. An Informed People Is A Free People
M .'
INSIDE
eh
01
By KRISTINA MARLOW
c.pltll' N.w. s.rvtc.
LANSING-Gov. John Engler
propo ed a major overhaul in
school financing Friday when he
unveiled his spending plans for
1993-94. •
Engler's "children' education
guarantee" would dramatically
c�an�e how education money is
distributed by promising a base of
$4,211 per student for districts that
levy the state average of 34.6 mills.
"We want to make sure all stu
dents get a quality education" said
'Engler pokesman John T�cotl
. "While it's not all based on money
some di tricts are paying $9,000
per student and some are paying
less than $3,000."
"There are no guarantees now.
There is a base minimum (funding
.level� now but it's much Ie s."
CRITICS A Y the funding
overhaul would hurt wealthier dis
tricts around the state like Holland
R�y� . Oak and East Lansing by
hitting money from wealthy dis
tricts to poorer districts.
Because wealtlty districts pay
teachers higher alaries, the state
Would you
support a hike
in the sales tax'
to six cents in
upport of
education?
vestments or contracts in South Africa.by the
end of the calendar year 1994. .
. When the state's divestitute law was passed
1D 1�8, Michigan joined the global movement
to bnng reform to that nation where the Blac
majority population is relegated to second
clas status by the ruling white majority.
"That means General Motors has to be sold
completely out," state trea urer Douglas
Robert said, "Ford has to be old completely
out. I'm hoping conditions change and we
don't have to do that. But if, in fact, conditions
don t change, then we will be completely out
of all stocks of companies that are doing busi
nes in Sout Africa."
y 0 f r
•
Inane
must spend more to reimburse
�se districts for Social Security
and retirement. Engler's proposal
�o�d phase out state funding to
districts for retirement and Social
Security and require local districts
to cover payments.
"If he's taking $1.4 million in
FICA and about one million in state
re��ement, recapturing another
million or two will absolutely dev
astate us," said Bob Fein, assistant
superintendent for busin s serv-:
ices for Holland Public Schools.
"Obviously, we'd liave to take a
paring knife to programs."
While Engler is still pushing his
proposal to cut school property
taxes by 20 percent, his plan would
pot reimburse districts for lost
revenue. If the Legislature passes
Engler's rollback in property taxes,
Holland Public School stand to
lose $2 million in the first year and
$10 million within the first three
years,' Fein said. Holland' total
budget is $29 million.
"It will create havoc withi the
program," Fei'n said. "My predic
�on is .. .in. three or fOur months leg
islators WIll be scrambling to undo
it."
FEIN SIUD the losses would
force the school district to as for a
millage increase or cut programs.
Holland currently levies 33.6
school operating mills, which is be
low the state average.
SCHOOL,P geA-10
H.P.
I'
"If the community aid we have
to increase to millage, what. have
Anti-a artheid deadline looms
State
disinvestment
in auto stock
nears
By JEFFREY A. SCHOENBORN
ClIp"" N.w. s.;-w:.
. LAN�ING-As Michigan continues to play
Its role 10 the w r against apartheid in South
Africa, the state's investments' in General Mo
tors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. will be acri
ficed unless major political changes occur in
that nation.
Michigan's five pension funds must com
pletely divest from any company that bas in-
,
HIOHLAND PARK - 'Saddled
with deficits of $1.5 million in t
general fund nd another $1 mil
lion in the water fund; nd 1 ble
for $32.5 in pension funds they
don't have, the City of Highland
Park's ability to "continue a 0-
ing concern" i in" ub 18ntl I
doubt" according to n audit -
proved by the city council Mon
day, March 15.
The report covers the fllcal year
ending June 1990, the I t fiscal
year under former Mayor Martha
O. Scott, when the financial tate
of the city was an . sue in her bid
for reelection.
THE AUDIT FO July 1991
through June 1992, covering the
last six months of Scott's admini-
tration and the first six months of
Mayor Linsey Porter' administra-
tion, not yet been ent the
city c u ..
T uditing firm, Hungerford
DEM, P .C. tated there w a gen
eral fund deficit of $1,536,277, and
a capital project deficit of $2,490.
A water fund deficit of
$�,055,448 was attributed to oper
anng activitie , lack oiincome tax
co�lection, accrual of pending law-
Ul and ub idizing other funds.
Also, in jeopardy are both the
Employee' Retirement Sy tern
and the Police and Firemen Retire
n1e�t sy t�m "described by the
auditor as poor with no long term
viability ."
, .
.,
·
· -.
•
·
Finanei I abo
both system had unfun ed
crue� liabilitie of $32,582,584 -
cording t t mo t recent ctuari
valuatio of June 0, 1988 [ ben
Scott had been in office about Ilx
mont ).
S ,FUTURE, P A-4
Chrysler sees
"moral' debt
to H.P.
RLOW
an QbU tion to
the move. . .
Chrysler' intention to keep
the headquarters in ihe City, aid
spokesman Steven Ham but DO
. '
promise made. The auto maker
sees "a moral obligation to help out
whcre�er we can," but not a legal
comnutment.
Chrysler agreed to give the eity
of Keno h Wi. about $250 mil
lion when the company clo ed ita
. sembly plant there in 1988. The
majority of the agreement - $200
S ,CHRYSLER, Page A·7
.,."
It is generally acknowledged that an agree- .
me�t between the African National Congress
(ANC), led by Nelon Mandela, and the
.. . '
mtnistrauon of President F.W. de Klerk i on
the horizon. However, the reform process is
See ANTl-APARTHEID. 1.-10
ANJEANETTE GIBSON �
Yes. They need more funds to
iw the childrert a good edu
cation.
BERTTEAI DAVIS- As long
as that's where he money
goes and they can account for
every c nt fine.
WILTON BURTON- Yes.
�ducatlon might help us get
out of trus mess we are In.
.. OB� , WHO is responsible for ad
mtnistenng the funds' $23 billion in as ets
said the law state that this policy will be re�
v.ersed once full citizenship d equal political
fights are granted to all South African .