Wayne County Proposals and Judges In Our View

The November ballot will be an extremely long. It behooves you to study it before youe  go to vote.  This is our take on the Wayne County Questions and conservative judges.

FORM OF THE WAYNE COUNTY

BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE  

"SHALL THE WAYNE COUNTY HOME RULE CHARTER BE AMENDED TO ADD A NEW SECTION 5.120 AND TO AMEND EXISTING SECTION 5.134 TO AUTHORIZE THE WAYNE COUNTY COMMISSION RATHER THAN THE WAYNE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ESTABLISH THE FORM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LUMP-SUM AND LINE-ITEM) OF THE COUNTY BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE; AND TO REQUIRE THE COUNTY COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH THE FORM OF THE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE BY DECEMBER 7, 2012 AND TO ADOPT CHANGES TO THE FORM AT LEAST TEN MONTHS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF A FISCAL YEAR TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR THAT FISCAL YEAR; AND TO ALSO AMEND SECTION 5.121 TO REQUIRE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE  TO PREPARE AND SUBMIT THE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE  IN THE FORM ESTABLISHED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSION?"

YES

INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL AUDITOR

"SHALL SECTION 3.119(E) OF THE WAYNE COUNTY HOME RULE CHARTER BE AMENDED TO REMOVE THE RESTRICTION THAT PROHIBITS AN INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL AUDITOR FROM PROVIDING AUDIT SERVICES TO THE COUNTY FOR MORE THAN EIGHT (8) CONSECUTIVE YEARS; AND FURTHER TO REQUIRE INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL AUDITORS BE SELECTED BASED ON A COMPETITIVE PROCESS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COUNTY'S PROCUREMENT ORDINANCE?"

YES

MEMBERSHIP ON THE WAYNE COUNTY RETIREMENT COMMISSION

"SHALL SECTION 6.112 OF THE WAYNE COUNTY HOME RULE CHARTER BE AMENDED TO EXPAND THE WAYNE COUNTY RETIREMENT COMMISSION'S MEMBERSHIP FROM 8 TO 9, ADDING AS A MEMBER THE WAYNE COUNTY TREASURER OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE; AND ALSO TO AUTHORIZE THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE WAYNE COUNTY COMMISSION, WHO IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE WAYNE COUNTY RETIREMENT COMMISSION, TO APPOINT A PERSON TO SERVE AS HIS OR HER DESIGNEE ON THE RETIREMENT COMMISSION; AND TO FURTHER ALLOW EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES OF THE WAYNE COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY TO VOTE FOR AND SERVE AS  MEMBERS OF THE WAYNE COUNTY RETIREMENT COMMISSION (WITH NO MORE THAN ONE MEMBER BEING AN AIRPORT EMPLOYEE OR RETIREE) UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY ESTABLISHES ITS OWN RETIREMENT SYSTEM OR PENSION PLAN?"

YES

REMOVAL OF THE WAYNE COUNTY EXECUTIVE FROM OFFICE BY THE GOVERNOR

"SHALL THE WAYNE COUNTY HOME RULE CHARTER BE AMENDED TO ADD SECTION 4.124 TO AUTHORIZE THE GOVERNOR TO REMOVE THE WAYNE COUNTY EXECUTIVE FROM OFFICE FOR THE SAME REASONS AND WITH THE SAME DUE PROCESS AS PROVIDED BY LAW FOR THE SHERIFF, PROSECUTING ATTORNEY, COUNTY CLERK, REGISTER OF DEEDS, AND COUNTY TREASURER?"

YES

THE WAYNE COUNTY COMMISSION'S POWER TO APPROVE COMPENSATION

"SHALL SECTION 3.115 OF THE WAYNE COUNTY HOME RULE CHARTER, WHICH SETS FORTH THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE WAYNE COUNTY COMMISSION, BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE POWER AND DUTY TO APPROVE ALL COMPENSATION OF EVERY EMPLOYMENT POSITION IN THE COUNTY, UNLESS THE COMPENSATION IS ESTABLISHED BY STATE OR FEDERAL LAW?"

YES

WAYNE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

MILLAGE PROPOSAL

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed on taxable property in the Wayne County Community College District be increased by one dollar per thousand dollars (1 mill) of the taxable value of all taxable property in the College District for a period of ten (10) years, the tax years commencing July 1, 2013, to July 1, 2022, inclusive, as new additional millage to provide funds for community college purposes authorized by law?  It is estimated that 1 mill would raise approximately $21,746,964 when first levied in 2013.

NO

Justice of The Supreme Court-8 Year Term (2 positions)

There are eight candidates for two openings.  Justice Stephen Markman is a conservative Justice running for re-election to his current seat.  The second 8 year term position is for the seat currently held by Marilyn Kelly, who cannot be reelected due to age limitations. Of the other candidates running for that seat I recommend Judge Colleen O’Brien.  I recommend a vote for:

·         Justice Stephen Markman

·         Judge Colleen O’Brien

Justice of The Supreme Court-Partial Term

Justice Brian Zahra, a conservative Justice who was appointed last year by Governor Snyder, must now be elected to complete his partial term ending 1/1/2015.  Justice Zahra deserves to be elected to complete his term.  My recommendation is a vote for:

·         Justice Brian Zahra

3^rd Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court Incumbent–6 yr. Term (16) positions 

There are seventeen (17) candidates for the sixteen (16) positions.  There are five (5) judges in this group of sixteen incumbents whom I consider to be conservative.  They deserve your vote even if you don’t vote for any of the others.  They are:

·         Annette J. Berry

·         Gregory Dean Bill

·         Kathleen M. McCarthy

·         Maria L. Oxholm

·         Daniel P. Ryan

3^rd Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court Non Incumbent – 6 yr. Term (3) positions 

There are six (6) candidates for these three (3) positions.   There are only two of them whom I consider to be conservative.  I would encourage all conservative voters to vote for:

·         Kevin Cox

·         Kelly Ann Ramsey

3^rd Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court Incumbent–Partial Term ending 1/1/2015 (2) positions

There are three (3) candidates for two (2) positions.  Of the two who are incumbents, Margaret M. Van Houten is the only one that I consider to be conservative.

·         Margaret M. Van Houten

Live Free or Choke On It

I have been remiss in my writing because I was almost catatonic. It seems like it is all to much.  The world as I know it is crashing. I have been feeling powerless. My country, the greatest on earth, is slipping both in influence and financially.  My state, county and local governments are controlled by the unions and spending is out of control.  I get so many requests for donations and phone sales in a days time that I am hanging up on them an refusing to donate to anyone.  What was happening to me?

Then I thought, when have you ever been a quitter? So here I am with renewed vigor.  Asking your help and your strength to work with me.  They want us to get worn out.  They want us to give up.  We can't let them win.  This is a great country!  We just can't let them change it to something else or convince us it is not.

When your tempted to sit back, step forward.  There won't be immediate financial benefit like there is most of the time on the other side, but you are still doing it for yourself, your children, grandchildren and (almost as important) me.  Make a phone call, write a letter or go to a political meeting. Unfortunately, you may not have someone to tell you what to do but you know what is right. If you need direction, join an organization  that will notify you when to act. Don't leave it to someone else to do. We have to keep the pressure on.  It is very important.  If you think you don't care, you will.

I Must Be Precient

When the effort for passing Proposal A was in full force in 1993,I worked my heart out trying to defeat it. Some people thought I was crazy. There was no question that assessments were out of control as well as the property taxes they generated. My argument then is the same as it is now. It was the method they chose that I was opposed to. A tax reduction could have been acheived by something as simple as reducing taxes from 50% of true cash value to say 40% of the true cash value of the property.

They on the other hand had to make it complicated and bate one segment of the population against the other. While Proposal A did slow the taxation rate by reduceing millage rates and slowing taxable values for some, other were picking up the burden as property changed hands through sales or inheritance. Right now, two families living in identical houses in the same subdivision may be paying drastically different amounts of taxes for the same services because one person has lived in their house longer. The crash in our property values has helped to aleviate that problem for some but it has not eliminated it. When we go to sell our homes there are fewer buyers because the tax will then be applied to the State Equalized Value of our property making the payments to expensive.

Proposal A had all kinds of enabling legislation that went into effect. We got an increase in the sales tax and gas tax. Inflation helps to increase those taxes. Given the way the federal government is spending money, we will soon see a huge increase in inflation and taxes. We got a different rate of tax on our non homstead property. Another thing that came to fruition was an increase in requests for bonds and sinking funds for schools, which are still allowed.

Due to the decline in proprty values,you will now begin to see more Truth in Taxation Hearings. Local governing bodies can increase millage rates up to the maximum allowable truth in assessment / equalization millage by simple ordanance or resolution instead of a vote of the people. This can be done because the revenue generated under Proposal A will not equal last years revenue plus inflation without increasing the millage. This is also true of all the other government millages in Michigan.

Another interesting restriction that was created under Proposal A was a requirement that no increase over the then authorized operating millage could be passed unless it was done on an intermediate school district level. Each County wide region is allowed a 3 mil enhancement if approved by the voters.
Multi-district tax a tough sell, but that could change

By DAWSON BELL

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

With state aid in peril and federal stimulus funding that came to the rescue this year set to expire, is it time for Michi­gan’s local school districts to turn again to local taxpayers?

Some have exercised a rare­ly used option under 1994’s Proposal A to seek multi-dis­trict millage hikes.

Very few have succeeded.

The schools of Washtenaw County — including Ann Ar­bor, Ypsilanti and Saline — asked voters to approve en­hancement mills on Nov. 3. Property taxpayers in the Washtenaw Intermediate School District would have paid an extra 2 mills for 5 years had the request been ap­proved.

It passed in Ann Arbor, but got hammered elsewhere. The final tally was 57.4% no to 42.6% yes.

“We knew that this was a bad time” to be asking taxpay­ers for more money, said Ann Arbor Public Schools commu­nications director Liz Margo­lis. “But we just had no choice.” With state help in decline as state revenues shrink and the likelihood of more bad news to come, a countywide discussion had been under way for a year, Margolis said. Ann Arbor vot­ers had a history of support for school millages, and district of­ficials led the campaign.

But while Ann Arbor voters kept their reputation intact, the measure lost by margins of up to 3-1 in some out-county communities such as Milan and Lodi Township. Margolis said schools won’t try again soon and would give it another shot only if every school dis­trict in the intermediate school district, or ISD, would “buy in and really try to sell it.”

So far, talk about enhance­ment- millage requests — re­gions can ask for as much as 3 mills and use the money for any purpose — has been muted around the state.

David Martell, executive di­rector of the Michigan School Business Officials, said that for years after Proposal A took ef­fect, school funding was secure and obstacles to winning re­gional approval for tax hikes were so high, that few en­hancement elections were held.

“It’s a very, very hard sell,” Martell said, chiefly because the cost and benefits are usu­ally unbalanced across an ISD because the tax is assessed on property wealth and distribut­ed on a per-pupil basis.

But financial conditions are rapidly worsening in so many districts that Martell said the bar for passing a millage could drop.

“I don’t know why” en­hancement- millage requests “haven’t taken hold more re­cently,” he said. “I think once parents start to feel the real impact of the cuts that are coming … they might turn to something like that.”

Voters in Kalamazoo Coun­ty approved a 1.5-mill regional tax in 2005 and renewed it by a wider margin in 2008. But Kal­amazoo Regional Superinten­dent Ron Fuller said that un­less economic anxiety in Michi­gan lightens by then, “it will be a tougher sell a year and a half from now” when it is scheduled to expire again.

Doug Drake, a financial ana­lyst with Public Policy Associ­ates in Lansing and former state budget official, said that if state lawmakers decline to approve higher taxes to re­store school funding, more dis­tricts may have to consider joining for enhancement ef­forts.

“When the checkbook in the sky is empty, you just may have to think about going door-to­door. There aren’t very many other options,” Drake said.

Governor Granholm and the legislature understood this when they refused to reduce the budget in other ways, while alowing cuts to education. If you can not get the legislature to raise taxes, put the pressure on parents to do the job.

I for one am tired of excuses and the blame shifting. The Governor and the legislators are paid to do a job but they keep shiftng the hard stuff on to the taxpayer and disclaim any personal reponsibility. Enough is enough! We need to make them do their job or remove them and keep them from any future office.

Call for Resignation

I am respectfully calling for the resignation of Appropriations Chairman, George Cushingberry. He has the most powerful committee in the State House of Representatives. He controls the purse strings for all Michigan residents. He obviously does not understand that as head of that comittee he is supposed to represent all of us. His rant below is a clear indication that he needs to be reminded. I am asking that he appologize and recind his statement or resign.



Please contact him and remind him respectfully to correct his position or to resign from his Chairmanship.

Office Address
S0687 House Office Building

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Phone: (517) 373-2276
Fax: (517) 373-7186


Toll-Free
(888) 347-8008


Email
georgecushingberry@house.mi.gov

When laws are passed and appropriations are made they effect all of us. Please be polite but firm.

My Heart In Washington Today

I am at home today sitting in my front room watching Fox News coverage of the 9 12 project and the march on Washington. My heart is with them. It is physically impossible for me to walk the distance and stand for hours - or you can bet I would be there. I want to believe that there are millions more who share my feelings. Others are financially unable to attend.

On September 9, I attended the rally in Troy, Michigan to support the Tea Party Express which traveled from California to Washington,DC to today's rally. There enthusiasm and commitment bolstered my feelings.

We can not stop here. When the events have come an gone, we must continue to press the issues. It is difficult to keep up the momentum. But, it is even more difficult to live under an oppressive system of government. Many people have fought and died to preserve our system of government. We have been the envy of the world and rightfully so. It is far to precious to give up without a fight. We are far to smart to be seduced by lies of government saying everything is free. We know nothing is free, especially freedom.

Continue to contact your legislators,both local and federal. Let them know that their jobs are in jeopardy if they continue to violate the Constitution they swore to uphold.

Trust Me

I have been watching every one of President Obama's meetings on health care. He has been inconsistent, his analogies have been poor and he has lied or been misinformed on what has been contained in the health care bills.

He comes off charming, friendly and down to earth, most of the time, and at others haughty and superior. The thing that troubles me the most is that he talks as if he knows what he is talking about. There are a number of bills in the House and the Senate. None have been completed and all,to the best of my understanding, have some undesirable qualities. How can you do anything but listen to concerns under those circumstances?



Those in Congress seem to know even less. They do not seem to know what is in the bill they are sponsoring. I'm not sure they have even read them.



The people of this country are right to be angry. We have turned our heads for long enough. Our attention is required to keep our great country. We can not continue to elect people without checking their credentials and values. We need to hold them accountable and demand that they keep their promises. We can not allow those we elect to call us names and denigrate us.

Get involved and, if they refuse to hear us, then we must remove them from office and replace them with someone who will. This is not a partisan problem it is a universal problem. They have awakened the giant now let's give them something to remember.

Stand Up

I am looking forward to this Saturday, June 13. The Tea Party Convention will not only be fun, but it will continue the momentum of the Lansing Tea Party. The five proposals that will be presented, voted upon and prioritized will give us goals to work towards. The speakers have a wealth of information between them and the break out sessions will give us a chance to share ideas.

I am asking you to get out of your fetal position and register. It is being held in Holt, Michigan. It"s not that far. You can get to the registration page from the homepage of the Wayne County Taxpayers Association. The cost is only $10 per person and that includes lunch. For those of you that have children, there is even childcare. What more could you want.

Put some effort behind your words and join us. All talk and no action doesn't change a thing. People call me all the time and want me to do there work. This is your opportunity to commit to do your share. Hope to see you there.

Fleas Spreading Everywhere

What do Big Business and Government have in common? Answer: An incredible amount of unfunded liability. The old saying,"If you sleep with dogs you get fleas" can not be better demonstrated than in the relationship between the two. As we rely more and more on government the infestation is spreading.

Those of us who planned for our future liability are now seeing our 401ks, IRAs and Social Security disappear before our eyes. I always thought that I should be self reliant. I never thought that it would be taken from me so drastically by my own governments. I use the plural for a good reason. They are always suspicious that there will be subversives from among the people. But, it seems that they are the ones conspiring to make our lives hard and to disrupt our way of life. They are delusional. They think that they can solve problems by doing anything. Just vote for a bill. Don't read it. Talk about a problem. Don't do anything that might solve it.

It is more important that they be liked than right. The State of Michigan is a perfect example of doing nothing. In spite of the trouble we have been in, their solutions have been non existent or more harmful. At the federal level they are devaluing our dollar to the point that we should be furious. We are not the danger to our country - they are.

Please get involved. The country you save may be your own.

Taxpayer Minutemen

Now that the Tea Parties were such a success, we can not just go back to the way things were. We can not be complacent and allow things to pass without comment. All those organizations who work to make them a success have agreed to work together and insure that we are not forgotten. Leon Drolet of Michigan Taxpayers Alliance came up with a great idea. As a result of the US Supreme Court decision for which I was plaintive, any resident in Michigan can collect signatures for a recall. Anyone can collect signatures for a ballot initiative. So, Leon thought up the idea of Taxpayer Minutemen. Below is an explanation of just who we are. We hope that you will join us. Just double click on the picture. Print out the form and send it in. It will show your true commitment to change and show the politicians who is in charge as we grow in number.

Politicians will think twice before voting against the people who elect them. Only those in their district can vote against them, but people of like mind can bring to the attention of the people of their district, through recall or initiative, ideas that they have thwarted in the past with rules that have worked against their constituents. The balance of power between lobbyists and their money and citizens they are supposed to represent, can be equalized with your help and commitment.

Allert: 4/26/09 The registration link for the Taxpayer Minutemen will be up within a few days. there was a mixup in communication. Sorry for the mixup. Please check back. Thanks.

Finally Done But Not Finished

The Wayne County Taxpayers Association and the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance has just finished their statewide tour. They have been conducting workshops on "How to Appeal Your Property Assessment". We estimate that we have instructed close to 2,000 people on the procedures involved to successfully appeal your assessment.

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Other Legal investment property

It is now time for them to do the work. While the presentation does not give you the benefit of the discussion, questions and answers of the workshop, it does give you the step by step procedure. Good luck to all in this difficult time. You may also get a hardship exemption if you qualify. Talk with your assessor about the requirements in your city or township.

WCCC to Taxpayers The Hell With You

I have to apologize to those who showed up for the workshop on how to appeal your assessment at the Wayne County Community College Eastern Campus on Friday only to be turned away. When we started setting up the schedule over a month ago, we asked former State Representative Lamar Lemmons to find a facility for us to hold our workshop in Detroit. He told us it was no problem. The day he scheduled was not available for the rest of us. We asked him to reschedule for the next day. He said it would not be a problem. The last time I talked to him, he said he was just waiting for a room number. I left several messages for him and did not receive a call back.


I decided to take matters into my own hands. So, this past Monday, I called WCCC and asked for a room number. They said there was no room scheduled. I explained the situation and they said they would check it out and get back. I called the next day and they said they were working on it. The next day they said I had to go to the Down River Campus fill out the paperwork and they will fax it to the eastern campus. I made it to the Downriver Campus on some very dangerous roads. When I got back home I called to make sure they received the fax.


Of course, they had not received it. I asked if I could scan and email my copies. No problem they said. So I did. I called to make sure they got them. They said they did. I asked if we would be ok for the next day when our workshop was scheduled. They just need to sign the paperwork she said.


The next morning, I had a message on my answering machine saying we could not hold the workshop that night. I called and asked to speak to the president of the Eastern Campus. Her name was Bonika Odbomi as best as I could figure it out. I explained that the workshop had been advertised and the problems we had. Her answer was, "we can not do these things overnight, we have our rules". I asked if they had rooms in their building. I asked if they could have let me know last Monday or before my trek in horrible weather to the Downriver Campus. The real frightening thing is that the president, who is paid very well, can not be trusted to schedule a meeting in her own building.


Now that WCCC has increased their millage for another 10 years, they can afford to tell the taxpayers to go to hell. The real pity is that the people of Detroit must first appeal to the Assessors Review in February before they can appeal to the Board of Review in March. Those who need the training will not have the opportunity to attend our seminar because an educational institution can not schedule an educational workshop in a room in less than three weeks.



One day the people of Detroit are going to get fed up. We had no problem scheduling in any other community. There is always an excuse in Detroit and it is harmful to the community.

Everyone Makes Mistakes

Why is it so hard for politicians to admit a mistake? After the Enron and WorldCom debacles, the knee jerk reaction by Congress was the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. While the intent was to eliminate fraud, there is evidence that it is hurting the venture capital industry and doing more harm that good in other areas. It now takes around 12 years to enter the capital market when it used to take 5 years. That's because, it is more difficult to raise the 4.36 million in hidden taxes in yearly compliance costs. Originally, the cost was estimated at around $91,000. Big difference.

It created personal criminal responsibilities for board members. This narrowed the number of well qualified board members willing to accept the personal responsibilities. Many smaller companies reverted back to private status or merged to lower costs. It also made it more probable companies that considered going public would do so in London rather than anywhere in the United States. Sarbanes -Oxley created massive amounts of paperwork and bureaucracy. Those companies that complied fully were the ones who lead the financial breakdown in the investment banks in 2008.

Oxley, who retired in January after 25 years in Congress said that he would have written it differently and he believes Sarbanes would as well. Everyone felt the urgency that something must be done. "Everyone felt like Rome was burning." He said it was like nothing he had seen in his 25 years in Congress.

It is time to repeal Sarbanes-Oxley. If other laws are needed, they should take the time to do them correctly. We can not afford anymore damage to our economy.

Recall Wayne Westland Style

You have to believe by now that I am not against recall after being involved in the attempt to recall Speaker Andy Dillon of Michigan for the last 1 1/2 years. I am, however, opposed to the recent attempts to recall members of the Wayne-Westland School Board. It seems that the attempt to recall them was a result of the school board's warning that they might fire teachers who failed to obey the law. They went out on strike for four days until the court ordered them back to work.

The Wayne-Westland Education Association stated that the board failed to respond to their request to reduce class size and that any reduction would have to come out of the teachers contract. The union rejected outright the proposal put out by the board that would allow a different insurance carrier.

The school board is not requesting that the teachers receive a cut in pay or a freeze. They are not suggesting a change in insurance benefits either. They are requesting that they be allowed to shop insurance instead of using MESSA. MESSA is a not-for-profit membership organization established by the MEA as a Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA). Because the union gets a cut, they are reluctant to allow competitive bidding. The union wants MESSA insurance at no cost to its members. The board wants to tie the districts costs to the increase in revenue received from the state. The union flatly refused it.

Salaries for the contract year 2007-2008 for Wayne Westland range from $34,409 for the first year new hire to $94,459 to a teacher who has a PHD and has been working for the district for 14 years. Their health care benefits are among the best money can buy. The districts MEAP scores are at or below the state average.

There is no doubt that teachers have a difficult job and a great deal of responsibility. But, they do have to get a grasp on reality. They have a closed community. They use children to their advantage and even to spread their propaganda which I believe they really think is true.
They can not go on living as if there has been no change in the economy and the world. They have to remember there are people standing in line wanting their job and they are qualified to do an equally good job or better. Taking children hostage is terrorism and their parents and the community are subject to extortion.

I am glad that they are going into fact finding. Maybe an equitable solution can be reached. In a state which will soon be in worse trouble, we can not make any more promises that we can not afford. Under no circumstances should the board allow binding arbitration. People should be applauding their board not recalling them.

You can recall your board, but it will not solve the problem.

Why We Can't Trust WCCC

On November 4, 2008 you are being asked to renew a millage for Wayne County Community College. Renew? They are asking for 1.25 mills. Right now they are levying .99 mills. Isn't that an increase? You bet it is. They are asking you to give up everything you have gained under the Headlee Amendment for the last 8 years. How can they get away with calling this a renewal? It's Wayne County that's how. This is in addition to the to, the 2001 voted operating millage which is now being levied at a rate of 1.4861 mills.

The Headlee Amendment works basically like this, revenue can increase at only the rate of inflation plus any additions and deletion of taxable value at the local level of government. If revenue increases over that, the mills levied must roll back to generate the inflationary amount or must be placed before the voters to override . WCCC thinks this slight of hand is justified because they believe it is good for us.

Keep in mind that a number of their courses are remedial. The inference is that the 12 years of education we paid for previously is not sufficient. Below is information taken from a website.

Information Summary

Ranks 292nd for total enrollment

Total Cost On-Campus Attendance		$2,369
Admission Success rate		N/A
Enrollment Total (all students)		14,764
Student Ratio Ratio of students to faculty		21 : 1

	Demographics – Main Campus and Surrounding Areas Reported area around or near Detroit, MI Total Population 6,138 (6,138 urban / N/A rural) Households 2,630 (1.45 people per house) Families 626 (2.41 people per family) Surrounding community Large city (inside urban area, pop. over 250,000) Pop. — African American 4,623 Pop. — Asian 99 Pop. — Pacific Islander 5 Pop. — American Indian / Alaskan Native 61 Pop. — White (incl. Hispanic) 1,404 Pop. — Other 80

Student Tuition Costs and Fees

What are the typical tuition costs and fees for attending Wayne County Community College District?

Ranks 3857th for total cost of attendance

	In District	In State	Out of State
FT Undergraduate Tuition	$1,332	$1,722	$2,184
FT Undergraduate Required Fees	$175	$175	$175
PT Undergraduate per Credit Hour	$56	$72	$91
FT Graduate Tuition	N/A	N/A	N/A
FT Graduate Required Fees	N/A	N/A	N/A
PT Graduate per Credit Hour	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total Cost of attendance — On-Campus	$2,369	$2,753	$3,209
Total Cost of attendance — Off-Campus w/out Family	$8,779	$9,163	$9,619
Total Cost of attendance — Off-Campus with Family	$5,519	$5,903	$6,359