ovember 8-14,1987 Michigan Citizen
a
a
By dDeep
Capital News Service
LA SING - Several Blac
legislators say a proposed sales
tax increase ould place an
necessary burden on the state's
poor.
ing p 0
By rryT r
Capital News Service
LA SI G - The working
poor and people with low paying
jobs in Michigan need help in
gettng access to health care and
health insurance, as health care
costs in the state continue to in­
crease.
Gloria Smith, director of the
Department of Public Health,
sees that there is a problem in
getting access to health care.
"If they are poor enough, care
can be financed through
. Medicaid, said Smith.
Being poor doesn't always
m an that the state will provide
for you, as people have to be
categorized to be qualified for
edicaid, said Peggy Kapus­
cinski, of th medicaid informa­
tion division.
"Single parents with children,
blind children, or handicapped
fit categorical needs," Kapus-
o
oor,
ay
lac
r
not have a firm stand to' make
just yet.
We definitely need some­
thing else (in terms of generat­
ing additional funds)," she said.
"I'm just no sold on the pack
age. I'm not sure it's going to do
the job for us."
"If people aren't wor ing
they won't be buying, she said.
Stallworth said she was con­
cerned that an increase would
not generate enough additional
income to close the gap created
A RARE MOMENT 0 MUSICAL HISTORY -
by the property tax decrease.
"It's going to be harder for
small communities and urban
centers," she said.
Rep. Floyd Clac (D-Flint) a
member of the Caucus, called
the proposed sales tax increase
generally unfavorable. He said it
would be difficult to draw up a
future state budget on the in­
come generated by a sales tax in­
crease because it may not make
up for the loss in property tax.
3
Under the plan proposed by
Republicans, a $1.77 billion
property tax decrease would be
pac aged with a 2 percent sales
tax increase. The sales tax in­
crease would have to be ap­
proved by Michigan voters.
Rep. Michael ye (R-
Litchfield) who is part of the
GOP t force on property and
school finance, said the plan is
totry toget the proposed in­
crease on the ovember 1988
ballot.
But Rep. Morris Hood (D­
Detroit) said the current report
is unpoplular and that more
work has to be done with the
proposal before anything can be
considered.
"There are reports on top of
reports circulating all over the
Capitol," Hood said. "The one in
which they are talking about is
not a very popular one."
A Republican tas force is
wor ing to lower the state's
property t while at the same
time bring the state's school dis­
triers closer in per-pupil fund-
ing. The plan calls for a reduc­
tion in property tax from the cur­
rent average of 32 mills per dis­
trict to 16 mills.
"I haven't heard anyone in the
Legislature speak in support of
it," Hood said. "Education
should not be based on the
ability of school districts to pass
millages."
Nye, who has worked on
property tax reform measures
, for 14 years, has called the
proposal one of the best he has
seen and the most successful tax
measure yet.
Hoo? has called the tax plan
aggressive.
"The poor in the long run will
end up paying more," he said.
"It's very complicated. I really
don't see anything coming out of
this one."
Rep. Susan Grimes Munsell
(R-Fowlerville) said the sales
tax increase would not adversly
affect the poor and would
depend on each per on's situa­
tion and spending patterns.
Munsell was one of the mem­
bers named to the Republican
tas force that recently com­
pleted the House plan to lower
the state's proeprty tax while
bringing the school districts
closer in per-pupil funding.
Blac Caucus Chairperson
Alma Stallworth (D-Detroit)
said the caucus was studying the
proposal but said her group did
ACLU slams bill penalizing raci
By Lydi Smigielski
Capital News Service
LANSING - American Civil
Liberties Union officials are
slamming legislation that calls
for stiffening penalties for ra­
cially-motivated crimes.
nee
health care help
cinski said.
Other Medicaid assistance
comes through general assis­
tance for intact families, or
people crippled under the age of
21, said Kapuscinski.
"If you're poor and you think
you qualify, it isn't true," she
added.
Gloria Smith contends that
the Department of Public
Health is not spending as much
money as it should on making
people healthy.
The health spending goes on
health treatment rather than
promotion and promotion
would reduce treatment, Smith
said.
"I can't see a big infusion of
funds to make it," said Smith, as
the budget of $300 million also
goes to other areas such as help­
ing prevent infant mortality, and
dealing with AIDS.
"Our efforts are reactive
rather than proactive," Smith
said.
"We have not paid enough at­
tention to how health care is
funded," added Smith. The loss
of general revenue dollars has
hurt funding as well.
Michigan is implementing a
pilot project to try to get people
off welfare and go bac to work
and getting health insurance for
the uninsured, Kapuscinski said.
The state is trying to gain at­
tention to this problem of
people getting off welfare and
who don't have insurance with
two counties, Marquette and
Genesee, being studied as the
pilot for further assistance being
handled elsewhere in the
country.
Some of the problems of
healthcare and insurance will be
handled better if the project
works and funding is provided
for '. it, she added.
The bill, currently tied up in
the Senate Judiciary Commit­
tee, would tack oc to the original
erie up to two years and a $2,000
fine for persons convicted of
ethnic bullying.
The measure would shield
targets of intimidation such as
Blacks and Jews.
If it gains a Senate OK,
Michigan would become the
30th state to carry ethnic in­
timidation or ethnic vandalism
statutes and the 12th in the na­
tion to make such acts a felony.
HOPES TO HIT AT HEART
o HATE OVE E
The bill"s author, Rep. David
Honigman, said he hopes to hit
the heart of the hate movement:
"It will dismantle the infrastruc­
ture of hate," he said.
But the West Bloomfield
Republican's proposal - that
cleared the House in mid-Oc­
tober - has drawn fire from civil
rights activists who contend the
bill is filled with loopholes.
Said Ralph Sirlin, ACLU
legal director, "It seems to be un­
artfully drawn.·
Sirlin said his organization is
troubled with the bill's "partly"
clause.
Under the proposed
Michigan law, an individual who
commits a felony that is in
whole or in part" motivated by
the victim's sex, rae , color,
religion, national origin, mental
or physical disability is guilty of
felony.
"Those protected would be
prosecuted or persecuted," Sir­
lin said. "It's a bill that could be
used to intimidate minorities or
persecute them.
Honigman said the "partly"
clause was included for those
criminals with "mixed motives.
He said such cases would in­
clude a person robbing another
because he wanted his money
and then assaulting that person
because he was Blac .
BELIE 0 LE
Sirlin said that the ACLU will
back a similar bill if its language
is tightened but said he doesn't
believe that such a law would
stop ethnic intimidation.
" 0 one would ever give it a
second thought in committing a
crime," he said. "There is no
deterrent effect."
Perceived motivation of eth­
nic intimidation would need to
be proven before the person can
be charged with the offense, the
bill states.
Continued on Page 11
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