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Good News and Bad

By Nick, Section News
Posted on Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 07:28:22 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)

Good news and bad news on a Wednesday morning. Since custom dictates I deliver the bad news first and I'm a bit of a contrarian here's the good news. I'm pleased to announce that there were indeed no surprises yesterday, the Democrats in the House did not hold an impromptu session (I mean, nobody works in August these days) and so they did not hold a vote to raise our taxes.

Of course, the State Administrative Board did meet and thus I'm compelled to deliver the bad news. During their Tuesday meeting, and in their infinite wisdom, the Board voted unanimously to approve that fancy "Triangle Project" that'll build a brand-spanking-new headquarters for the Michigan State Police.

According to the Lansing State Journal:

Developers Joel Ferguson and Gary Granger will construct the building at the northeast corner of Kalamazoo Street and Grand Avenue. Preliminary plans call for a five-story, 148,000-square-foot building that Ferguson said would cost $39 million. Another $6 million would be spent on furniture.
The state will pay $3.7 million a year in rent, with the right to buy the building for $1 at the end of the 25-year lease.

That's opposed, of course, to the $1 a year lease they hold on the current MSP Headquarters.

And for a building that's supposed to consolidate police services this one seems to fall short in a lot of areas. The Emergency Operations Center and MSP warehouse are going to be located in other places and the fancy new building doesn't even have a helipad.

You'd think at $39 million they could build one that would retract into the parking lot like the X-Men or something. But nope, couldn't even get one built onto the roof.

And that's just one of the many reasons State Senator Cameron Brown (R, Sturgis) was in town to officially object to the Board's actions. In the process the man even managed to get MIRS quote of the day:

"We will be consolidating three buildings into three buildings."

Yup, something like that.

Read on...

There are a lot of numbers and dollar figures flying around on this one. There's the building cost, the rent, the lease, the economic development numbers. But there are three numbers that really stand out.

$1.2 billion - The amount of the current projected FY08 budget shortfall.

$1.00 - The annual lease at the current MSP Headquarters in East Lansing.

$5 million - The number of taxpayer dollars being spent (or burned) above and beyond current spending after factoring in repairs, economic development and the whole ball of wax.

Easy to see why Senator Brown was upset. I'm just glad to see someone standing up to the administration's business-as-usual approach. And yesterday seemed to be a good day for that sort of thing.

While the governor talks to Democrats on University Boards of Trustees and Regents and sweet talks them into peddling her tax hike schemes while she vacations in Europe later this month House Minority Leader Craig DeRoche decided to try a different approach with higher education.

Apparently he didn't get the memo that House members weren't supposed to be working yesterday. While crickets were chirping in the House chambers he was announcing his "College Family Bill of Rights." According to the Detroit Free Press:

DeRoche's plan would:

Cut university funding 2% if tuition increases more than 5%

Put part of the state university funding in the hands of students, via a voucher or chit, allowing the students to direct the money to the school of their choice.

Expand state tax credits for college saving to all plans, not just state plans.

Allow parents to deposit their state income tax refunds into college savings or prepaid tuition plans.

Expand dual enrollment options for high school students.

These aren't even controversial ideas. It's a fantastic starting point for some real reform that'll hold University Presidents' feet to the fire and actually make college more affordable, not just continue to throw money at schools that waste $65,000 a year on professors that teach one class a week while campaigning full time for a congressional seat 200 miles away.

Talk about striking a blow for fiscal sanity!

Speaking of... according to Grand Rapids local WOOD TV 8 it looks like taxpayers themselves aren't so keen on the idea of raising taxes to pay for higher education.

Grand Rapids Community College, consistently rated one of the top CC's in the nation but a school struggling like most others with an annual budget that seems to grow exponentially every year decided back in May that instead of reexamining spending practices and cutting the fat they were going to ask residents for a millage increase. Oh, don't get me wrong, they raised tuition too.

When voters went to the polls to vote on the tax hike they said no. But GRCC wasn't ready to give up and decided to try their luck again. They brought out the heavyweights. Signs everywhere, an organized campaign to support the hike, community leaders and newspapers talking about how important it was.

And the opposition? Well, there wasn't much to speak of. Rumor has it there was an official opposition group but they never seemed to get anything going. No public presence. No well placed or even well used spokespeople. No signs. No literature. No ads. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure they really existed at all. They're like a dream that you think you had but you just can't quite remember...

Grand Rapids voters, though, were pretty sure even without well organized oppo on the ground. They just went out on their own and said no thanks, turning down the tax hike again. All while re-electing Governor Granholm's BFF George "Raise Your Own Taxes to Buy Me a New Car" Heartwell.

We can only hope the mayor and his buddies in Lansing will take the hint and leave our wallets alone.

< Bishop's Office responds after being called-out by Right Michigan | Michigan Needs a Primary: Michigan Manufacturers >

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Good News and Bad | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)

Do you even have a clue? (none / 0) (#1)
by NoviDemocrat on Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 09:29:36 AM EST

"And for a building that's supposed to consolidate police services this one seems to fall short in a lot of areas. The Emergency Operations Center and MSP warehouse are going to be located in other places and the fancy new building doesn't even have a helipad."

Many organizations place their EOC at a different location than their main facility? Why? Because in a disaster scenario, you may need redundancy and having an EOC off-site ensures that you can retain command and control even if the main facility is damaged or lost to disaster. As for the warehouse, why would you locate a warehouse in downtown Lansing? Of course you would locate that elsewhere. Try thinking before you type.

What about the Batcave? by Rghlive, 08/08/2007 09:43:40 PM EST (none / 0)

oh, ouch... (none / 0) (#2)
by Nick on Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 09:42:23 AM EST

I'm wounded. Personal insults always get me... right here (you can't see me but I'm tapping my chest right by my heart).

If they didn't want to consolidate operations then I suppose that shouldn't have been a part of the pitch. Alas, it was.

Spend, spend, spend (none / 0) (#3)
by Shell on Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 10:39:35 AM EST

DeRoche's ideas, if implemented, would go a LONG way into holding colleges accountable in the spending department, which makes me wonder: If college professors are paid with state tax dollars, why aren't THEIR salaries made public on the LSJ's website? I don't recall ever seeing information in any paper as to the cushy salaries and benefits these institutions pay their instructors, and don't get me started on the concept of "tenure."

One bright spot in the election -- Jackson County voted down the library millage 57-43. When I voted, I was the 87th and 72 of the previous ones were absentee ballots, which tells me homeowners are sick of having the government run to them with hands out. It wasn't a question of whether the library need expansion, and some of the comments by the JDL directors show they're living in another world ("we should've got the word out!").

Shell,
The Conservatrarian

Some one please correct me if I'm wrong... (none / 0) (#4)
by chick2004 on Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 11:18:28 AM EST

and I may be. I stayed as far away from math as I could in college. But I just ran the numbers...

The cost to build the new MSP facility is $39 million, the cost to furnish will be $6 million. So the total cost (it looks like) is $45 million.

Then the state is going to rent the place for the next 25 years. If my math is right - and it may be wrong so someone let me know if it is - the state will end up paying $92,500,001 for the building...a building that in 25 years may not be suited to do what it is being built for today.

Perhaps the better decision would be to wait until we can afford to build the new building...you know, put the 3.7 million in a bank account somewhere..and in about 12 years we could afford to build it and own it straight out.

Of course...that's still 3.7 million a year we could put to other projects or programs if we kept MSP at their current office...

Do people even read in Jackson Co.? (1.00 / 2) (#5)
by NoviDemocrat on Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 11:20:19 AM EST

That would explain a lot.

Yes they do by aaugusti, 08/09/2007 09:49:59 AM EST (none / 0)

Can't believe you missed this... (none / 0) (#8)
by gun totin wacko on Thu Aug 09, 2007 at 12:46:36 PM EST

but Joel Ferguson is the most influential member of the MSU board of trustees. (I just threw up a bit in my mouth, as I despise the man).

So Jennie-poo gets a "two-fer". She gets to blow a pile of money on a new building (and I have to say, I do question how useful the current headquarters is. It looked ancient when I first laid eyes on it in the mid-70s), and she puts a pile of money in the pocket of a university trustee, who will be glad to do her bidding, as long as it's congruent with what he wants.

And it's all completely legal.

jackson (none / 0) (#9)
by NoviDemocrat on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:44:44 PM EST

When you elect a guy like Walberg to office, nuff said.

Good News and Bad | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)