12/27/06

W-TRB
Your Morning News from Flint MI USA
Channel 12.5
Part of the TRB Broadcasting Network

Date:12/27/06

QUOTE OF THE DAY
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - Former President Gerald R. Ford, who declared "Our long national nightmare is over" as he replaced Richard Nixon but may have doomed his own chances of election by pardoning his disgraced predecessor, has died. He was 93.

INTERNATIONAL

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Iran Is Seeking More Influence in Afghanistan By DAVID ROHDE Iran is investing in Afghanistan as part of a bigger drive to spread its influence and ideas farther across the Middle East. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/world/asia/27afghan.ready.html?th&emc=th
NATION
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(AP) -- AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - DaimlerChrysler has hired former F-B-I chief Louis Freeh to help in its internal investigation of bribery allegations. Freeh is a member of the Gavel Consulting Group, which consists of former federal judges. Meanwhile, DaimlerChrysler says it's continuing to cooperate with two federal investigations. The S-E-C opened an inquiry in 2004 after a worker said he was fired for complaining that the company was using secret bank accounts to bribe government officials. DaimlerChrysler a year later acknowledged that the Justice Department was investigating whether senior executives knew the company had paid bribes to foreign officials.
http://www.nbc25.net/news/news_story.aspx?id=24161
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Biden to Fight Iraq Troop Buildup Senator Plans Hearings That He Hopes Will Influence U.S. Strategy (By Walter Pincus, The Washington Post)

MICHIGAN

-Saving Schools
A SOLUTION: Efficiency could be the key to survival
Small districts may pave way
December 27, 2006
Detroit Free Press
Consolidating services under intermediate school districts, while retaining local control of academics, may be the only way tiny school districts are going to survive, said State Superintendent Mike Flanigan.
"There's an argument for small school districts. They're a large part of Americana that I think works very well," Flanigan said. "Why would you want to blow that up? Why not just be more efficient?"
But these tiny districts' experiments in consortiums and cost cutting could have statewide implications. Michigan faces a $3-billion budget deficit, and it's almost certain that schools across the state will continue to tighten their budgets in the near future.
The small districts could be paving the way for larger districts to survive in tough economic times.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061227/NEWS06/612270384

-FIEGER WINS ONE

Detroit Free Press
Southfield lawyer Geoffrey Fieger scored a point in his feud with the state Supreme Court on Tuesday when a federal court ruled he can continue his efforts to disqualify certain justices he claims are biased against him from hearing his cases.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati said Fieger can challenge Michigan's rules for determining when a justice should be disqualified from hearing cases -- rules he has called unconstitutional. He has said his motions to have justices removed from cases were never heard by an impartial arbiter but instead decided by the justices themselves.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061227/NEWS03/612270331

-How many of our neighbors are dying?

SAGINAW (WJRT) - (12/26/06)--The year 2006 got off to a violent start in the city of Saginaw with a number of shootings right after the first of the year.
Crime was also a big topic for residents to vote on as three separate crime related millages were put before voters.
Jimahle Donald, 17, was in the wrong in place at the wrong time when he was shot to death Jan. 3. It was Saginaw county's first homicide of 2006, and one of several shootings in the city of Saginaw in the month of January.
But the killing didn't stop, and violence has been on the rise in the entire county for the last few years.
In 2005, there were 25 murders compared with 11 in 2001, and that prompted a push for a Saginaw County millage which would have added more than 50 new officers countywide.
It would be one of three proposals city and county residents would vote on in 2006 when it came to public safety.
In May, the city asked voters to save 26 police positions and bring back five laid-off officers and save 25 firefighting jobs as well.
The result was a resounding win, and boosted the morale at the Saginaw City Police Department, which has seen its staff cut in half because of budget problems over the last three years.
Momentum was felt when the Saginaw County No Boundaries proposal went before voters in August. It went down to defeat by a big margin.
That defeat also meant 14 sheriff's deputies could lose their job at the beginning of 2007, so two new proposals were put before county voters in November -- one to save the 14 jobs; another to add seven new positions.
The 14 jobs were saved, but again, residents said no to adding any police presence.
With a few days to go, Saginaw County will end the year with at least 26 homicides -- one more than in 2005 -- so expect to hear more about the cost of crime fighting in 2007.
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=local&id=4882922

GENESEE AND FLINT AREA
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(TV-5) -- Four former Flint City Council members may be heading to court to turn over salaries they earned after the state took over the city's finances.
The council members awarded themselves back pay in 2004 after the Emergency Financial Manager cut that out of the budget. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has given the four until December 27th to pay back the money. Several council people are disputing the amount they owe.
According to the Flint Journal, only one councilman has returned the money. The others still owe between 16 and 17 thousand dollars each.
http://www.wnem.com/Global/story.asp?S=5858693&nav=7k75

GUEST EDITORIAL

On the Editorial Page Will Bush's legacy be a huge tax increase on the most productive Americans?12:01 a.m. EST
For more Flint MI USA news see:

Flint Talk
http://www.flinttalk.com/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Flintcitizen/
-This place has become the proverbial 21st C small town coffee shop of old, where the regulars gathered round to "chew the fat" and discuss the affairs of the day. The topics inevitably focus on local issues as those tend to affect everyone that gathers here, the same. Not that state, national & international events also aren't important, but there are so many more parties involved in those issues. But Flint, and immediate surroundings is our purview. So after a while, we identify with, even if we don't always agree with, the "regulars" [read registered and regularly posting members]. Contrast that with "guests". They can be anyone and everyone behind that "name" on the post. Quite possibly several people using the same guest name at different times. You really don't know for certain who you are responding to. Nor therefore, do you really know if what they post is what they believe much less factual. Whereas, when Adam, Al G, Kathy Ellwood, mama bear, Rap or Ted et al, post, you know who's there, you know where they are coming from, that what they post is what they think, and not just a troll to provoke reactions. So, yeah, I'm with you Roscoe. I think I'm going to ignore "guest" posts from this point on.
http://www.flinttalk.com/post-7101.html

The Laundry Room
http://www.thelaundryroom.us/

Flint Area Citizen Internet Advocacy US
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Flintcitizen/

Flint Town Talk
http://www.mlive.com/forums/flint/index.ssf
9748. Serious question for Genesee county by
Swamicator, 12/26/06 9:04 ET
Residents.
I live in N. Oakland County and I am selling my home. I have a unique career and it makes no difference where I live.
I grew up in the Flint area and friends that still reside there are attempting to sell me on moving back. Personally, I see no reason to live in Genesee County, given the demise of Flint area I saw coming over 20 years ago.
So the question is this...real estate prices aside, give me some good reasons to live in this area.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
9748.2. swamicator moving by
, 12/26/06 10:02 ET Re: Serious question for Genesee county by Swamicator, 12/26/06
The clio area has a few good reasons to come here despite our local fighting which all communitys have1. good housing stock2. fair housing prices3. a good school system4. good retail growth5. low crime rate6. Great park system7. And some very fine people
9748.3.1. If I remember correctly, by
, 12/26/06 19:27 ET Re: Serious question for Genesee county by Swamicator, 12/26/06
Linden was the smallest of all Metro league schools. Clio is probably 2nd smallest. East/West has close to 2600 students combined. And Creek is still big but Oxford and Brandon are big schools compared to the others. And Holly and Fenton are no push-overs when it comes to student enrollment.
-From Flint Talk-Larry

Yes. Terry it is a tough question.
All of the reasons you mentioned are good reasons to stay here is a few more.
Fresh water oil is running out .
But the most precious commodity known to man is fresh water witch we have plenty of. Higher education is plentiful its here for the taking.

Down town is a well kept secret. no crowds no crime and racial diversity. The thing that would set down town flint off as a force. would be wireless Internet and a few well thought out festivals. to compliment or off set the new housing. what would be really awesome is if 4 blocks of saginaw street was set aside as a auto free zone.

No cars at all from just past the hotel going south . more crims, more jazz, more, art and possibly a winter festival of ice sculptures. here is a question that i just wish i could answer or get a workable answer too. how do we turn around the perception of flint. nationally to bring in such things and make them worth while to all aspects of the general public. I'm so close to not responding it seems hopeless some one leed!!!!!!!!!!!!

-From Flint Citizen
As a Realtor who specializes in Flint, Michigan, the biggest problem and/orconcern I hear from potential buyers and sellers is The Flint School District.People don't want to live in Flint because of the sub par quality ofschools.

This comes from people of all ages and races. This hurts propertyvalues,which in turn is less money in the city coffers. Property values in Flint,Michigan are about 40% less than other areas. It is more affordable and somemayeven call it cheap because of the poor schools. If you have poor schools itdoes affect peoples property values.

The bottom line is that if we want Flintto come back, we need a complete overhaul of Flint Community Schools!! Theroot evil of Flint is its poor schools, which in turn creates more crime,less educated people, less jobs, less city funds, less population, lowerproperty values, poor infrastructure etc..

If we can provide a WORLD CLASSeducationfor our kids, people will move to Flint. Until we all come together for thecommon goal of "A World Class Education" for Flint kids, Flint will still bestatus quo.Ryan M. Eashoo
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Flintcitizen/
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