n hour-long b r­
gaming e sion between
pro ecutor nd the
defen e, a econd charge of
conspiracy to c rry con­
cealed we pon was
dropped.
'The father, Robert Col­
lins Sr., 44, h n Oct. 22
preliminary hearing in dis­
trict court on similar char­
g .
I n an emotional 20-
minute tatement, the
r younger Collins explained
to P nnucci the incidents
th t led up to the June 1
death of Louis, Franchot
Green, who was shot in the
parking lot of Daniel's
Family Restaurant.
When he began to cry,
his f ther shouted: "How
. many times you got to live a
nightmare?" The elder Col­
lins was ejected from the
courtroom.
Green and four other
Black youths were allegedly
harassing white customers
at the 24-hour diner, where
- the Collins family was
eating shortly after mid­
•. night, Collins said.
Twenty minute later,
, Collin said· his father ent
him borne to fetch a' .357-
Magnum revolver for
> protection. When he
returned, he said-the scene
had turned violent.
Collins said he and, his
father ran to the parking lot,
, found four Black youths on
top of an unconscious white
man and watched Green
draw a gun.
"Green' had this gun
pointed at this guy who was
knocked out already and
was going to shoot him for
no reason," Collins said.
"The kid pointed his gun at
(the elder Collins) and my
dad shot him. What could he
do?"
Although witnesses told
police Green had indicated
he was armed and at' least
one man said he saw Green
point the gun at the elder
Collins, no weapon was
found. Witnesses said one
of Green's friends grabbed
. the gun and fled.
Racial tensions flared
after the shooting.
When county Prosecutor
Tony Tague ruled the slay­
ing a justifiable homicide
and charged the white men
with weapons violations,
about 150 angry residents,
inost of them Black, at­
tended a meeting of the
Muskegon County Board of
Commissioners.
Residents said the father
should be charged with
murder. Tague called the
shooting self-defense.
A recall petition drive
against Tague began a week
later. Organizers, who claim
to have more than 12,000
signatures, have until Tues­
day, Oct. 30 to substantiate
11 000 names to put the
.. e�ll on a countywide bal-
lot.
I
"
.
2,
HI
o
c ·on
• can conomic b "
dustry in h t Reed contends' bil­
lions of dol being t ith only
all perc nt ge 0 th capital
re ching th BI c community.
According to an bstr ct from a
Aid 'cut : Countie's say
no to top gap funds
ity fann until no been horri-
bly n g (th ) result of und
d ve programs."
Reed, ho aid he Wayn
CountySh 'ffforfoury andh
Too little to off et cut
By AMY MIDDLETO
Capital ews Service
LA S1 G- The state will offer
, block grants to local governments
to upplement cuts in the Depart­
ment of Social Services budget,
but the counties aren't biting. The
Michigan ociation of Coun­
ties is urging Michigan's 83 coun­
ties to reject the block grants
immediately, MAC Legislative
Coordinator Ann Beaujean said.
While ccepting or rejecting
the grant is up to th individual
counties, Beaujean aid the MAC
hopes prompt rejections of the
progrm1 will convince lawmakers
to keep DSS funding at the state
level. '
, If offered a state block grant
for emergency ervices, Leelanau
County officials, for example,
apparently, are likely to tum down
the money.
EMERGENCY services in­
clude preventing foreclosures and
utility shut-otfs as well as paying
for emergency food, shelter and
clothing.
The state's offer, however,
represents about a third of the
county's need, Leelanau County
DSS Director Mary Gibson said.
Once GOv. John Engler signs
the 1991-92 budget, the Legisla­
ture can start piecing programs
back together, but until then, the
DSS is paying for general assis­
tance emergency services such as
burials and life-threatening emer­
gencies with funds from the de­
partment's general operating ex-
penses.
The immediate problem of in­
digent funerals left former general
assistance recipients struggling to
meet funeral expenses up to more
than $1,000.
Before the new budget elimi­
nated the emergency needs pro­
gram, DSS paid up to $960 tow d
funeral costs. As of Thursday DSS
will pay up to $700, which doesn't
cover expenses for funeral home
operators but is ccepted as full
payment.
THE REDUCTION in funds
for btuials reflects cuts to other
emergency servi covered by
DSS. The total amount of money
available to the counties is 30
percent of what was spent state­
wide on these programs last year.
Even if the grants are approved,
they may not reach the counties
until this winter, state DSS spoke -
man Charles Peller said ..
"We're hoping we could get
the money dispersed by December
1, but realistically, it would proba-
bly be January I," Pell aid.
Sen. John Pridnia, R-Hubbard
Lake, said the counties are judg­
ing the block grants a little prema­
turely and should take some time
to absorb the idea.
"I APPLAUD the governor
for making some difficult choices
to bring the state back into finan­
cial balance, " he said, "In the proc­
ess we've hurt some groups and
some individuals, but now we're
ready to address these cases one
by one."
Blue Cross opens up
the executive sulte
By JODI c. KLEIN
Captial New. Service
LA SINO-" A diverse work­
pi ce is the best workplace to keep
� organization moving forward,"
a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Michig" spokesperson said.
For Blue Cross, Michigan's
largest health care inSurer, diver-
ity means a change from within.
The organization's top 30 execu­
tives three and a half years ago
cons' ted almo entirely of white
mal . Today Blue Cro ' 31-
member executive taft includes
17 females and minorities, over-
ing more than 8,000 employ­
ees.
,WhenB began in 1939,
its entry-level taff may have
consisted of omen and minori­
ti ,but all Is chief executives
white men.
In 1939 the corporation was
made up of 75 percent women and
over half of the corporation con­
sisted of minorities at the entry­
level position.
IN THE PAST three and a
half years, President and Chief Ex­
ecutive Richard Whitmer turned
that around.
George Francis III, senior vice
president of human r ources and
adrnini tration, id of Whitmer,
"He t some clear objective of
how he anted to build a new
management am."
"Whitmer looked fOr people
who could deliver high 1 vel of
� service and who ere re-
ibl corpor citizens,"
Franc' id,
"Tbey we qualified minorities
B Cro ,P A-10
SIGNS OF THE TIME - The city of Highland Park' bulld.ozers and wrecking crew have becom
Ruined building, like this building, 30 Highland Street, are being razed. (photo by N. Scott)
D� R facing massive sh __,.�---..
Han R eel
By LAURA BLAKE
Capital News Service
LANSING-Michigan Depart­
ment of Natural Resources Direc­
tor Roland Hartnes may be the last
of his kind.
Historically, DNR directors
have been accountable to the Natu­
ral Resources Commission. It's a
group of seven members, appointed
by the governor, who each serve a
four-year term. But pending the
passage of House Bill. 4074, that
tradition may change.
The measure, reintroduced by
Rep. Tom Alley, D-West Branch,
would allow the governor to ap­
point all future DNR directors. The
House Conservation, Recreation
and Environment Committee is
expected to consider the measure
further sometime this week.
able to the CIOITlRlission; it prevents
the department from becoming po­
liticized," she said. "It puts the re­
sponsibility of the department with a
group of citizens and allo fa geat«
public access."
The commission expressed its
official opposition to the measure in
a letter to Alley's offioe OCl 8.
Alley, chairman of the House
Conservation, Recreation and Envi­
ronment Committee, was not sur­
prised by the response.
WHEN TIlE MEASURE was
first introduced during the 1989-
1990 legislative ession, it was
killed, in committee by then-Sen.
John Engler.
A spokesman for' Gov. Engler
said that the governa" will rot block
the measure.
"We have thr new commis­
sioners and a new director now,"
h aid. "We're waiting to hear
their recommendations. "
Because of th controversy sur­
rounding th bill, ome doubt that
the me ill even be reported
out of committee.
"It boil ttown to ArrnuntAhil­
ity," Alley said. "The cornmis i n
. not ccountable to the people of
Michigan."
Natural Resources Commis­
ioner Marlene Fluharty, an eight­
y .. commission veteran, dis­
greed. ,
questions and requests fex permits,
, a 1 k of resoerces allocated to­
ward educating the lNsine ' com­
munity about the environment and t
the DNR's "hostile" ttitude to­
ward development and private en-
terprise. . .
"TIlE DIRECfOR is 8CXXlUIlt-
"THEY DON'T SEEM will­
ing to give you a straight answer to
an honest question," he said.
"Those are spurious, self-serv­
ing arguments, " replied Tom
I
The measure isjustanjnltial step toward;
• I,
restructunng the DNR, a de artment
that is viewed by some a's a monolith of i
bureaucracy and inefficiency.
"The commissioners are afraid
to lose power," he said. "The be­
hind-the- cenes politics of that
commission are terrible."
Washington, executive director of
Michigan United Conserv tion ':
Club . "If you look at the ource :
of th arguments, you'll find :
someone who h been told 'no' :
THE MEASURE is just an ini- by the department. i, '
tial step towwd resIruCtWing the DNR, Where others bure ucracy
a departJpent that is viewed by some and unnecessary delay , Wash·
a monolith of bureaucracy and ington sees careful consideration,
inefficiency. especially on the matter of DNR
"Some group have testified that permits to busin
the DNR i just fine," aid Rich "Why hould they jwnp and
Studley, vice pre ident in charge of say'y I to those permits?" he
government relations for the Michl-· id. .
gan Chamber of Commerce. "That's W hington aid that every-
cl ly a minority point of view. " one who b for a permit .
There is a need for change, he ,ing for penn' ion to do some
QSliti, huy thPf"P' not A rnn. ensus on darha�e to the environment and
the best way to go about it. the ONR has a r ponsibility to
''1be ooomissioo may have sc:me consider requests very care-
sense in the p t, but you have to fully.
wonder if it's ill th best way. to
establish policy," he said.
According to Studley, the big­
g complaints made by chamber
members against the DNR are:
Lengthy delays in responding to
"rMSURE DNRfnm
time to time hu made mis
he ·d. "But if they err, it' on
ide of the' environment, and that'
just fine with me."