LY GOLU BOWS KI
ING- A legi lative fight
o r an 800,000 state ubsidy
for th Pontiac Silverdom is de­
laying doption of th state' ag­
riculture budget.
The delay, griculture offi­
cials ay, could hamper the De­
partment of Agriculture's
priority programs, such as food
inspection and marketing.
The appropriation for th Sil­
verdome is being sponsored by
Rep. Charlie Harrison, D-Pon­
tiac, in the agriculture's budget
proposal and opposed by the De­
partment of Management and
Budget.
Since fiscal year 1972-73, the
Pontiac Silverdome has received
more than $14 million in so­
called hor e racing revenue
funds from the state. .
State budget Director, Patri­
cia Woodworth, said that the
funds were appropriated in past
years under th guise of horse
racing revenue funds, which are
restricted funds set aside to sup­
port th horse racing industry by
the Office oft Racing Commis­
sion, located within the depart­
ment of Agriculture.
"IT HA OT G to do
with hor e racing though,"
Wood orth . d. .
Th funds w ctually being
iphoned from the state's gen­
er8l fund, but were called re­
stricted funds to ward off the
possibility of a veto, sh said.
Gov. John Engelr vetoed'
th Sil rdom ppropriations
ince fi cal y r 1992-93 and
Wood worth . d that he will con­
tinue to do so ifneoessary.
"We just don't think he hould
have to to it: he id, "We
think it hould just not be put in
(the agriculture budget}."
She id that there are
enough vo in the agriculture
commissions conference com­
mittee to prevent the appropria­
tion from being added to the
budget proposal but not enough
vo to get the bill . gned and
passed without the appropria­
tion included.
WOODWORTH SAID Rep.
Harrison's efforts to begin ap­
propriatingthe funds for the Sil­
verclome again may stem from
his candidacy in the Pontiac
mayoral race.
A spokesperson for the De­
partment of Management and
Budget, Maureen McNulte, said
the funds were originally appro­
priated 'to make payments on
$15 million in revenue bonds
sold to help fund the Silver­
dome's construction.
Bob Spavin, a controller at
the Silverdome, said a total of
$40 million in bonds were soldto
help pay the dome's $55 million
00 J'Uctwn bill �
General obligation bonds,
which accounted for 25 million
in funds, came from the city's
property taxes. About $15 mil­
lion were sold as revenue bonds.
MIKE ABINGTON, emcu­
ti director of the Silverdome,
said the dome receives $1.2 mills
annually from the city of Pontiac
for the general obligation bonds.
Spavin said that the lack of
the state ubsidy has hurt the
Silverdome financially. The
400,000 subsidy the dome re­
ceived from the state during the
1992-98 fiscal year from the De­
partment of Natural Resources
was fur. the World Cup soooer
tournament, not fur the revenu
bonds.
Dan Wyant, legislative liai­
son for the Department of Agri-
culture, said the department's
No.1 priority is food safety and
that the budget needs to be fin­
ished soon to continue the goal.
"We don't like to see the
budget held up by controversy
such as this," he said.
Woodwroth said that she
doesn't think Rep. Harrison' at­
tempts at appropriating the
mo y for the Silverdome will
hold up the budget proooedings,
whieh resum · on : .. 1 ' or
long because the Pontiac may- .
oral race ends on the 14th.
"when we get past Sept. 14th,
things might be different," she
said.
By BART ORBAN
c. It.1 News Service
0018
LANSING - School districts and local govern­
ments worried about reduced funding when the
state revamps school financing won't receive
much encouragement from state Budget Direc­
tor Patricia Woodworth.
SPeaking to Capital News Service, Wood­
worth mad it clear that changes are coming
from schools.
"I don't think we're going to under any
new plan that might be developed the kind of
in that we've n averaging - 8 to 10
percent a y r," she said.
Th Legisla ure p a $3.5 billion bill two
weeks a to fund public schools for this school
year, 1 aving futur funding in limbo after th.e
elimination in July of property tax funds dedi­
cated to schools.
THE SCHOOL FINANCING issue has
garnered Michigan and Gov. John Engler na­
tional attention as a test case for school reform.
If Michigan is successful, other states may fol­
low.
To achieve that goal, WoodWorth had some
. advice for skeptical superintendents.
"I think there has to be some effort made to
find the elements of their budgets that are grow­
ing at a rate in excess of inflation .and t� � find
ways to bring those costs back into line, she
said. .
To those who say the state needs to control
its own wasteful spending, Woodworth said
flatly, "I think they're wrong," and add�, "I
don't think there's anyone who would believe
that John Engler hasn't cut waste out of state
government. "
lary ays good bye
cool oard
By RON SEIGEL
In a letter addressed to the
board, McClary left 'members
with ten sayings he called "Ti­
tusisms:"
Remember to put the chil­
dren of Highland Par first.
You gain by giving, no by
taking.
What you give to the chil­
dren of Highland Par is the re­
ward you
Make sure th funds of the
district are spent as if it were
your own money.
It takes time to beoome an
ive board member.
Know the difference b
t n administering and setting
policy.
Always remember that you
are elected by t citizens.
Vote intelligently on your
lie .
�- --- -�-� -
You have only one vote.
The School Board will still
be there when you're gon .
The n y
Frome
BALANCING THE EDUCAT.ION BUDGET
MichignSchoo
Tot I Oper In; R nu.e
More Th n 88% Of ichigan Schoo
Oper In; Re nu I Cut With The
Lo Of Property Tax Rev.nu . State
Governm nt H Yet To Offer A Plan
To Salata For Th Los.
�t::� Stat. Fund 29.6%
F8deral R v nu 4%
CNS GRAPHIC BY: SETH ERICKS
St t Property Tax 66.3%
Ie.
By RON SEIGEL
Sm-I to tIN Mlchlp.n Citizen
Stindt says it was Engler's p0-
sition that this could best be han­
dled by Highland Park
Community College, not a sepa­
rate adult education program. .
C ge i only
certainty fo
HIGHLAND PARK - Smerdis
Hughes, Assistant Superinten­
dent of Business and finance for
the Highland Par Public School
System warned that Highland
. Park Schools were hurt by the
n�s�te&dfo��whichpro­
vides 1 money per pupil for
adult education
Hughes said at a meeting of
the Highland Park School Board
on September 15 that there was a
loss in revenue of $1.7 million as
the District would receive 80% of
the money for adult education
that it had received last year.
He also warned that money for
the entire adult education pro­
gram may be phased out in the
next few years. .
Highland Park Superinten­
dent John Stindt said Michigan
John Engler believed that adult
education should concentrate on
providing literacy and getting
them in the work force "right
away."
STINDT INDICATED that
if Highland Park were to get ade­
quate state aid, it would have to
concentrate on getting more stu­
dents from kindergarten through
the 12th grade.
Board m mber Titus McClary,
who was reoontly appointed to the
Highland Park City Council, said
more students would come in
when a housing development that
the city planned for the Manch -
ter and Second site was com­
pleted.
He added that he kn w of two
students who were not corning to
school because they did not have
necessary clothing.
Fletcher Mit.chel� the princi­
pal of Barber Elementary School,
said he had a program of helping
youngsters get clothing ano y­
mously and su ted McClary
HP School Board
approves 1993-9'1 goals
goals.
The goals th board approved
are:
. Improve educational qual­
ity in all programs and. for all
students.
Maintain fiscal int grity
and expand funding support for
schools and students.
Improve maintenance and
upkeep of buildin and
grounds.
Increase
IDGHLAND PARK - At it
first meeting in the fallon Tues­
day September 15, the Highland
Par School Board adopted five
goals for th school year.
SchQOI Superintendent John
Stindt promised that in making
any recommendations for the
ehool board, he would provide
an explanation of how the sug­
gestions related to one or more of
t egoels.
He added thilt when r he
suggested the board fund a trip
for a school taff member or
board member, he would explain
ho th trip related to t list of
refer th students to him.
NAOMI � wife of
the Highland Par City Ombud&­
man Earl Wheeler, id heJmew
of students who did not come to
school because paren lazy
and did not prevent tb.eirtruancy.
She suggested school officials go
door to door to if there ere
children who did not attend. She
volunteered to help .
One women uggested 80m
students did not attend, bealuse
they were of different cultural
and felt alienated from the school
She suggested Highland Par �
tract them by adopting a more
multi-cultural program.
Another woman id that vio­
lence in the school hould be ad­
dre 8 d, noting he put her
daughter in a private school be­
cause sh was afraid of being
harmed in the high school.
•
PP res
ndsto
city
By RON SEIGEL
HI D P - Commu-
nity D velopment Dir ctor
D ni Evans tat d th t the
Mayor and City Council ga
him to go a d to apply for
175,000 in tate funds from the
Michi n Department of Com­
merce and the Michigan State
Hou ing lopment Author­
ity to demolish, rehab, paint and
fix up troct in t anti
ity.
Th mo
f; r I 'of 10