East Lansing School System on the Verge of Change

There has been plenty of fuss over the topic of a possible change in configuration of East Lansing schools, and for good reason.

The school board has held multiple public meetings to discuss the matter at hand, and citizens of East Lansing should be coming out to hear what is being said; the future of your children’s education is at stake.

The schools website has multiple links and information that can be used to inform yourself of possible options and opinions.

I do have an opinion on the matter, but I will not give it. I don’t want to sway anyone in any which way.  I do feel the board is giving people a chance to speak up.  The next two meetings are both public, and open to public comment.  They will take place Aug. 8 and 17. 

                

I hope there’s a much larger turn out to help determine what your taxes are being used for, the children’s educational future, and the city’s future.

Michigan State University: Why the Tuition Increase

According to Michigan States website The Budget guidelines were based on a 15 percent reduction in state Funding. This year’s the state funded about $241.1 million, a decrease of $42.6 million from 2010-11.

Michigan State Assistant Budget Officer Brent Johnston assured that the budget increase was not only unavoidable, but necessary for MSU to remain a top 100 university in the nation. The increase is offsetting the $42.6 million reduction, while not taking into account recent renovations and projects.

“Media outlets have been publishing articles on the tuition increase that don’t tell the story in its entirety,” Johnston said. “They make it seem as if the university is simply sitting on reserves. The phrasing is very specific and vacuous.”

Johnston went on to point out that the university has been working diligently and efficiently, enacting reductions of over $123 million.

“We prefer not to raise the tuition and are very aware that it can become a burden to students who have varying abilities to pursue higher education at MSU,” Johnston said. “We’ve taken that into consideration, as a matter of fact, the number of students who come from a household with an income of lower than 30,000 has increased among those who apply for financial aid.”

            Financial aid has increased by 300 percent over the last 10 years according to Johnston. 10 million dollars was added to financial aid for this year.

            “Financial aid has really helped me out, and without it I wouldn’t be able to go to school here,” Michigan State junior Viktor Simovski Said. “Financial aid gives an opportunity to students, who otherwise wouldn’t have had one, and I think it’s great that MSU is allocating a large chunk of money towards it. As soon as some people see an increase in tuition, they immediately dismissed it as the university milking more money from students, and that’s not fair.”

              

Michigan State University Tuition Increase

Michigan State University's Board of Trustees approved an in-state tuition raise of 6.9 percent for 2011-2012 school year, earlier this month.

The increase in tuition equals an approximate inflation of $788 for an in-state undergraduate student carrying a full load of classes according to Michigan States website.

“Through the entirety of the year, $788 isn’t that big of a deal,” MSU senior Michael Pendy said. “If you have a job, you can just pick up a few extra hours a week, or if you don’t have a job you can pick up one with very few hours. Bills are a part of life, and sometimes the bills go up.”

Other Michigan State students weren’t quite as comfortable with the tuition increase that comes to fruition this fall. Junior Justin Smith voiced concern over juggling a job and a full class load.

Many students have found community college can be an alternative to the tuition increase. According to the Michigan Community College Association, there was a 35% increase in Community college enrollment this year.

Did Chrysler have revival?

Former Merrill Lynch financial advisor and former Investscape Inc. President Richard Lim was skeptic saying he wasn't sure you could call this a recovery. He voiced concern for other publicly traded companies as well. Lim said other publicly traded companies that have to abide by SEC rules can’t compete fairly against a private company that gets the same money from the government.
      
Some still don’t agree with the bailout, nor believe progress is being made. Washington Examiner columnist Conn Carroll is one of the skeptics.

Swiecki seemed to disagree with critics, saying the economic repercussions would have been quite substantial if Chrysler wasn’t bailed out. Swiecki said the Center of Automotive Research did an economic impact analysis and if Chrysler remained bankrupt, not only would thousands of jobs be taken away from workers and suppliers, but a domino effect within the car industry would be imminent.

“Maintaining a viable U.S. auto industry is important to the country's economy and success,”
Chrysler Finance and Corporate Communications Manager Eileen Wunderlich Said. “In 2010, Chrysler Group and its subsidiaries paid more than $3.1 billion in wages, $2.1 billion in annual pensions and more than $2.6 million in state and local taxes.”

According to Wunderlich, in 2010, the Company launched 16 all-new or significantly refreshed products and met or exceeded all financial targets established for that year. Total worldwide sales for the year were 1.5 million units, a significant increase from 2009 sales, and U.S market share increased to 9.2 percent from 8.8 percent in 2009.

Chrysler has revival

In April of 2009, Chrysler, the nation's third largest car manufacturer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Two years later, the revitalized company is showing signs of life.

In a little over two years Chrysler has paid back a substantial part of the government bailout. Chrysler has given its company a facelift that includes an alliance with Italian automaker Fiat and CEO Sergio Marchionne.

“The sales recovery has been quite good, but the recovery is far from over,” senior project manager at the Center for Automotive Research Bernard Swiecki said. The Center for Automotive Research is involved in the research of significant issues that relate to the future direction of the global automotive industry according to its website. “We certainly expected and still expect Chrysler to make a recovery, but it is happening at a faster pace than we anticipated.”

According to Swiecki, The arrival of Fiat and Sergio Marchionne at the time of the merger has given the company new direction and a new mindset. Products have been given facelifts and have been upgraded substantially according to Swiecki, who mentioned the upgraded Sebring, which is now the 200. Swiecki said a Fiat based car is still in the works and he expects it do very well in America. The last time a new Fiat car was sold in America was 1983.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Recap

Jon Stewart said at the beginning of the program that it was going to be a hell of a show, and he did not disappoint.

The show started with the coverage on the Republican presidential candidate debate. Stewart mocked the notion by the host that it was unlike any other debate and continued to mock ridiculous questions that were asked.  Newt Gingrich, who has been constantly mocked by multiple media outlets, was constantly mentioned along with Mitt Romney.  They capped of the debate coverage with a parody that compared the debate to a horror movie.

The showed capped off with an interview with J.J. Abrams. The interview mainly covered “Super 8” which is the number 1 movie in America right now. They also went into how he creates a movie as opposed to a TV show. The interview was a change of pace from the usual political discussion during the regular interviews.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Preview

Tonight’s episode of the Daily Show With Jon Stewart is sure to continue its constant coverage on the Anthony Weiner scandal (Weinergate), and P Mail. 

If you don’t already know there has been extensive coverage on Democratic U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner sending lewd photos through twitter. P-Mail is the story, or lack of, about Sarah Palin’s E-mails being released to the public.

Tonight’s guest is one of the more notable ones in recent memory. Director, screenwriter, and producers J.J. Abrams will be appearing likely to talk about his new movie “Super 8.” Abrams has also been involved in popular TV series such as “Lost” and “Fringe.”

You never quite know what to expect from Stewart, but the edgy news host always finds something of importance to shed light on and get a few laughs from.