MONEY TO DO IT.

It's time to pull out of Detroit. It's broke, corrupt and dangerous. They kill more people in Detroit than they do in Bagdad.

The so called schools that the good dems and libs have created there only turn out drug thugs with great self esteem. It's time to end it.

 what business does the state have in the debt of the detroit school district?

they have NO business involving themselves and MY money in the detroit school district.

i don't live in detroit. my kids cannot go to a detroit public school. i don't plan on moving to detroit. and detroit didn't seek my input or approval before it made the debt. i have no business paying this debt, nor does the state of michigan.

let the school board be ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR IT'S DECISIONS.

 crazycajun. I live in this corrupted City call Detroit, but I must agree with your statement about the State's involvement in this School District, and I am glad that the State is watching over the tax payers dollars by sending a Emergency Financial Manager into Detroit to straighten things out.  However, bare this in mind that its not just the State that's spending money, the Federal Government (U.S Dept of Education) is where the State is receiving money from, and this is why its so important for the Inner-City Students to attend School.  The State receives money on the regional level, and each School District receive the funds based on what is known as the Head Count.  Now where the corruption takes place is when the State is giving Detroit the funds to operate, and the School Board officials is misusing the funds for their own personal gain. In closing, CC, this do not just apply to your tax dollars, but it includes ALL tax payers money that's being misused, and you do have the rights to speak your feelings regarding this crap.

 mr. rights...

how about we give each parent the right to send their child to ANY school, public or private in the school district?

wouldn't YOU choose the BEST school, not just the closest?

wouldn't the school that your child eventually went to be BETTER ABLE to use the money to fund education than the schools that are the victims of the corruption that you mentioned?

wouldn't those schools suffering from the curse of political corruption be closed for lack of students and funding?

this is the way vouchers would give each parent the CHOICE of where to send their children. which is as it should be.

the state says that EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL is superior to ANY private school. i say let them put their money where their mouth is. let the parents decide where the child goes to school, based on the criteria the PARENTS find important. then lets see if the results match the rhetoric.

who knows... less students in a poorly performing school MIGHT just bring out excellence in some of our public school teachers.

so far, the plan we are using now ISN'T WORKING. time to CHANGE.

it's time to give vouchers a fair chance.

how about we give each parent the right to send their child to ANY school, public or private in the school district?

Well C.C, Parents do have the rights to send their Child to any School (Public or Private), but forturnately my three Children did attend Public Schools in their days, and in the 1970's & 80's not all School Districts was corrupted like they are today. Better Funds? The School District Administrators ARE not misusing funds back then like they are now, but I do support the State Board not giving certain Districts money, and the lack of funds is because parents are not sending their Children to non educational Schools.  Schools are not the victims C.C. The Students are the victims who are suffering from not receiving a good Education, but I have seen the poorest Students complete High School as a 4.0 Students, and I have asked a few Students about their success, many said that they worked hard to put themselves through school.

All vouchers are good for is standing for permission to allow Parents to send their Child to a private School. I have never heard the State Board in Lansing say Public Schools are superior, due to the fact that if they did they all would be liers, and they know exactly that parents do not give a damn about their Kids Education  Tell me what Criteria have inner-city Parents found important enough to encourage their kid(s) to attend School?  I blame this situation on the School Administration for not finding school programs that would grab a Childs attention, this includes Parents who do not visit their Childs School to see the nasty tiolets that their Kids have to use, and to see Kids who should be in a classroom standing on the corner smoking weed or drinking a 40 once isn't a nice picture.

Its time that School Administrators & staff members to teach the Children, and Stop misusing the funds to operate.

 the nice thing about vouchers is that they work just as well to send a child to a BETTER public school as they do to send their child to a BETTER PRIVATE SCHOOL.

yes, the school system is corrupt, and their may not be anything we can do about it now except scrap the entire system and start over from scratch.

i'm sure that there are those who post on this site that believe that every public school is better than ANY private school. myself personally, having been to both, and having had to send my kids to both, i much prefer PRIVATE schools.

i also don't believe that a parent can change their child's school just because they WANT to, what with school districts fighting over funding for 'per student' fees, and having SHOW UP DAYS.