Breaking - Michigan's Buena Vista School District set to reopen after funding released by State Education Superintendent Michael Flanagan

Photo Credit - MEA.org

Independent Underground News & Talk - Breaking News Update

Although Albion High School is set to close for the 2013-14 school year, it appears public pressure or  --winds of change on really horrible P.R. - has took place for Buena Vista Public School District. The news below is as noted by MLIVE reporter Lindsay Knake at 11:55 AM May 15th.

From MLive - 'Breaking: State releases money to Buena Vista to finish school year' - May 15, 2013 by Reporter Lindsay Knake

"State Superintendent Mike Flanagan has released money to the Buena Vista School District to allow the school to reopen and complete the school year.
The Saginaw County school district of 430 students has been closed for two weeks after the district could not make its May 24 payroll and laid off all but three employees", as stated in MLIVE.

Michigan Democratic House Leader Tim Greimel (D) told Independent Underground Radio LIVE listeners in an exclusive interview on Sunday, May 12 @ 7:00 PM ET, Statehouse Democrats would continue to put pressure on Governor Rick Snyder (R) and State Superintendent of Education Michael Flanagan to release funds to Buena Vista Public Schools to reopen the district as soon as possible. 

It appears those efforts worked in this case and hopefully soon for every other Public School District across Michigan facing insolvency, closer or an Emergency Manager.

Independent Underground News & Talk blog and via our TOP MICHIGAN POLITICO PODCAST - IU Radio LIVE will continue to follow the fight to keep as a public education vital and important resource for children in the state.

Independent Underground Radio LIVE is Michigan's TOP POLITICO PODCAST with over 15K monthly podcast listeners and growing! Join into our active Facebook Fan Page Here--> if you support this cause!

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Michigan's Albion High School will close permanently as State Public Education falls into the abyss

Photo Credit - WWMT Channel 3

Independent Underground News & Talk Op/Ed

UPDATE -Wednesday, May 15, 2013 @ 2:10 PM -Although Albion High School is set to close for the 2013-14 school year, it appears public pressure or  --winds of change of really horrible P.R.- has took place for Buena Vista Public School District. The news below is as noted by MLIVE reporter Lindsay Knake at 11:55 AM May 15th.

From MLive - 'Breaking: State releases money to Buena Vista to finish school year' - May 15, 2013 by Reporter Lindsay Knake

"State Superintendent Mike Flanagan has released money to the Buena Vista School District to allow the school to reopen and complete the school year.
The Saginaw County school district of 430 students has been closed for two weeks after the district could not make its May 24 payroll and laid off all but three employees."

Michigan Democratic House Leader Tim Greimel (D) told Independent Underground Radio LIVE listeners in an exclusive interview on Sunday, May 12 @ 7:00 PM ET, Statehouse Democrats would continue to put pressure on Governor Rick Snyder (R) and State Superintendent of Education Michael Flanagan to release funds to Buena Vista Public Schools to reopen the district as soon as possible.

It appears those efforts worked in this case and hopefully soon for every other Public School District across Michigan facing insolvency or closer. Now back to the article. 

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As was written on Independent Underground News & Talk in April of this year, the fix is in on Public Education in Michigan. Ironically, as the school year is winding down for the summer, another public school district is on the brink of insolvency.

This time the district is Albion Public Schools in the Southwestern area of Michigan in Calhoun County. Albion's Board of Education voted 5-1 on Tuesday, May 14th, to shutter the high school effectively end instruction for grades 9-12.

Despite the Public School District academic gains, closing district buildings and using cash savings to stay operational, "White Flight" as described in the Battle Creek Enquirer by Albion High school teacher Mike Jurasek, has impacted attempts to stay afloat.

From the Battle Creek Enquirer - 'Albion board votes 5-1 to close high school' - May 1, 2013 from reporter Justin Hinkley

Jurasek said a number of things have brought Albion to this place: changes in administration, the economic downturn. But mostly, he said the state’s Schools of Choice program and a “white flight” from urban schools is to blame. Albion lost 1,250 kids between fall 2000 and fall 2012, and 55 percent of those students were white. 

“It’s just sad,” Jurasek said. “It’s just not good for the community. It’s just going to be a devastation for the community if they close the high school.”

It highly doubtful Representative Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) will step up in a similar way as Congressman Dan Kildee (D) or House Representative Stacy Erwin-Oaks (D), calling for the State and particularity Governor Rick Snyder (R) to step in and assist Albion Public Schools from shuttering its High School. Especially considering Rep. Bolger vote in 2011 on House Bill 4325 to cut $422,140 dollars in operational revenue from the public education district.

Across town, where the flight of Caucasian students out of Albion and into Marshall Public Schools has taken place, Marshall's P.S. School Board President Vic Potter made an offer to take Albion's soon-to-be former High School Students, according to a report in the Battle Creek Enquirer. Yet, Albion High School student Brandon Womack cited such a switch would not be problem free.

From the Battle Creek Enquirer - 'Albion board votes 5-1 to close high school' - May 15, 2013 from reporter Justin Hinkley

"In public comment after the vote, Marshall board President Vic Potter told the Albion board his district would be honored to take Albion’s invitation. 

“When people come to Marshall, we will have open arms,” Potter said. “Your kids deserve that.” 

Albion will provide transportation to high schoolers going to Marshall.
After the vote, 15-year-old Albion freshman Brandon Womack warned the board some students might rebel in Marshall. “Yes, there will be problems,” Womack said. “More than problems.” 

Least review the damage so far in the effort to privatize or end Public Education in Michigan, shall we?

Buena Vista Public Schools was previously shuttered indefinitely, Pontiac Public Schools on the brink of Emergency Management, Muskegon Heights & Detroit Public Schools under so-called Educational Achievement Authority control -with DPS Emergency Manager Roy Roberts deciding to quit and then not quit his role in less than one week. Ironically, while of these Public Education causalities exist in Michigan, the State Department of Treasury reported a $542M surplus of revenue just this week.

Move over to Ann Arbor Public Schools -where Governor Rick Snyder lives but does not send his children- needing a $10 Million dollar loan to stay afloat and an estimated 148 Michigan's K-12 districts facing deficits beyond their control, our State's youngest citizens right to a free public education in this State is eroding away at the seams, regardless what the State Constitution decries.

From the Sunshine Review Website 

"The Michigan State Constitution (Article VIII - Section 2) requires that the state legislature "maintain and support a system of free public elementary and secondary schools as defined by law." Additionally, the constitution notes that the legislature has the authority to provide transportation of students to and from any school".

We have to ask while taking trips for Photo-ops at Public School Districts across the Southeastern end of the State two weeks ago, did U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (D) -a strong charter schools supporter- and Governor Rick Snyder (R) talk about ways to save K-12 instruction from falling into the abyss in Michigan?  Probably, not.

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Op/Ed - While Michigan Department of Treasury receives unexpected 'windfall' of $542M, State Middle/Lower class taxpayers are given 'the shaft'

Uncle Sam BW (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Independent Underground News & Talk Op/Ed

Have you heard the news? The Michigan Department of Treasury has received unexpected windfall from State Taxpayers to the tune of $542 Million dollars!

The windfall was not entirely a surprise considering taxes were raised on the poor, middle class and Senior populations of the State to grant a $1.8 Billion dollar tax break to C & S Corporations. Yet, despite taking monetary revenue from "Joe and Jane Citizen to give to Dick and Betty Corporation" this news reported in The Detroit Free Press is quite impressive.

From the Detroit Free Press - 'Hundreds of millions more in Michigan tax revenues expected' - May 14, 2013 by reporter Paul Egan:

"General fund and School Aid Fund revenues for 2012-13 are expected to total about $21 billion, which is about $542 million more than officials estimated at the last revenue conference at the Capitol, held in January. General fund revenue is expected to decrease 0.2% from 2011-12 levels, to $9 billion, while School Aid Fund revenues are expected to increase 3%, to $11 billion."

As greenbacks fill the State Coffers, residents would be right to wonder when the revenue windfall will be felt by Average Michigan Jane and Joe citizen. Or better yet for now closed Buena Vista Public Schools, where if Governor Rick Snyder (R) can find it in his "heart" fund or loan the district $1 Million dollars, children of Buena Vista could return school right away instead of in a "skills camp" over the summer.

Would it be outside the realm of possibilities to ask the working poor Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit, cut from a maximum of $600 to just $50, be restored? How about fully reinstating the previous formula for the States' Homestead Property Tax Credit for millions of Michigan's Middle Class families, or repealing the Senior Pension tax? Or explaining State Revenue Sharing payments to Cities on the brink of bankruptcy like the State's largest locality of Detroit?

It would seems that Michigan Residents would like their money back, just a bit:

Video Courtesy of Fox 47 News -'Michigan Taxpayers Getting Less Back In Refunds' - February 18, 2013 

As history has shown, Michigan Republicans in the State House, Senate and Governor offices probably will find legislative ways to play "Santa Claus" to Corporations. Darn what the citizens need, want or desire.

See what's most important in minds of Republicans who control all offices of State Government in Lansing, is finding the next tax loophole or "Corporate Welfare" tax shift --if you will-- for the political group biggest donors. And that's not you, Michigan Middle, Lower and Senior class citizen.

From the Detroit Free Press - 'Michigan taxpayers take their anger out on Gov. Rick Snyder' - April 15, 2013 by reporter Paul Egan:

"Snyder said Tuesday that the feedback he gets about the tax changes isn't all negative. He said he heard of one businessman who no longer had to pay the Michigan Business Tax -- which the Legislature abolished -- and used the savings to buy health insurance for all his employees. "That's really cool," Snyder said. 

"A lot of this is for the long-term benefit of Michiganders; thinking about our kids, and being fair to one another in terms of how we have a tax system," he said."

So while the state unemployment rate continues to hover around 8.5%, jobless insurance payments were cut by Governor Snyder from 26 to 20 weeks in 2011, consumer prices rose +1.3% since February 2012 and State Payroll jobs fell to an -6.6% in March 2013; Governor Snyder's measure of accomplishment is meeting the needs of ONE businessman over MILLIONS of other Michiganders.

Independent Underground Radio LIVE is Michigan's TOP POLITICO PODCAST with over 15K monthly podcast listeners and growing!

Join into our active Facebook Fan Page Here--> if you support this cause!

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Op/Ed - While the media cries foul over IRS Tea-Party action; NAACP tax audit in 2004 was met with near silence

Seal of the United States Internal Revenue Service. The design is the same as the Treasury seal with an IRS inscription. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Independent Underground News & Talk Op/Ed

We would all agree being subject to scrutiny from the Internal Revenue Service can be an intimidating process.

Famous celebrities have been knocked down to "regular citizen" status while the IRS crosses "T's" and dot "I's" on nearly every piece of financial information. The late Redd Foxx, Sammy Davis, Jr., along with R&B crooner Ronald Isley danced a dance with the IRS and lost, just to name a few.

Yet the media is obviously are too darn busy to focus on issues facing real Americans: the high underemployment (U-6) rate of 14%, student loan debt, inadequate nature of the U.S. Housing Market, public education falling apart at the seams or the lack of savings of middle and lower economic classes in the USA. Would the corporate media actions be best described as needing another "scandal" in what would be otherwise another boring news cycle? Probably.

Either way, the momentary "buzz" is now focused on how employees at the IRS Processing Office in Cincinnati, Ohio allegedly "targeted" Tea-Party groups seeking to gain 501.c.4 tax-status exemption certification. The Conservative based organizations declare they were targeted due to a deep dislike of President Barack Obama policies, including a vehement opposition to the Affordable Care Act.

These are important facts to remember when the media "echo-chamber"seeks to push the next "Independent Counsel Investigation" lasting until 2014 or 2016 election cycle. Our media resources would lead the public to believe Americans ability to place food on the tables with Congress purposed cuts to the Food Assistance program, is not pertinent enough to talk about. Especially when "underlying race based issues" come into play with the IRS/Tea-Party Targeting story.

Speaking of race and class issues with IRS Auditing procedures, the media would be wise to compare and contrast what happened in 2004, when the National Association of the Advancement of Color People (NAACP) via its' former President Julian Bond was targeted by the IRS for the groups' opposition to the failed Iraq War, if they can find file footage that is. At least Democracy Now Amy Goodman was talking about this targeting effort of the NAACP back then.

From Democracy Now "IRS Investigating NAACP For Criticizing Bush" - November 1, 2004

We searched for other videos denoting what Mr. Bond said at the NAACP's 95th Convention Keynote Speech on July 11, 2004, yet could only come up with this non-embedded clip starting at the 34:12 mark from CSPAN and the following statement as noted in the Associated Press October 29, 2004.

"In that speech, Bond said of the Bush administration: "They preach racial neutrality and practice racial division. They've tried to patch the leaky economy and every other domestic problem with duct tape and plastic sheets. They write a new constitution of Iraq and they ignore the Constitution here at home."

So because of Bond and NAACP's opposition to the War in Iraq, the group in 2004 was audited without much fanfare from the media about how wrong, Unconstitutional and encroaching on the NAACP Free Speech rights these actions where.

Free speech can go both ways. Despite how disgusting the speech could be, people generally still have rights to say it. As long as the words does not threaten a individual, the speech wouldn't be considered criminal in nature. Nevertheless, to say that many members of the public at large would not be offended by some free speech of some Tea Party groups would be frankly, a lie.

Photo Credit - nutjobexpress.blogspot.com

Photo Credit - Examiner.com

Photo Credit - ArcticPertrel.blogspot.com

On MSNBC's Chris Matthews Hardball Program today, the panel "tipped into the tea-leaves" President Obama had some sort of 'ESP-type' of knowledge employees at the IRS were "targeting" Tea-Party Organizations 501.c4 tax-exempt status eligibility in some manner. 

In fact, Joe Klein, Howard Fineman and Chris Matthews went as far to suggest the "Tea-Party IRS scandal" could resemble the "Nixon Administration Watergate cover-up in "What did they know and when did they know it" of the early 1970's as the interview went on. Really? Listen below.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here we go. It's been awhile since the media had a "scandal" they could ride like a wild horse until the animal is beaten into submission. Similar to former President Bill Clinton impeachment but not removal for his role in the Monica Lewinsky Scandal.

As most Americans are struggling to find or keep a job, stay in their homes or how to pay Sallie Mae after take home pay was cut by 5% to "save costs" for a corporate C.E.O.; the Tea-Party IRS Scandal is most important to cover right now to let media resources tell it.

Ironically, its a shame these same media resources failed to have a "Scandal Fever" when the organization facing IRS scrutiny was the NAACP.

Independent Underground Radio LIVE is Michigan's TOP POLITICO PODCAST with over 15K monthly podcast listeners and growing! Join into our active Facebook Fan Page Here--> if you support this cause!

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Special Episode 240 - Guest - Michigan House Leader Tim Greimel visits IU Radio LIVE 5/12 @ 7PM ET

Photo Credit - Michigan House Democrats
Michigan House Leader Tim Greimel visits
Independent Underground Radio LIVE 5/12/13 @ 7PM ET

Tune in for a SPECIAL EPISODE of Independent Underground Radio LIVE - MICHIGAN'S TOP POLITICO PODCAST as we welcome Minority Leader of the Michigan House Democrats - Tim Greimel onto our program on 5/12 @ 7PM ET.
Other topics that will be discussed include:

• Michigan House & Senate Republicans want to limit the Unlimited Maximum Automobile Insurance Medical Benefit Claim to only $1 million dollars. Republicans such as Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has called this legislation "reckless" and "inadequate" to meet automobile medical claims where severe injuries have taken place. We will discuss this subject with Michigan House Leader Tim Greimel (D).

• Buena Vista Public Schools are closed, Ypsilanti & Willow Run School districts are set to consolidate after June 1, Muskegon Heights & Detroit Public Schools have Emergency Financial Managers, Ann Arbor Public Schools are set to borrow $10 million dollars to meet payroll for the 2013-14 school year for the first time in its' history and Pontiac Public Schools have declared a financial emergency. What is going on with the concept of Free Public Education in Michigan? We will talk about this topic with Democratic Michigan House Leader Greimel.

• Are you abled bodied, poor and expect the Affordable Health Care Act (ACHA) Medicaid expansion to take care of your basic medical needs? Not if Michigan House and Senate Republicans have their way as they introduce a bill limiting the ACHA to a 48 month LIFETIME maximum limit. We'll discuss this!

• As more details come forth about the Cleveland, Ohio kidnapping case, we'll discuss the heroism of Charles Ramsey and the vain attempts to smear his name by the "Smoking Gun" website.

• Jodi Arias is guilty of First Degree Murder of her former boyfriend Travis Alexander. Should Arias face the death penalty since in a interview after her conviction, death instead of life in prison is what she asked for? 

Independent Underground Radio LIVE is a FEATURED BTR Political Talk podcast based out of Ann Arbor covering Michigan and National Politics, job search, breaking news and more. 
Call in with your Independent & Robust opinions to the political issues of the day at 347-934-0185. Also, join us on Twitter @IUNewsTalk. To sponsor segments of MICHIGAN TOP POLITICO PODCAST, please feel free to review our media kit and contact sales@iunewstalk.com.

Independent Underground Radio LIVE is Michigan's TOP POLITICO PODCAST with over 15K monthly podcast listeners and growing! Join into our active Facebook Fan Page Here--> if you support this cause!

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Jeanne Cooper -Iconic Actress and Heart of The Young & The Restless, passed away at 84

Photo Credit - We Love Soaps

This is one update hit us here at Independent Underground News & Talk, that hit us hard a couple of moments ago checking social media for news and other information.

Saying "Growing up with Jeanne Cooper" is a exact statement, as for over 40 years Ms. Cooper was CBS Soap Opera Young and the Restless, heart and soul.

Earlier today Me. Cooper, better known to her Y&R fans as "The Duchess", "Ms. C." or "The Dame", passed away at the age of 84.

Cooper's son, Actor Corbin Bernsten, wrote the following on his Facebook Page about his Mother's passing:

Just spent three hours saying goodbye. Amazing, amazing time. So peaceful. As each minute passed I watched the years fall from her face until she looked almost childlike. Not a line, not a worry... peaceful. (She would be thrilled!)

Moments of sorrow and tears mixed with stories and laughter - right there, with her. Again, amazing. We all were certain as she was transitioning, she was still there with us, drifting upward, looking down and perhaps saying, "who's got it good now!" I too, oddly, am at peace. You know to be the woman she was, the one we all loved; the Broad, the Dame, The Duchess, Mrs. Chancellor, Wilma Jeanne, mom, there must be an engine working overtime to drive that force sucking in all the good along with the bad, churning.

A locomotive and that fire burning to drive it forward. While we all benefited from this great energy I know it took a toll on her, and was, at times exhausting. That affected me, all of us, knowing it. So to see her so at rest now, free of that, has given us, or at least me, some measure of true comfort. Now she doesn't have to work so hard, her legacy lives on and it's all of us, me, that will have to pick up the slack. I'll repeat what I said this morning; to know my mom you must know this; she was about equality, humility, humanity, love, and empathy - for ALL PEOPLE. Honor her today by tossing aside old habits, hang ups, hate and live for love - for us all. 

You have been tremendous here and honestly, as you can see, turning to you means everything to me. Love.

"The Duchess" will be solely missed by all of us at Independent Underground News & Talk. We forward our condolences to Ms. Cooper's family during this difficult time. 

Video of Jeanne Cooper on Y&R, in 2003 during one of her finest acting moments on the show, when character "Katherine Chancellor" finds out "Jill Foster Abbott" was (at that point, later corrected) Katherine's daughter.

Video Courtesy of YouTube's - Luv That Katherine

Rest in Peace - Mrs. C.

Independent Underground Radio LIVE is Michigan's TOP POLITICO PODCAST with over 15K monthly podcast listeners and growing!

Join into our active Facebook Fan Page Here--> if you support this cause!

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