The media recognize that without a trusted, independent source of data and analysis, the flow of information about state and local government issues would be controlled by two sources — the governmental units themselves and interest groups. CRC is that trusted source. Here are the latest articles in which CRC is cited:
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- State’s workforce down 20 percent in a decade
Capital News Service, November 22, 2013
Robert Schneider, the director of state affairs at the Citizens Research Council, pointed out that the trend coincided with the skyrocketing costs of health care.
- A state bailout for Detroit? Been there, done that.
Public Sector, Inc., November 22, 2013
Yes, Detroit’s revenue decline is a problem. But as a report from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan shows, no matter how you slice it, Detroit gets more revenue than every other municipality in the state, and the city’s still a fiscal basket case.
- The new era of employment: You’re on your own when you retire
MLive.com, November 14, 2013
While Michigan’s private sector workforce has grown by almost 9 percent since 2009, the number of government jobs, particularly at the local level, has dropped by nearly 6 percent, according to a report released in September by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan.
- Region’s economy looking strong for the coming year
Traverse City REcord-Eagle, November 12, 2013
Jeffrey Guilfoyle, president of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, also said he expects to see positive job growth in the state in 2014.
“We should have another year of growth after 10 years of economic decline,” Guilfoyle said, adding “we lost jobs every year from 2001 to 2010, and positive job growth is a huge improvement from that.”
- Saugatuck looking at cost savings of merged public works departments
Holland Sentinel, November 8, 2013
The discussion at the city’s workshop meeting was preliminary, stemming from an application the city will make with the state to cover costs of the nonprofit Citizens Research Council study completed earlier this year on the impacts of consolidation. The study cost $10,000, with Saugatuck and Douglas splitting the cost.
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- Michigan Auto Insurance Reform a Must
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, October 29, 2013
The Citizens Research Council has recently released a study examining why the system is so expensive. The details are complicated, but in the end it comes down to basic economics.
- Merger would ensure vibrant future for Saugatuck, Douglas
Grand Rapids (MI) Press, October 27, 2013
A merger just makes sense. A Citizens Research Council report earlier this year found potential annual cost savings of nearly $500,000 by streamlining administrative roles.
- Blame state, not number of governments, for struggling communities
Detroit Free Press, October 28, 2013
And saying local governments have much to learn from state government must be a joke. In September, the independent Citizens Research Council (CRC) of Michigan issued a report that sheds light on how the state has been able to “stabilize” its budgets and get “back on track.” The report found that the Legislature and governor have slashed revenue-sharing to local Michigan governments by $5 billion over the past decade. Basically, CRC found that the Legislature ignores laws that require them to send revenues to local communities for essential services. Instead, the state has kept the revenues and used them to cut taxes, to balance state budgets, and increase state spending by 26%.
- Officials: No-fault worth the cost
Livingston Daily, October 24, 2013
Auto-related medical claims cost Michigan insurers 57 percent more than similar claims in states that rely on courts to resolve them, making premiums 17 percent higher in Michigan, a new Citizens Research Council of Michigan report claims.
- Snyder Downplays Medical Benefits Cap In No-Fault
Gongwer News Service, October 23, 2013
Mr. Snyder’s comments came as the Citizens Research Council took heat from Democrats at a hearing Wednesday on the group’s recent report on personal injury protection coverage under the state’s no-fault law.
- Does Motion With No-Fault Signal Movement?
MIRS News, October 23, 2013
As key lawmakers try to re-energize the controversial reform effort, the House and Senate insurance committees held a joint meeting this afternoon to discuss a report on no-fault from the Citizens Research Council.
- Debate resumes on no-fault auto insurance reforms
Detroit News, October 23, 2013
On Wednesday morning, a coalition of medical and consumers groups criticized the report from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan as flawed. Researchers who performed the study are scheduled to answer lawmakers’ questions about their findings later in the day.
- Caution needed on auto insurance
Lansing State Journal, October 22, 2013
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan often wades deep into complex policy issues to offer perspective for thoughtful Michiganders. Its latest foray is into the world of no-fault auto insurance.
- Gov lobbies for tax revenue shift
Detroit News, October 21, 2013
The personal property tax, which dates to 1893, has been criticized as burdensome and unfair because every business has to fill out a form itemizing each piece of equipment and its age, after which an assessor assigns a value according to depreciation tables, the Citizens Research Council says. It raises $800 million to $1.2 billion annually.
- Study: Michigan Auto Costs Can Drop if Lifetime Care Stays
ClaimsJournal.com, October 18, 2013
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which studied medical costs stemming from car accidents, said auto insurers pay much higher health care bills than private insurers and government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Injured motorists also get more medical care in Michigan than in other states because it offers “expansive and nearly unlimited coverage.”
- Auto Insurance Costs in Michigan May Potentially Fall, Study Says
Southern Daily Press, October 16, 2013
According to the report from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, auto insurers pay a larger amount of health care bills in comparison to government-backed schemes such as Medicare and Medicaid, or private insurance firms.
- Should Saugatuck and Douglas merge?
WMUK 102.1 FM, October 15, 2013
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan prepared a report commissioned by the city of Saugatuck and the Village of Douglas. The council’s Director of Local Affairs Eric Lupher prepared the report and spoke with WMUK’s Gordon Evans.
- Study: Michigan no-fault insurance raises auto costs
Detroit News, October 14, 2013
A new Citizens Research Council of Michigan report says the state’s no-fault auto coverage leads to medical costs and insurance premiums that are higher than in other states.
- Study: Auto costs can drop if lifetime care stays
The State, October 14, 2013
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which studied medical costs stemming from car accidents, said auto insurers pay much higher health care bills than private insurers and government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Injured motorists also get more medical care in Michigan than in other states because it offers “expansive and nearly unlimited coverage.”
- No guarantee to tax savings
[Saugatuck] Commercial Record, October 10, 2013
The informative meeting Sept. 24 with Citizens Research Council local affairs director Eric Lupher gave us the picture there was little benefit for voting yes on consolidation for economic reasons.
- Two sides differ on merger, but agree communities would change
Holland Sentinel, October 9, 2013
A study by the nonprofit Citizens Research Council concluded a consolidation would save both communities about $467,000 a year from eliminating duplication of city positions, such as cutting two city managers to one, and increasing efficiency such as plowing of roads.
- Merge governments? Sounds good, but not in my backyard.
Bridge Magazine, October 6, 2013
“There may be an opportunity for savings. But that is weighed against attachment to a community, identity and the relationships to the community people live in,” said Eric Lupher, an analyst with the Michigan Citizens Research Council, and author of a report on the proposed merger of Saugatuck and Douglas.
- Should two towns become one? Merger question moves to Saugatuck-Douglas
Bridge Magazine, October 6, 2013
In July, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan projected annual savings of nearly $470,000 from a merger, mostly from streamlining the offices of city manager, treasurer and clerk and funding one public works department and one city council instead of two. For a home valued at $200,000, it calculated annual savings of $192 in property tax in Douglas and $184 in Saugatuck. Another study by the accounting firm Plante Moran, funded by the group backing a merger, found similar savings.
- Four facts to help you vote ‘no’
[Saugatuck] Commercial Record, October 2, 2013
The large savings the Citizens Research Council projects with consolidation can only occur if the new council in the new city adheres strictly to what is laid out in the CRC report.
- Don’t homogenize our two great, distinct cities
[Saugatuck] Commercial Record, October 2, 2013
I attended the Citizens Research Council of Michigan presentation Sept. 24. The nonprofit organization, hired by both cities to study consolidation issues, stated such a move might result in $467,000 potential savings.
- More-efficient government just makes sense
[Saugatuck] Commercial Record, October 2, 2013
To the editor: The referendum question on the Nov. 5 ballot comes down to how we see the future of our community. Will we continue with a two-government system that the Citizens Research Council has documented is 13-percent inefficient? Do we need two-of-everything on both sides of the bridge, or can we come together to govern ourselves more efficiently?
- Survey: Mich. towns, cities continue to struggle with finances
Detroit News, October 1, 2013
In addition, the state legislature has cut back on legally required distributions of state revenue. The Citizens Research Council found that since 2003 the state government has withheld more than $5 billion in legally required state revenue sharing money the law designates for local governments.
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- Detroit’s expected bond default seen raising constitutional issue
Reuters Online, September 30, 2013
“It seen pretty clear, you need to stop collecting the millage,” said Eric Lupher, director of local affairs at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a non-partisan public affairs research group.
- Efficiencies found, questions arise with potential merger of Saugatuck and Douglas
The Grand Rapids Press – MLive.com , September 26, 2013
A consolidation of the cities of Saugatuck and Douglas could result in more than just a saving of taxpayer dollars, it could also improve stewardship of the Kalamazoo River and the lake that empties into Lake Michigan.
But, according to a Citizens Research Council of Michigan report, there are also questions about how such a merger would affect the debt of both cities, as well as how city assets would be split up.
- Craig Fahle Show
WDET 101.9 fm, September 25, 2013
Michigan Municipal League CEO and Executive Director, Dan Gilmartin, and Director of Local Affairs for Citizens Research Council, Eric Lupher on public employment trends.
- Study Highlights Broken Model for Funding Vital Services, Says M.A.C.
Digital Journal, September 25, 2013
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan published a report calculating the widespread financial hardships of local governments over the last decade.
- Speaker: Consolidation decision comes down to ‘sense of place’
Holland Sentinel, September 25, 2013
John Thomas stepped down from the bleachers at the Saugatuck High School auditorium after an almost 2-hour presentation Tuesday night.
He came to get his questions answered about the possible merger of Saugatuck and Douglas by Eric Lupher of the nonprofit Citizens Research Council.
- State House subcommittee requests study on state revenue sharing
Detroit Free Press, September 10, 2013
So the state House Appropriations subcommittee on Local Government is hoping the Citizens Research Council, a Livonia-based think tank, can help cut through the thicket. Today, the subcommittee approved sending a letter to the council asking that a study be undertaken.
- Report: Detroit pension funds misspent
Detroit News, September 6, 2013
“This doesn’t sound like a very wise plan,” said Eric Lupher, director of local affairs at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan. “You can’t pay what you don’t have.”
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- Cities can gain strength through merger
Detroit News, August 21, 2013
According to a study released by the Citizens Research Council, a Michigan public policy research firm, the cities would save a total of $500,000 a year.
- Detroit gets no help from state in collecting city taxes
Detroit News, August 15, 2013
“If the state is serious about local governments being more efficient, this is a small token of effort it could do to help those cities,” said Eric Lupher, director of local affairs at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonpartisan group based in Livonia.
- 2 Michigan resort towns divided over move to unite them through merger
Detroit Free Press, August 11, 2013
Both sides point to a study released last month by the Citizens Research Council, a public policy research firm based in Livonia, that shows a savings of up to $500,000 a year if consolidation occurs. The savings would result in an average property tax savings of $192 a year for Douglas homeowners and $184 a year for Saugatuck residents.
- CRC revises consolidation report
Commercial Record , August 7, 2013
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan has revised its report on issues related to consolidating Saugatuck and Douglas to address “inconsistencies” identified by the two cities’ officials after its first release.
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- Hackel, Patterson: Taxes for zoo, DIA should end if bankruptcy hurts those assets
Detroit Free Press, July 26, 2013
Both the Detroit Zoo and the DIA have assigned legal counsel “representing their interests” in the bankruptcy, said Eric Lupher, director of local affairs for the Livonia-based Citizens Research Council, a nonprofit think tank.
“Certainly, the surrounding counties should be involved as well, because they’re levying these taxes” to support the zoo and the DIA, Lupher said.
- Consolidation battle will be about more than money
Holland Sentinel, July 28, 2013 - Michigan law could lead to fewer recall elections
Miami Herald, July 27, 2013
The nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan suggests the state may have more recalls because it has a large number of elected officials — about 18,000 — and the down economy has contributed to budget cuts, angering constituents. At least 457 officials faced recall from 2000 through 2011, about 38 a year, the group found in a 2012 report.
- Report: Saugatuck and Douglas could save $500K if they consolidation, but critics cry foul
Holland Sentinel, July 24, 2013
A combined Saugatuck-Douglas could save more than $500,000, a new report from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan says.
- Benton Harbor considering income tax increase
Fox 28 TV, July 24, 2013
Eric Lupher, Director of Local Affairs for the Citizens Research Council of Michigan said, “Well given the reality of where Benton Harbor is now obviously there has been some dis-investment in the city. There are buds of new investments coming in the city with Whirlpool and the golf course hopefully that will spur economic development.”
- CRC report raises more questions than answers
Commercial Record , July 24, 2013
To the editor: The release of the Citizens Research Council’s report has not changed the Citizens for Independent and Cooperative Communities’ belief that consolidation is not in the best interest of Saugatuck or Douglas. The minimal cost savings shown in the report is far outweighed by loss of our cities’ independence, identities and levels of service we are accustomed to having.
- Report Finds Savings for Douglas/Saugatuck Merger
WHTC, July 23, 2013
A new report finds that a merger between the Village of Douglas and the City of Saugatuck could reduce the millage rate for residents of the area. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan report estimates that 500-thousand dollars in savings could result if the merger goes through. The operating millage required to fund the reduced spending would drop from 13 mills in Saugatuck and 13.08 mills in Douglas to 10.7 mills across the merged city. The question of whether to consolidate will be on the November 5th ballot.
- Report: Merging Saugatuck, Douglas could save $561,000
WKZO, July 22, 2013
Voters will have their say later this year on the proposed merger of Saugatuck and Douglas in Allegan County. A new report by Citizens Research Council of Michigan says combining the two local governments will save taxpayers at least 561-thousand dollars a year. Another group opposed to the merger, Citizens for Independent and Cooperative Communities, disputes the findings.
- Report shows taxpayers could save $500,000 if Saugatuck and Douglas merge
Michigan Public Radio, July 21, 2013
A new study from an independent research group shows taxpayers in the cities of Douglas and Saugatuck could save more than half a million dollars a year if the local governments merged.
Eric Lupher is Director of Local Affairs for the independent Citizens Research Council of Michigan. He authored the study on a potential merger of city governments in Saugatuck and Douglas. You can read the full report on the CRC’s website.
- Spotlight on the News: Inside Detroit’s Chapter 9 Bankruptcy Filing
WXYZ.com, July 21, 2013
Guests will include Bettie Buss, formerly of the Citizens Research Council; George Orzech, chairman of the Detroit Police and Fire Retirement System, and Robert Gordon, legal counsel for the Detroit Pension Boards and a member of the Clark Hill Law Firm.
- Report: Saugatuck and Douglas consolidation would save taxpayers $561,000
The Grand Rapids Press – MLive.com, July 20, 2013
A merger of the cities of Saugatuck and Doulgas could save taxpayers more than $561,000 — about 17 percent of their respective budgets – according to a Citizens Research Council of Michigan report that was funded by the two cities.
- Detroit bankruptcy: Handshake deal between Gov. John Engler and Mayor Dennis Archer haunts city
MLive.com, July 19, 2013
Fifteen years ago, Archer made the deal to avert cuts looming cuts in revenue sharing, a mainstay of local governments, according to news accounts from the period and the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which has studied the agreement.
- Detroit EM’s plan may hike bond costs in Michigan
Detroit News, July 18, 2013
“It’s somewhat troubling that Kevyn Orr has been given as much latitude as he has been to make these kind of proclamations of what debt is secured and what isn’t,” said Eric Lupher, director of local affairs for the Citizens Research Council of Michigan. “The bond world … will think long and hard about whether (Michigan is) a market they want to play in in the future.”
- Consolidation study projects savings, costs
Commercial Record, July 17, 2013
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, hired by the cities this winter for $10,000 to independently assess issues also considered to some extent by Consolidated Government Committee-contracted studies, first projected it would complete the work by mid-April.
- Oakland County balances budgets years ahead
Detroit Free Press, July 17, 2013
But Eric Lupher, director of local affairs for the Citizens Research Council in Livonia, said Oakland County took as big a fiscal hit as any government entity in the state.
“From my perspective, it doesn’t matter how affluent they were,” Lupher said.
Avoiding deficits “is about sound budgeting practices and looking beyond your immediate fiscal year. Because they were looking into the future three years, and now they’re saying a fourth year, they were able to make decisions that minimize the pain on residents as well as businesses.”
- K-12 State Funding Boost May Not Be Sustainable, According To Report
WKAR Michigan Public Radio, July 12, 2013
Michigan schools could be left with a significant drop in state funding after next year. That’s according to a new report from the non-partisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan.
- Can Michigan sustain school funding? Analysis says cuts may be coming in 2015
MLive.com, July 12, 2013
An analysis of the state school aid budget for 2014 and beyond by the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan questions whether increases in school funding for next fiscal year are sustainable for 2015 and beyond.
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- Healthy Medicaid program important for everyone
Heritage Newspapers, June 28, 2013
Perhaps most readers of this will never have to rely on Medicaid.
But nearly 20 percent of Michigan’s population depends on the program, according to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which has offices in Lansing and Livonia.
- Broken bureaucracy is bad for education, Gov. Snyder
Detroit News Blog, June 26, 2013
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan did thorough research on the topic and found that actual per pupil revenue for traditional K-12 education has fallen by 13.1 percent since 2004. Similarly, the Michigan Senate report on per pupil spending shows that current spending is below the pre-Rick Snyder era levels. Additionally, for the 2003-2004 school year Michigan’s per pupil spending was 7.8 percent more than the US average while the 2009-2010 level is 2.9 percent below the U.S. average.
- State government ‘spends’ $30 billion more this year than you think
Bridge Magazine, June 25, 2013 - Study: How to save on auto insurance
Detroit News, June 15, 2013
Less publicized is a medical fee schedule endorsed by Snyder that also aims to reduce costs. Now comes an independent study, “Health Care Costs in Michigan: Drivers and Policy Options,” by the respected Citizens Research Council, that confirms the savings to Michiganians.
- More and more schools falling into budget squeeze
Bridge Michigan, June 11, 2013
Article by Robert Schneider and Eric Lupher/Citizens Research Council of Michigan
- In today’s classrooms, one size doesn’t fit all
Detroit News, June 4, 2013
Recently, Michigan Virtual University (MVU) released a report “Moving Michigan Farther, Faster: Personalized Learning and the Transformation of Learning in Michigan.” The report, prepared by Public Sector Consultants Inc. (PSC) and the Citizens Research Council (CRC), was commissioned by MVU in response to Gov. Rick Snyder’s call to examine technology innovation in Michigan schools. PSC and CRC interviewed state and national education leaders and did an extensive literature review. “Moving Michigan Farther, Faster” looks at both the future of education in Michigan and the role that technology could and should play in that future.
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- City manager calls attention to local government funding
candgnews.com, May 28, 2013
Duchane has long attested that funding for local governments is in need of statewide reform, and now with a couple of studies backing the theory — the CLOSUP survey results from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Local Government Finance Study, a joint study by students at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan and Macomb Area Communities for Regional Opportunities (MACRO) — he’s hoping lawmakers in Lansing will start paying attention.
- Citizens Research Council analyzes school pension puzzle
Lansing State Journal, May 26, 2013
Summarizes State Budget Note 2013-01
A new report by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan finds that increases to K-12 spending in the state hasn’t resulted in additional dollars in the classroom. [Radio Interview]
- Report: Retirement Costs Cutting Into Education Spending
Gongwer News Service, May 22, 2013
Growing contributions to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System are reducing what school districts can spend on other educational services and that effect is likely to continue for the near term, the Citizens Research Council said in a report released Wednesday.
- Pensions erode Michigan school funding
WMUK, May 22, 2013
A new report says Michigan’s public schools have less to spend educating students because of rising teacher retirement costs. The Citizens Research Council says retirement now eats up nearly 15 percent of the money districts get per-student. That’s up from only about nine percent in 2004.
- Three reasons why you should want to know your hometown’s fiscal score
Bridge Magazine, May 18, 2013
Guest Commentary by Eric Lupher
- Should Detroit City Council full-time pay, car and phone perks be cut in fiscal crisis?
Detroit Free Press, May 12, 2013
Detroit paid $17.41 per capita for its City Council in 2010, before two years of cuts that shrank the council’s budget to $10.7 million last year. Detroit, by far, has the highest expenses in the state, said Bettie Buss, senior research associate at the independent, nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan. Buss is compiling a report on spending for 24 Michigan cities with populations of 50,000 or more, based on data from the cities’ annual financial reports to the state and 2010 census figures.
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- Analysis: Detroit raises large sums with high tax rates
Bridge Magazine, April 17, 2013
With Michigan’s largest city now under the direction of an emergency manager, statewide attention has focused on the city of Detroit’s finances. The Citizens Research Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research firm, has published an analysis of the city’s fiscal structure and trends — Detroit City Government Revenues. This report attempts to address a number of important questions to help readers be better able to develop and assess proposed policy solutions for Detroit’s fiscal crisis (a study of Detroit’s expenditures will be published by CRC shortly).
- City, county officials urge revamp of Michigan’s municipal funding system
Detroit News, April 8, 2012
Regardless of the options, no one seems to be championing local government reform in the Legislature, said Eric Lupher, director of local affairs at the Citizens Research Council, a nonprofit public affairs research organization in Lansing.
“The Legislature is more worried about the state’s problems than the local governments’ problems,” Lupher said. “It really is going to require somebody to champion it, somebody to take this on. A lot of small voices isn’t raising enough awareness. It’s going to take a policy leader.”
- Deepening revenue crisis leaves city no painelss options
Detroit Free Press, April 4, 2013
Take the new report from the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council analyzing Detroit’s revenue. It’s the latest in a series of CRC reports on Detroit’s finances; previous reports looked at the city’s legacy costs and indebtedness, government expenditures, and municipal government’s accounting and operational structure.
- The Detroit City Revenue Story
WDET, April 3, 2013
To get a better grasp of Detroit’s fiscal issues, the Craig Fahle Show looks at a recent report on the city’s revenue. Bettie Buss of Citizens Research Council of Michigan describes Detroit’s revenue structure, how it has changed over the years, and how it compares to other Michigan cities.
- Detroit Deficits Continue Despite Relatively High Revenues
Gongwer News Service, April 1, 2013
Detroit takes in more revenue, both total and per capita, than most of its counterparts, but still has managed to overspend those revenues every year since 2003, a report from the Citizens Research Council said.
- Detroit taxes high, but spending is higher -study
Reuters, April 1, 2013
Detroit residents pay the highest local taxes on a per capita basis compared to other Michigan municipalities, while the city collects the biggest chunk of state shared revenue, according to an analysis released on Monday.
The report by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a public policy group, comes just days after a state-appointed emergency manager stepped in to try and resolve Detroit’s fiscal problems. The council found that Detroit’s tax rates — including property, income and other local taxes — are high versus other Michigan cities.
- All eyes on Stockton as judge OKs bankruptcy
NBCNews.com, April 1, 2013
“We’re very hopeful that Detroit can avoid bankruptcy,” said Bettie Buss, senior research associate at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan. Having a bankruptcy expert handle the city’s books and negotiate with creditors, however, “gives the discussions… more urgency,” she said. If creditors know bankruptcy is an option, they could be more motivated to negotiate.
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- Michigan economy on the comeback trail
UpperMichigansSource.com, March 22, 2013
At Northern Michigan University Thursday, the President of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, Jeffery Guilfoyle said the state is making a comeback, but there’s still a long way to go.
- Handshake deal with state haunts Detroit
Bridge Magazine, March 15, 2013
Fifteen years ago, Archer made the deal to avert looming cuts in revenue sharing, a mainstay of local governments, according to news accounts from the period and the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which has studied the agreement.
- Report: Detroit has 40% of Michigan cities’ unfunded liabilities
Detroit News, March 15, 2013
His report reaches a conclusion similar to one of a 2011 study of county benefits by the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan that found unfunded liabilities are “a government finance issue in need of attention.”
- History suggests Detroit bid to avoid state takeover is futile
WHTC 1450 AM, March 10, 2013
Bettie Buss, a senior research associate at the public-policy group Citizens Research Council of Michigan, agrees it would be an uphill battle.
“Essentially, (the court has) to find it was an abuse of power and that has simply not happened,” she said.
- Denial in Detroit is undermining progress
MLive.com, March 8, 2013
In fact, the city’s short-term cash flow problems and its historical structural imbalances–which the respected Citizens Research Council of Michigan (crcmich.org) and an independent Financial Review team indicated are in the billions–went virtually unaddressed.
- Can Detroit Be Saved?
NPT, March 2, 2013
Just how far gone is Detroit? Eric Lupher, director of local affairs for the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, sums it up like this: “The city could stop doing all of its current operations today — no more police and fire, no more garbage collection, no more street lights — and the city would still have billions of dollars of debt and promises made for future payments that it would have to pay.”
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- Detroit’s mayoral hopefuls need to check their math
Detroit Free Press, February 28, 2013
Skeptics need not rely on the state-appointed review team’s report. Independent analysts from Michigan State University to the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council have made similar findings, based on the city’s audited financial statements.
- The time is now for school funding debate
Heritage Newspapers, February 25, 2013
The proposed rewrite of the school aid formula “does raise a number of questions that may require study,” said Jeffrey Guilfoyle, president of the non-partisan and highly respected Citizens Research Council. “The foundation allowance represents the average cost of educating a child. If you are going to allow the foundation allowance to be split, it raises all types of pricing questions.”
- Tax burden, low property values lead to exodus of Detroit residents
Detroit News, February 21, 2013
That leaves less money to fund services, said Bettie Buss, a senior researcher at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan and a former budget analyst for Detroit.
“The city for years has tried to figure out how to push the cost of current obligations to the future, but unfortunately, revenues are going down,” Buss said. “That made it harder to push off costs.”
- Experts foresee financial takeover of Detroit
Detroit News, February 19, 2013
Scorsone and Bettie Buss of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan said the real issue for Detroit is the billions of dollars it owes in liabilities, pensions and retiree health care.
- Michigan’s current fuel taxes place it in the national top 10
MLive.com, February 7, 2013
Michigan last raised its fuel taxes in 1997, moving it from 15 cents to 19 cents (technically 18.715) for gasoline. In the interim, the buying power of those 19 cents — for asphalt, steel and the other elements of road construction and repair — has eroded. The nonpartisan Citizens Research Council noted in a 2011 report that had the 19-cent levy kept pace with inflation, it would now be 27 cents.
- Vote appears likely on Saugatuck-Douglas merger
9&10 News, February 3, 2013
Saugatuck and Douglas are hiring the Citizens Research Council of Michigan to complete a study by April. The Detroit-area group is an independent organization that studies state and local government.
- Many Detroit residents challenging city’s claim they owe income taxes
Detroit News, February 4, 2013
Some missteps are to be expected as the city works on new ways to collect more revenues, said Bettie Buss, a former budget official for the city of Detroit and senior research associate with the Citizens Research Council of Michigan in Livonia.
“To some extent, what we’re seeing is the city is finally actually starting to do something about it and part of it is going to be cleaning up their records and cleaning up their information management system,” Buss said. “Everything depends on the accuracy of record-keeping. And record keeping has been one of those areas where Detroit has historically had challenges.”
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- Saugatuck, Douglas look at spending $10,000 for consolidation study
Holland Sentinel, January 25, 2013
“They’re going to be unbiased,” Saugatuck Mayor Bill Hess said about the Livonia-based nonprofit Citizens Research Council of Michigan. “It will give our citizens the information they need to make a decision.”
- Focus on teaching our teachers
Detroit News, January 24, 2013
Highlighting the value of teachers fits well with other recent reports. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan came out with a study a year ago that called for more attention to the training of teachers. And Gov. Rick Snyder has made this a priority as well and has requested teaching programs toughen their core requirements, among other measures.
- Substance abuse expert: Increased marijuana use will lead to more crowded prisons
MLive.com, January 7, 2013
However, it is not true that a high percentage of Michigan’s inmates are in prison for drug offenses. According to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, only 9 percent are in prison for drug crimes, while 44 percent are there for violent crimes; 24 percent are there for sex crimes; 23 percent are there for non-violent crimes.
- Political fallout from RTW deal yet to land
Bridge Magazine, January 8, 2013
According to the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan, opponents would have to file petitions with signatures of registered voters equal to 8 percent of total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election for a statutory initiative. (By contrast, a referendum requires 5 percent.)
- Critics expected to test Michigan’s new emergency manager law at ballot box, in court
Mlive Kalamazoo, January 2, 2013
“Local units will obviously have more choice under the new law,” said Bettie Buss, a senior researcher for the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan. “But how the state administers this choice is the thing that remains to be seen.”
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