NO BROKEN PROMISE

Sen. Deb Cherry (D-Burton) talks about the Michigan Promise...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:04:00 -0500

Sen. Deb Cherry (D-Burton) talks about the Michigan Promise Scholarship in her no vote explanation on the Higher Education Budget.

"The Governor has proposed reconstructing the Michigan Promise to a point of almost coercion"

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0500

“The Governor has proposed reconstructing the Michigan Promise to a point of almost coercion”

- Sarah Peck, a senior at Battle Creek Central

No promise in scholarship plan

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:41:00 -0500

No promise in scholarship plan:

When is a scholarship not a scholarship? When it’s a tax break. Under the renewed Promise Scholarship plan, students still will be footing the bill.

"More of a Reward than a Scholarship"

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:57:00 -0500

“The new Promise is much less beneficial than its original version. Students still will get their money — as long as they stay in Michigan after graduation — but now those funds might not be used for their intended purpose: paying for college.”

—Read More at StateNews.com

"People aren’t going to stay in the state if there are no jobs, and this proposal does not address..."

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:07:00 -0500

“People aren’t going to stay in the state if there are no jobs, and this proposal does not address that issue.”

- CM-Life Editorial Board

Governor Granholm Proposes a Tax on Services

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Governor Granholm Proposes a Tax on Services:

“The governor’s budget is not revenue neutral and it ignores reforms we need this year. It is a tax hike.”

—Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer (R)

"Since there aren’t any jobs to speak of here how are [college students] supposed to work here for a..."

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:18:00 -0500

“Since there aren’t any jobs to speak of here how are [college students] supposed to work here for a year? Ingenious.”

- John Schneider Lansing State Journal

Corruption in the Capitol

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:07:00 -0500

A Democratic legislator from Lansing confirmed yesterday what a lot of Michigan residents have already known, that special interests are funded before students in the State.

“We’ve been trying to find revenue to replace it (Michigan Promise), and we haven’t been able to really get any agreement,” said Joan Bauer, chair of the Higher Education Appropriations Committee.

“Lawmakers cut K-12 education and took $100 million from college students last fall,” said Ben Lazarus, founder of NoBrokenPromise.com, which calls on the legislature to fund the Michigan Promise scholarship without raising taxes.

“They spend $100 million dollars on film subsides and give $113 million to political contributors, now politicians can’t find funding for the Promise scholarship.” Lazarus said, “Students are suffering and the next generation will be left paying for this corruption.”

AG Cox: State Police Scam is Legal

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:49:00 -0500

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, a candidate for governor, called the unethical and unlawful State Police headquarters scam a legal operation, in a January 21, 2010 statement obtained by NoBrokenPromise.com. Cox dismissed responsibility in the matter, saying, “unless [the] proposed course of action violates the law, I do not have authority to enjoin it.”

Many groups have voiced concerns over the legality of the deal, including TaxPayers United Michigan Foundation, which asserts there are eighteen ways the proposed course of action violates the law.

“State law and our Michigan Constitution are violated when Gov. Granholm enters into a no-competitive bid contract worked out in secret,” the non-partisan watchdog group said, “Granholm must scrap the Ferguson-Granger rip off…and shift the $113 million back to…students dependent on Michigan Promise College Scholarship Grants.”

Please take a moment to contact Attorney General Mike Cox today and demand he do everything he can to stop this illegal rip-off of taxpayer funds.

The Attorney General can be reached via e-mail at miag@michigan.gov, by phone at (517) 373-1110, or on Facebook.

Michigan's “Bridge to Nowhere”

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:43:00 -0500

“We cannot and should not put Michigan taxpayers on the hook for a $70 million palace at a time when we can’t seem to cobble enough money to properly fund schools or fulfill a promise to college students.”

The Governor's Priorities

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:24:00 -0500

During the State of the State address, Governor Granholm announced that she will include funding for the Michigan Promise Scholarship in her 2010 budget, which will be revealed on February 11.

“We applaud the Governor for hearing the call of upset students and are hopeful that funding for the scholarship comes at the expense of pork projects and not raising taxes,” said Ben Lazarus, founder of NoBrokenPromise.com, “because higher taxes are one thing Michigan residents cannot afford.”

“The budgetary process is a matter of priorities.” Lazarus said, “Without having seen the details of the plan, our hope is that students and taxpayers are put before the special interests in Lansing.”

State of the Student Protest

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:15:00 -0500

State of the Student address begins at 15:08

Students from across Michigan gathered outside the State Capitol building in downtown Lansing at the State of the Student rally on Wednesday, February 3, during Governor Granholm’s State of the State address. Many citizens shared their stories of how Lansing’s broken promises have affected Michigan residents, including the nearly 100,000 students betrayed by State government.

Students are disgruntled over the Michigan Promise scholarship being removed from the budget after many of them had already started classes last Fall. They came in droves from colleges all across the state to affirm their demand that the government not make promises they can’t keep.

Speech draws protesters from both right and left

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:06:00 -0500

Speech draws protesters from both right and left

Michigan Promise Protest

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:05:00 -0500

Source: Lane Blackmer

Discussing Promise Scholarship and State of the Student...

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:56:14 -0500

Discussing Promise Scholarship and State of the Student Protest.

Source: The Paul W. Smith Show

How Granholm Broke Her Promise

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:46:00 -0500

benlazarus:

In December 2006, Governor Jennifer Granholm made a promise. She said “This year’s high school seniors, and all students that follow them, can now receive $4,000 to help pay the cost of college or technical training. $4,000 to help every child go to college - what an amazing holiday gift for Michigan families.”

In 2007 Granholm urged the high school class of 2008 to utilize the scholarship, saying “In the next few days, high school seniors across the state will receive a letter from me in their mailboxes.” “The letter will let members of the high school class of 2008 know that they’ve qualified for the Michigan Promise scholarship.” She said, “In my letter to these high school students, I’m encouraging each and every one of them to take advantage of this opportunity.”

On October 1, 2009, Granholm pledged to “use every tool at [her] power including veto to keep the Promise.”

Twenty eight days later, Governor broke her promise. The Metro Times on November 4: Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed off on the last of this year’s state budgets last week, avoiding, for now, a government shutdown. Putting down her pen, she proclaimed: “This is the budget we have, but it is not the budget we need. It is a budget I don’t agree with and don’t support.” To which any sane person would say, huh? You signed it, lady. You didn’t have to. You could have gone on television and said that you weren’t going to allow the Legislature to break its promise to 96,000 students now in college. You and your government promised them college scholarship money.

Responsibility is “a particular burden of obligation”.

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.” It the responsibility of good people to stop injustice.

So in that moment of decision, with pen in hand, what should Granholm have done? Keep her promise by rejecting the budget and taking a stand for Michigan’s students, or sign the bill breaking her promise?

Governor Granholm chose the latter.

“We know we have a voice,” The State News said on December 1, 2009, “but it’s Granholm who has the pen. She had her opportunity, and it passed her by.

The $52 Million Pyramid... Scheme

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:21:00 -0500

Today, NoBrokenPromise.com released evidence showing that Governor Jennifer Granholm was less than truthful when she said no money is going towards a State Police building developed by two of Michigan’s biggest political contributors this year.

According to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, $52 million was paid to River Street Triangle in this year’s State Police appropriations to buy the unnecessary and unsafe building. River Street Triangle is the front company in which Democrat Joel Ferguson and Republican Gary Granger work to conduct this illegal operation.

A provision in the purchase agreement to utilize a loophole in Michigan law and withhold distribution of the funds until 2011 had not been reached until November 30, 2009, ten days after Granholm assured students such was not the case.

Ben Lazarus, Central Michigan student and founder of NoBrokenPromise.com, said “The Governor was speculating at best, unless she had insider information.”

The real cost to taxpayers to purchase the unsafe building, which has a True Cash Value of $13 million, would surpass $113 million when bond finance, equipment, moving and other costs are figured into the deal, according to TaxPayers United Michigan Foundation.

“Michigan students and their families are working hard for their money, while Granholm gives kickbacks to political contributors on their dime.” Lazarus said, “Saving taxpayer money and protecting the men and women of law enforcement so that the students of Michigan can receive the scholarship they earned and deserve is the first step to ending the culture of corruption in Lansing.”

NoBrokenPromise.com continues to urge students to contact Attorney General Mike Cox and demand he do everything he can to stop the Ferguson-Granger State Police headquarters scam and the illegal rip-off of taxpayer funds.

The Attorney General can be reached via e-mail at miag@michigan.gov, by phone at (517) 373-1110, or on Facebook.

*Correction: The original version of this release stated the Governor knew seven days before the agreement had been reached, when in fact it was ten days, considering her November 20 statement on Fox 2 Detroit.

Lessons of 2009

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:55:00 -0500

The shattered “Michigan Promise” — $140 million in college scholarship money that was a Granholm Administration signature — became the year’s biggest disappointment to 96,000 young voters and would-be voters who quickly got up to speed on political cynicism.

— Detroit News

Payback for Support to the Party

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:38:00 -0500

Payback for Support to the Party:

From 2007— Ferguson is putting up a building no one asked for, in a site too small to accommodate all the needs of the State Police, through a closed and noncompetitive process, in which his company will more than double their initial investment. The state Republican and Democratic parties don’t have pension or retirement plans for longtime supporters. So they have to go about things a little differently; they use government money for projects that will benefit their most loyal supporters. So a deal was made.

—Read more at MichiganLiberal.com

Mike Cox and Jennifer Granholm in Christmastime Corruption

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:38:00 -0500