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November 7, 2003

The results of the balloting on the HFCC millage proposals are as follows: Proposal 1, 02.5 mills renewal, 9379 YES, 2,852 NO; Proposal 2, 0.5 mill additional, 6969 YES, 5093 NO.

These victories and the margins of victory, particularly given Michigan’s struggling economy, are a resounding tribute to Henry Ford Community College and its reputation among the citizens of our community. For 65 years, HFCC has been the gateway to higher education and the “American Dream” for generations of high school graduates and returning adults – most of whom, from the College’s founding to this day, being first generation college students and/or immigrant students. On Election Day, many of our poll workers heard from HFCC graduates and students who spoke to them of HFCC’s role in improving their lives – and from parents with young children who spoke of the importance of preserving the College for their young families.

The HFCC community owes a deep debt of gratitude to the voters of Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, who decided in overwhelming numbers to support this College. Many in our community have lost jobs or are fearful of doing so. Michigan’s economy is not recovering, and further cuts in State funding are imminent. Demagogues decry tax proposals that are vital to public education and public services. Given all of this, HFCC students and employees are very fortunate to have the support of an enlightened and generous community.

We all owe a very deep debt of gratitude as well to Mr. Gary Kuhlmann, Chair of the HFCC Millage campaign, and to the public officials who endorsed HFCC’s millage proposals in today’s difficult political and economic climates. Mayor Guido, the entire Dearborn City Council, and the entire College Board of Trustees demonstrated their commitment to education – and their political courage – in going before the electorate to support a millage renewal – and a millage addition – for HFCC.

The following community and labor organizations endorsed HFCC’s millage proposals. Of particular note is that every labor organization mailed to its members, and the Arab-American Institute activated its automated phone messaging service to contact the Arab-American community as well. HFCC was honored and greatly helped by these organizations.

American-Arab Chamber of Commerce Arab-American Institute Arab-American News Arab-American Political Action Committee ACCESS Dearborn Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Dearborn Democratic Club Dearborn Federation of Teachers Dearborn Italian Political Action Committee Detroit Free Press

Dearborn Press & Guide Dearborn Times-Herald Metro Detroit AFL-CIO Michigan Education Association Michigan Federation of Teachers & School Related Employees Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters Teamsters Local 214 UAW Local 600 UAW Region 1A United Steel Workers of America

Under the leadership of Gary Kuhlmann, the Save HFCC Committee undertook an unprecedented number of projects to inform and turn out voters. Henry Morgan, Jan Piestrak, and Susan Brown – as always – generated copy and impressive layouts for nearly a dozen different pieces of literature. Sally Barnett coordinated poll workers , and several of our poll workers indicated that many parents first learned of the election as they dropped off or picked up their children. Doug Freed coordinated an unprecedented telephone campaign, contacting some two thousand HFCC students and District employees. Marge Swan and Mike Meade coordinated the Speakers’ Bureau. Along with others, Joe Hallissey and Vince Bruno spoke formally and informally on countless occasions. HFCC is very fortunate to have two such credible and beloved community ambassadors.

HFCC President Andy Mazzara worked tirelessly on this campaign. Andy’s professional, political, and personal relationships across the entire community give HFCC its face and identity to many in the community. Andy grew up in this town, he knows it, and he knows what resonates with his network of friends, neighbors, and associates across the community. President Mazzara’s credibility and regard played a vital role in HFCC’s success on November 4.

While I will leave it to the leaders of Local 71 and the DFSE to acknowledge in detail the significant human and financial contributions of their members to the campaign, I and the entire college community must thank the Local 1650 membership for once again assuming the lion’s share of the campaign burden. Local 1650 members have always responded in numbers and with funds when the Federation leadership has called upon them to do so. Of 175 Local 1650 members, over 69 participated in preparing mailings, 43 worked the polls, 30 worked the telephones, and 158 contributed over $15,501 to Local 1650 PAF thus far. One would have hoped that 175 Local 1650 members would have contributed time as well as money to the campaign. The opportunities were many. Nevertheless, the degree of political involvement by HFCC teachers in this and other political efforts is unheard of across the entire teacher union movement.

But 1650 members did something even more important that garnered the respect, appreciation, and votes of Dearborn residents. Pre-election polling indicated, and the comments of many community leaders confirm, that crucial in generating public support for the College, was the willingness of HFCC teachers not merely to accept – but to volunteer – a wage freeze and additional economic concessions.

Local 1650 might have resisted such concessions at the expense of College programs and even higher tuition increases for students. In choosing to put aside personal self interest in favor of a greater good, HFCC teachers led by example – and the community responded likewise. Thank you – to a faculty and local membership that never fails its College or its Union.

John McDonald