XL Pipeline Victory

President Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline November 6.

http://www.gp.org/obamas_rejection_of_the_keystone_xl

This is a small but important victory. Indigenous groups, 350 org., the Sierra Club and others

have met to discuss the significance of this victory. As Greens who actively opposed the XL, we
too should think about the implications of this victory. What did we achieve? How did we
achieve it? What are the next steps?
The Flint Water Crisis

Several committees are investigating what happened. Residents have filters on their water

and are awaiting word when to remove them. Darnell Early, former Emergency Manager of

Flint (the Poisoner of Flint), was appointed Emergency Manager of the Detroit Public Schools.

There was (and still is) so much pressure on our moribund State Legislature that they actually

responded to the Flint Water Crisis. It partly funded the embarrassing reconnection to Detroit.

The Minority Leader of the Senate (from Flint) questioned the reappointment of Early to DPS. A
group of House representatives proposed some progressive water legislation too. It will likely
never take flesh given the Republican domination of both houses and the governorship.
Gamrat and Courser

There is hope for Michigan after all. Former State House representatives Gamrat and

Courser, Tea Party darlings whose political careers imploded last month were roundly defeated

in the primary election November 3. The victor of the Republican primary in these districts is all

but guaranteed victory in the special general election in March. But still it does warm the heart a
little to see that even Republicans can occasionally smell something rotten.
Detroit Public Schools

There are important plans hatching around the Detroit Public Schools. The media onslaught

has been a ceaseless stream of half-truths, misrepresentations and lies. The indictment of former

DPS officials is implicitly linked to the school boards but is really linked to Emergency

Management and intensified racist policies of reduced schooling and increased debt payments.

Students in Detroit are penalized $1000 per student in diverted funds to pay for Caesars arena
(This is what Detroiters call the new Detroit Red Wings stadium because the team is owned by
Illitch, owner of the pizza chain Little Caesars).

The Governor is proposing a series of legislative actions which include:

A current local millage (property tax) originally agreed to by Detroiters for school

building improvements will be used to pay debt that DPS incurred under Emergency

Management. The schools were taken from DPS to create the Education Achievement
Authority (EAA), a product of racism and a failure by any measure. The current

elected school board will be told to follow these orders and pay the debt. They will be
excluded from any other decisions or processes.

A second new school board, unelected until 2020, and until then appointed by the
Governor and the Mayor, will be responsible for all the schools. In reality, it will

destroy what is left of public education (in the form of DPS), forcing children into the

carnivorous charters or the EAA.

Legislation for Snyders scheme is snaking through the legislature. These undemocratic

proposals, meant for show and to funnel money to the banks and businesses (parasites on
public education), will not improve the education of the majority of Detroit students. Without
the active role of parents as voters, as well as grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbors, the

schools wont survive; without neighborhood schools, neighborhoods wont survive. Debt relief,
while welcome, is completely insufficient to make Detroits school system work for its children.

There needs to be a lot of new money put in to reduce class size, provide before and after school
programs, health services, and improve infrastructure.

Water Affordability in Detroit

The fight for water affordability in Detroit (and throughout the Great Lakes Water Authority)

has deepened. The announcement of thousands of shutoffs

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2014/11/16/detroit-water-shut

offs-continue-winter/19134247/ forcing long lines at payment centers underlines once again the need
for affordable water in Detroit. The Water Department debt, a product of institutionalized racism

during the previous decades, consumes half of the departments budget! Irrespective of the debt,
water should be, must be, affordable.
Your Input

We welcome your remarks, criticisms and articles including notices for upcoming events. Please
send to freddetroit@gmail.com
Fred Vitale
Editor