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Should the Unions give up while Randy Keeps his raise?
Topic Started: May 1 2011, 05:04 PM (382 Views)
LPS Reformer
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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Rescind raise before making cuts

Kudos to the Livonia Observer opinion letter writers on April 21. Thank you to Mr. McGraw for reminding readers of the terrible decision made by our school leaders last fall. How can any of the LPS parents, personnel, taxpayers or students take the board or Dr. Liepa seriously about the need for cuts when that $50,000 raise was approved by our board and accepted by our superintendent in the face of the dire state of the school budget and pending deficit? They may say, “We didn't know how bad it was going to be,” but now they know, and no cuts should be made until the $50,000 raise is rescinded. We need to restore the integrity of our district and the trust of the stakeholders.

Thank you to Lori George for reminding us of all the reasons we have a school district in the first place — to educate children and grow the leaders of the future! Many of her suggestions to save costs make sense. I am wondering why our school leaders have not proposed these measures. The last place cuts need to happen is in the classroom. Transferring the School Aid funds meant for K-12 education and sharing those funds with institutions of higher learning robs our K-12 children of the opportunity to be fully prepared to succeed in this precarious world.

Susan Bresler

Livonia

“Child Abuse” means different things to different people....
----Randy Liepa 8/9/12
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LPS Reformer
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
Cut employee expenses before services to students

I was at the town hall meeting last week put on by some of our local politicians. Among the topics discussed was funding for public schools. I was appalled to learn from Rep. John Walsh that half of the amount schools would have us believe is being “cut” by the Legislature is actually comprised of payments required to pay for future health care and retirement benefits for school employees. I can't believe our schools negotiated contracts they can't afford to pay for now. That is not an option for the rest of us; I can't ask my boss for more money because I charged too much on my Visa. It is even more insulting for the schools and union members to frame the payments as cuts by the state, as if they had nothing to do with the creation of the shortfall.

There are other ways of doing business. The school board and school employees owe it to the taxpayers to live within their means and negotiate a better contract. I don't want to hear anything about a reduction in services to students before I hear that the employees have sacrificed like the rest of us in the community.

Ray Friedrich

Livonia

“Child Abuse” means different things to different people....
----Randy Liepa 8/9/12
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Letters to Livonia editor
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20110428/OPINION03/104280471/Letters-Livonia-editor?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Livonia|s

Apr 28, 2011 | 5Comments
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Our benefits are not free

Somehow we've allowed a great falsehood to become a focal point of debate — the notion that teachers, firefighters, police, and other union employees have free insurance and pensions. This is categorically not true. We've agreed to take some of our pay in the form of those benefits. We pay for 100 percent of our benefits.

I recently received my annual retirement plan report. The very first line listed the amount of my pay that was withheld to fund this plan. Every time we negotiate a contract we're told how much insurance has gone up. We then agree to give up more of our pay to cover these costs or scale back the insurance.

Saying our benefits are free is simply a ploy of the rich corporations to split the working class and deflect attention from the fact that they are not sharing in the sacrifice.

Our benefits are not free.

Dave Pavelka

Livonia

City charter needs amending

Livonia is at a public safety crossroads. Excellent police and fire protection are at the very core of Livonia's economic and community life. Therefore, it's astounding that the city of Livonia has addressed such a basic, not negotiable, governmental service in such a disjointed manner.

The fire department is treated one way and the police department is treated another way. During the last budgetary go-around, the Livonia Executive Division and Legislative Division jousted on the funding of public safety. The mayor said there could be no cuts in firefighter manpower due to the city charter, this due to the city charter being amended in 1984 to set minimum firefighter staffing levels. And, there were implied charges from some City Council members that the city's police department was being “held hostage” in budget talks.

Evidently, the Nov. 6, 1984, city election to amend the city charter covered minimum staffing levels for firefighters and not minimum staffing levels for the police department. It looks like the police department was left out of the equation, and does not have the budget-protecting, minimum manpower staffing levels under the city charter.

This situation needs to be corrected by a city charter amendment that neither police or firefighters can be held hostage by future budgets.

They are both essential and are at the core of what a city is all about.

There should be no question that the city of Livonia cannot function as a civil society without full-strength police and fire protection.

Citizens of Livonia need a protracted community conversation on this issue, and a suggested rushed millage election is certainly not a short-term answer as to how we respectfully treat both our police officers and firefighters.

Joe Neussendorfer

Livonia

Rescind raise before making cuts

Kudos to the Livonia Observer opinion letter writers on April 21. Thank you to Mr. McGraw for reminding readers of the terrible decision made by our school leaders last fall. How can any of the LPS parents, personnel, taxpayers or students take the board or Dr. Liepa seriously about the need for cuts when that $50,000 raise was approved by our board and accepted by our superintendent in the face of the dire state of the school budget and pending deficit? They may say, “We didn't know how bad it was going to be,” but now they know, and no cuts should be made until the $50,000 raise is rescinded. We need to restore the integrity of our district and the trust of the stakeholders.

Thank you to Lori George for reminding us of all the reasons we have a school district in the first place — to educate children and grow the leaders of the future! Many of her suggestions to save costs make sense. I am wondering why our school leaders have not proposed these measures. The last place cuts need to happen is in the classroom. Transferring the School Aid funds meant for K-12 education and sharing those funds with institutions of higher learning robs our K-12 children of the opportunity to be fully prepared to succeed in this precarious world.

Susan Bresler

Livonia

Walsh tells it like it is

The other night I had the pleasure of seeing Rep. Walsh at a town hall meeting. I really appreciated his honesty. I wasn't happy with some of the numbers I was hearing from him. However, I am happy that instead of trying to candy coat the issues he was straight forward with us.

He made sure we understood the situation in Lansing is a little rough right now but that he's working to try to keep the cuts to school funding as low as possible. Rep. Walsh let us know that with the state looking at a $1.8 billion deficit there were going to have to be some cuts. He was open and honest about it. I respect that. I hope he keeps his promise to fight to keep cuts to education as small as possible.

Rep. Walsh also mentioned that the proposed 4-percent cut to education funding is less than half of what most departments are seeing. Most other areas of the budget are seeing double-digit cuts to funding.

I don't want fluff; I want to know what the facts are regarding the budget. I want to commend Rep. Walsh for his honesty and straight talk.

John Dalton

Livonia

Cut employee expenses before services to students

I was at the town hall meeting last week put on by some of our local politicians. Among the topics discussed was funding for public schools. I was appalled to learn from Rep. John Walsh that half of the amount schools would have us believe is being “cut” by the Legislature is actually comprised of payments required to pay for future health care and retirement benefits for school employees. I can't believe our schools negotiated contracts they can't afford to pay for now. That is not an option for the rest of us; I can't ask my boss for more money because I charged too much on my Visa. It is even more insulting for the schools and union members to frame the payments as cuts by the state, as if they had nothing to do with the creation of the shortfall.

There are other ways of doing business. The school board and school employees owe it to the taxpayers to live within their means and negotiate a better contract. I don't want to hear anything about a reduction in services to students before I hear that the employees have sacrificed like the rest of us in the community.

Ray Friedrich

Livonia

Thank you for story on scam

I am the daughter and mother of the “grandson” who needed “help.” (“Livonia woman, 89, nearly falls for ‘Grandkids Scam'” March 31.) My mother asked that I send her thanks for such a thoughtful and factual article.

As you already know this incident put tremendous stress on her - but it also put stress on the rest of our family. Her initial call took me by surprise, and I suffered a few seconds of panic until I heard the entire story. (I even called my son to confirm he was OK.) I thank you for placing her story on the front page so that others may avoid similar scams. I hope those who prey on the elderly get their just rewards.

Also, thank you for being so thoughtful and considerate during the interview. Your article actually cheered her up!

Pat Charles

San Jose, Calif

Funding K-12 students good for business

When I decided to pursue teaching as a career 17 years ago at Eastern Michigan University, I understood that I would never be rich. I understood that it would take half my career to get to the top of the pay scale. I knew that I would never receive a profit-sharing check, or a matching 401K, or any other financial bonus.

After entering the profession, I quickly learned that when times are good, educators pretty much have to beg and plead for a 1-percent raise, all the while my friends in other professions receive 5 percent (or more) raises. (They literally scoffed and laughed at my excitement over a 1-percent raise.) I also recognized that I must continue to pursue career-long education, for which I must pay out of my own pocket.

Furthermore, I accept that once I was hired into a school district, I was “stuck.” Switching districts puts a teacher back at the bottom of the seniority list, and at or near the bottom of the pay scale. This is in stark contrast to private professions. When one gains some experience from a company it is acceptable to leave that employer for a better job, using that experience to help pad the employee's resume; ultimately benefiting from the lack of loyalty.

And to tell you the truth, I am OK with all of that. I am OK with that because teaching isn't about leading a lavish lifestyle. Teaching is about building a foundation for the community. It is about giving children opportunities; it is about providing a future for individuals and society. I am OK with my financial limitations because I see the value of the big picture.

I think it is time for everyone to see the value of public education. And if you already do, then it is time for you to spread the message because I am not OK with being blamed for society's problems. I am not OK with being the whipping boy for politicians. I am not OK with being the scapegoat for the state's financial meltdown. I am not OK with the budget being balanced on our backs. I am not OK with outsiders isolating and analyzing one or two portions of our contract and determining that it is unjustified.

It often feels that many people think teachers should not make a respectable salary doing what they do. Or perhaps even worse, some feel that teachers should struggle financially. How did we get to this point? Why shouldn't well-educated members of society (many of us possess multiple, advanced degrees), who work with people's most prized possession all day, be able to support their own family financially? Why is that so absurd?

Please consider the big picture. Every time someone degrades the teaching profession or devalues our worth, they are degrading public education, which in turn is eroding the foundation of our future. Education provides the foundation on which the future is built. As a people, we should be making the profession more attractive, not less. Be careful: As goes the teacher, so goes the education.

Furthermore, there is currently $600-plus million in the School Aid Fund. That money should be left there and spent on education. Teachers are not asking for that money; we are asking for legislators to direct the money to the schools and the students. Students deserve a strong curriculum, quality teachers, transportation, after-school clubs, drama, band, sports, etc. However, if legislators don't protect these funds, most of Michigan children will lose these opportunities within the next two years.

I can only imagine the morale of the state then. Who in their right mind would bring a business into such a dire situation? If I were looking to move a business to a state, why would I choose a state that is so deliberately decimating the public schooling system? I would question the leadership of that state and wonder from where my work force is going to come?

Fund K-12 students. It is good for business!

Christopher D. Gord

Livonia Stevenson High School educator

Music binds people together

On the outskirts of a downtrodden major city and a state in fluctuation, there remains a tiny spark of light that keeps on shining in a small city despite these trying times. Michigan, with its state politics in upheaval and experiencing massive unemployment, its major city, Detroit, trying desperately to downsize and survive, there remains a glimmer of hope in the city of Livonia, population 90,000.

The people there just refuse to cave in to these depressing times. This is a community of volunteers who keep alive a symphony orchestra, a youth orchestra and several choirs. They are blessed with an arts commission, ballet companies, an acting theater, community colleges, an historical center, a community recreational center and many athletic groups. The people look at themselves as survivors, willing to give of their time and money in an effort to keep their city activities thriving and healthy. Many are retired and share their knowledge and talent through volunteerism and support. In fact, there are over one-half million documented volunteer hours that the citizens of this community donate.

We look at the city's Symphony Orchestra, comprised of 65 members, and of its board of directors, who volunteer hundreds of hours of their time and money to keep the Symphony Orchestra alive to perform several concerts a year for the local residents and those of the surrounding communities. Their conductor, Maestro Volodymyr Shesiuk, is from the Ukraine and during the 1980s was the conductor for the infamous Bolshoi Theater Orchestra in Moscow, Russia. A concert violinist, Maestro Shesiuk brings an international understanding and a vast knowledge of music to the orchestra from his life overseas. The musicians themselves come from various backgrounds and are eager to share their musical passion when the Maestro gives the downbeat.

It's been said, that music is the universal language which binds all people together. In Livonia, we believe that to be true. During these difficult times, music helps keep the spirits up, the optimism flowing and the hope for a better tomorrow. Come and enjoy the talents of our Livonia Symphony at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7, in the Louis Schmidt Auditorium at Clarenceville High School and visit our website to see what other activities in which the symphony is involved — www.livoniasymphony.org.

Carol Bonamici

Livonia

.

Redistricting needs to be fair

Elected officials pick their constituents. How can this be? Citizens vote and the candidates with the most votes win. Right? Yes and no. Every 10 years the constitution requires that a census be taken. The results then determine how many Congress members will represent each state and within each state how many lawmakers will represent the people in their state legislatures.

Ten years ago, the majority in the state legislature were Republicans. They divided the state into congressional and state districts in a way that favored Republican Congressional members and state legislatures to get re-elected. It was challenged in court.

In Michigan, the state Supreme Court candidates are nominated at Democratic and Republican conventions. They are then listed on the nonpartisan portion of the ballot. Those who win a position on the Supreme Court have shown that their decisions tend to be partisan.

Ten years ago, if the Democrats had been the majority in the state legislature and on the state Supreme Court, they probably would have done the same thing as the Republicans. Either way it is wrong.

On March 14, I attended Draw the Line Michigan, a forum about the way political district lines are drawn. It was free and open to anyone who had time to attend. At this forum, much more was explained on how the process of redistricting is working and why it needs to be changed in Michigan and throughout the country if we are going to have an honest representative form of government.

It goes beyond political parties. In Patty Klarr's letter to the editor (March 31), she criticized the Observer's coverage of the forum as Democratic Party propaganda and labeled Citizens for Peace as a far-left organization. It never occurred to me that working for a more peaceful world would be viewed in such a manner.

She also named several people in attendance who are known Democrats. I hope there were also people who are Republicans and Independents. If not, then there is a great need for educating our electorate so they understand how their votes are diluted by the current system. We all have the right to make our elected officials more accountable, and we all have the right to fair representation in our state and federal governments. We need to stop the name calling and work together to make this happen.

Ann Abdoo

Livonia

Bills attack working people

“We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers' salaries and take away their right to strike.” — Adolf Hitler, May 2, 1933

Does this sound familiar? The House Education Committee passed House Bill 4306, legislation to require schools to solicit bids to outsource certain support services and to post the bids on their public website. The panel rejected amendments to give preferences to district employees and residents and to require schools to post contracts with private contractors online.

The Senate could vote any day on House Bill 4152, a bill to freeze wages and benefits when a collective bargaining agreement expires until a new contract takes effect.

This would effectively eliminate step raises between contracts and require employees to pay any increased costs of maintaining health insurance and other benefits. The legislation would also prohibit any retroactive increase in wages or benefits after a new contract is signed.

The state House could vote on House Bill 4059, which would prohibit public employers from paying union officials for time conducting union business.

A key Republican lawmaker on Tuesday introduced legislation to punish unions and teachers who engage in an illegal strike.

Rep. Paul Scott, R-Grand Blanc, wants to increase the penalties to fine unions $5,000 per day and strip a striking teacher's license. He also wants to consolidate hearings against employees — individual hearings against employees are currently required.

The bill has been assigned to the House Education Committee, which Scott chairs.

We live in a democracy; does this sound like a democratic process? Or does it sound like an attack on the working man?

I urge you to consider these similarities before you vote to wipe out our rights.

Deborah Roberts

Livonia
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