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Michigan Chronicle
Vol. 82 – No. 24 | February 20-26, 2019
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President Trump's Declaration of a National Emergency on Our Southern Border: A Fake National Emergency from a Fake President
Trevor W. Coleman On the same day the President of the United States stood before the American people in the Rose Garden of the White House and repeatedly and blatantly lied about the need for him to declare a "national emergency" in order to obtain extra funding to build a wall along the U.S. and Mexican border, our country endured its 38th mass shooting in the 46 days we've had in 2019. Five people were killed and five officers injured in a shooting in Aurora, Illinois, police said. That makes nearly 2,000 mass shootings since the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre seven years ago. In fact, according to Britain's Royal Statis-
Recognizing The Urgency of the Moment: Gov. Whitmer's First State of the State Address
By Trevor W. Coleman tical Society (RSS) Americans are statistically more likely to be killed by a lawnmower than an immigrant, and there are more mass shootings then days of the year. But you wouldn't know that based upon the despicable rhetoric and racist tropes used by President Donald Trump yet again, to frighten his "base" and whip them into a frothy mouth frenzy over the very thought of poor, desperate, brown and black skinned people trying to immigrate to the United States to escape poverty and violence in their homes in Central America and the Caribbean. This time, however, his rhetoric has taken an even more sinister turn as he has blatantly engaged in extraconstitutional actions by declaring this fake national emergency and thrust our nation into a constitutional crisis. There are many urgent issues confronting this country at this time in its history. Among them is the rise in white nationalism – personified in the election of Trump himself. Also, the poisoning of our water supplies, climate change, income inequality, failing schools, lack of adequate healthcare, foreign interference in our electoral process and of course, gun violence. Yet, President Trump chooses to throw down the gauntlet and circumvent the will of Congress by declaring a fake national emergency on the border in order to illegally take money appropri-
See TRUMP page A2
WHAT’S INSIDE
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When Gretchen Whitmer ran for governor last year, three of her most prominent campaign promises were to “fix the damn roads” and to solve the crisis in Michigan’s public education system which has remained mired in the bottom third of the nation and to ensure that all citizens have safe drinking water. In her first State of the State address last week as Michigan’s new chief executive, Governor Whitmer recognized the urgency of the moment. She highlighted her plan to fix the state’s crumbling infrastructure and education needs by promising her upcoming budget proposal would include a “real solution” for fixing Michigan’s roads and infrastructure, struggling schools and to address Flint’s water crisis once and for all. “Next month, I will propose a budget for our state. My budget will offer a real solution to fixing our roads and rebuilding our infrastructure,” she said. “It will give our frontline educators the tools they need to address our literacy crisis. And most of all, it will reflect my unwavering commitment to making Michigan the home for opportunity.” Whitmer said Michigan’s crumbling roads, bridges and failing infrastructure are a physical, financial and health hazard for the state, especially after the Flint water crisis and discovery of PFAS.
In fact, she noted that Michigan received a grade of D- and D+ for its roads and infrastructure, respectively, from the American Society of Civil Engineers -- with just 18 percent of our roads are in “good” condition. “We need to act now, before a catastrophe strikes or the situation becomes truly unrecoverable, “Whitmer said. “Let’s come together and pass a budget that actually fixes the damn roads.” “No one will invest in a state that doesn’t invest in itself. That’s the hard truth. And let’s be very clear: incremental fund-shifts, like we’ve seen in recent years, they just won’t fix the problem,” she said. Turning to the state of public education, the governor said Michigan’s system of education is not preparing students to succeed and businesses are not investing in our state because our skills do not meet their expectations. Indeed, recent studies have shown that Michigan has experienced the worst decline in childhood literacy, which coincides with the slowest growth in K-12 education spending of any state in the nation. “Our educators deserve our support, not a funding crisis that undermines their work, weakens our schools, and hurts our kids,” Whitmer said. Recognizing that the Flint water crisis has become a source of international embarrassment for the state,
Whitmer said the root of the problem was the failure by state departments to alert officials to imminent threats to public health. She announced an executive directive instructing all state employees to notify their agency or department of any imminent threats to public health, safety or welfare. “Valid concerns about public health and welfare will be acted upon,” Whitmer said. During her State of the State address she also set a blueprint for other legislative priorities that include: Hands-Free Laws - The proposed legislation would ban any use of a mobile device by any driver of any type of vehicle expect emergency responders or someone legitimately requesting emergency services via 911. The expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include sexual orientation, preference and identity, which would broaden protections to those in the LGBTQ community who face discrimination daily but are currently outside the scope of the law. Michigan Reconnect - Modeled on a highly successful bipartisan program in Tennessee, Michigan Reconnect is an economic-growth/workforce development program that would provide a tuition-free pathway to an in-demand industry certificate or associate degree
See GOV.
WHITMER page A3
Detroit Future City Releases Report on “Growing Detroit’s African-American Middle Class” As the city continues to experience a revitalization, “Growing Detroit’s African-American Middle Class” provides a benchmark through which the African-American middle class can serve as a measure to track equitable growth.
The report is a continuation of DFC’s commitment to providing accessible, data-driven strategies dedicated to moving the city forward and stems from the 2017 release of its “139 Square Miles” report.
“In ‘139 Square Miles,’ we noted that 75 percent of DetroiDetroit Future City ters have household (DFC) announced incomes of less than the release of “Grow$50,000, which led ing Detroit’s Afrius to take a deep dive can-American Middle into the city’s AfriClass,” a comprehenAnika Goss sive data report sup- Executive Director, can-American middle porting attraction, Detroit Future City class and how more equitable growth can retention and growth strategies to restore a demo- lead to a brighter future for all graphic that once defined the Detroiters,” said Anika Goss, city. The report is funded by DFC’s executive director. the John S. and James L. Knight “Detroit’s growth and progFoundation Fund at the Com- ress hinges on understanding munity Foundation of Southeast Michigan. See MIDDLE CLASS page A2