Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives
Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives
Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives
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Cities, states<br />
fight to meet<br />
public's needs<br />
From New York City to the <strong>Grosse</strong><br />
<strong>Pointe</strong>s, from Maine to Michigan,<br />
the nation's cities and states are<br />
seekmg ways to finance social services as<br />
well as cultural and other public programs<br />
threatened by scarce tax dollars.<br />
Michigan's fiscal crisis is unparalleled<br />
m the years since the Great Depression.<br />
Almost everyone admits the state government<br />
has to tighten its belt but few approve<br />
of the economies proposed by Gov.<br />
John Engler for the state of Michigan.<br />
Detroit, like other aging metropolitan<br />
centers, is facing a rough summer with<br />
cutbacks in services, including those<br />
provided by its police department, at a<br />
tIme of heavy unemployment and hIgh<br />
major crime rates.<br />
In fact, the state appears to be bashing<br />
Detroit again by axing aid to its cultural<br />
programs and cutting back welfare and<br />
other programs that benefit Detroit's poor<br />
and unfortunate.<br />
GOP state Sen. Vern Ehlers, Grand<br />
Rapids, in effect confirmed the bashing<br />
when he said while "there is no intention<br />
to decimate Detroit or the symphony or<br />
the DIA, the outstate perspective is that<br />
they've had it pretty soft for a number of<br />
years," adding that "Detroit has been getting<br />
special treatment."<br />
Yet the senator, like the governor, forgets<br />
that the state assumed the major<br />
support for Detroit's cultural jewels after<br />
the city had lost its ability to do so. GOP<br />
Gov. William Milliken, who backed state<br />
aid to Detroit, argued that Detroit's cultural<br />
jewels were state assets and thus<br />
state responsibilities.<br />
However, recent news headlines in the<br />
Detroit dailies show that the cutbacks,<br />
real and proposed, have bashed more<br />
than Detroit: "Engler plans deeper cuts<br />
for arts in '92," "Engler would shift<br />
health care costs," "State cuts create water<br />
crisis for welfare recipients," "Prepaid<br />
welfare rent to end soon" and "Board<br />
ends welfare for 95,000."<br />
But there is little or no agreement in<br />
Lansing or elsewhere on ways to avoid<br />
such cuts. A mfijority of respondents to<br />
• •<br />
pinion<br />
one public opinion poll did favor a small<br />
tax increase and seme reductions in services<br />
as an alternative to Engler's budgetbalancing<br />
efforts that rested chiefly on<br />
proposed cutbacks in services.<br />
But instead of offering an alternative to<br />
the governor's program, the Democrats<br />
are claiming credit for the 1992 tax assessment<br />
freeze and avoiding tax hike<br />
plans as if they were the plague.<br />
One of the latest of many political disputes<br />
between the parties to head toward<br />
the courts arises from the governor's action<br />
in using the little known State Administrative<br />
Board, which he and his<br />
GOP colleagues control, to end state benefits<br />
for 95,000 able-bodied recipients of<br />
General Assistance allotments.<br />
Democratic House Speaker Lewis Dadak<br />
challenged the action in court on the<br />
grounds it was a "blatant and unprecedented"<br />
attempt "to usurp legislative authority."<br />
The governor said the board action will<br />
enable the state to shift funds to continue<br />
aid to about 20,000 families and disabled<br />
GA recipients; restore earlier cuts in state<br />
subsidies for famdies with foster children<br />
and for adoptive parents of special.needs<br />
children, and avoid deeper cuts in Aid to<br />
Families with Dependent Children and<br />
Medicaid.<br />
Much of the current trouble began in<br />
the early 19808 when the federal govern.<br />
ment began to trim its support for the cities<br />
and states. Since then, the states<br />
have declined in economic health and the<br />
cities have further deteriorated so that<br />
they've had to cut back on what once was<br />
regarded as essential service.<br />
Detroit, which already has cut its ser-<br />
Vices and personnel sharply, is still faced<br />
with declining federal and state aid, a<br />
shrinking tax base and a oontinuing<br />
heavy burden of social programs.<br />
Yet Detroit now employs only 200 employees<br />
per 10,000 population ana spends<br />
$748 in per capita city funds to pay city<br />
expenses. In contrast, the average per<br />
capita spending for city expenses in the<br />
average American city of more than<br />
300,000 was $972.<br />
But where can Detroit cut further without<br />
opening the door to additional crime<br />
and population loss? With new cutbacks<br />
in the hours of the state highway patrol<br />
and in social service programs, the state<br />
now faces the same fundamental question.<br />
It's obvious the expected economic<br />
revival can't come too soon.<br />
<strong>Grosse</strong> <strong>Pointe</strong> <strong>News</strong><br />
Vol. 52~No. 20~May 16, 1991, Page 6A<br />
Roben G. Edgar<br />
Pubhsher<br />
Roben B. Edgar<br />
Founder and Pubhsher<br />
(1940-1979)<br />
I'IIIliisb