Foreword
Privatization through Discrimination & Retaliation
The Role of Community Influencers:
Using Fiscal Solvency as a Justification for Human Rights Violations,
Discrimination, Retaliation Against a Minority Community &
the Creation of a Hostile Living Environment
to Achieve Privatization Opportunities in Michigan
Under Governor Snyder
By LaMar Lemmons, Member, Detroit School Board
In 1999, when Governor Engler imposed State Authority upon the Detroit Public School district, there was a coffer of $1.5
billion dollar bond and a $100 million dollar surplus, 261 schools and a healthy enrollment of over 168,000 students. DPS
Schools were performing at the midrange of all schools in the state. Finney High School and Denby High School had a
basketball rivalry that sold thousands of hotdogs as the community flocked in to watch and enjoy the games. Merchants and
surrounding businesses enjoyed meeting new customers and healthy sales on game days. It was a different time.
The bond money had not been spent. Long time Detroiter, and education advocate, Helen Moore explains why:
“The community was involved in the planning of how the 1994, $1.5 billion dollar bond money
was to be spent. Each school presented a budget of their needs. This was a promise from the
board and administration that the money would be spent according to the needs of each school
in order to vote ‘Yes’ on the bond issue. The board also selected, with approval from the
community, three predominantly black project managing groups; one of them was Madison &
Madison. Governor Engler's preferred managing group was not selected to receive the
proposal. For this reason, the start of community approved projects was delayed to prevent the
selected groups from continuing the work. Sharon Madison Polk, the CEO, of Madison &
Madison had to sue for damages caused by the delays, and won $10 million dollars. Finally,
Barton Malow, Governor Engler's choice, after years of delay, became the new contractor for
DPS, and the community plans presented to the board were changed. This resulted in schools
being built with many cost overruns which depleted the funds.”
Wild spending by the state. Cass Tech was one of the buildings remodeled through these funds for $804,049 only to be
demolished. A new Cass Tech was quickly constructed on the heels of the remodeling. This project was the third most
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