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Bloomfield Township Millage
Renewal Could Save Lives
B
loomfield Township
residents are about to
vote on a critical mill-
age renewal that could mean
the difference between life
and death.
In the past year,
Bloomfield Township has
cut approximately $4 mil-
lion out of its budget and
is now looking at a mill-
age renewal. The proposal
would allow the township
to maintain its current high
level of services for police
and fire operations. The
renewal is not a new tax,
nor will it increase taxes for
residents.
If the millage renewal
fails, the township will have
to outsource emergency
medical services, which will
more than double response
times from the current 6
minutes to more than 12
minutes. That extra time
could result in lost lives.
If the millage fails,
Bloomfield Township will
also have to shutter two of
its four fire stations and lose
approximately one-third of
its first responders, around
20 police officers and 20 fire
fighters.
Concerned that voters will
falsely regard the millage as a
tax increase and vote against
it, many policemen and
firemen are already looking
for new jobs outside of the
township. It’
s a contentious
situation for Fire Chief Mike
Morin.
“If this millage doesn’
t
pass, I stand to lose around
22 people. All because of
misinformation,” he said.
Opponents of the millage,
led by lawyer Don Valente,
say it’
s money that could
be found elsewhere in the
township budget, which they
insist is loaded with waste.
They add that Morin is try-
ing to scare people with his
talk of losing first responders
if the millage fails.
“People live in this com-
munity because they know
they’
re safe and protected.
Plus, Bloomfield Township
is an aging community, and
what we do allows our resi-
dents to age at home,” Morin
said. “For many, we’
re like a
second family. If this millage
fails, the service we provide
will not remain the same.
For them or anybody else.”
Bloomfield Township res-
idents can vote to renew the
millage, which will keep the
tax rates the same and pub-
lic services strong. Or they
can vote against the millage
renewal, knowing it will
result in a weakened police
and fire department.
Polls will be open in
Bloomfield Township from
7 a.m.-8 p.m. March 10.
Absentee ballots are avail-
able now to those who can’
t
make it to the polls.
Stephanie Ruopp is a Metro Detroit
freelance writer.
To make a donation to the
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How to reach us see page 10
STEPHANIE RUOPP SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
I also do a weekly spiritual support
group in the inpatient psychiatric
unit. During my studies, I learned
how important stories are in inspira-
tion. I decided to take Jewish stories
of inspiration and “non-Judaize” them
so I can use them for all patients.
For example, I start with a story
about a poor person named David,
son of Ezekiel. He had a recurring
dream that if he traveled to the king’
s
bridge and looked underneath it,
he would find treasure. At first he
just dismissed the dream as wish-
ful thinking; then he decided that
maybe the dream was a sign, so he
traveled to the king’
s bridge, which
was well-guarded. After the third day
of him trying to find a way to look
under the bridge, the captain of the
guards asked him what he wanted. He
told the captain, who then told him
about his own dream, of finding the
house of some person called David,
son of Ezekiel, and looking under his
stove where he would find a treasure.
Upon hearing this, David turned
around, went home, looked under his
stove and found a treasure.
The moral is
we often look for trea-
sure from outside sources; however,
we first need to look and find the
treasure within ourselves.
I help patients realize their self-
worth by telling them that the world
is not complete without them. I also
KINDNESS continued from page 5
continued on page 10