Musings: Betsy DeVos please keep your money in Grand Rapids and

your hands off of our

Livonia School Board Elections

There are those who repeatedly stand up and say local school elections should be supported by those living in the community or represent the community. Count this typewriter as one who wants local control for local schools.

Betsy DeVos apparently does not share that opinion as she, through the organization she identifies with, the Great Lakes Education Project, recently sent this flyer, and thanks to Nancy Osborne for sharing, to voters seeking to influence our Livonia school board election. 

In addition Devos's help is coming from two PACs that former Northville School Board President Matthew Wilk has a part in. He was removed from his position on the school board and after nearly 6,000 residents signed petitions asking him to resign chose not to run for re-election.

Instead of seeking re-election, he opted to support school candidates in Northville, Plymouth-Canton, and Livonia schools and the Republican state representative candidate running against Matt Koleszar One way he shows his support is through the Get Kids Back to School PAC, which paid for campaign yard signs and door hangers. The second show of support was through the Western Wayne Business PAC, which sent out campaign flyers to voters. 

Wilk as President of the Northville Republican Club used another organization to pay for a recent mailing against 3 members of the Northville School Board.

So the question has to be asked. Why are Matthew Wilk and Betsy DeVos so interested in the western Wayne County and Livonia school board elections? Why do they want their slate of candidates to win and are turning to out-of-district funding to help make that possible?

Let me quote Mike Testa, a hardworking Livonia resident active in furthering the positive aspects of our traditional public school system who says something that most in Livonia can agree with, "I don’t like outsiders (or their money) influencing our local School Board Elections and find it to be very troubling. DeVos and Wilk need to stay out of our elections and anyone benefiting from their support should denounce it."

Money flowing through Lansing to Livonia in an attempt to influence local school elections while preparing to siphon off funding from traditional public schools to an increase in for-profit charter schools.

It is a shame and Livonia needs to say "no" by turning out the candidates being supported in this manner.

The Tour de Livonia will return on Sunday, September 17th. What do you think about the return of the Old Fashioned Corn Roast?

The 2nd Annual Tour de Livonia will be back again next year on Sunday, September 17th. Readers were asked two questions regarding the Good Old Fashioned Corn Roast. Your responses were not surprising:

Would you like to see the Good Old Fashioned Corn Roast continue as a Livonia tradition?  

Yes 90.9%     No  9.1%

Should the 6th Annual Good Old Fashioned Corn Roast be on the same day as the Tour de Livonia?

Yes  60.9%     No  39.1%

Livonia voters should elect School Board members from these 4 candidates

While Betsy DeVos is sending her money from Grand Rapids to Livonia to buy more influence on local boards of education most Livonia leaders are lining up behind the four candidates who are active in the community, have expressed their support for the traditional public schools, and are not seeking outside funding from across the state for their campaigns.

We have three votes and should make a decision from the four candidates who will, regardless of which three are elected continue the tradition of quality education for all students.

Mayor Maureen Brosnan and the majority of the City Council are endorsing the slate of three incumbents, Colleen Burton, Mark Johnson, Liz Jarvis.

State Representative Laurie Pohutsky and State Senator Dayna Polehanki are endorsing the one challenger not affiliated with a slate, Emily Keith.

What brings Brosnan, City Council members, and our state legislators together? They are supporting candidates that will put Livonia first and not respond to the dollars flowing from Grand Rapids.