Government

Local officials moan about reduced, late state payments

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By CELESTE BOTT
Capital News Service
LANSING – The size and timelines of state payments to local governments is under fire as many counties, advocacy organizations and legislators are calling for more accountability in Lansing. At issue are state payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) to local governments, including school districts, instead of property taxes on land administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Late and reduced payments are harming local governments and communities that feel the state already holds an advantage through the PILT system, critics say. According to Ben Bodkin, director of legislative affairs for the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC), PILT payments are much less than what the counties would have received if the state-owned property were on the tax rolls. Underfunding has prevented the state from making PILT payments in full since 2008, leaving local governments to compensate, he said.

Education

Community colleges pushing for student success

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By CELESTE BOTT
Capital News Service
LANSING – Community colleges across the state are taking steps to increase involvement in each individual student’s education, including Macomb, Jackson, Lake Michigan, North Central and Grand Rapids community colleges. They’re developing new education and career planning programs as well as offering a wider range of advising, tutoring and financial support services. According to Michael Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association, those steps are being taken to change the reputation of community colleges from a last resort to a viable alternative to more expensive and less personal four-year universities. “What we’ve really seen recently is a greater focus on student success,” Hansen said. “It can be hard to get a sense of a student’s identity in a community college setting because there are so many people coming in and often leaving very soon for four-year universities.

Capital News Service

Most Michigan youth unqualified for military service, report says

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By CELESTE BOTT
Capital News Service
LANSING – An estimated three out of four young adults in Michigan are not qualified to serve in the military, according to a new report. Mission Readiness, a national security organization based in New York, cited minimum standards for education, physical fitness and lack of a criminal record. The group of retired military leaders advocates for investments in education. The goal is to help young Americans succeed in school, in hopes that more will grow up prepared for military service, should they choose to enlist. The report, “Michigan Youth: Ready, Willing but Unable to Serve,” presents statistics that showed a quarter of young people in the state don’t graduate from high school on time.

Health

More Michiganders lack employers health insurance benefits

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By CELESTE BOTT
Capital News Service
LANSING – Michigan has suffered a greater decline in employer-based health insurance than any other state, according to new Census data, and hospitals, public health agencies and free clinics are seeking ways to compensate. The report showed that only 61.5 percent of the state’s population received employer-sponsored health care benefits in 2011, a notable reduction from 76.9 percent in 2001. Southeast Michigan is the region with the most uninsured residents, but counties in the northern and northwestern parts of the state have the greatest proportions of their populations dependent on Medicaid, according to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. A number of factors contributed to the decline, including increased poverty and unemployment, an aging population and the loss or reduction of benefits from part-time employers, according to experts. The Michigan League for Human Services says that policymakers are also to blame.

Business & Economy

Business groups, colleges partner for employee training

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By CELESTE BOTT
Capital News Service
LANSING – Many unemployed people are not “work ready,” according to Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, but some business groups have found ways to prepare them for the competitive job market. Bing told the 2012 Michigan Works! For People Conference in Detroit that many job hunters “aren’t ready to re-enter the workforce.”
He advocated retraining programs for those who may not be able to meet new employer demands or measure up to foreign competition. Many business and industry groups are making efforts to help their members and workers develop the additional skills that, according to Bing, are essential for employment in today’s tough economic climate. Some of these skills are unique for each industry, but many business associations are offering ways to strengthen general job skills such as leadership, critical thinking and business planning.

Education

Lawmaker presses for easier recall of ISD board members

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By CELESTE BOTT
Capital News Service
LANSING – A financial scandal in the Genesee Intermediate School District (ISD) has reopened a broader political discussion about the recall of ISD board members. A recent forensic audit report by Southfield-based Plante Moran revealed that tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars were misused for district administrators’ personal expenses. The State Police is conducting a criminal investigation. The ISD board unanimously voted to terminate one administrator after Superintendent Lisa Hagel filed charges calling for her dismissal, claiming “a misuse of public funds through travel, inaccurate records, misuse of ISD equipment, directing inflation of an invoice and falsifying records.”

Sen. John Gleason, D-Flushing, said that the members of the Intermediate School District board must also be held accountable. “As of right now, there’s no avenue to recall that board, even if they have failed to do their jobs,” Gleason said.