Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives

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Cities, states fight to meet public's needs From New York City to the Grosse Pointes, from Maine to Michigan, the nation's cities and states are seekmg ways to finance social services as well as cultural and other public programs threatened by scarce tax dollars. Michigan's fiscal crisis is unparalleled m the years since the Great Depression. Almost everyone admits the state government has to tighten its belt but few approve of the economies proposed by Gov. John Engler for the state of Michigan. Detroit, like other aging metropolitan centers, is facing a rough summer with cutbacks in services, including those provided by its police department, at a tIme of heavy unemployment and hIgh major crime rates. In fact, the state appears to be bashing Detroit again by axing aid to its cultural programs and cutting back welfare and other programs that benefit Detroit's poor and unfortunate. GOP state Sen. Vern Ehlers, Grand Rapids, in effect confirmed the bashing when he said while "there is no intention to decimate Detroit or the symphony or the DIA, the outstate perspective is that they've had it pretty soft for a number of years," adding that "Detroit has been getting special treatment." Yet the senator, like the governor, forgets that the state assumed the major support for Detroit's cultural jewels after the city had lost its ability to do so. GOP Gov. William Milliken, who backed state aid to Detroit, argued that Detroit's cultural jewels were state assets and thus state responsibilities. However, recent news headlines in the Detroit dailies show that the cutbacks, real and proposed, have bashed more than Detroit: "Engler plans deeper cuts for arts in '92," "Engler would shift health care costs," "State cuts create water crisis for welfare recipients," "Prepaid welfare rent to end soon" and "Board ends welfare for 95,000." But there is little or no agreement in Lansing or elsewhere on ways to avoid such cuts. A mfijority of respondents to • • pinion one public opinion poll did favor a small tax increase and seme reductions in services as an alternative to Engler's budgetbalancing efforts that rested chiefly on proposed cutbacks in services. But instead of offering an alternative to the governor's program, the Democrats are claiming credit for the 1992 tax assessment freeze and avoiding tax hike plans as if they were the plague. One of the latest of many political disputes between the parties to head toward the courts arises from the governor's action in using the little known State Administrative Board, which he and his GOP colleagues control, to end state benefits for 95,000 able-bodied recipients of General Assistance allotments. Democratic House Speaker Lewis Dadak challenged the action in court on the grounds it was a "blatant and unprecedented" attempt "to usurp legislative authority." The governor said the board action will enable the state to shift funds to continue aid to about 20,000 families and disabled GA recipients; restore earlier cuts in state subsidies for famdies with foster children and for adoptive parents of special.needs children, and avoid deeper cuts in Aid to Families with Dependent Children and Medicaid. Much of the current trouble began in the early 19808 when the federal govern. ment began to trim its support for the cities and states. Since then, the states have declined in economic health and the cities have further deteriorated so that they've had to cut back on what once was regarded as essential service. Detroit, which already has cut its ser- Vices and personnel sharply, is still faced with declining federal and state aid, a shrinking tax base and a oontinuing heavy burden of social programs. Yet Detroit now employs only 200 employees per 10,000 population ana spends $748 in per capita city funds to pay city expenses. In contrast, the average per capita spending for city expenses in the average American city of more than 300,000 was $972. But where can Detroit cut further without opening the door to additional crime and population loss? With new cutbacks in the hours of the state highway patrol and in social service programs, the state now faces the same fundamental question. It's obvious the expected economic revival can't come too soon. Grosse Pointe News Vol. 52~No. 20~May 16, 1991, Page 6A Roben G. Edgar Pubhsher Roben B. Edgar Founder and Pubhsher (1940-1979) I'IIIliisb
These phones are made for walking The bell no longer tolls for me. Or for anyone else In my house, for that matter. The clear, sharp ringmg has been replaced lJy a muted war. ble. And after one week, we still don't recogmze the signal that someone is trying to reach out and tow:h us. We decided to replace not one, but two, rotary dial telephones with sleek, space age push button wonders with brains. Well, a memory, anyway. And one of these new smart phones comes without an umbilical cord. I dutifully read the manual from front to back, filled up the memory with nine numbers of my closest and dearest and then dId something I never do _ dIaled a friend for no reason at all. I had to test the new toy. I sat talking for a few minutes near Its battery-
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