Opinion

opinion Chris Wigent and Don Wotruba Published 2:55 p.m. UTC Sep 4, 2018 In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc. that states can collect sales taxes from out-of-state vendors, paving the way for Michigan to collect the 6 percent sales taxes from online stores that don't have a physical presence in the state. While this has been touted as new revenue, it actually gives Michigan the ability to collect this tax on products that have avoided it by being sold online. This is very good news for the state’s bottom line and for school districts. Treasury has estimated this court ruling could bring more than $200 million back into our sales tax revenue. Recall that Michigan collects 6 cents of sales tax. Of that 6 cents, 2 cents are constitutionally dedicated to the School Aid Fund from the passage of Proposal A in 1994 and 60 percent of the remaining 4 cents is also constitutionally dedicated to the School Aid Fund. Also, the Constitution … [Read more...] about Opinion: Invest online sales tax in the classroom

opinion Steve Carlson Published 2:53 p.m. UTC Sep 4, 2018 As an educator, I don't like administering state tests any more than my students like taking them, but as school resumes, there is good news about how Michigan will assess our students. Thanks to the work of the late State Superintendent Brian Whiston and the Michigan Department of Education, our eighth-graders start taking the PSAT this spring -- a test that is one third shorter and far more useful than the M-STEP. That means more time learning; less time testing; and faster, better information going to students, parents and educators. This isn’t about just swapping one test for another. The PSAT is part of a nationally recognized system that measures the most enduring knowledge and skills for success in high school, college and careers. For 8th graders, the PSAT provides information and tools to navigate a path through high school and beyond. It helps measure high school readiness, provides detailed reports for … [Read more...] about Opinion: PSAT is the right move for Michigan

opinion Nathan Murphy Published 2:54 p.m. UTC Sep 3, 2018 The Detroit Public Schools announced they’re shutting off drinking water in all schools in response to recent testing showing elevated levels of lead or copper in 16 out of 24 tested schools. This was unquestionably the right thing to do. They didn’t wait for the ongoing testing to confirm lead everywhere, and instead acted to protect Detroit children in all their schools. This powerful leadership to protect our kids from the damage lead can do to their sensitive, developing brains and bodies underscores the seriousness that Detroit Public Schools takes with this risk. They also put testing results online so families will know about the testing in each school down to which taps and fountains were tested. Now Detroit schools need to finish testing and follow through with remediation. Certified filters are an immediate, low-cost step proven to remove lead in water. Long term, we know we need to replace the … [Read more...] about Opinion: Kids need safe water

opinion Jeffery A. Singer Published 2:53 p.m. UTC Sep 3, 2018 The opioid crisis that gets the most attention is the growing rate of opioid-related overdose deaths in non-medical users. This conflagration consumes growing numbers of men and women, young and old, across diverse demographic categories. In 1972 President Nixon declared a “war on drugs,” and these people are drug prohibition’s civilian casualties. The lure of easy money from selling drugs in the black market attracted drug dealers — including unscrupulous doctors and pharmacists — to supply non-medical users with substances of abuse. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, less than 25 percent of non-medical users of prescription opioids ever get them from a doctor — they get them from a friend, relative, or drug dealer. Study after study show a “misuse” rate of less than 1 percent in patients prescribed opioids for acute pain or chronic pain. And … [Read more...] about Opinion: Opioid crisis not helped by panic

opinion Eric Gomez Published 2:52 p.m. UTC Sep 3, 2018 There’s good news and bad news in the Trump administration’s plan to establish the Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. military. The good news is that sales of formerly-ironic “space shuttle door gunner” patches are probably going to spike. The bad news is that the creation of a new military branch carries far more risks, costs and complications than benefits. The value of the Space Force should be judged against the kinds of threats that it is intended to counter. A substantial increase in threat could warrant the drastic step of creating a new military branch, but space is not as dangerous as Trump and his senior officials are making it out to be. Competition with Russia and China is a consistent theme of the administration’s major national security documents. Senior officials frequently cite the activities of these countries in outer space, … [Read more...] about Opinion: Space Force is unwise fix for overhyped threat