MiVote.Org

Mackinac

There is NO SHARED SACRIFICE as it relates to the Citizens of Detroit. Incentives are being offered for outsiders to live in Mid-Town Detroit. Persons bearing the property tax burden, life long Detroiters are being taxed beyond the median value of their real estate. An example, the city charges over $3,000.00 in property that has a market value of $18,000. Job downsizing is resulting in a Citizenry unable to pay this higher rate than when their earnings were higher, time was full time-now cut to part time. Add unemployment cut on persons who cannot afford the products of business for daily needs (not desires). Individual survival is based upon this inequity of sacrifice. Lack of affordable healthcare, unhealthy diet due to the cost of groceries, utility bills out of line with individual usage, cost of gas, transportation to jobs and schools does not compare with businesses paying their fair share of taxes. The truth is many Detroiters have the education, experience and ability but not THE ECONOMIC MEANS due to the unlevel playing field. I am example of one who has had Three Degrees, two from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law—all completed by 1979. I am working as part time faculty for Adult Basic Education/GED part-time for Wayne County Community College @$22.00 an hour, down from where I started in 2002 @$25.00 an hour. NO HEALTH BENEFITS. I had to take care of elderly parents from 1998 to 2006 when my father passed. Why should you as legislators make more. I can speak on labor dating back to Walter Reuther and Guy Nunn. Further I know History dating from FDR to the present, plus legal knowledge, research and analysis due to possession of a Master of Arts in Library Science.
Today’s leadership cannot relate to the needs of the people.

There is no optimism in Detroit. It is an International Port. It is entitled to Federal Funding. The weak Mayor does not know how to make out the case to the President. The governor should not be able to determine its usage because state government unfairly excludes local citizens. Further the Federal Government needs to supervise and administer the programs to insure that local citizens are employed as Managers and Workers. These programs would be in the areas of security, building and maintaining the infra-structure.

The ignorance of decision makers shows when there is an attempt to address accountability of school teachers by eliminating tenure. How do you compare an educator in a school where student needs are not met, such as counseling, mental health, physical health, social challenges, poverty etc., to a teacher in an environment where student needs are being met. DO YOU THINK DETROITERS’ ARE STUPID? We
do not believe that some citizens are entitled to more fringe benefits, educational, health
and other privileges measured by a lower standards than suburban neighbors. Since Media cannot relate
to the plight of urban dwellers, let us have your jobs. Then you would see sincere education as to the problems of writing legislation, its enactment and enforcement that would take precedence over entertainment and sports gossip.