THE RESPONSE

Mr. Roka,

In less than 250 words you demonstrated why this proposal is dead on arrival long before we’ve even put it on the ballot.

This election is nothing like the 2007 election. The issues aren’t the same. The budgets aren’t the same. The plans aren’t the same. They aren’t even close. This election isn’t about me. It’s not about Pete Murdock. And it’s certainly not about Steve Pierce.

But you’re already trying to frame the debate that way by fighting the 2007 election all over again.

This election is about Ypsilanti and whether or not you want to invest in it. It’s strictly an emotional issue. This has nothing to do with graphs and charts or “educating the voters” as some would have you to believe. This is only about whether or not you want a City of Ypsilanti. If you want to invest, you’ll vote yes. If not, you’ll vote no. Simple.

But since you want to question my decisions regarding the 2007 CIT, let’s examine them.

I make my decisions based on the information I’m given. Back in 2007, our City Manager presented Council with his budget projections. He projected that without an income tax we’d have revenues of $15.8M in FYE 2012 and $16.1M in FYE 2013. He also projected that with an income tax we’d have revenues of $19.1M in FYE 2012 and $19.5M in FYE 2013.

Let’s put that in perspective. The budget we adopted for FYE 2012 had $13.7M in revenues and in FYE 2013 we are now projecting $11.1M.

The difference is $2.1M in FYE 2012 and $5.0M in FYE 2013. Those numbers are insane. If we actually had that $2.1M for this year and the $5.0M for next year, we’d be putting swimming pools in everyone’s neighborhood.

For the sake of absurdity, let’s run the numbers for the entire life of the 2007 CIT.

We were given revenue projections of $15.0M in FYE 2008, $14.4M in FYE 2009, $14.9M in FYE 2010, and $15.8M in FYE 2011.

What we really ended up with was $14.9M in FYE 2008, $15.6M in FYE 2009, $14.6M in FYE 2010, and $14.0M in FYE 2011.

If you do the math on all six years, the shortfall from projections is a whopping $8.1M. Another insane number. I would have never predicted that, but I don’t recall Paul Tait or Joe Ohren predicting that either. In fact, with an income tax, they were counting on an additional $26.6M of revenue over those same years.

Twenty-seven million dollars? I’m sitting here at my desk at work and I can’t stop saying that out loud. Twenty-seven million dollars.

And I have flaws?

I’d love to tell you all the awesome things we’ve done in the past five years, but you’ve already tricked me into starting to fight the 2007 election all over again. That’s simply a waste of time.

THE COMMENTARY

Ale Roka
Posted January 17, 2012 at 10:48 pm

While in once sense I appreciate all the suggestions of how to fix the problem … really, Brian Robb’s flaw isn’t that he isn’t smart, deep diving and ready to cut fat.

My pained bemusement at the last round of opposition to a city tax was that there were a bunch of ignorant (sorry, it’s true) suggestions on how to solve the problem (anyone remember the suggestion we simply ticket overweight trucks?).

Robb’s flaw is that he thought he was so much smarter than everyone else (including the president of SEMCOG and PhD public policy profs) that he thought he could fix it. I call it a flaw, but I’ve never doubted that Robb was well-intentioned.

My point is this: Brian Robb (and perhaps others on council) is smart. He has a ton at stake at reversing the position he ran on. If there was another alternative, can a few of us agree that smart, obsessive Robb, would’ve found it by now?

It should be clear that the fact that if THIS council is proposing a tax we really have three choices:
-pass it
-receivership
-preempt receivership by self-inflicted auctions of everything.

Sorry. I just can’t stand another cycle of “maybe if we replaced police with armed squirrels” suggestions. If you have a real suggestion, take the time to research it. If you don’t, it’s not real.

This time, can we please talk about what’s real?

We are obviously still going through the materials, and to be sure, the hearing is still going on –

Let me repeat that. For the two-year budget we are currently working on, there will be no staffing cuts in the Fire Department for this two-year budget cycle.

That’s pretty huge when you consider what has been going on around us. Earlier this week, Ypsilanti Township voted to offer buy-outs to members of its fire department and reduce the minimum staffing level from eight to six firefighters as they hope to reduce their force from 34 to 26. Over in Ann Arbor, they are going through their budget process and looking at the possiblity of laying off 20 firefighters in July.

This has been a significant task over the past four months. I’m glad we were able to finally come to an agreement and vote on it. I give a lot of credit to City Staff and the members of the Ypsilanti Fire Department for making this happen. This is incredibly good news for the entire community.

ME: Hello.

CALLER: What’s all this talk I hear about you putting a Burger King on Water Street?

ME: I’m putting a Burger King on Water Street?

CALLER: No. I read that City Council was going to put a Burger King on Water Street. Is that true?

ME: Wait a second. Where did you read this? And no, it’s not true. I mean we’re not even scheduled to vote on selling property tomorrow. Seriously, where did you read this?

CALLER: It was on the internet somewhere. I read that City Council was going to sell some property to Burger King.

ME: Listen. At Tuesday’s Council meeting we are getting an update on what’s been happening with the entire project. And, yes, there are supposed to be Burger King people there, but nothing is going to happen in terms of a sale.

CALLER: But aren’t you guys going to sell it to them anyway regardless of whether it’s this week or in April?

ME: Have you even talked to anyone on Council about this?

CALLER: Um, no, but …

ME: But nothing. How can you say we are going to do something if you haven’t even spoken to anyone about this? What kind of due diligence have you done? Or are you just making stuff up?

CALLER: You know I hate that phrase “due diligence.” It sounds so corporate-speak.

ME: Have you talked to anyone else on Council about this?

CALLER: Um, no.

ME: Then why are saying this is going to happen?

CALLER: I read it on the internet.

ME: Oh, Christ. Listen. You know you shouldn’t believe stuff you read on the internet.

CALLER: But people are talking.

ME: I don’t know of anyone on Council who is in favor of this.

CALLER: Really?

ME: Why can’t you call one of the other people? Why are you always calling me?

CALLER: Um.

ME: This isn’t even a question of whether or not Burger King fits the concept of the site. This is much more basic than that. This project doesn’t get us very much tax revenue. The purchase price won’t even pay for adequate infrastructure. There isn’t even anything remotely appealing about this.

CALLER: What do you mean infrastructure?

ME: Now that the City is the developer, we are responsible for all of that. The most basic infrastructure like roads, sewer, storm water, and utilities is going cost nearly $2M for the entire site. This parcel is only in the neighborhood of $400K. That wouldn’t pay for anything. You know that KFC across the street?

CALLER: Yeah.

ME: It brings in $35K a year in taxes with less than half coming to the City. Even if that was on Water Street and the City was able to capture more, the total take would be less than $30K. You think we’re going to do this for $30K?

CALLER: But isn’t that property part of the DDA now? Can’t you capture more money that way?

ME: The floor for that property is around $3M. We need more than $3M in development before we can even begin to get the DDA capture. I’m not a Burger King expert, but I don’t see this one being the Taj Mahal of Ypsilanti Burger Kings.

CALLER: I just read that you guys need to do something in order to show progress.

ME: Are you saying we’d do something stupid just to show progress? What kind of logic is that?

CALLER: I’m just telling you what I read. Doesn’t your secret Water Street committee needs to show activity?

ME: Where are you getting this stuff?

CALLER: I told you. I read it on the internet.

ME: First of all, it’s not my secret Water Street committee. It’s Pete’s. Secondly, it’s not Pete’s secret Water Street committee either. This is a committee the City Manager asked be created in order to make it easier to share information. Do you even know how our City government works?

CALLER: What do you mean?

ME: After eight years of not much happening with the project, Council asked for proposals and selected a firm to market the property. They are the ones advertising this project and soliciting ideas for development. The most interested developers like Burger King, the student housing, and the senior living is what they’ve been able to stir up. Did you think I was out there calling Burger King trying to get them to move down the street?

CALLER: Well, sort of that. That’s what I read.

ME: In the past year, the City has received a million dollars in grant money. All of those buildings on the site will be demolished by summer.

CALLER: It won’t look like a war zone anymore? Does this mean that Robert DeNiro won’t be filming in Ypsilanti anymore?

ME: I don’t know. Call him.

CALLER: Why would someone say these things if they weren’t true?

ME: I don’t know. I guess people are stu…Am I on speaker phone?

CALLER: Silence

ME: Who else is listening?

CALLER: Your father is on the line too.

ME: Mom… Hi, Dad.

DAD: Hi.

ME: Are you reading the same stuff on the internet like Mom is?

DAD: You know I only use the internet for off-shore gambling.

ME: Good. Good.

MOM: So will you promise me that you won’t sell any property in Water Street to a fast food chain?

ME: Not even Sonic? I’m joking. I’m joking.

MOM: I’m serious. I want you to promise me. I read you only represent yourself and that you only take care of your friends. I’m your friend aren’t I? Well…aren’t I?

ME: You know, you don’t even live here. I don’t know why you are hassling me like this. Do you have these kinds of conversations with Chris? And of course I represent everyone — whether they like it or not.

MOM: Whatever.

ME: Oh, and will I be able to count on you for a big campaign contr…

MOM: CLICK

ME: Aww. She hung up on me.

If you are not doing anything this evening, I’d encourage you to stop by City Hall around 7PM and hear the latest on the Water Street project. I also read somewhere that Council will be kicking puppies at some point tonight as well.

It should be fun. Or at least that’s what I read.

The following is a note from Council member Murdock thanking the group.

Hi All -

Pete

The weekend is only halfway over and it’s been filled with destruction — some good, some bad. First it was a deconstruction crew going at Ypsilanti’s Historic Freighthouse. Then it was an office building over on Ecorse Road between Mildred and Davis Streets going up in flames. The good thing for the citizens of Ypsilanti is the Ypsilanti Fire Department, Police Department, and Department of Public Works were all on the scene kicking ass and taking names. A big thanks should go out to the great men and women of the Pittsfield, Ann Arbor, Superior, and Ypsilanti Township Fire Departments who responded in kind.

WDIV channel 4 news from Detroit was on the scene as well. After doing their interview with the YFD incident commander, they went inside Taco Bell for something for the road. There were no reported injuries as a result of the fire, and you can apparently still get a burrito to go if the urge strikes.

For what it’s worth, the Ypsilanti Citizen had the story first, but it’s mostly because I walked over there. Regardless, kudos to them.

AGRICULTURE

• 20% reduction: Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($6,010,100)

TOTAL: $6,010,100

ATTORNEY GENERAL

• 20% reduction: Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($5,757,000)

TOTAL: $5,757,000

CIVIL RIGHTS

• 20% reduction: Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($2,341,300)

TOTAL: $2,341,300

COMMUNITY HEALTH

• Protection and advocacy services support – eliminate ($194,000)
• CMH non-Medicaid services – eliminate ($287,468,000)
• Medicaid adults benefits waiver (mental health) – eliminate ($10,308,000)
• Multicultural services – eliminate ($6,823,800)
• State disability assistance program substance abuse – eliminate ($2,243,100)
• Local public health operations – 50% GF/GP reduction ($17,466,400)
• Healthy Michigan Fund projects· – 50% Healthy Michigan Fund reduction for GF/GP savings ($5,479,800)
• Michigan Health Initiative Fund appropriations· – eliminate ($9,100,000)
• Aging – community services – 50% GF/GP reduction ($6,713,400)
• Aging – nutrition services – 50% GF/GP reduction ($4,775,100)
• Senior volunteer programs (3 line items) – eliminate ($4,853,200)
• Aging – respite care program – eliminate Merit Award Trust Fund dollars ($4,468,700)
• Optional Medicaid services, elimination (1)
• Mental health and substance abuse (2) ($444,549,700)
• Pharmacy services (including HMO drug costs) ($178,180,700)
• Adult home help ($68,652,200)
• MiChoice – home and community-based services ($49,741,600)
• Hospice services ($33,042,500)
• Medical supplies, orthotics, prosthetics ($14,252,100)
• Intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded ($8,869,900)
• Personal care services ($6,463,400)
• Clinical services (local health departments) ($751,700)
• Medicaid provider rate reduction, 1% ($11,860,700)
• Medicaid adult benefits waiver (physical health) – eliminate ($23,033,400)

NOTE:
(1) Expenditures (except pharmacy) do not include optional services provided through Medicaid health plans.
(2) A component of mental health and substance abuse capitation payments to CMHSPs are optional, but the data to separately identify mandatory and optional services is not readily available.

ARRA provisions prohibit states from eliminating Medicaid eligibility for any specific groups currently covered by the program through January 1, 2011. Funding reductions in certain areas (mental health/substance abuse, home help, MiChoice, pharmacy services) are likely to create offsetting state costs in other areas.

TOTAL: $1,199,288,800

CORRECTIONS

• Reduce prisoner population by 12,000-15,000 (equivalent of 8-10 prison facilities) ($200,000,000)

Operational areas (transportation and food service logistics) can be further improved, but there are few alternatives to further reducing prisoner population, because prison costs constitute roughly 85% of Corrections budget. As a general rule, about one-third of savings tied to prison closures should be reinvested in additional services / sanctions / supervision needed to adequately manage the additional offenders in the community. So, to save $200 million, bed closures would have to generate $300 million in savings by reducing prisoner population by 12,000-15,000 prison beds-equivalent to closing another 8-10 prisons. As of November 2009, there were fewer than 11,500 prisoners eligible for parole, over 1,500 of whom already had paroles in hand and were awaiting release. Another 1,300 had been approved for parole but were under deferrals to determine the need for any further programming. So total potential pool of additional parolees was only about 8,600; given department’s recent efforts in identifying prisoners for parole, probably many of the 8,600 would not be considered good candidates for parole.

TOTAL: $200,000,000

EDUCATION

• Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($1,575,600)
• Library of Michigan operations ($1,070,300)
• State aid to libraries ($1,040,000)
• Eliminate book distribution centers ($200,000)

TOTAL: $3,885,900

ENERGY, LABOR, ECONOMIC GROWTH

• No worker left behind – eliminate General Fund support ($4,500,000)
• Reduce Welfare-to-Work ($2,609,800)
• Fire Services – General Fund shift to fire fees (HB 4026) ($2,600,000)
• Worker’s Camp/Board of Magistrates automation options ($633,800)
• Eliminate Nursing Corps ($300,000)
• Eliminate Commission on Spanish Speaking Affairs ($259,500)

TOTAL: $10,903,100

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

• 20% reduction (excluding Governor and Lt. Governor salaries): Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($892,700)

TOTAL: $892,700

HIGHER EDUCATION / COMMUNITY COLLEGES

• State university/community college operations – maximum reduction under ARRA MOE requirement ($7,100,000)
• Financial aid and grants – eliminate all remaining state funding, shift Merit Award Trust Fund to GF ($80,564,700)

TOTAL: $87,664,700

HUMAN SERVICES

• State disability assistance program- eliminate ($26,123,700)
• Michigan Community Service Commission – eliminate ($662,100)
• Bureau of Child and Adult Licensing – 25% reduction (redirect federal funding to other programs) ($5,890,700)
• Crisis prevention & Elder Law of Michigan Food for the Elderly Project – eliminate ($150,000)
• Domestic violence and rape prevention programs – eliminate GF/GP and redirect restricted revenue ($3,017,200)
• Regional detention support services – eliminate ($1,396,600)
• SSI Advocacy contracts – eliminate ($1,488,500)
• Estimated discretionary component of SSI supplements – eliminate ($1,500,000)
• Food Bank Council funding – eliminate GF/GP ($1,095,000)
• Homeless Programs funding for non-TANF eligibles – eliminate ($6,988,000)
• Multicultural integration funding – eliminate and redirect TANF ($904,800)
• Indigent Burial program – eliminate and redirect TANF ($4,209,300)
• Emergency Services funding for non-TANF eligibles – eliminate ($10,000,000)

ADDITIONAL OPTION: End participation in the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. State would forfeit $775 million in federal funding, but also relieve itself of obligation to meet $499 million maintenance of effort requirement. With no MOE requirement. Michigan could eliminate state EITC, eliminate certain School Aid categoricals, and eliminate DHS public assistance programs. This would also impact TANF programs in DCH and DELEG.

NOTE: Significant program reductions within TANF-eligible programs are not feasible due to State Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements; similarly, reductions to child welfare programs are limited by the requirements of the state’s child welfare lawsuit settlement.

TOTAL: $63,425,900

JUDICIARY

• 20% reduction (excluding judicial salaries): Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, Court Equity Fund, etc. ($12,937,400)

TOTAL: $12,937,400

LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR GENERAL

• 20% reduction (excluding judicial salaries): Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($2,324,000)

TOTAL: $2,324,000

LEGISLATURE

• 20% reduction (excluding legislator’s salaries) Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($18.456,800)

TOTAL: $18,456,800

MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS

• Reduce staff at veterans homes ($4,300,000)
• Eliminate veterans services organization grants ($3,029,600)

TOTAL: $7,329,600

NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT

• Replace General Fund with new wildfire protection fee ($3,214,400)
• Environmental Quality – offset General Fund with new source review permit fees ($2,000,000)
• Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($3,575,500)

TOTAL: $8,789,900

STATE

• 20% reduction: Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($3,591,100)

TOTAL: $3,591,100

STATE POLICE

• Eliminate all 998 road patrol troopers – savings net of unemployment costs ($70,000,000)

TOTAL: $70,000,000

TECHNOLOGY, MANAGEMENT & BUDGET

• 20% reduction (excluding SBA rent): Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($11,640,700)

TOTAL: $11,640,700

TREASURY-OPERATIONS

• Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. (excluding debt service) ($12,033,200)
• Reduce Senior Cooperative and Renaissance Zone grants ($3,502,400)
• Reduce Payment in Lieu of Taxes ($2,101,300)

TOTAL: $17,636,000

TREASURY REVENUE-SHARING

• Eliminate remaining statuatory revenue sharing (restricted fund savings realized as General Fund revenue) ($314,200,000)

TOTAL: $314,200,000

TREASURY-STRATEGIC FUND

• Economic Development Job Training grants – eliminate General Fund support ($4,690,200)
• Administrative reductions, staff layoffs, etc. ($737,000)
• 21st Century Jobs Fund – eliminate remaining $37.5M, transfer to General Fund ($37,500,000)

TOTAL: $42,927,200

GRAND TOTAL: $2,090,003,100

I’d like to encourage my readers that drive Toyotas to pull over to the side of the road so that in case your accelorator pedal sticks while reading this, you don’t drive into a bridge or something.

From Ford Motor Company President and CEO, Alan Mulally:

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 28, 2010 – Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] today reported a full year 2009 pre-tax operating profit, excluding special items, of $454 million, a $7.3 billion improvement over a year ago. The company said it now expects to be profitable for full year 2010 on a pre-tax basis excluding special items, for North America, total Automotive and total company, with positive Automotive operating-related cash flow.

“We are more convinced than ever that Ford has the right plan to lead us through the near-term economic and external operating pressures and continue to deliver profitable growth,” Mulally said. “The entire extended Ford team is absolutely committed to building on our progress and working together as a lean global enterprise focused on automotive leadership and delivering products with the best quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value around the world.”

On January 15, 2010 the City of Ypsilanti Fire Department applied for Assistance to Fire Fighters SAFER GRANT to help offset staffing reductions that will take our department below OSHA requirements for an aggressive fire attack. We need letters of recommendations to support our application and hope you will provide a letter of support so that we can continue to protect the citizens of Ypsilanti and students and faculty at Eastern Michigan University.

From AnnArbor.com / Wireless Washtenaw: What Happened?

From AnnArbor.com / Wireless Washtenaw stimulus application gets county’s endorsement despite Wireless Ypsi’s emergence

From Muniwireless.com / Wireless Washtenaw revisited: controversy over a countywide network

From WiFiNetNews.com / Private county wireless network in Michigan has government’s ear despite lack of funding, uptake

The second year of Wireless Ypsi opened in January with the project just having eclipsed 10,000 users.

On April 5th after partnering with Wireless Ypsi, the Depot Town Community Development Corporation announces wireless internet service in Riverside Park.

The project breaks the 20,000 mark on April 30th.

In June, Wireless Ypsi is named a finalist by the Michigan Business Review for an Innovation award.

At the beginning of July, the Rivers Edge Apartments near EMU go completely wireless.

On July 16th, Wireless Ypsi wins one of the three Innovation awards for technology.

On August 24th, Wireless Ypsi passes 30,000 users.

On December 31st, Wireless Ypsi finishes the year with 40,065 users.

A significant portion of Ypsilanti is blanketed by free wireless internet service. It’s something people have now just come to expect. Thanks to everyone who has helped make this possible.