Robert Bobb 2.0: Consolidate districts to Detroit-Wayne Regional Schools

[jhartmich]

On Sunday, September 27 Chuck Stokes had a great interview with Phil Power [[Founder & President of The Center for Michigan – wwwthecenterformichigan.net) on channel 7 Spotlight on the News. One thing that was discussed that really made sense, was how our current legislators talk about piece-meal cuts but no structural cuts and vision for the future.

Do we REALLY need 2500 local forms of government as the state shrinks and people move out-of-state? Do we really need 551 school districts? Do we really need a fulltime legislature? Elected leaders talk about the costs of programs, but what are the costs of government?

Mr. Powers made an excellent point that the legislature will make self-preserving decisions that protect their political base rather than what Michiganders want and need. It’s well documented that we want to protect education and police, two areas that have and will take huge cuts. How can we speak out of both sides of our mouth when we state that only higher education will pull us through, and then a week later they cut the budget?

Miami has Miami-Dade Public Schools, just like other states such as Texas and Nevada have consolidated districts. Why could we not have Detroit-Wayne Regional School s? Why not Pontiac-Oakland Public Schools, etc.? Much of the same could be done with consolidating local government below a certain population. As the cuts continuously come to seriously needed programs, at what point will we start structural cuts with all these overlapping government entities?

Most would agree that Robert Bob has done a wonderful job and would be an ideal appointee to begin consolidation in SE Michigan. Between the elected legislators, the state superintendent of education, and an appointment by the governor, we should start with “Robert Bobb 2.0” and have him make the first step to consolidate Wayne County Schools - with other areas of the state to follow in a year or two. The numerous superintendents and school boards are NOT going to voluntarily consolidate; it will take legislative action and an appointment by the governor to do these things. Governor Granholm is not seeking reelection and could take a strong, maybe unpopular, but NECCESARY stand. The purchasing power and the decrease in administrative overhead would provide the money needed to maintain excellence in education. This may be one small step, but it would be a courageous step that continuously gets lip service and little else.

How unaffordable do we make college for our young people? How many people do we have to kick off Medicaid? How many kids do we have to deny Headstart to, and how many children do we have to stuff in a classroom before you will look at structural changes and the costs involved in running a government? You can kick around and beat up on the poor people only so much - because WE"RE ALL getting poorer if you haven't noticed - but it’s still not going to change the huge costs involved in “the business of governing.”