Update from Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton, March 2011

By State Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton
Friday, March 25, 2011

As your State Representative, I am committed to supporting legislation that will help businesses create jobs and new industries thrive in Michigan in order to help put our residents back to work. I believe that if we all work together, put partisan differences aside and build on our strengths, we can keep Michigan on the road to recovery.

I hope you find this e-newsletter informative. If I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please feel free to contact my office toll-free at (888) 347-8027 or e-mail me at ellenlipton@house.mi.gov.

Two Coffee Hours on Monday

Please join me for a conversation about the Governor’s proposed budget and school funding, and to discuss your comments and concerns this Monday, March 28, at the following times and locations:

• 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Dunkin Donuts, 25170 Greenfield Road in Oak Park.
• 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Coffee Beanery, 28557 Woodward Ave. in Berkley.

CALL TO ACTION!

Appropriations K-12/Education Subcommittees Hearings in Lansing

The budget proposed by Governor Snyder will devastate our schools:

• $700 to $1,000 per pupil reductions
• Takes nearly $900 million from the School Aid Fund to pay for community colleges and universities.
• The potential for further ballooning of class sizes, outdated textbooks and technology, elimination of extracurricular activities and slashing of essential transportation services.
• Cutting education this deeply will hurt our children’s ability to get into college or compete for good-paying jobs. It will rob our state of the highly qualified workforce needed to attract job providers to Michigan. It will devastate Michigan’s economic recovery. We can’t allow the budget to be balanced on the backs of our children.

My colleagues and I recently launched a new website, www.fightschoolcuts.com, which contains an interactive map to look up school districts across the state and see how these cuts impact your community. You can also sign the online petition to join the fight against these devastating cuts.

I also invite you to attend the following Appropriations Subcommittee meetings being held in Lansing on Tuesday, March 29, at:

• 10:30 a.m.: Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid, Room 426 Capitol Building. Public testimony on the Governor’s proposed reduction or elimination of School Aid Categorical Programs is welcome and needed, as your input will make a difference!
• Noon: Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, Room 426 Capitol Building. Public testimony on the FY 2011-12 and FY 2012-13 Department of Education Budget is needed!

Your involvement will provide REAL feedback in the following ways:

• Acknowledging ongoing cost-saving measures already occurring.
• Providing perspective from local school community members who will be impacted.
• Speaking to the changes that SHOULD be happening instead of “just cutting” budgets.

If you are able to attend, please contact my office toll-free at (888) DIST-027. If you are unable to attend but wish to submit your written testimony, please e-mail your concerns to Ellenlipton@house.mi.gov. I encourage you to please forward this invitation to your school contacts, be they officials, administrators, teachers, parents, students, PTA members, coaches, club advisers.

Thank you and I hope to see you there!

Snyder’s Budget Proposal: Shared Sacrifice?

I believe that Governor Snyder’s proposed cuts to revenue sharing for cities and K-12 per-pupil funding, taxing senior citizens’ pensions and ending tax credits for working families and charities while giving significant tax breaks to large corporations is not a fair way to share in the sacrifice. Please feel free to read the Governor’s report yourself by clicking here.

I invite you to attend the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government meetings being held in Lansing on Thursday, March 31, from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 326-South Tower of the House Office Building, 124 N. Capitol Ave. in Lansing.

April is Financial Literacy Month

I am excited to participate in the Financial Literacy Legislative Challenge, a cooperative effort that partners lawmakers with credit unions and schools to spread sound financial skills to students of all ages. During the month of April, I will attend events in the classroom, at a student credit union and a credit union Youth Week event. Watch for more details in my next e-newsletter and on my website!

Also, Money Smart Week is April 2 through April 9, and offers a series of free classes and activities designed to help consumers better manage their personal finances. There are loads of events throughout the state on a variety of topics including investing, personal finance, teens and money, estate planning and more. Go to this online calendar to pick an event that is right for you!

Help for Residents Facing Foreclosure

Many Michigan homeowners are in danger of losing their homes. The Michigan Homeowner Assistance Non-Profit Housing Corporation (MHA), acting through Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) has the following programs that may help:

• The Unemployment Mortgage Subsidy Program assists homeowners in retaining ownership of their home by subsidizing their mortgage payments and correcting a mortgage delinquency during their time of unemployment.
• The Mortgage Loan Rescue Program provides funds that can be applied toward an eligible homeowner’s delinquent mortgage payments, delinquent property taxes and any accrued escrow shortages.
• The Principal Curtailment Program will help homeowners who need to modify their existing mortgage loan in order to have an affordable, lower monthly mortgage payment.

If you are in need of one of the Hardest Hit programs, there is now an online loan portal system at www.stepforwardmichigan.org, where you can apply from home. If you do not have Internet access, please call toll-free at (866) 946-7432; the call center staff will take your application over the phone.

Free Tax Assistance in Ferndale

The Accounting Aid Society is offering Free Tax Preparation to Oakland County residents at the Oakland Neighborhood Tax Center in Ferndale. The experienced and talented staff at the Accounting Aid Society will be able to help people with: federal, state and city returns; home heating credit; property tax credit/renter’s rebate; e-filing and direct deposit. To be eligible for this service, residents’ annual household income must be $50,000 or less for families or $25,000 or less for individuals.

WHEN:
Tuesdays & Thursdays, through April 14, from noon to 7 p.m.
Wednesdays & Fridays, through April 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturdays, through April 16, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday, April 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, call (313) 556-1920 or toll-free (866) 673-0873

WHERE:
Oakland Neighborhood Tax Center
1956 Hilton Road (North of 9 Mile, East of Woodward) Ferndale

The Oakland Neighborhood Tax Center offers year-round tax preparation assistance. After April 15, it will continue to offer free help for those who missed the tax deadline, have back taxes, need to amend a return, receive an IRS notice, or have other tax-related concerns.

In addition to free tax preparation, the clients will have access to savings bond purchases and utility assistance. Another Accounting Aid partner, the Oakland-Livingston Human Service Agency, offers its services to clients at the Ferndale office, including food assistance and child health insurance, home weatherization, Individual Development Account programs, credit scores and counseling, foreclosure prevention, and homeownership education.

Free Publications Available

My office provides several informational booklets that inform citizens of their individual rights and state resources, including:

• Consumer Protection Resource Guide
• Veterans Benefits and Services - Federal, State and Local Programs
• Peace of Mind - A Guide to Medical and Legal Decisions
• Services for Seniors - Laws and Programs for Senior Adults
• Tenants and Landlords: A Practical Guide
• Getting to Know Michigan Coloring Book
• Movin’ On - Rights and Responsibilities of Young Adults
• Your State Capitol - A Guide to Michigan’s State Capitol Building

To request a FREE informational booklet, e-mail me at ellenlipton@house.mi.gov and indicate which publication you would like to receive along with your name, address, city and ZIP code.

As always, thank you for the opportunity to represent the 27th House District. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

State Representative Ellen Cogen Lipton
27th House District