January 28, 2002
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| Editor: Lynne Hensel |
January 28, 2002 |
| REPEAL OF TUITION TAX CREDIT WOULD HELP HFCC The Michigan College Tuition Tax Credit, passed by the State Legislature in 1995, offers students enrolled in qualifying colleges and universities a State tax credit equal to 8% of tuition and fees up to a maximum credit of $375. To qualify, a Michigan college or university has to keep tuition and fee increases below the rate of inflation. Henry Ford Community College qualified for three of the six years between 1995 and 2000. The relative low inflation rates reported for 1997 through 1999 resulted in a decline in the number of qualifying institutions. Annual inflation averaged just over 2% for this three-year period, and the number of state schools that qualified dropped from 36 in 1998 to 14 in 1999. The State Senate voted to repeal the tuition tax credit. Repeal would free up $27 million for higher education funding, which fourteen of the fifteen state university presidents pledged to use to reduce tuition rates. The matter now rests in the House. Please encourage your State Senator to vote to repeal the tuition tax credit. Funding for education was relatively flat for this year (HFCC received a 1.5% increase in State funding), and prospects for next year look grim. Had the repeal been effective for 2002, HFCC would have netted an additional $330,000. The increase in higher education funding that would result from the repeal would mitigate tuition increases for all State students. LOBBY DAYS Both the MFT-SRP and the Retirement Coordinating Council (RCC) will host gatherings with the Michigan State Legislators in February. Tuesday, February 12, is the date of the MFT-SRP’s Lobby Day in Lansing. It will begin with a short briefing at11:15 a.m., followed by lunch with the legislators from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. A panel of Senators and Representatives will discuss various education issues from 1:00 to 2:00. Teachers may attend committee meetings, observe a legislative session, or visit with their legislators from 2:00 – 3:30. The RCC is hosting its annual Legislative Reception from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20, at the State Bar of Michigan in Lansing. State legislators, Retirement Bureau personnel, and Department of Treasury officials will be in attendance. mailto:MFTSRP2@aol.com.Lobby Days have proven to be extremely valuable. They provide teachers with an opportunity to express their concerns about educational and retirement matters directly to State officials. If you would be interested in attending either event, contact John McDonald (x9666) or Jim Wanless (x9716). HFCC-FT PAF UPDATE Thus far, 83% of the Local 1650 membership have responded to the Union’s request for PAF contributions, giving a total of $12,410 to Local 1650's Political Action Fund. Local 1650's Executive Board had recommended that each teacher contribute $75 to our local PAF and $20 to the MFT&SRP COPE fund. As in past years, Local 1650 operates two PAF funds. The Local uses the first, a "restricted" fund, only for local elections and the second "unrestricted" fund for State political activity and candidates of a broader nature, such as gubernatorial and State Supreme Court candidates. No PAF monies are used in federal campaigns. This past fall the restricted fund financed the successful HFCC Board of Trustees’ campaigns of James Schoolmaster, Gerald Stockwell and Pam Wandless. The updated list of contributions by Area is as follows:
Local 1650 retirees Virginia Caruso and Les Goings contributed $175 to the PAF, and former State Rep Agnes Dobronski contributed $100. In addition, twenty-two members of Local 71, the HFCC administrative union, sent checks totaling $450 to the Local 1650 PAF to assist in the recent Board of Trustees’ campaign. It is still not too late to contribute! Most of the Local 1650's PAF was depleted by the Board of Trustees’ election this past fall, and another bond and another Board of Trustees’ election loom on the horizon. Give your contribution to your Area Representative. UNION DINNER DANCE Get out those dancing shoes and party clothes — cuz the Union’s going to party!! Friday, April 5 is the date; Park Place in Dearborn is the place. Dinner, drinks and dancing with old friends and colleagues is the plan. Mark the date on your calendar — this is an event you don’t want to miss. If you would like to help with planning the event, contact Ed Fryzel (x6407). AFT CONVENTION Elections for delegates to the biennial convention of the AFT will be held in March. The AFT will meet this year in Las Vegas on July 14 – 19. Local 1650 can send three delegates. Nominations will close at the March membership meeting, and Area Representatives will conduct the election the following week. If you are interested in running as a delegate, contact your Area Representative. GIFT OF READING Local 1650's annual Gift of Reading Campaign was again a great success. Faculty and staff contributed 153 new books and $1,250 to Focus Hope's Center for Children. Monetary donations will be used by Focus Hope to purchase books for its Center for Children and books to distribute to children of families who participate in the food program. Thanks to the generosity of Local 1650 members and others in the College community, we have made tangible our commitment to the education of youth through the gift of reading. The Local 1650 Gift of Reading Committee, which included Paulette Childress, English; Toni Conti, Computer Information Systems; Mike Davis, Architectural Construction; Jeannine Dawson, Math; Kevin Dewey, Fine Arts; John Rietz, English; Marsha Steele, Health Careers; and Nancy Widman, Library; wishes to thank everyone who contributed and wishes to thank Lee Yaros who helped to deliver the books to Focus Hope. Mike Davis Henry Ford Community
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