THUR • FRI • SAT
011Froot
MAY 16 • 17 • 18
FUNDING page 3
E
75% (?!..
e".4T'alk-!
Marguerite
Sundance Shoes
Peanuts
Hersh's
Steven Franklin Optics
Rear Ends
Omaha Steaks
La Bret Jewelers
Chico's Casual Clothing
Mr. Alan's
Caribou Coffee
chard Lake Road • West Bloomfield
I
BAS SONOVA
Buy from the
manufacturer
SPRING & SUMMER
Cy Lisnov
petite
Pants
Fabtics
Sizes1-1 6
Pants, vests & blazer outfits
now in stock
Gabs, Fibranes, polycottons
and novelties
$45-$95
EVERY SATURDAY I 0 am-4pm
COMFORT INN • FARMINGTON HILLS
(12 Mile Just East of Orchard Lake Rd.)
(810) 471-9220
Mon-Fri call '8 I 0 7546360
NOW SHOWING FALL SWATCHES
ei
ing the program at Above: Gov. Engler
wants cuts.
$65 million is gener-
ous." s
Above right:
Even with a re-
Classes may end.
duced budget, the gov-
ernor's office says,
Right: Maxine
Berman wants
Michigan would still
more funding.
be a top spender on
adult education, sec-
ond only to California.
Ms. Stein maintains
Michigan's adult-edu-
tion of Metropolitan Detroit.
cation programs are far more ex- "Providing New Americans with
tensive than those offered in English skills is more beneficial
other states.
to the state than paying their
If ESL funding is cut, Jewish public assistance, which is what
communal agencies vowed to could happen to those who can-
find a way to continue providing not get a job because they don't
classes for New Americans, speak English. If the governor
many of whom cannot afford to ended support for the program,
pay to learn the language.
we in the Jewish community
"We are concerned about the would have to pick up the costs
potential impact," said Rachel with our limited resources."
Yoskowitz, the director of Re-
Federation joined a coalition
settlement Service at Jewish of religious-based social service
Family Service. "We would like agencies, formed recently in re-
to see the program go on and we sponse to this issue, to urge the
will make whatever efforts we Legislature to restore funding for
can to see it happen." Ms. ESL classes.
Yoskowitz said some creative al-
Rep. Maxine Berman, a South-
ternatives have been proposed, field Democrat who is a member
but declined to discuss those op- of the House Appropriations
tions.
Committee where the issue was
But that's no consolation to debated this week, said she and
those who maintain state fund- other lawmakers are doing what
ing of ESL is necessary.
they can to try putting the pro-
"Given the governor's philos- gram back into the budget.
ophy (on welfare), it would make
"I don't think most (lawmak-
sense for refugees to have ESL," ers) want to cut ESL," Rep.
said Judah Isaacs, senior staff Berman said. "I just don't know
associate for planning and allo- if they have the will or the guts
cations with the Jewish Federa- to go against the governor."
Rep. Berman said
she has no real sense
of what her col-
leagues will do be-
tween now and
mid-June when the
Legislature is sched-
uled to break for the
summer.
Funding for adult
education is a small
part of the 1997 state
budget Gov. Engler
presented to the Leg-
islature in February.
"One of three
things could end up
happening," Ms. Nurenberg said.
"There will be fewer ESL class-
es offered, students will pay a fee
for the class or someone besides
the local department of educa-
tion is going to wind up picking
up the tab."
Under the governor's propos-
al, individuals eligible for state-
funded adult education would
include only those under 20 or
those recommended by an em-
ployer.
"Adult education is a large is-
sue, and ESL is a small piece of
it," said lobbyist Dennis Much-
more of Muchmore Harrington
Associates Inc. in Lansing. Mr.
Muchmore is the paid lobbyist
for the Jewish Federation of Met-
ropolitan Detroit and its agen-
cies. "They (lawmakers)
understand the problem. If peo-
ple cannot speak English, they
cannot contribute to society. It's
harder for an immigrant to find
a job and get along in everyday
life without knowing English.
'Whether they can respond to
it or not, that is another ques-
tion." ❑