BikeProf

Sun, Dec 6, 2009 : 2:37 a.m.

Mr. Ranzini, thanks for providing the data. If any editors or reporters for AA.com read these comments, I suggest that the initial story ought to provide the sort of details that this commenter seemed able to come up with, rather than just asking Berriz how much property he owns and taking his word for it if he even bothers to get back to you. That's not really what I would consider to be independent reporting. In fact I'd like to see AA.com double-check and confirm this banker's (Ranzini's) analysis and provide that level of specificity in stories of this type in the future, rather than vague statements like 'McKinley owns a lot of land.'

Steve Norton, MIPFS

Sun, Dec 6, 2009 : 12:20 a.m.

Well, Mr. Ranzini, I look forward to your bringing your considerable talents and resources to bear in lobbying the State Legislature to commit more funding to schools to make this change possible.

SpamBot1

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 10:07 p.m.

@Ranzini... --- Malcolm Gladwell? Why are you trying to pass his book off as some sort of research-based authority? It's nothing of the sort, and your frequent referencing of his work is doing nothing for your credibility. --- If we can use a collection of stories as a way to create policy, then I'd like to suggest we all read Robert Fulghum's "All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten" and then form a new curriculum planning committee. --- You're just another arm-chair superintendent without a clue.

Stephen Lange Ranzini

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 4:45 p.m.

Steve Norton asks me a direct question. In response I note: The AAPS's Strategic Plan for 2007 to 2012 (see http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/aaps.about/aaps_strategic_plan) states: "Parameters; Boundaries within which the organization will accomplish its mission; self-imposed limitations. *We will make all decisions and take all actions based strictly on the best interest of the student." It is well documented that 21-23% of all Americans are not functionally literate (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_in_the_United_States) "This government study showed that 21% to 23% of adult Americans were not 'able to locate information in text', could not 'make low-level inferences using printed materials', and were unable to 'integrate easily identifiable pieces of information.'" In addition to the 21-23% who are utterly failed by the system, even more received a very substandard education and are unable to earn a decent wage in the modern information society as a result. This is a huge social justice issue and its a scandal that we arent taking immediate action to fix the problem. As a society we will fail if we dont fix this problem. Why this problem exists, is now known from *facts* and *observations* of scientists who have studied the matter. If you want the full story go read Malcolm Gladwell's current best-seller "Outliers: The Story of Success" which has a chapter devoted to some of this research - it's an excellent read and I highly recommend it! His conclusion is that low and moderate income children fall behind and fail in the system because of the traditional school Summer vacation. In fact, the research shows that 100% of the achievement gap in school they suffer is driven by the traditional school Summer vacation during their primary school education. Once they start down the path towards failure it is very difficult to get them back on track. Voters (and teachers) know of the abject failure of the public school system in failing these children and adults, leaving them functionally illiterate. Many voters are unwilling to put more money into a system that fails so many without reforms that work. So, what I'd like to know is why aren't our schools stepping up to the plate to fix the school year now that we know that it is the #1 cause that hinders childhood education? We need the *process* to *improve* the system now that we have the data. We urgently need a solid strategic plan detailing what resources it will take to fix this fundamental problem. The benefit would accrue to all of us. Imagine how great our schools and MEAP scores would be if we were among the first to bite the bullet and step up to fix this problem? Imagine the positive impact on attracting jobs to our community and increases in home values if we had the strongest K-12 schools in the region on top of some of the best public universities? The money problems will be solved if we had schools of this quality and that raised the value of our homes and the non-residential properties in the city. Based on the stated values in the AAPS Strategic Plan the AAPS *MUST* either fix this problem or amend their strategic plan to admit that they are willing to do things which horribly injure students ability to learn because they believe that money is more important. Re-read their statement of principles. "We will make all decisions and take all actions based strictly on the best interest of the student." It doesn't say "most" or "if we can fit it into a $234.4 million a year budget." Fixing this problem is one of the preeminent social justice and moral imperatives of our day. P.S. I find it ironic that among the first cuts in the budget is a proposal to cut funding for Summer School.

Steve Norton, MIPFS

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 3:54 p.m.

Mr. Ranzini, If we can't pay for the services currently provided by our schools, how on earth can we pay for year around schooling? I don't disagree that it might be a good idea, I just don't see how we can get something for nothing. AAPS has been drawing down its fund equity for some years now, a fact pointed out in those financial documents as well. But we use up our "rainy day" fund at our own peril - who really believes that the "rain" will soon be over? Fund equity allows us to plan for the future strategically, rather than having to make rapid and unplanned cuts - as the auditors pointed out. I have no problem with Albert Berriz, his firm, or anyone else expressing their opinions or spending money. But to say that the imbalance in spending and resources had no impact on the outcome is equally "laughable." Voters made a choice, but they made it based on the information available to them. How accurate was that information, and who was paying for it?

SaraMaddock

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 3:19 p.m.

Stephen, fantastic analysis. Thanks to you.

Stephen Lange Ranzini

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 2:17 p.m.

For those of you who want the facts on McKinley and the impact of the millage on their taxes, here it is: although a large taxpayer in the county, it is far from the largest. In 2009 it was the 5th largest taxpayer in the county with $143,788,923 of SEV, or $287,577,846 in value. If the millage had passed, McKinley's property taxes would have increased by about $287,500. The largest taxpayers in the county in 2009 were in order: DTE Energy, Pfizer, GM, Ford, McKinley, Toyota, Briarwood Mall, Dominos Farms and Chrysler. Of course Pfizer's property is now owned by UofM and off the tax rolls, the Big Three have announced plans to scale down their investment in the county and we all pay DTE Energy's rates through our Detroit Edison and MichCon utility bills. These entities represented 7.83% of the taxable property in 2009 and McKinley had 0.94% of all taxable property in the county. In the city of Ann Arbor in 2009, McKinley was the 9th largest taxpayer with taxable SEV of $18,383,896. McKinley had 0.37% of all property in the city. In the interest of full disclosure I note that this information is ready available from the municipalities and that McKinley is not a customer of my bank. For people to opine that McKinley or its CEO is not entitled to an opinion on the millage or entitled to advocate for their position on the millage, or that their opinion is somehow tainted is laughable. McKinley has one of THE biggest stakes in the future success of this community because they have over a quarter billion of investment here. If the county goes down the drain so will their investments. If the county does well, so will their investments. They had among the most to lose if the choice of the voters on November 3rd was wrong. For those of you who want some facts and figures on the current financial situation at the Ann Arbor Public Schools, the Auditors' presentation is posted; it's on the Operations Division's Documents and Publications page: http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/aaps.about/admin.bussvcs/documents_and_publications. The AAPS had unrestricted net assets of about $20 million and cash and investments of $37.6 million at fiscal year end. Net assets dropped $9.3 million (in other words they had a loss of $9.3 million for the year). Revenue was $234.4 million of which $134.6 million was spent on instruction and $84.0 million was spent on support services out of the $243.7 million in total expenditures. The fund balance or "net worth" of the AAPS was $121.6 million at fiscal year end. Property taxes raised $101.7 million of the total revenue of $234.4 million or 43.4% of the revenue raised. Unfortunately property taxes dropped $3.9 million year over year and that trend will continue. Also, the second largest revenue source was the $75.0 million State Foundation Allowance down $0.6 million from the prior year, but we know that will be hit hard in 2010 due to the recent cutback in the state's budget that targeted Ann Arbor and a few other communities statewide because the legislature eliminated the "20j" funds recently that we benefited from. Some observations: the Michigan Municipal League indicates that the rainy day fund of a municipal unit of government ideally should be about 20% of revenues, which in this case would be $46.9 million. Of course now it is not just rainy, but a hurricane came through and washed Michigan out to sea, so a draw down of the rainy day fund is not only prudent but timely as this is what it's for. The "rainy day" fund is now either just under $20 million or $37.6 million by whichever metric you choose to use. The amount spent on instruction was $134.6 million of the $234.4 million in revenue, or 57.4%. Roughly $100 million was spent on $84 million of support services, interest on the debt of $9.3 million and various miscellaneous categories, including athletics, the expenditures for which grew from $2.7 million to $3.2 million year over year (all other miscellaneous categories were flat or up or down $100,000 or less). We know the revenue side isn't going to help for at least a year so cuts must be made to balance the budget. Aren't there any cuts possible in $84.0 million of expenditures? Lastly, I'd like to see a plan as to what it would cost and how the district could send elementary school children to school year-round (for a start) to eliminate the traditional Summer break, which is harming the children as noted by President Obama, the Secretary of Education and many other commentators (see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33044676/) as this would in the future raise property values and turn the revenue equation around more rapidly if our primary schools had the best MEAP scores in the state, as a result, since this would bring in jobs and home buyers to the city if we did that. I also note that House Bill 5623 (introduced recently by the chair of the House Education Committee - there is an article on this at http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/12/post_labor_day_school_start_do.html) would eliminate the provision of state law that currently prevents schools in Michigan from starting prior to Labor Day. If H.B. 5623 is not passed before year-end, Michigan will lose $400 million of Federal funding of our schools, because the Obama administration is putting its money where its mouth is about ending the Traditional Summer School Vacation. As I said, we'd better get ready and formulate a plan ASAP. I would suggest that AAPS post the detailed budget on its website for all to see and analyze. There are a lot of smart people in this town who can help come up with ideas to assist the AAPS!

misti3k

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 12:37 p.m.

"That means pay cuts, pension cuts and health care cuts for the STATE EMPLOYEE TEACHERS!!!!" So, you want to punish what is already one of the most underpaid groups of workers in the country? We're not far from the point where it will be fiscally irresponsible to become a public school teacher. Do you want to put yourself under a mountain of debt in order to make $30K? How can cutting salaries and benefits from these people make the situation better?

Lehigh

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 12:24 p.m.

The millage lost by such a wide margin, it suggests that Berriz's involvement was not the deciding factor in its defeat. Will AnnArbor.com ask McKinley how much it reduced rents after Proposal A passed in 1994 and dramatically reduced McKinley's tax burden?

DonB

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 11:25 a.m.

Let's have McKinley run our public schools. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Mr. Berriz (taking orders from his boss, McKinley founder and GOP state chairman Ron Weiser) has the hubris to go before a school board meeting and suggest: * forming a puppet "blue ribbon" panel (to cover his and Weiser's reputations) of business people with no experience educating kids to recommend big schools cuts * Privatizing major services of the public school system * Leaving Todd Roberts with the mess and responsibility of actually running the school system and educating our kids * Boosting McKinley's profits Welcome to the future.

YpsiLivin

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 9:42 a.m.

McKinley rents apartments; AAPS educates human beings. DonB, The last time I checked, housing was considered a basic need of all human beings. (You know, the old "food, shelter, clothing" saw.) Voters in Washtenaw County are simply saying that they have no extra money for the schools, or anything else for that matter. And while we're on the subject, the vote wasn't just about AAPS; it was about all school districts in the county. Regardless of how much he spent, Albert Berriz had only one vote on November 3, just like you and me. I didn't need Albert Berriz to tell me how to vote. I do the books in our house and I know what we can (and can't) afford. Throwing money at the schools is the "easy way" to solve a problem. When there's no money to throw, the schools are going to have to fix their budgets the hard way, just like everybody else.

YpsiLivin

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 9:31 a.m.

I moved to Ann Arbor three years ago first and foremost for the schools. - E I moved here, not because I had a job offer and not because I thought I could contribute something to the community, but because I thought I could get something of value for myself. Typical Ann Arbor. Welcome home.

DonB

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 9:27 a.m.

Berriz/McKinley = GREED. McKinley = #1 Craigslist SPAMMER McKinley rents apartments; AAPS educates human beings.

A2nativeDX

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 9:05 a.m.

AAPS get lean and efficient. RAISE TAXES is not the answer. And quit the threats of reduced services because you could not get the millage increase. The voters spoke. Now serve them by becoming lean and efficient. Work smart, your in education after all, aren't you?

jondhall

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 7:55 a.m.

Stunhsif, must be reading my mind! What a brilliant mind he/she has! How about we take a collection up for a statute of Mr.Berriz, he certainly deserves it! One Person who stood up for their rights, does not happen much in this town, which is run by the MEA, ACORN, a bunch or tenured professors and teachers, and other "self interest" groups. First thing we do is take away the "defined benefit plans" the teachers, administrators, and support staff have. We are paying for those to retire so early. If they do not like it then let them leave find something better. WE have not use for the MEA! They only drive up the cost of an education, for the taxpayer. I need to know where I can send my $300.00 check to Mr.Berriz, because the MEA will be back and they will back this! They will not quit until they have all the citizens $$$$ that they can get, I SUGGEST they already do! Thank you so very much Mr.Berriz!!!!

stunhsif

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 12:48 a.m.

Mr.Berriz, I'll say it one more time. Without you shinning the light of truth on what this millage was all about ( wasteful spending), we would have collectively "bought" the MEA's +NEA's garbage about not wanting to "hurt the kids" by voting no on the millage. This all is getting really old folks. The state of Michigan and the 200 billion school districts/school boards across this state had better sit their behinds down and get down to "cost cutting" where it doesn't "hurt our kids". That means pay cuts, pension cuts and health care cuts for the STATE EMPLOYEE TEACHERS!!!!

Alan Benard

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 12:40 a.m.

"Note the the AAPS has decided to draw from their "reserve funds." Tell me why they didn't do that before asking for yet another millage?"It is best practice to have 20 percent of operating expenses in a "rainy day" fund. Having this reserve also helps your bond rating and makes improvements cheaper. Ypsilanti and Willow Run have spent their reserves and will be among the first to fall and be taken over by the state when the federal stimulus money dries up next year and we see $500-700 per-pupil cuts. We'll try not to say we told you so.

Alan Benard

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 12:32 a.m.

Can't say this enough! "But what really concerns me, as the person overseeing our campaign expenses, is that Mr. Berriz is not reporting any direct expenditures for the period ending 11/23 for their advertising in the print edition of AnnArbor.com. They do, however, show a debt owed to AnnArbor.com of more than $14,000, shown as being incurred on 11/23 - 20 days after the election." "My group's one ad in AnnArbor.com - a full page color ad, in the "A" section which commands a premium price - cost us in excess of $4,700. We had to pay by check up front. Mr. Berris' group ran a total of five ads in AnnArbor.com before the election, four of which were in the A section. Yet their total comes to under $15,000 and they were extended credit. And if they were offered these terms as part of a larger advertising package McKinley has with AnnArbor.com (a possibility), is it fair or appropriate for AnnArbor.com to have offered CRW - a legally separate political entity - different terms than were available to other political groups?" Annarbor.com: Integrity is sometimes inconvenient.

E

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 12:26 a.m.

I think a democracy, that is problem solving and decision making based on input from a large cross section of the stake holders creates the best outcome. How is it a democracy if one person, McKinely Properties President, gets essentially many more than one vote? I get really sick of business owners caling the shots. I moved to Ann Arbor three years ago first and foremost for the schools. Good schools and a well educated population provide a better work force, creates a community people want to move into, creates parents more likely to raise kids who can function in society, etc. Its seems like a win, win, win, win, etc. investment! Do you "no" voters have better investments you can tell us about. Yes we need to put food on the table first, but we also need to invest for the future. I'm really tired of hearing the same old unsupported comments about the school district needs to "restructure" or "the school district is not budgeting their money", how about supporting these comments with some hard facts, or some specific items that they over spent on. I think business people protected their own bottom line, and the communities of Washtenaw County are cutting their own throats and lost a golden opportunity to make a low risk high return investment in themselves.

E

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 12:26 a.m.

I think a democracy, that is problem solving and decision making based on input from a large cross section of the stake holders creates the best outcome. How is it a democracy if one person, McKinely Properties President, gets essentially many more than one vote? I get really sick of business owners caling the shots. I moved to Ann Arbor three years ago first and foremost for the schools. Good schools and a well educated population provide a better work force, creates a community people want to move into, creates parents more likely to raise kids who can function in society, etc. Its seems like a win, win, win, win, etc. investment! Do you "no" voters have better investments you can tell us about. Yes we need to put food on the table first, but we also need to invest for the future. I'm really tired of hearing the same old unsupported comments about the school district needs to "restructure" or "the school district is not budgeting their money", how about supporting these comments with some hard facts, or some specific items that they over spent on. I think business people protected their own bottom line, and the communities of Washtenaw County are cutting their own throats and lost a golden opportunity to make a low risk high return investment in themselves.

essene

Sat, Dec 5, 2009 : 12:18 a.m.

Dave, Nice touch, Mr. Berriz is taxed more, so he should have a louder voice? Seems fair to me too, so that is one man, ten votes? I'm sure that's fair for all us wealthy folk to simply run the town, so much easier, no muss, no fuss. Democracy -- a dangerous word. Some are more equal than others! Could it be that Mr. Berriz's renters and tax credits are picking up most of those bills? No, no...probably not...well? Eric eric

toomuchtodo

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 11:46 p.m.

Regarding veiled threats of budget cuts due to loss of funding... well, what if it is simply the truth? In my district, we've had a situation where there was backlash when the public didn't know what would be cut if a millage failed, and afterward they were angry that the district didn't do a BETTER job letting them know what was at risk! There's no winning, sometimes.

tlb1201

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 11:25 p.m.

"I personally don't think that's really advocacy, and it certainly doesn't meet the legal definition of advocacy. That's school staff gently calling attention to the fact that all this programming doesn't come for free." Steve, not only is it advocacy, I feel that it is a veiled threat when politicians and school staff members make statements that popular and critical programs might go away if a millage INCREASE isn't approved. The voters are not the ones depriving the students or taking worthwhile programs from them by denying a tax increase. It is the board and the administration who cannot budget and operate within their means who are doing the taking. In a way, I do not blame the teachers and frontline staff. They don't want to see programs go away, so they do what they feel they can to keep things intact for themselves and their students. Indirectly, they are being bullied and manipulated into that form of advocacy. I am so tired of politicians at all levels playing the game of threatening cuts for popular programs to bully the public into digging deeper into their pockets. It is a cowardly way to do business. *That* is my opinion.

BikeProf

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 11:10 p.m.

About this line: Berriz told AnnArbor.com today that he didn't immediately know the taxable value of McKinley's properties in Washtenaw County and what the tax hike would have cost the company per year. Since this information is available in public records, why can't AnnArbor.com as our community "newspaper" spend a little time and resources finding this out and report how much money McKinley and its top executives saved with the defeat of the millage? I have been wondering since the vote how much per year McKinley is going to be saving as a result of its defeat. The role of a local newspaper ("news product" or whatever) is to find out this sort of information and communicate it to the public. I don't believe that McKinley's money was necessarily decisive in this millage, given all the economic problems etc. But I'd like to know what more about what sort of characters are running this major local corporation.

Terrin

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 10:16 p.m.

I did not even know who Berriz was until I read these forums. Further, all I think he did was bring attention to the fact that a ballot proposal was in the works asking for a two millage increase in property taxes. Without him, I do not think many people would have even known there was a ballot initiative. That probably would have been the result the sponsors would have liked. I wouldn't have been brought to the polls otherwise. His message of the Districts not managing their funds properly probably failed to resonate with most tax payers. I voted against the mileage, but I didn't fully support his argument. My reasoning was two mills was too much to ask in these trying times. I wouldn't have voted if I was only being asked for one mil. I also thought that approving the millage wouldn't have put the necessary pressure on the Districts, Lansing, and Washington to fix the overall problem, which is to bring the economy back to life and start saving when the economy is good (e.g. stop building unnecessary high schools). Moreover, even though the millage was only to be for five years, they always get extended once passed. Once passed, people would be stuck with it forever. An average of two hundred dollars might not sound like a lot to some, but for many who are already struggling to keep their houses, it would have caused significant suffering. Moreover, that increase would not have been the only one voters are facing. State taxes, gas prices, and other living expenses are all raising. In one Township they wanted another two mills for police protection. Another problem with asking all County property owners to pick up the tab is people in places like Ann Arbor wouldn't be effected as great as other folks. Property taxes in Ann Arbor are low in comparison to places like Ypsilanti. Ann Arbor has far more businesses bringing in tax dollars. All the non land owner students voters voting for the mills, wouldn't be effected at all because 1) they are in fixed leases, which prevent the rent from immediately raising, and 2) competition for renters is fierce, meaning land owners would be reluctant to pass on the tax increases to renters (I am sure Berriz understood that). So, those least able to afford the mills in the out counties would be stuck picking up most the tab.

Steve Norton, MIPFS

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 7:48 p.m.

@bud - Thanks. It didn't make my day, either. @aaparent - Good question. But I do think that some of the other changes they are trying at Skyline will help all our high schools. Would this have happened without the new school? Don't know. But it does point out that, once you close a school and sell the property, there is no going back. The only exception to this may be Lakewood, which was closed for some years and not sold, and reopened earlier this decade.

aaparent

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 7:25 p.m.

meant to say population data in 1987 projected that the change to putting grades 6-8 in the middle schools would NOT be effective after about 15 years....because the high schools would be severely overcrowded. But now we have Skyline to relieve the crowding. If the middle schools had gone back to grades 7-9 and one or two elementary schools had been re-opened, would the district have needed to build skyline?

elligur

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 7:17 p.m.

It is obvious that Mr. Berriz and McKinley were only looking out for their bottom line, without any consideration for the students of the county. It's the height of cynicism and a shortsighted focus on the immediate profit, rather than the future of the community where the company operates. Let's learn from this and not let them get away with it next time.

MjC

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 6:52 p.m.

Note the the AAPS has decided to draw from their "reserve funds." Tell me why they didn't do that before asking for yet another millage? I could care less who funded the opposition - there was no way I was going to vote for this millage. It was a terrible plan right from the start.

bud

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 6:25 p.m.

Thanks for being a good advocate for the kids, Steve. Sorry to see you had to pay a fine.

aaparent

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 6:03 p.m.

Steve -- My recollection is that the district shifted to k-5/6-8/9-12 around 1987 when 7 elementary schools were closed. The decision was made for efficiency and costs at the time. Some citizens criticized the board at that time for failing to consider population data projections that showed that the change would be effective after about 15 years.. Also at the time some educators and board members cited research that showed children in grades 6-8 were more similar socially/emotionally/developmentally. The thinking was that students needs could be met more effectively for the whole child if middle school configurations were changed. This was not unique to Ann Arbor at that time.

Steve Norton, MIPFS

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 1:53 p.m.

@Dave, I personally don't think that's really advocacy, and it certainly doesn't meet the legal definition of advocacy. That's school staff gently calling attention to the fact that all this programming doesn't come for free. If you want to see what real advocacy looks like, visit the CMC web site and review some of our campaign materials. *That's* the message we were trying to get out, and which I continue to regret we could not get out to a larger share of our community.

Dave

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 1:42 p.m.

Steve, I am not certain how you can make the statement "and were very careful to observe the bright line on that issue." It seems a bit presumptuous. Regardless, I and many other parents I have talked to experienced the same type of advocacy by staff. How would you interpret statements similar to "Isn't it great to have the resources to enjoy this concert?" or "We are blessed to have the resources for the kids to enjoy all of these activities." With such statements being followed "Don't forget to vote coming next Tuesday."

Steve Norton, MIPFS

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 1:38 p.m.

@university brat, I'll admit that I would love for my soon-to-be 6th grader to be in an elementary school rather than middle school, just for social/emotional development reasons. But I don't think our school could absorb the extra grade; many elementary buildings are pretty full. Why precisely is the K-6/7-9/10-12 setup cheaper, by the way?

scooter dog

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 1:35 p.m.

Neither McKinley properties nor albert berriz had anything to do with my voting no on the millage.It was because of the blantant disregard and wastefull spending of tax dollars in the dexter school system that got my NO vote.There so out of touch with the average taxpayer its almost criminal.The country is going down the tube and all the schools can think about is where can we blow another few million or so and spend,spend,spend.I wish I could get on the school board,I'd show you CUTS.Pay to play sports,Pay to ride the bus,20%across the board pay cut for everyone.50%co pay on all health insurance.Carte Blanche days are over.

Steve Norton, MIPFS

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 1:20 p.m.

@Dave, First off, while school staff could remind people to vote, they are legally barred from advocating a "yes" vote and were very careful to observe the bright line on that issue. Superintendent Roberts and the school board can legally advocate, but how effective the advocacy is depends on how many people you can reach. And *that* is where the money comes in. You can reach far more people with mailings, radio ads and print advertising than you can one-on-one unless you have a truly huge source of manpower. We did our best, but were not able to reach the sheer numbers that the ads and robo-calls of the opposition were able to reach. As to contributions - we raised far more than has been raised for any millage campaign in recent memory. In terms of both the total amount and the breadth of our contributor base, the campaign was a huge success. But it is hard to keep up with somebody with truly deep pockets.

university brat

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 1:15 p.m.

As someone who saw things from the inside (recently retired from A2 schools after 30 successful years of classroom teaching), a WHOLE lot of $$$ could have been saved if the district had gone back to the K-6, 7-9, 10-12 school configuration. But NOOOOO, the recently departed super. Fornero ("I can finish peoples thoughts before they do") pushed through Skyline and all the associated expenditures. I taught during the old configuration. It was much better and CHEAPER! tdw: I hope your children are learning to spell "discipline properly in their private school. On merit pay: I'm for it if all the students come to the classroom with the same abilities, dispositions and excellent parenting. Public education taught me to wonder why you have to take a test to drive a car, but you don't have to take a test to be a parent?!

Juliana Keeping

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 1:03 p.m.

Happy A2. McKinley has properties in 20 states and employs 1,200 people. The story is accurate for Washtenaw County, where there are 450 employees.

Dave

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 12:58 p.m.

Steve, You, like the article, fail to take into account that the entire school system was acting as your pulpit -- teachers, students, school boards and administrations. Please give the value of that? Maybe the fact that you could/did not raise much money reflects the wishes of the grass roots they did not support an tax increase.

Steve Norton, MIPFS

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 12:43 p.m.

I know I will be accused of beatingn a dead horse, but I do feel I need to comment, as the manager of the pro-millage campaign in Ann Arbor. The Citizens Millage Committee was a true grassroots effort, with hundreds of volunteers doing everything from speaking to groups to phone-banking and canvassing. We raised some $29,000 in the campaign, the vast majority of which came from individuals and most of our contributions were $100 or under. A huge fraction were under $25. The vendors we used were all local, as well. It's true that our largest contributions came from the Ann Arbor teachers' and administrators' unions, but together they came to $8,000 of the total of $29,000. (The additional $5,000 in receipts was reimbursement from the other districts' campaign, which which we shared the costs of yard signs and our one newspaper ad.) In contrast, Mr. Berriz' Citizens for a Responsible Washtenaw was funded with $100,000 in contributions from McKinley Associates' corporate accounts (not the personal accounts of Mr. Berriz or Ronald Weiser, the firm's leadership). Aside from a $1,000 contribution from the Ann Arbor Apartment Association PAC, there are a grand total of four contributions from individuals. We did volunteer phone-banking (no union help, by the way), they paid almost $5,000 for robo calls. So much for grass roots. But what really concerns me, as the person overseeing our campaign expenses, is that Mr. Berriz is not reporting any direct expenditures for the period ending 11/23 for their advertising in the print edition of AnnArbor.com. They do, however, show a debt owed to AnnArbor.com of more than $14,000, shown as being incurred on 11/23 - 20 days after the election. My group's one ad in AnnArbor.com - a full page color ad, in the "A" section which commands a premium price - cost us in excess of $4,700. We had to pay by check up front. Mr. Berris' group ran a total of five ads in AnnArbor.com before the election, four of which were in the A section. Yet their total comes to under $15,000 and they were extended credit. And if they were offered these terms as part of a larger advertising package McKinley has with AnnArbor.com (a possibility), is it fair or appropriate for AnnArbor.com to have offered CRW - a legally separate political entity - different terms than were available to other political groups? FULL DISCLOSURE: Yes, we have had to correct errors on our filing. In four cases, the dates recorded in our last filing do not match those on late contributions reports. This was our error, and we are filing an amendment that confirms that the late contribution forms were correct, with appropriate documentation of the dates. I also made the error of failing to file a late contribution report for an in-kind contribution of items to hand out; my only excuse was that it got lost in the bustle of the last days before the election. The contribution is shown on our final report. Because of my error, I will personally be paying the fine of $1,525 on the late reporting of a $380 contribution. Now that we've aired all our dirty laundry, let's get back to the effect of money on elections. Would the millage have failed in any case? Perhaps. Would the vote have been closer if the pro-millage groups had the same resources as the anti-millage groups? Certainly! It is simply wishful thinking to say that this scale of spending against the millage did not affect the outcome. But it's one thing to have a lot of money at your disposal; it's quite another if your money buys you other advantages which are simply not available to the other side.

HappyA2

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 12:43 p.m.

To Juliana Keeping... writer of this story... your actual facts about McKinley and how many people they employ is completely incorrect. You should probably check out their website... they employe over 1000 people in several states. Their largest base is Washtenaw County. Also, I agree with the comment that your story is biased and written in such a way as to make Berriz look bad as a publc figure which is irresponsible. I don't know him personally, but I have lived in A2 my entire life, and have seen what a huge impact he has had on our community at large. Everytime you look at the Red Cross Building, the Neutral Zone teen center, United Way and the Millions of dollars he has helped raise for those ventures, and you tell me what a bad person he is. All of you with negative comments about him personally should probably do your homework before speaking publically! Educate yourself before you decide to publically judge others.

Dave

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 12:42 p.m.

Rusty, let me clarify. By disproportionate I mean (1) on a per capita basis one tax payer paying much more than another and/or (2) as a percentage of the overall increase (his % of the increase will likely be more than anyone else's). The point being if someone in going to pay more, it is ok for them to have a loud voice. (e.g, lets say you and I were going to dinner and you agreed to pay 90% of the cost. It only seems fair you get more input into where we go).

DagnyJ

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 12:33 p.m.

I'd like see some kind of equation showing exactly how much raising per pupil spending will increase student learning, and how much cutting it will lower spending. So, if we cut $200 per pupil, how much LESS will students learn? If I cut my kid's teacher's pay by $200, how much less will my child learn? If I close CHS, how much less will my kid learn?

HappyA2

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 12:28 p.m.

Really? Albert Berriz is part of our community just like any one of you! If he felt passionate about this issue then why shouldn't he become invoived! Whether or not McKinley benefited from this not going through is not the issue, because other business were affected as well. This has NO bearing! The question should be how are our schools spending money. Are restructuring in a way that is responsible and financially beneficial. I am absolutely positive that a financial consultant could go into the school system and show how the budget could be equalized. Are they doing what they need to as far as lowering the cost of simple things such as office supplies, are they being creative with their benefit costs while still providing the same level of benefits. Are they spending wisely on school maintenance? So many things can be looked at prior to the general response of raising our taxes. Instead of blaming one public figure, let's put the focus where it should be... on those individuals/schools and make sure they are doing everything else possible to utilize the funds they have wisely. Once all of those options are exhausted then propose tax increases. Seems like common sense, but maybe not.

Ponycar

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 12:21 p.m.

Rizzle, I wondered when someone would bring up the fact that school taxes on township families who send their kids to A2 schools is the same as anyone living in the city. Don't all yall know how property taxes work? Ant, is it still an Astroturf campaign when the unions run phone-banks to promote their interest and candidates at election time? Those are a much bigger influence than McKinley's. BTW: If you're a union member and don't want to pay for those phone banks with your dues, you don't have to. Google "Beck decision". Now I'll probably get beat up...

Dave

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 12:18 p.m.

4 comments: 1) My vote was not impacted by Berriz. 2) If Berriz is going to pay one of the largest tax increases in the county, why shouldn't he have one of the loudest voices? Seems to me that many people posting comments are happy to spend "other" people's money, and don't want those "other" people to have a fair voice. Just because someone owns a lot of real estate, why is it fair to burden them with a disproportionate amount of school funding? 3) This article is incomplete, or dare I say biased. Where does it take into account the support of the schools and the teachers who were lobbying in favor of the tax increase? Why don't they put a dollar value on that? At many school events I attended, the administration or teachers would remind you to vote (which was good), but there usually was a not so subtle message of "if you don't vote for the increase, who knows what impact it will have on your kids and its schools?" Talk about a huge and motivated (not to mention self-serving) campaign force the $100,000 pales in comparison. 4) Get over the fact it failed and work on a process of moving forward. Now is the time to keep the School Board in check and make certain they budget correctly. My fear is the Board won't cut where they should (too much resistance from employees, not just teachers, and unions), but rather will cut funding that will result in escalating the emotions of the students/teachers/parents (bus service, books, etc.). By doing so, they will lay the groundwork for support as they plan for the next requested millage increase. Get ready!!

rak

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 11:54 a.m.

The defeat of the millage was really short-sighted. The school system was a main draw for me to move to this area and also for many others. A weakened school system means less of a draw which will drive down home values much more than 200 bucks.

Rizzle

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 10:52 a.m.

63Townie "I live in the city proper, have no kids and pay a TON of taxes to support those who live on the outskirts of the city, pay reduced township taxes yet whose kids still go to Ann Arbor schools. Tell me how that is fair?" So you think the township taxes are lower because you are subsidizing our education in the townships? No. Your taxes pay for more than just education. Ann Arbor city proper's millage is covering other services you are getting. The proportion going to schools whether you live in a township or city proper is the same.

ant

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 9:50 a.m.

When a big corporation like McKinley initiates, funds, and directs a political campaign like this, but tries to keep its role hidden (at least until after the voting has been done), and tries to create the impression that the campaign is being waged only by ordinary individual citizens, that is not a "grass-roots" campaign. Rather, it is an "astroturf" campaign. It is called an astroturf campaign because it is a fake grass-roots campaign, rather than a real one. I had, and still have, mixed feelings about the school millage. But I don't have mixed feelings about astroturf campaigns. I don't like them, regardless of which big company or institution is behind them. I think they're deceptive and sleazy.

Pjohn3

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 9:28 a.m.

I don't think attacking Albert Berriz is going to solve the funding issues at the schools. I think Mr. Berriz believes the schools haven't done enough to restructure and streamline how they run things. 2 weeks ago there was a full page open letter from the superintendent of Miami Dade Schools on what they did to restrucutre their school system. They brought in business people to analyze the cost structure of the administration and were able to balance the budget and actual generate a surplus (I have not verified these claims). The point is, if the schools can be truly open to changing the way they do business and eliminate excessive spending, I would be much more in favor of a smaller (1%) millage next fall to help plug the gap.

FreedomLover

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 9:13 a.m.

If the millage had passed and the taxes increased on the McKinley rentals, who do you think would be paying the increased taxes? I think it would be passed on to the renters. So the actions of Mr. Berriz helped out many people in Washtenaw County by keeping their rents from increasing. Just as 63Townie said, maybe the schools and governments should limit spending in good times so they can save a little money for the lean times just as we have to do in our homes.

The Picker

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 8:04 a.m.

If you want a good reason not to give more money to the school system, wander into the Balas building sometime. Too many employees with not enough to do! Its obvious!!!

James Leonard

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 7:11 a.m.

The question is not What do you think of the school millage? That issue was settled by the voters in November.The question is What do you think of Albert Birraz spending a large sum of money to prevent the school millage from passing?Of course, it is perfectly legal to spend a large sum of money for this purpose. And those who agree with the outcome may say it was entirely justified since it was all for a good cause. But the issue is not the righteousness of Mr. Birrazs cause but the effect of his actions. We can never know his real intentions. He may well believe as he asserts that he did it for struggling Washtenaw County families. But it does appear that McKinley Properties was the largest single financial beneficiary of Mr. Birrazs action I use the word appear because Mr. Birraz inexplicably cannot recall the taxable value of his companys properties nor what the tax increase would have cost his company. If it turns out that McKinley Properties did in fact benefit financially from the defeat of the millage, one might well question Mr. Birrazs motives as well as his character.

David Bardallis

Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 1:36 a.m.

Hey, good for McKinley. My opinion of them just went up. Unfortunately, it would have been better if that $100,000 could have been spent on something productive rather than just fending off the latest attack of the tax parasites.

TripleVSix

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 11:19 p.m.

Should be, "Washtenaw County real estate firm DONATED $100,000 in anti-millage campaign." Past tense - it was a month ago. mean1... Ann Arborites voted for the millage, while other communities voted against it.

YpsiLivin

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 11:09 p.m.

Millage supporters will criticize Albert Berriz as someone who was simply looking out for his own properties, but they seem to overlook the fact that they vote for millages based on what impact they'll have on their own property values. If a millage looks like it has the potential to increase the value of a home, Ann Arbor will go for it, whether it makes fiscal sense or not. Hence, they're burning tax dollars buying up land in the townships while their schools are going broke under their own weight and their sewer system is quietly imploding on itself.

tdw

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 10:57 p.m.

donB if you're concerned about illegal use of Craigs list you might want to look at all the prostitutes who advertise on it blatantly

DonB

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 10:32 p.m.

Maybe Mr. Berriz should pay for his company's illegal use of Craigslist. If you agree report them for all of their clever "spam/overposts" on this free service intended for community use, not for a for-profit company to illegally use to boost its profits.

tdw

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 10:31 p.m.

another reason many parents ( myself included )send their children to privite schools is because A-they prefer to be the ones to decide what type of values and morales should be taught to their children instead of teachers and school boards that have a particular political agenda ( I don't think I need to say which side)They want their kids to be educated, not molded by someonelses views.B- public schools have little or no displine the kids run the place,if a teacher or board tries to displine sweet little Johny the parents get into an uproar.Fact is many people are feed up and sick of public schools

stunhsif

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 10:14 p.m.

Mr. Berriz, God Bless and Merry Christmas. You saved me $300.00 dollars in higher taxes, perhaps now I can buy my kids some Christmas presents! You are the BEST.

misti3k

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 10 p.m.

As usual it's not actually about not spending money, rather it's about advancing political agendas. Many folks are perfectly willing to spend money as long as it doesn't go to the government. The irony is that McKinley didn't see that the millage had no hope of passing and tossed its money into the fire anyway. Also, they're going to continue to raise rents that their properties anyway, so now it's just more profit. The transparency is embarrassing. @63Townie: No need for a new high school?! As a Huron grad of 2001 I can tell you that a new high school was long overdue. In 2001 Huron was approximately 800 students over its designed capacity and Pioneer was at least 1200 over. Students were using small, flimsy desks wedged into corners at times because of oversized classes. Perhaps you should have taken a stroll down Huron's 6200 hallway during passing time before suggesting that Skyline was unnecessary. I have to agree with you about township taxes and city school access, though.

DagnyJ

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:46 p.m.

Did anyone vote for the Greenbelt? That's your school millage, buying up farmland around Ann Arbor....Too bad you soaked up the community's ability to pay for education with stupid ballot questions like that.

63Townie

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:39 p.m.

mean1, I'm not sure what you mean by your post. I get the feeling you think Ann Arborites are snobbish aristocrats that send their kids to private schools. I live in the city proper, have no kids and pay a TON of taxes to support those who live on the outskirts of the city, pay reduced township taxes yet whose kids still go to Ann Arbor schools. Tell me how that is fair? Let's create "township" schools so those families who now reap the benefits of the Ann Arbor school district have to pay their fair share

63Townie

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:24 p.m.

BTW, I went to Ann Arbor schools in the height of the recession in the 80's. I received an excellent education at Pioneer. IMO there was no need for a new high school; the district should have done like any household does in tight times: cut back spending.

mean1

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:22 p.m.

Awwww...do the Ann Arborites not want to contribute anything to educate their children?? Apparently they would much prefer their children have to share textbooks with others, limiting the amount of homework they have to bring home. Or for them to have to share the teacher's attention with 39 other students in the classroom as opposed to the standard 29. "Higher taxes will hurt struggling Washtenaw County families"...Oh, that's right...the #1 employer in the area, U of M, is the reason for that, not the education system. How ironic. Wonder how many students will be transferred to private schools when it becomes obvious they aren't receiving the education they need.... Ridiculous. Sad.

63Townie

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:18 p.m.

Unfortunately we were duped into spending frivously when the city and the economy was flush with money. In hindsight it doesn't look like such a good idea, does it? Now city and county services are hurting and voters are defeating millage increases left and right. If you are unhappy with the current state of things, vote out those who approved irresponsible spending increases and install a more fiscally responsible government who's in tune with the current reality.

YpsiLivin

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:17 p.m.

I can't speak for anyone else, but Albert Berriz didn't influence my decision one way or the other. I voted no because my household can't afford a tax increase. Time and time again, the schools have shown that adding money to their bottom line doesn't improve their performance, so why throw good money after bad?

superliberal

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:02 p.m.

I hope he sends his kids to a private school so they can get a good education.

tdw

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 8:46 p.m.

I don't if know if any body realizes this but the millage was defeated by county voters, not Berricz by himself

st.julian

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 8:37 p.m.

And what is his solution to maintaining excellence in education? Or was it principled opposition? Or was it just plain greed, becuase of his real estate hodlings?

ypsimom

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 8:36 p.m.

"Berriz told AnnArbor.com today that he didn't immediately know the taxable value of McKinley's properties in Washtenaw County and what the tax hike would have cost the company per year." What a crock! Obviously, this was about McKinley's bottom line. I don't belive for one second that Berriz was worried about Washtenaw County's "struggling families".

ferdcom

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 8:29 p.m.

Maybe bud can come up with the $250 per year that Dr. Roberts wanted me to pay.

bud

Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 8:18 p.m.

Maybe Berriz can come up with $200K to buy the text books that Dr. Roberts just proposed cutting.