MCC: Vote 'no' on Proposal 5
Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published September 27, 2006
Detroit As a measure to increase public education funding, Proposal 5 might sound good to voters heading to the polls on Nov. 7, but the Church's public policy arm is warning Catholics: Don't be taken in.
 Why oppose 5?
It doesn't address quality of education or academic achievement by students.
It will cost taxpayers up to $1 billion in the first year alone.
The cost of Proposal 5 likely would increase taxes or jeopardize state programs for the needy.
It will prevent the state house and senate from being able to review the hundreds of millions in the state budget. | "Despite its favorable sounding goal, Proposal 5 is opposed by the Catholic bishops of Michigan due to its potentially devastating effect on state programs and services that assist Michigan's poor and vulnerable population, as well as its failure to address the real needs of public school students," reads the Focus newsletter, a publication of the Michigan Catholic Conference, the Church's public policy voice in the state.
Essentially, what Proposal 5 does is require the state to raise public school funding according to the annual inflation rate without oversight from the state legislature or governor. Further, that money is not earmarked for the education of children.
"Unfortunately, Proposal 5 does not take into consideration the best interest of students," the October issue of Focus states. "Proposal 5 is an effort on behalf of some public school advocacy groups to absorb, without oversight, hundreds of millions of dollars from the state to fund pension plans and benefit costs."
Proposal 2
Proposal 2, the ballot proposal to ban affirmative action practices at state-funded institutions, has potential to
eliminate college preparation programs for minorities;
end professional training for women and minorities;
decrease government contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses;
hinder the hiring of minority and women professors at state colleges; and
lower the percentage of minority students in state colleges.
| As a rule, the Church takes a vested interest in public education, as most Catholics today are raised in the public school system. The Michigan Catholic Conference also keeps a close eye on citizen's tax dollars as it consistently advocates help to the state's poor.
According to nonpartisan state agencies, Proposal 5 would cost Michigan taxpayers between $560 million and $1.1 billion.
The conference says that such a heavy cost would take money out of citizen's pockets and jeopardize state programs for the needy.
"Conventional wisdom says the funds will be raised either through a significant tax increase, or by drastically cutting or eliminating several state programs and services that operate solely to assist those whom are most in need," states Focus.
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