Detroit Schools Receives Partial Bailout

The vote in the Michigan House was 104-5 approving a $48.7 million dollar bailout of the Detroit Public School System.

Where are the funds coming from, why of course Michigan’s annual proceeds from the tobacco companies’ lawsuit settlement fund?  Where else would these funds come from?  The people pushing for the tobacco lawsuits, estimated $246 billion over the first 25 years, promised all of us that a “significant” amount of the funds was to address the monstrous public health problems caused by tobacco in the United States.

As we all know now this fund has just become a large slush fund for the states.  The tobaccofreekids.org website is reporting that “in the current budget year, Fiscal Year 2016, the states will collect $25.8 billion from the settlement and taxes. But they will spend only 1.8 percent of it – $468 million – on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.”

As you can tell the lawyers and elected state politicians’ have failed the American people and our children in their efforts.

Should the states be forced to pay the tobacco companies back?

Should the tobacco companies no longer have to pay into this fund, due to this failure and misrepresentation by the law firms representing the states and supposedly our children?

Should the payments made to those law firms have to be paid back to the tobacco companies?

My answer to all of the above questions is YES!

The Detroit News is reporting that the $48.7 million dollar bailout will keep the DPS doors open for the remainder of the school year.  The House bill will now go to the Michigan Senate for approval and then on to Governor Snyder’s desk.

Michigan’s House Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant is quoted in the article stating:

“There’s still more work to be done in the overall package.  This is not something that allows us to walk away from the DPS work, but rather gives some additional time to make sure we get it right.”

The Detroit News is also reporting that in another House bill that would expand the scope of Detroit’s Financial Review Commission passed on a 66-43 vote with the Democrats mostly opposing the bill.  Of course they would why would we not give more control to the people who ran DPS into bankruptcy?

Governor Snyder said he welcomed the House’s approval and went on to say in a statement:

“While a long-term legislative fix is urgently needed to address the challenges that are holding Detroit students back, this $50 million supplemental is a key first step.  I also applaud efforts to expand the responsibilities of Detroit’s existing Financial Review Commission to oversee Detroit Public Schools, which is an important step in ensuring financial recovery.”

We all know where this is going, so now we must make a determination if the politicians who are voting to bailout DPS once again without further concessions, be elected once again.

What do you think?

Let’s talk about this today on The Live with Renk Show, which airs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon, to let me know your thoughts at (269) 441-9595.

Or please feel free to start a discussion and write your thoughts in the comment section