Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Superintendent Susan Zurvalec says several pieces of legislation moving through the 'lame duck' legislature could have serious impacts on the district.
While attention has focused on school reform bills moving through Michigan's lame duck legislature, Farmington Public Schools Supt. Susan Zurvalec says other proposed legislation could have a serious impact on the district: HB 6022, 6024, 6025 - Eliminating personal property tax "The tax is really not a good tax," Zurvalec said, but school officials want to see full replacement of the revenue generated by taxing business furnishings and equipment. The current proposal would replace 80 percent. Zurvalec said the loss of that revenue would force the district to raise its millages for bonded debt payments. The owner of a home with a $100,000 taxable value would end up paying an additional $22 a year. "Our local residents are really footing …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Oakland Schools Supt. Dr. Vicki Markavitch says participants at county-wide meetings are surprised to learn the extent of bills that will radically change education in Michigan.
About 200 parents and educators from Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Walled Lake and Northville jammed into a meeting room in Farmington Thursday to hear more about legislation that school officials say will create "radical" and "dangerous" changes in Michigan's public education system. While it may have seemed she was preaching to the choir, Oakland Schools Supt. Dr. Vickie Markavitch said after the meeting that people are surprised by the depth and breadth of the proposed reforms. The bills "create a super school district, totally removed from oversight" by state and local elected officials and taxpayers. "Forty-six years in this business, and I have to tell you, unbelievable things are happening in Lansing," said Markavitch, who …
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Michigan Senate joins the House in voting to lift the safety requirement for riders older than 21.
Michigan will become the 31st state to give motorcyclists the option of wearing a helmet since Gov. Rick Snyder signed the legislation, his office announced today. Motorcyclists who are 21 or older can ride without a helmet if they have at least an additional $20,000 in medical insurance and passed a motorcycle safety course or had their motorcycle endorsement for at least two years. Opponents of state mandates feel use should be a personal choice. They say helmets can limit peripheral vision, muffle traffic awareness sounds and create additional injury risk because of their weight. Arguments in favor of crash helmets cite safety studies, lower public medical costs, eye protection if face shields are used and reduced fatigue by improving …
Friday, December 30, 2011
Statutes regulating film incentives, heating aid, business taxes and public safety mergers also take effect.
Local residents, workers and employers are affected by Michigan laws that took effect in late December or will do so as calendars flip to 2012. Gov. Rick Snyder this year signed legislation regulating home foreclosures, charter schools, student bullying, teachers' unions and other areas. Take a look at some of what's now the law of our state as a new year starts: Mortgage lenders must provide a list of nonprofit consumer counselors with the first foreclosure step so borrowers can seek immediate advice. Two bills signed Dec. 22 also provide additional time and ways for owners to arrange modifications such as interest rate reduction and principal reduction to cut monthly payments. To minimize solicitations by for-profit "rescue" advisers, …
Homer Simpson
8:35 am on Friday, January 18, 2013
That demonization of Wall Street by Zurvalec was basically a cut and paste of an email sent by the MEA. This behavior isn't surprising. The longtime communications head of FPS(who recently retired) would send out union cliff notes on issues quite frequently. more ›