Citizens for KPS

 The Sunday April 27 Kalamazoo Gazette included a number of quotations that attest to the importance of the May 6 millage renewal to economic development:

William U. Parfet, MPI Chairman and CEO: “Seventy percent of the people who work at MPI have at least a bachelor’s degree. Low taxes are important, but quality of education is critical.”  http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-28/1209270011193700.xml&coll=7

Ron Kitchens, President and CEO of Southwest Michigan First, the area’s economic development organization: “One of the top priorities for businesses, whether they are already here or considering locating here, is the condition of K-12 education. They never ask if we have average school systems. They want to know their families will have superior opportunities through the public school systems. They want their children to advance to good jobs through technical training or higher education beyond high school. If we want to be known as ``education communities,'' we cannot shrink from our responsibility to fund our public schools in a superior manner….”

 And more from Ron Kitchens: “Now is not the time to force operating budget deficits by defeating the renewal of this millage. If teacher layoffs and program cuts are in the headlines after May 6, those who have us on their radar will simply look elsewhere….”

 Ron Kitchens again: “If you want to support economic development in the region, the best way to do it is to support the public school systems. We are all in this together.” http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/columns-4/1209270039193700.xml&coll=7

Ken Nacci, Executive Director of Dowtown Kalamazoo Inc.: “For MPI to grow 3,000 jobs, they need to attract people here, and it's not just salaries that draw people to an area, but quality of life -- that means being in a college town, having quality hospitals, quality schools….[The announcement] is the private sector stepping up, and now it means [voters] have to step up and support school systems [as an essential part of the infrastructure for business growth]”. http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-28/1209270011193700.xml&coll=7&thispage=4

Kalamazoo Gazette Editorial Board: “Yes to KRESA Tax Renewal Says Yes to Education…[W]e urge voters within the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency district to renew the 1.5-mill property tax, to be shared by all nine public school districts within KRESA.

If the tax is approved by voters, their KRESA property taxes will not rise. They will stay the same.

If voters turn down the renewal, homeowners will receive a small property tax cut. But the negative consequences to local public schools would be enormous…”

The Gazette editorial again: “For many communities, the renewal of the enhancement tax isn't just about gutting school programs and laying off teachers. It's an economic development issue.

And they're right.

The Kalamazoo area, bolstered by The Kalamazoo Promise and reinforced by fine higher education institutions, has been transforming itself into the Education Community. The area has been positioning itself as a place where companies seeking highly skilled, well-educated employees can set up shop and thrive.

We're already seeing the early fruits of that strategy. Last week, MPI Research, a Mattawan-based company, announced it would triple its workforce over the next five to seven years. Parker Hydraulics has won billions of dollars in contracts from airplane manufacturers. Kaiser Aluminum has announced it intends to build an $80 million plant here.

After years of hard work, the local economy's momentum is going the right way. A vote against this enhancement tax renewal could severely undermine that economic progress….”

More from the Gazette editorial: “By saying ``yes'' to the KRESA enhancement millage renewal on the May 6 ballot, we say ``yes'' to continuing this community's positive momentum. “ Full editorial at http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/columns-3/1209270040193700.xml&coll=7&thispage=1 

Peter Luke, reporter and columnist for the Lansing Bureau of Booth Newspapers: “In addition to tax breaks approved for MPI and Hemlock Semiconductor, Michigan's whole business tax structure has been reconfigured to reward hiring and to ease the property tax burden on large manufacturers.

Education, however, is the other half of the equation.

As the [Center for Automotive Research] report noted, a big concern going forward is the availability of skilled applicants with advanced math, literacy and communication skills during what is expected to be a "rapid pace of turnover."

"The nature of production work is becoming more and more complex as the products -- and the technology used to build it -- become more and more advanced," the report said.

That's true not just in the car industry, but in every employment sector the state needs to grow in the coming years, be it other advanced manufacturing -- such as solar panels -- or in life sciences, health care, finance and information technology.

If the next decade produces job opportunities lost in the current decade, those openings are going to demand more and more from the applicants.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm and lawmakers have been pretty nimble in crafting creative financial incentives necessary for new business growth in this dog-eat-dog competitive climate.

Now, they have to show they can be equally nimble -- and creative -- in ensuring that education at the local level produces the skilled workers this apparent economic transition is going to require.” http://www.mlive.com/grandrapids/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1209276996128590.xml&coll=6&thispage=2