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8yR EnI
DETROIT - On Monday,
J anuary 1� in honor of Dr . Mar­
tin L. King's birthday, Peaceful
demonstration was organiz.Cd by
the National Union For The
Homeless at the
Brewster/Douglass p ojects.
The Union and moved
several families from an eastside
shelter into a vacant unit in the
Projects.
The unit was. one of 1100
uni s at Brewser slated for
de olition ..
Upon entering the opened,
unboarded unit, the homele
\. families found a stove,
pro
refrigerator and heat.
Tenants of the Project charge
that the Housing Commissioner
left entrances unlocked hoping
vandals would destro the
property, thereby hurrying the
process of demolition. .
The families, mopped,
. cleaned and attempted to move
in. a kitchen set and beds
donated by supporters of the
Homeless Committee.
€orrine Jones of the 'Short
End Of The Stick Committee -­
a group of tenants formed to
fight the demolition of the
Brewster h mes -- says, "It was
S te's King celebration
. _to be year-long affair.' -'- I
By Rho B.
Capital News SeTVice
LANSING - The celebration
of the Martin Luther King Jr.
holiday will no come a year­
long ob erv nce in Michigan
beginning this year, said Sen.
Jac ·c Vaughn III, D-Detroit.
Vaughn, who has been reap­
pointed by Gov. James J.
Blanchard as chairman of the
Michigan Martin Luther King
Jr. Commission, is author of the
. legislation that established the
special day in Michigan.
"This year the commission is
expanding the thru and the
mission of Dr. King's efforts
throughout the year," Vaughn
ide "It's a full-time pursuit and
Michigan is unique because it is
among one of the rust states to
observe and honor King's
holiday."
The 75-member commission
kic ed off King's holiday Mon­
day, Jan. 18, at 12:30 p.m. with.
the official ringing of the state'
Liberty Bell.
Vaughn said the origi al
OP
Liberty Bell was also rung in
. Philadelphia at 12:30 p.m., with
Detroit resident and Mother of
the Civil Rights Movement,
Rosa Parks and M,yor Walson
Goode. In addition, bells in
every capitol of the SO state
were rung. The famous Big Ben
ben in London, England also
rang in observance of King's
holiday.
"The bottom-line to the year­
long observance is bringing the
people of.�chigan together ...
It's a full-time job," Vaughn said
"Peace,love and dignity for all
our citizens is what the commis­
sion is trying to express."
Some future plans scheduled
include a life-size bust of King to
be placed permanently at the
Capitol in Lansing and the con­
tinued teaching of King's
philosophy in Michigan elass-
rooms. I
Vaughn said the commission
is encouraging churches,
schools and other institutions
statewide to "continue King's
dream" throughout the year.
araue
8y A. Davis state official said.
Capital News Serviw: . Instead of raising sales tax,
� LANSING - Although in- .. one option would be to -m-oaden
creased taxation has. become a the base," said ThomaS Clay,
�ruesome thought among deputy director of the Depart­
Michigan taxpayer it may be ment of Management and
just the remedy for improviDg an budget.
ailing public school sy em, "It would me n including
some tate officials said. items and rvices (under the
"What now have .. rich sales tax) are not already
people in rich districts p ying taxed," Clay said. This could in­
rich taxes for rich schoo "said clude taxing such thiDp as golf
Debra To n end, press green fees, accounting services,
secretary. for the Senate or lottery winnin state offi­
Republicans. "The goal i to cials said.
I make sure poorer kids are not The idea of increasing the I
getting a poor educa on." sales tax came from 42-persOn
Michigan's golfers, those in YUWlce ColDIDiuion appointed
need of income tax CODIultatiOll, in February 1987 by the State
and winners of the Lotto j pot Board of Education to explore
may be subject to aaIes tax if the ne ways of funding K-12
sales iIlcrease is rejected, ODe education, said Ned Hubbell,
J
3
r i
, I
when the true with the furni- semi-furnished unit from which
ture hom the Homeless CoD?- they refused to move They re
mittee showed up that the poliee charged with trespassing a d
and Housing CO,nmissione jailed.
moved in to stop the families Members .of the committ
hom receiving the furnishings " said they would go to jail 0
She added, "They threatened to prove to the city that the
incircerate them and pi cetheir "are absolutely liveable a d
young in foster homes." f necessary for homel famili.
Facing the threat of jail ana Approximately peop e
loss of their children, the turned out for the demonstr -
families reconsidered and tion. '- I
agreed to move. They were n Their question to the ci y
charged. was, 'Why pay for shelter cos
Four othermembers of th when the monies could be spe t
National Homeless Union wei to repair the existing Brewste
. occupying another heated Douglass rowhouses?"
J ones said she . . glad the
homeless did what they did, "It
helped us a 10 ," putting pres­
sure on Mayor Coleman Young.
Jones said he i keeping a low
profile until 1989 to proceed
with demolition."
Jones' group h charged
th t the ayor and the city are
clearing- out the 1 income
Brewster projects to �e way
for the upper and middle elass.
The Brewster projects are in
tbe area marked by the Detroit
�rategic Plan � to become a
"town within th city" -- an effort
to lure those better-off back to
the city.
them
oberfson, Senate
S. M rtln Taylor.
"Last year we said "why don't­
we make this a ye r-long
celebration" and what we have
now is a w�ys and means to.coa­
tinue his dream not just for one
day," Vaughn added. "King's
memory will urvive as long
we keep the pir it alive
througho Michigan."
for
I
. d Colorado to
7.5 percent in ecticut.
Given a choice of having a tu
ina-ease among the "big three, -
iaco tax, pro�rty tax or sales
tax - Clay said voters would
. probably favor sale tax.
"Mo � people feel income
and property taxes are too high, "
Clay . d. An amendment to the
tate Constitution in needed .
before state es tax could be
changed. . would require a .
tate-wide vote, leaving the
choice in the d of the tax-
payers, Clay id
TheSenateR
a letter to the 8 raor Friday,
outlining the Education Reform
�Ian, Townse � said. They hope •
to ha the proposal dded to
N 1988
sal:"
public affairs ·spokesperson for
the Department of Education.
The commission released i
report in September and sent
copies to the Legi lature in
December, HubbeD said. The
report included a series of
recommendations, one of which,
sales tax increase.
The 1-cent sales tax ina-ease
proposal, introduced by Senate
Republicans would -make eund­
iDa more equitable" and would
eliminate the incongruity of
having ome school di trict
kicking ill $25,(0) per student,
while others arc ipendiDg S5,000
per student, TownseDd said.
The state would be ab e to'
colJect funding from sale. tax
and spread it 0 equally among
scbooI district.
hi addi . on to upgrading the
quality! of education, property
taxes wo Id ee a statewide
average d reue of 10 mills,
from 32.5 t 22.5 mills levied per
school dis . ct.
Michi currently has the
lowest sal tax in 'the Great
Lakes Re . on: Wisconsin, D­
linois, Indi and Ohio each
have 5 p rcent tax rates.
Minnesota' sales tax is 6 per­
cen.
Compar with tates acr
the country, Michigan' sales tax
is slightly 10 r, with Michigan's
tax lower en 45 other states,
ccording t information com-
piled by Treasury Depart-
ment.
ation
from-41ft_�
"
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