David Littmann, guest speaker tonight @ 7:30 PM “Bloomfield Hills School District Bond Proposal: Financial and Educational Integrity for the 21st Century"

Hi All,
The following is the press release from the United Homeowner Associations of Bloomfield Township.
(format changed some and web links added for my blog readers)


David L. Littman, Senior Economist with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and former member of the Bloomfield Hills School District Board of Education will present his program:
  “Bloomfield Hills School District Bond Proposal: Financial and Educational Integrity for the 21st Century" on April 26, 2012, 7:30 pm at the Bloomfield Township Offices Meeting Room

• In 2003-04, a plan for a new $123 million high school was floated by BHSD and dismissed by the public, but the public approved $50 million in bond sinking funds to augment the District’s operating budget, thus, providing sufficient funds to keep our high school buildings “safe, warm, and dry.”  
• In 2007, the BHSD presented voters with a plan for two new high schools, costing $145 million with a bond request of $121 million, which was defeated by voters 54% to 46%.  
• In November 2010, the BHSD presented voters with a plan for one new $97.5 million high school with a bond request of $73 million, which was defeated by voters 55% to 45%. At the same time, voters approved another $25 million in bond sinking funds “to continue to provide for a sinking fund for the construction or repair of school buildings and all other purposes authorized by law.”  
• Now, in May 2012, the BHSD presents voters with its fourth high school plan, and a bond request of $58.65 million with the District supposedly “contributing” another $20 million toward the project.  The BHSD has worked hard to sell its latest proposal to taxpaying homeowners through paid consultants, multiple meetings, mailers and a dedicated web-site.  
• Because of the very short window between the formal announcement of the 2012 bond proposal and the vote on May 8th, there has been little chance for residents in the District to obtain an objective analysis of the need for another $58.65 million in taxes given the $75 million already provided by District taxpayers.  
• The UHOA invited David Littmann, a former District resident and school board member, to provide that objective analysis and he has graciously agreed to provide this public service.  
• No promotional signs or materials will be allowed in the meeting room.  Attendance will be limited to voting age residents of the Bloomfield Hills School District due to the legal capacity of the room. 
• The UHOA anticipates posting a video tape of the event on its web-site.          

About David L. Littmann:  David L. Littmann is senior economist with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a non-profit research and educational institute headquartered in Midland, Mich., and the largest state-based free-market think tank in the country.  Among other degrees, Littmann received his M.A. degree in economics from the University of Michigan in 1967. Littmann retired from Comerica Bank in early 2005 as senior vice president and chief economist after a 35-year career in charge of Comerica’s Economics Department and Research Library.  In 2004, Littmann was honored by the state Chamber of Commerce as Michigan’s man of the year for outstanding leadership and contributions.  Littmann served as chairman of the Economic Advisory Committee of the American Bankers Association.  Over his working career, Littmann held positions at all levels of government (and) is a former trustee of the Bloomfield Hills School District.  For more information on Mr. Littmann and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy visit www.mackinac.org

About the United Home Owner Association of Bloomfield Township, Inc.: The UHOA is a non-profit association of homeowner groups comprised of 60+ member associations with a history of more than  40 years.  The UHOA is “dedicated to preserving, promoting and improving the Bloomfield Township homeowner associations, its members and community through action” and its purpose is to “promote a spirit of cooperation among the various home owners in Bloomfield . . ., and to further support, develop and promote by moral, social and ethical means and influence the general welfare and civic interest of the home owners of the Township of Bloomfield through non-partisan activities; to hold meetings at stated periods where the members of the Association may meet one another in a body and where by the interchange of views, they may be mutually benefitted; to investigate, consider and support the various means for the improvement and betterment of municipal government . . .”  For more information on the UHOA visit www.united-homeowners.org