Survey Says ... School Union Contracts Contribute to Deficits
First seven questions on state form for districts in deficit all deal with union contracts
When a public school district ends the year in red ink, the Michigan Department of Education sends an 18-question form as part of the mandatory deficit-elimination plan the district has to complete.
The first seven questions on the form all have to do with union contracts and the status of negotiations, and if there were any projected savings from negotiations.
The eighth question?
"What factors caused the school district's deficit?"
Perhaps it's a subtle hint from the state to try and get the school districts to see what needs to be addressed.
“It appears that the state is subtly recognizing what Mackinac Center analysts have consistently pointed out: The primary drivers of school spending are union contracts, and only until union contracts are dealt with can school districts rectify fiscal problems,” said Michael Van Beek, education policy director for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Last fall, the state released a list of 48 school districts and charter schools that were in deficit during the 2010-11 school year. Jan Ellis, the spokesman for the Michigan Department of Education, said the state will know which school districts are in deficit for the 2011-12 school year by around November.
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See also:
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FROM MICHIGAN HOME HELP PROGRAM PROVIDERS — OFTEN FAMILY MEMBERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL ORDERED THE STATE TO STOP TAKING MONEY ON MAY 25, 2012
opinion May 25, 2012
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) "organized” Michigan's self-employed Home Help Program providers for the purpose of skimming dues from their ailing and disabled clients' Medicaid subsidy checks. The majority of these providers are relatives or friends taking care of loved ones. It’s been estimated that less than 25 percent of the providers are hired in an employment setting.
The first counter tallies SEIU dues skimmed since the union and state officials first launched this scheme in late 2006. The second shows the amount skimmed since June 9, 2011, when the Michigan House passed and sent to the Senate a bill to ban this and all similar “stealth unionization” efforts. The third counter shows the dues skimmed since the Governor signed the bill into law on April 10, 2012. The fourth counter shows the amount skimmed since May 25, 2012, when the Attorney General opinion was announced.
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