From: Whipple, Deb (GOV)
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 10:25 AM
Subject: What the Governor's talking about today
What the Governor’s Talking about Today
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
 
SPECIAL MICHIGAN PROMISE EDITION
 
    Governor Winds Up Visits to Michigan Colleges and Universities
    Hundreds of Wayne State Students Protest Elimination of Promise Scholarship
    SVSU Student Newspaper Editorial: Make Higher Education a Priority
 
Governor Winds Up Visits to Michigan Colleges and Universities
 
The governor concluded her visits to seven Michigan college campuses with yesterday’s Michigan Promise event at Eastern Michigan University.
 
“It’s not too late to save the Michigan Promise, and I’m really here to ask for your help,” the governor said at the EMU event which included students from the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College as well as EMU.  “This promise should be kept, but we can’t do it alone.”
 
The governor said she expects the Michigan House and Senate will revisit the Promise scholarship when they return to session next week.
 
Starting November 18, the governor visited Michigan State University, Saginaw Valley State University, Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University, Oakland Community College and EMU.
 
Key messages:
 
•  The Senate Republican leadership eliminated the Michigan Promise from this year’s budget.  Education is a priority for the Granholm administration, but apparently not for Senate Republicans.
 
•  The fight to restore the Michigan Promise scholarship is winnable. However, it requires the voices of students, parents, educators and other interested parties to be heard loud and clear.
 
•  Members of the Senate are hired by and accountable to the people, and they need to hear from people about restoring the Promise scholarships.
 
•  Funding for the Promise can be provided by slowing down a scheduled increase in the state Earned Income Tax Credit.  Instead of raising the EITC from 10 percent to 20 percent, if we raise it only to 12.5 percent, we can fund the Promise scholarship.
 
•  We need the Senate Republican leadership to take action.  Through an earlier vote, the Senate has already shown it is willing to use money for the EITC increase for another purpose.  We can pay for the Promise by slowing the rate of increase in the EITC.  This is one way we can keep the Promise. 
 
Hundreds of Wayne State Students Protest Elimination of Promise Scholarship
 
About 500 students rallied outside Wayne State University’s Welcome Center on Monday to protest elimination of the Michigan Promise scholarship.  Students waved signs and chanted “Keep the Michigan Promise!”
 
“I don’t have access to a lot of funding for college,” said Keeley Czartorski, a WSU freshman at the rally whose parents are both laid-off auto workers.  “That $4,000 is books.  That $4,000 is classes. That $4,000 is my education.  And without it, it’s an even bigger obstacle to overcome.”
 
“Education needs to be a priority for the state of Michigan,” said WSU senior Mike Sullivan.  “We’re the future and we’re going to be what’s going to turn this economy around.”
 
SVSU Student Newspaper Editorial: Make Higher Education a Priority
 
The Valley Vanguard, the student newspaper of Saginaw Valley State University, ran an editorial Monday calling for higher education to be a priority in Michigan.
 
The editorial mentions the November 18 Michigan Promise event at SVSU, saying “the four students who provided opening remarks sent a clear message that Michigan students are unhappy about their lost scholarship money and, most importantly, that we want the state legislature to hear us out and make higher education a priority… We can promise the legislature that we won’t let higher education slip from their agenda.  Granholm reminded us Wednesday that the states with the highest education levels have the thriving economies.  It will take our actions to make Michigan one of those states.”
 
Following is the link to the complete editorial: http://www.svsu.edu/clubs/vanguard/stories/2248.
 
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