Traverse City Record-Eagle

Your Views

May 11, 2012

Letters to the Editor: 05/11/2012

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TCSaves is a positive

Opportunity lurks for even more homes in our fair city. TCSaves, the energy-saving, job creating, educational project of Traverse City Light & Power, the Michigan Land Use Institute and SEEDS, has been so successful that it is expanding into more parts of the community. I participated, and as a finishing touch, an electricity-use monitor was installed yesterday, and within five minutes, I found things to turn off to save energy.

My awareness of electricity use is heightened, my house is tighter and warmer and my energy use diminished. Climate change can seem pretty overwhelming, but TCSaves is something positive we can do right here, right now, and make a difference. And even get help making the changes.

I recommend TCSaves to all.

Mary Van Valin

Traverse City

Be accountable to residents

This election year should focus on the economy and jobs. A solution to these issues is education. Michigan should re-educate individuals who have lost their jobs. If we put those men and women back to work we'd solve both problems.

Our college tuition and fees have made advanced education out of reach for some families. Today's workforce needs to have a college or technical school education. Government low- or no-interest loans should be available to students.

We should concentrate on K-12 public education. We need to put more resources and support into our skill centers and public schools.

Our education system needs to extend its vision, i.e., "one size fits all" is short-sighted. Industry could take the lead by adopting a public school, investing and mentoring students.

Michigan's governor and Legislature have focused on destroying public education, making working conditions for public employees difficult, and let college costs "skyrocket." More charter schools dilutes the money available for public education. The school aid formula benefits wealthy districts and leaves the rest struggling. The governor, Legislature and our corporations should be held accountable to the residents, the 99 percent, in Michigan.

Ronald D. Dykstra

Beulah

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