Michigan- News from the Front - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

strelnik · #1 03-04-2010, 08:02 PM

Just in case you wanted to know what's occupying the Motor City and the state which surrounds it these days, here is a compilation of info from various sources. Not enough room to cut+paste all the particulars.

Michigan lost its piece of the $4,000,000,000 first round money for education, call "Reach for the Top" requiring innovative teaching and management. Sec of Ed Arnie Duncan declined to address it directly, but it leaked that there were a few particulars which came to the attention of the committee. Two in particular:

1. Detroit Teachers' union officials refused to allow the teachers to consider a measure in which they would have an end of the week meeting to discuss one or two key issues that impacted their students. The 30 minute max meeting (the idea: keep it simple) could not be discussed unless the teachers were to get minimum overtime of 34.00/hr for the half hour, which would actually be paid as an hour.

2. The vice president of a small suburban state school called Oakland University makes $259,000 annually. He has lobbied for the past several years to keep getting these increases. Apparently he was asked what his plan was for 2010-2011. The answer, allegedly: obtain a 9% raise for this year

The mayor of Detroit has announced that work should begin, if all goes well, on a 178 million dollar rapid transit from downtown, going north eight miles to the edge of the city. Aside from the fact that this train runs on a well-covered bus route and does not link the downtown area with anything, it has just been discovered that no one ever guaranteed the funding. This might be the "if all goes well" caveat that might slow things down.... Someone in the administration was asked why the train doesn't connect the airport and suburbs, since it would have a better chance of attracting passengers. The city declined comment.

Hatterasguy · #2 03-04-2010, 08:18 PM

Have fun, when are you guys going to vote these jokers out of office?

The train is a good idea for Detroit, will give whoever is left in town a fast escape out.

pawoSD · #3 03-04-2010, 10:13 PM

I just pretend detroit is not there. Things are pretty nice around here.

Fulcrum525 · #4 03-04-2010, 11:28 PM

All in favor of selling Michigan to Canada raise your hands now

TheDon · #5 03-04-2010, 11:54 PM

or trade it to them for one of the nicer providences.. not that snooty french one

strelnik · #6 03-05-2010, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDon

or trade it to them for one of the nicer providences.. not that snooty french one

But wait, maybe den you get da good hockey players, non?

Besides, Quebec girls are very friendly.

stimpy451 · #7 03-05-2010, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fulcrum525

All in favor of selling Michigan to Canada raise your hands now

Normally I would say "Hells yeah, eh" but after that olympic closing ceremony....nuh uh.

Pete
(just north of detroit)

SirNik84 · #8 03-05-2010, 02:06 PM

The last news I read about detroit was about an old guy hunting racoons in the streets and selling the meat... not that there is anything wrong with that, but then again, Detroit use to be the center of American industry, not exactly a back water. The break down of Detroit is one of the reasons I worry about the future of our country.

Carleton Hughes · #9 03-05-2010, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

Besides, Quebec girls are very friendly.

They're Bi-Lingual. They understand different tongues.

retmil46 · #10 03-05-2010, 03:00 PM

"Train to Nowhere" - gee, that sounds familiar. Charlotte NC has a light rail project as well for the past few years. 2 or 3 times over budget, only 3 rail cars, doesn't run to or from any place to significantly affect highway commuting or attract customers, etc, etc - and they're determined to keep pouring money into it.

About 4 years ago the mayor of Charlotte and the city council came up to our county to try and persuade our county commissioners to be part of the project - nice little media event when he was tossing around a football and make inane sports references, asking our reps if we were "up for the game". They just wanted to extend the rail line 15 miles into our county to the first town - and oh by the way could you pick up the cost for those 15 miles and also build all the maintenance shops and facilities in your county as well so we don't have to pay for them?

To their credit (at least IMHO) our county commissioners, both D's and R's, unanimously told them where they could stick their choo-choo train.

SirNik84 · #11 03-05-2010, 03:02 PM

Here in Sacramento we call the light rail "The Shame Train"

4x4_Welder · #12 03-05-2010, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

Besides, Quebec girls are very friendly.

Friendly, but don't shave.
I'll take BC. It's like Washington, just cleaner.

dynalow · #13 03-05-2010, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

Just in case you wanted to know what's occupying the Motor City and the state which surrounds it these days, here is a compilation of info from various sources. Not enough room to cut+paste all the particulars.

Michigan lost its piece of the $4,000,000,000 first round money for education, call "Reach for the Top" requiring innovative teaching and management. Sec of Ed Arnie Duncan declined to address it directly, but it leaked that there were a few particulars which came to the attention of the committee. Two in particular:

1. Detroit Teachers' union officials refused to allow the teachers to consider a measure in which they would have an end of the week meeting to discuss one or two key issues that impacted their students. The 30 minute max meeting (the idea: keep it simple) could not be discussed unless the teachers were to get minimum overtime of 34.00/hr for the half hour, which would actually be paid as an hour.

2. The vice president of a small suburban state school called Oakland University makes $259,000 annually. He has lobbied for the past several years to keep getting these increases. Apparently he was asked what his plan was for 2010-2011. The answer, allegedly: obtain a 9% raise for this year

The mayor of Detroit has announced that work should begin, if all goes well, on a 178 million dollar rapid transit from downtown, going north eight miles to the edge of the city. Aside from the fact that this train runs on a well-covered bus route and does not link the downtown area with anything, it has just been discovered that no one ever guaranteed the funding. This might be the "if all goes well" caveat that might slow things down.... Someone in the administration was asked why the train doesn't connect the airport and suburbs, since it would have a better chance of attracting passengers. The city declined comment.

Teacher's Unions just screwed the pooch here too.

N.J. is out of running in first round of federal 'Race to the Top' education funding

New Jersey is out of the running for the first round of federal education funding from Race to the Top, a $4.35 billion competition that rewards states that promise ambitious but often-controversial reforms.

Federal education officials announced 15 finalists today, fewer than 10 of which will get up to $2 billion. New Jersey officials vowed to make another attempt in June, the deadline for a second round that will determine who receives the rest of the funding.

The competition aims to link teacher evaluations with student achievement and encourage more charter schools, among other measures. Forty states and the District of Columbia submitted proposals in January. New Jersey was seeking between $200 million and $400 million.

New Jersey’s acting education commissioner, Bret Schundler, said he is "extremely disappointed" at the result. Further discussions with education union leaders, who almost universally opposed the application, will lead to a better showing in the second round, he said.

"With their support of what the president is seeking from New Jersey, I’m convinced we will be able to put forward a winning application," he said.

As Trenton considers cutting aid to schools, some education advocates said the decision from Washington is a significant setback.

"There were some innovative ideas that went into our state’s application, concepts that would have helped kids," said Frank Belluscio, spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association. "It is money we certainly could use."

But union leaders and about half the state’s school districts remain skeptical.

The New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, had recommended its local chapters oppose Race to the Top. Officials objected to provisions that emphasize standardized testing and connect teacher pay with results. They also questioned how programs would be paid for when the money ends, as well as the emphasis on charter schools.

NJEA officials met with Schundler earlier this week. A union spokesman, Steve Wollmer, said the two sides agreed to examine the applications of winning states and consider modifying New Jersey’s proposal for the second round. But, he said, the group’s position remains unchanged.

"We’re very comfortable with our opposition to this (program)," Wollmer said. "We think (U.S. Secretary of Education) Arne Duncan’s vision of how to increase student achievement is very, very misinformed."

The states that were named finalists today are: Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania...

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/nj_is_out_of_running_for_435b.html

stimpy451 · #14 03-05-2010, 04:17 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZjzsnPhnw

sd300td · #15 03-05-2010, 04:26 PM

I graduated from Oakland University. It's actually not that small (anymore). Not MSU or U of M enrollment numbers, but not small. Probably close to 20,000 students.

Regardless, anyone who has spent time around Detroit should find none of this surprising.