VIRTUAL SUCCESS!

OAKLAND PRESS NOVEMBER 9, 2005
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/110905/loc_2005110901.shtml

A VIRTUAL WIRELESS OAKLAND / Pontiac Pilot Project

VIRTUAL

WIRELESS OAKLAND

PONTIAC PILOT PROJECT

Oakland Press / November 1, 2005

http://www.theoaklandpress.com

Article
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/110105/loc_2005110101.shtml

IN MEMORY OF A VIRTUAL CANDIDATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

ROSA PARKS

WILL LIVE

FOREVER

IN OUR MEMORYS

Detroit Free Press / October 31, 2005

http://www.freep.com/index.htm

Photo Gallery's
http://www.freep.com/index/rosaparks.htm

http://www.freep.com/photos/2005/parks1024/index.htm

http://www.freep.com/photos/2005/parks1028/index.htm

http://www.freep.com/photos/2005/parks1027/index.htm

http://www.freep.com/photos/2003/bus_012703/index.htm

A VIRTUAL "SLAM-DUNK" FOR YOUTH

CITY RESIDENTS CONCERNED ABOUT KIDS
Oakland Press Article October 25, 2oo5
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/102505/loc_2005102502.shtml

A VIRTUAL Question via the Oakland Press

Who Cares About Pontiac? WE DO!

Oakland Press Article / Sunday, October 23, 2005
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/102305/loc_2005102301.shtml

Housing BOOM! / City at a Crossroads / Part-2
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/102405/loc_2005102403.shtml

Changing Demographics / City at a Crossroads / Part-3
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/102505/loc_2005102501.shtml

Schools in Decline / City at a Crossroads / Part-4
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/102605/loc_2005102602.shtml

Downtown DILEMMA / City at a Crossroads / Part-5
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/102705/loc_2005102702.shtml

We Deserve to Feel Safe / City at a Crossroads / Part-6
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/102805/loc_2005102802.shtml

City at a Crossroads / Part-7

City at a Crossroads / Part-8

A Virtual Town Hall Community Event

Meeting:

October 24, 2005 6:00PM

Town Hall Meeting / Community of 50
City Council Chambers at Pontiac City Hall

Pontiac Cafe / A Virtual Community Conversation

October 11, 2005 6:00PM
Notre Dame Preparatory High School

Kent Roberts and Rick Willams / Civility Center http://www.civilitycenter.org

Will post comments, etc. or you can visit http://www.pontiaccafe.blogspot.com

A VIRTUAL Dire Straights Dead Ahead

Pontiac schools to ask for 10 percent pay cut


Of The Oakland Press
ÊÊÊÊPONTIAC - School administrators hope to chop a daunting budget shortfall in half by asking all school employees to accept a 10 percent pay cut. ÊÊÊ

ÊOther proposals being offered to narrow the gap include closing three school buildings, eliminating more than 100 support staff positions and cutting athletic program spending by half.

ÊÊÊÊ"We certainly have some very serious challenges before us," said Terry Pruitt, the district's assistant superintendent for business services.

ÊÊÊÊAnswering speculation that the district's budget shortfall for the 2005-06 school year was as high as $24.9 million, administrators presented the Pontiac Board of Education with detailed information Tuesday identifying an $18.1 million problem.

ÊÊÊÊTo date, the district has implemented $4.6 million in cuts that range from administrative and teacher position reductions to food, transportation and supply cost reductions. To avoid slipping into the red, however, board members will need to fi nd $13.5 million in additional cuts by June 30, 2006.

ÊÊÊÊ"As we speak, we are not in the red. We are forecasting a deficit if we do nothing," said Superintendent Mildred Mason. "The truth is that we're spending more than we should in terms of the number of students we're serving."

ÊÊÊÊIn fact, a recent annual audit of district spending found that during the 2004-05 school year, spending was $5.1 million more than anticipated. The same amount is part of cuts needed in the current school year.

ÊÊÊÊBecause 80 percent to 85 percent of district spending is on employee salaries and benefits, administrators said a considerable portion of spending cuts would have to come from staff. Mason and other administrators looked to lead by example Tuesday by pledging to accept a 10 percent pay reduction and a freeze on salary and benefits in the 2006-07 school year.

ÊÊÊÊWinning a 10 percent pay reduction from all district employees would result in roughly $6 million in savings.

ÊÊÊÊOfficials have looked to win concessions from district support staff since late June, but those efforts have been stalled by communication problems.

ÊÊÊÊOn Tuesday, Board President Richard Seay directed Mason to arrange meetings with union presidents as soon as possible to discuss the district's fi nancial situation in detail and begin negotiating a solution.

ÊÊÊÊ"I'm tired of sitting at this board table and seeing everybody pointing fi ngers and saying, 'Noboby called me,' " he said.

ÊÊÊÊTanya Muse, representative of the Pontiac Education Association, told board members that three weeks after requesting it, she still has not received information detailing how the district fell into its fi nancial predicament. Following Tuesday's meeting, she said she could not comment on the 10 percent pay cut plan until that information is provided.

ÊÊÊÊDistrict officials agree the most daunting problem leading to district budget woes has been a rapidly declining student population. Administrators had predicted a loss of 372 students this year, but that figure has been updated to 712 students.

ÊÊÊÊAs a result, building closures appear imminent. On Tuesday, plans for the merging of Washington and Jefferson middle schools, Purdue and Longfellow elementaries and Crofoot and Franklin elementaries were introduced. It is unclear which buildings will be closed.

ÊÊÊÊAdministrators plan to bring these plans, as well as the pay cut, support staff reduction and other cost-cutting measures, before the board's finance and personnel committees over the coming days. The plan could be back before the board for action as soon as Sept. 26.

ÊÊÊÊMason said prompt action is necessary not only to avoid worsening the fi nancial challenges, but also to get the district's attention back in the classroom.

ÊÊÊÊ"We need to take care of this so that all of us can refocus on educating our children," she said. "We're still held accountable for student achievement despite all the other challenges we face."

A VIRTUAL Finish for November

Pontiac's mayor survives primary

Clarence Phillips is top candidate with 1,401 votes
Of The Oakland Press

ÊÊÊÊPONTIAC - State Rep. Clarence Phillips and Mayor Willie Payne came out on top over eight challengers in Tuesday's mayoral primary for a place on the ballot Nov. 8, when voters will choose one for a four-year term in the top city office.

ÊÊÊÊPhillips led in the voting, taking 1,401 votes compared with Payne's 1,196 with all precincts and absentee ballots counted by 10 p.m. Former Deputy Mayor Leon Jukowski came in third with 1,035 votes, and Councilman Charlie J. Harrison III won 909 votes. Vote totals were unoffi cial.

ÊÊÊÊVoter turnout appeared to be unusually low at about 7,913 citywide, with 6,313 at the precincts plus 1,600 in absentee ballots, a fact that surprised some political activists who thought the controversy over the city's financial problems and the high number of candidates - 10 - would bring a larger turnout than the last primary. This left a large number of candidates dividing up a small number of votes. The last primary in 2001 brought out 10,067 of 44,000 registered voters, said Deputy City Clerk Yvette Talley.

ÊÊÊÊBetween now and Nov. 8, Payne and Phillips will each fight to prove who is most worthy of the top elected offi ce.

ÊÊÊÊPhillips, who continued working in the state Legislature throughout his campaign, said he was not surprised at the voters' decision.

ÊÊÊÊ"I felt with the grass-roots campaign we put together and the way were down to people to people, door to door, street to street, it proved to be an effective way to let people know we were serious in gaining their support to work for a better community. We didn't have a lot of money, but a lot of heart and a lot of conviction," said Phillips, who previously served on the City Council.

ÊÊÊÊ"We've got some serious problems that need to be resolved," he said, noting he thinks his knowledge of state politics will help the city. "I'll work 24/7 to get this city back on track. We want to make it a good place to work and play for every child and adult."

ÊÊÊÊAlthough Payne came in second, he said: "I feel that people have shown their confidence in me as a leader. Considering the adversities and financial challenges that engulfed this city, they still believe in us. I am still the mayor until the election and I feel confident that folks will keep this administration intact."

ÊÊÊÊJukowski stayed at City Hall until the fi nal results were in.

ÊÊÊÊ"I'm disappointed. I gave it my best shot. I don't think anyone can say they've outcampaigned me," he said.

ÊÊÊÊTotals for other strong candidates were 852 for former police chief Larry Miracle and 716 for Dell Community Center director William Martinez. Systems administrator Brian James Kelly garnered 161 votes; Damon Ferguson, a pharmacy technician, took 19; National Guardsman and student Ben Shattuck Sr. had 13; George Fettig, an advocate for the mentally ill, won 3; and writein candidates had 8. ÊÊ

ÊÊSix - Payne, Harrison, Miracle, Jukowski, Phillips and Martinez - had an advantage over the others in experience and name recognition.

ÊÊÊÊCritics said Payne let the city get into a defi cit situation and acted too late to keep it from growing to $34 million. Each challenger contended there should be a change, and that he was the one that could do it.

ÊÊÊÊHowever, Payne countered that he has faced the fi nancial problems head-on after discovering them during his administration and is now gaining control over the city's finances. He has said many of the financial problems started years ago.

ÊÊÊÊIn Council District 7, Council President Everett Seay, with about 52 percent of the votes, easily won a place on the November ballot along with Kermit Williams, an account marketing executive. Seay took 495, Williams, 241; and Malkia Maisha, a housing commissioner, 129. Betty Lewis-Rand, who had dropped out of the race, took 91 votes.

ÊÊÊÊOnly District 7 had a race in the primary to narrow the field to two on the Nov. 8 ballot. The other six council districts had two or fewer candidates. All will appear on the November ballot.