VOICE OF DETROIT: The city's independent newspaper, unbossed and unbought

Teachers, workers and students shut down DPS in 2001 to protest in Lansing; they stopped then Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s plan for charter schools

• Stop dismantling DPS—Defend Public Education as a Right!
• Stop Cheating Our Students Out of Their Education 
• Treat DPS Teachers, Parents, and Students with Respect and Dignity 
• Our Children are Not For Sale—Save Dr. King’s Vision for America 
• Stop the Continued Threat of Immediate Layoff—Rescind the “Special Authority” Letters Now 

 The chaos that greeted teachers, students and parents at the beginning of this school year has been deliberately inflicted by the high-handed, destructive corporate methods of Robert Bobb and his lackeys. Hundreds of teachers who got layoff notices in June had not had those notices rescinded by the beginning of school.

Hundreds of teachers were forced to interview for their own jobs, and even after agreements were reached between teachers and principals, were forcibly moved by Bobb to other schools. Other teachers received “special authority” letters instead of bona fide rescission of their layoff notices, leaving them open to layoff on a two-day notice. 

Replace “Miss Vacancy” with a Qualified, Credentialed Teacher in Every Classroom, Restore All Substitutes’ Salary and Benefits, Fully Staff Counselors and Return Special Education Teachers to Their Students.

Dozens of special education teachers have been forced to teach general education classes and their special education students have been dispersed into general education classes, where their teachers have no special education experience. Countless teachers are being forced to teach outside their subject areas. Six special education teachers Continue reading →

DMC's Harper University Hospital/Hutzel

A FOUR-PART IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF DEAL

BY DIANE BUKOWSKI 

Blackstone owns 70% of Vanguard; CEO compared Obama to Hitler 

DETROIT – Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox will announce his decision on the transfer of the Detroit Medical Center to Nashville-based Vanguard Health Systems by Sept. 15, according to Vanguard’s Aug. 26 SEC filing.  

Deputy Chief Attorney General Carol Isaacs called the transaction, valued at $1.2 billion, one of the largest in the nation. She spoke at a little-publicized “community” forum Aug. 18 at Cadillac Place in Detroit.  

The non-profit DMC provides the largest amount of indigent and uninsured care in Michigan, and is currently in the black. Vanguard, a for-profit, just announced losses of $49 million for the fiscal year ended June 30.  

Blackstone CEO compared Hitler to Pres. Obama

Vanguard is 70 percent owned by the Blackstone Group, a global private equity firm, with assets of $78 billion. In July, Blackstone’s CEO Stephen Schwarzman compared President Barack Obama to Hitler, because Obama proposed to raise taxes on the private equity sector.  

“It’s a war,” Schwarzman said. “It’s like when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939.” He later apologized for the comparison, but not for his opposition to paying Blackstone’s fair share of taxes.   

Forum participants debate deal 

Many attendees at the Aug. 18 forum, primarily DMC and Vanguard executives, politicians, and members of the “Unified Detroit Coalition,” enthusiastically supported the proposed transaction, claiming they had thoroughly researched its advantages. 

DMC board chair Stephen D'Arcy at far left, Vanguard's Trip Pilgrim and DMC CEO Mike Duggan at center, DMC general counsel Floyd Allen at right

“Two-thirds of the non-profit hospitals in Detroit have closed,” DMC CEO Mike Duggan, red-faced with excitement, said. “People are emotionally clinging to the romanticized ideas of non-profits, but there are beautiful facilities in the suburbs that we need to copy. The transformation to a for-profit will actually increase access to the uninsured.” 

Ironically, the suburban Detroit hospitals to which Duggan referred are all non-profits. Michigan currently has only one for-profit hospital, Doctor’s Hospital in Pontiac.  

Trip Pilgrim, of Vanguard Health Systems, said, “Our hospitals in San Antonio give more charity care than religious-based systems, and in Chicago, more charity care than 78 percent of the non-profits.”   Continue reading →

Vanguard takeover could endanger Hutzel premie unit

Attorney Benjamin earlier said, “We’re concerned that the deal doesn’t have enough guarantees for Detroiters . . . .Vanguard can close any of the DMC hospitals if the DMC board majority agrees. In the meantime, they can cut back on any unprofitable services, such as Hutzel Hospital’s premature infant unit, the largest in the state. That would cause infant mortality in Detroit, already the highest in the country, to increase even further.”  

Bias: Former Cox-Duggan relationship, no independent review of Vanguard health systems

 State law charges Cox’s office with performing an independent review of the transfer of a non-profit to a for-profit before rendering an opinion. How independent that review has been is questionable. Cox worked for several years as an assistant prosecutor when DMC CEO Mike Duggan was Wayne County Prosecutor, but neither man has declared that as a potential conflict of interest. 

 Both ignored inquiries about that matter to their press representatives John Sellek and Tiffany Jones, respectively. 

Cox, who ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for governor this year, was endorsed by anti-abortionists. He was also the only Republican to openly support the anti-affirmative action Proposal 2. He has now come out in favor of Arizona’s anti-immigration law.  All these positions raise questions about how he will deal a matter involving health care for all. 

Additionally, Cox’s FAQ’s are startlingly cavalier about any independent review of Vanguard’s other health systems. 

 “Our office has interviewed DMC medical professionals and members of DMC’s Board of Trustees and management who visited Baptist Health System in St. Antonio, TX,” his office declares. “VHS has owned this system since 2003.  On the basis of these interviews and other publicly-available information, our office is not currently aware of any significant, negative factors.  Our office has not undertaken an independent review of VHS’s performance in other states. “  Continue reading →

NO STAFF, BILINGUAL TEACHERS, SPACE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS 

 

Michael Ford

From Electronic Village

Michael Ford,50, had been on life support since police used a taser on him back on August 14. He died on August 26 when his family consented to having him removed from life support.

Here is the story according to the Livonia Police department:

According to the issued statement, police were called to the 20000 block of Purlingbrook on a report of a disturbance about 11 p.m. Aug. 13. A man was playing loud music from his vehicle and nearly struck another car.  An unidentified officer spoke to an intoxicated man, identified as Ford, who was told to go back into his apartment because the complainant was not located.

About two hours later, at 1 a.m. Aug. 14, Livonia Police were called again to the same place on another report of loud music in the parking lot.

“This time he was holding what appeared to be two knives, one in each hand, he was yelling and approaching the scout car. The officer retreated and awaited a back-up officer. When that officer arrived they approached Mr. Ford and ordered him to the ground as they had reason to believe he may still be armed,” the police statement said.

When Ford refused to comply, an unidentified Livonia officer deployed the Taser. Ford fell and hit his head, police said.

Ford’s cousin Ewayne Harrell said Ford had more injuries than falling and hitting his head after being jolted by a taser gun.

“(The police) beat him up. He had a ruptured spleen, a cracked pelvis and cracks in the front and back of his head. I don’t see how you can get all that from a Taser,” he said.

Harrell also disputed police statements made Tuesday, saying Ford did not have a knife and “was not on drugs.” Continue reading →