Proposals for juvenile justice racial disparities

by Becky Andrus | Apr 4, 2022 | Health and Wellness

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 1, 2022

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov

MDHHS issues Request for Proposals for

juvenile justice racial and ethnic disparities reduction

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), in collaboration with the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for stakeholders to implement and evaluate programming to reduce racial and ethnic disparities (RED) in the juvenile justice system.

MDHHS is committed to the goal of decreasing disparities, unequal treatment and unequal outcomes amongst youth belonging to racial or ethnic minorities. Applicants funded through this program must demonstrate that RED exists in their jurisdiction and must propose activities that will address those disparities at arrest.

MDHHS expects to award approximately $436,712 over a two-year period through this competitive RFP process to one agency, to implement and evaluate programming to reduce RED in their jurisdictions.

The Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice provides advice, suggestions and solutions to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on juvenile justice issues. The committee works collaboratively with MDHHS and other agencies, and has been instrumental in changing practices, policies and philosophies to improve the juvenile justice system.

Grant applications must be submitted electronically through the EGrAMS program by 3 p.m. on May 12. The program period begins July 1, 2022, and ends Sept. 30, 2022. Successful applicants may be able to receive funding through Sept. 30, 2023, subject to funding availability and acceptable performance.

For more information or to apply, visit the EGrAMS website and select “About EGrAMS” link in the left panel to access the “Competitive Application Instructions” training manual. The complete RFP can be accessed under the ‘Current Grants’ section under the “Childrens Services Agency” link and selecting the “REDII-2022” grant program.

Building Michigan Together Plan’s Historic Investments

by Becky Andrus | Apr 4, 2022 | Regional News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 1, 2022

Contact: [email protected]

Gov. Whitmer Celebrates Building Michigan Together Plan’s Historic Investments in Housing, High-Speed Internet

Bipartisan law includes largest infrastructure investments in Michigan history, will build thousands of affordable housing units, expand high-speed internet to families and small businesses

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the Building Michigan Together Plan into law, which will invest nearly $5 billion in bipartisan investments to benefit residents by growing the economy, improving infrastructure, supporting jobs, and investing in every region of the state. The plan will make significant investments in affordable, attainable housing and expand access to reliable high-speed internet, building on progress achieved since Governor Whitmer took office.

“Every Michigander deserves an affordable, attainable place to call home and fast, reliable connection to high-speed internet. Both housing and high-speed internet form the foundation for economic success, and I am so proud that the Michigan Legislature and I were able to come together to invest in both through the Building Michigan Together Plan,” said Governor Whitmer. “This plan makes bold, bipartisan investments in the kitchen-table issues that matter most to Michigan families, including clean water, smooth roads, fast internet, and beautiful parks, and will set up Michigan’s economy for decades of success. It is a testament to what is possible when we put Michiganders first.”

“As a former computer engineer and software developer, I know how important access to high-speed internet can be for our communities,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “By expanding access to affordable, accessible high-speed internet, we can grow our economy, better educate our kids, and improve healthcare outcomes. The Building Michigan Together Plan is a historic step forward that will fund the Michigan High Speed Internet Office we established last year and help us connect tens of thousands of families and small businesses in communities across Michigan. Governor Whitmer and I will continue working hard to connect our communities and make a difference for Michiganders.”

Building Michigan Together Plan High-Speed Internet Investments

The Building Michigan Together Plan will help bridge the digital divide with a $250 million investment to connect thousands more households and small businesses to reliable high-speed internet, ensuring more Michiganders and small businesses can access critical services, go to work, and participate in the global economy.

Governor Whitmer’s High-Speed Internet Investments

Since Governor Whitmer took office, Michigan has expanded high-speed internet to more than 18,000 homes and businesses, generating between $28.1 and $35.5 million in annual economic benefits. She set a statewide goal to provide 100% access to high-speed internet over the next five years, created the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office and the Connecting Michigan Task Force to coordinate the state’s high-speed internet work and align the work with economic development opportunities, and signed the Broadband Expansion Act of Michigan to codify the Connecting Michigan Communities Grant Program, a grant program to fill internet access gaps in underserved communities.

View the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration’s high-speed internet accomplishments.

Building Michigan Together Plan Housing Investments

The Building Michigan Together Plan will fund the construction of thousands of affordable, attainable housing units to give thousands of working families a stable foundation to pursue their potential. It will also help over 100,000 families stay in their homes with mortgage and rental assistance and finance energy-efficient home repairs, lowering costs for Michiganders.

Governor Whitmer’s Housing Investments

Since taking office, the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration has made several investments to help families find a place to call home. The administration helped thousands of families buy homes with the Down Payment Assistance Program and MI Home Loan Mortgage Program, provided services through the Housing Education Program to encourage homeownership and assist homeowners with the transition to new housing, and supported families with the Step Forward Michigan Homeowners Assistance Fund, a mortgage foreclosure prevention program to help families stay in their homes.

She also proposed funding for home repair and plumbing improvements for low-income households and encouraged housing developers to meet higher levels of sustainability commitments and energy efficiency by shifting construction of new units near amenities essential to healthy living like parks, grocery stores, and more.

Talking Michigan Transportation: Fuel tax pauses

by Becky Andrus | Apr 4, 2022 | Transportation

Fuel tax pauses, why U.S. transit projects cost so much, and EVs saving lives

On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a semi-regular conversation with Lloyd Brown, formerly director of communications at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and now with the consulting firm, HDR.

Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/10356213-fuel-tax-pauses-why-u-s-transit-projects-cost-so-much-and-evs-saving-lives

Topics include:

Fuel tax pauses

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s veto of a bill to pause the state tax on gas and diesel fuel. Meanwhile, the governor signaled support for a temporary freeze on the sales tax on fuel.

Governors and lawmakers in several other states are implementing or debating similar measures, but Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said this week he would not support lowering his state’s 24.8 cent gas tax.

Transit infrastructure building costs

An in-depth look by Marketplace at the soaring cost of building transit infrastructure in the U.S. According to a 2021 Eno Center analysis, the U.S. spent an average of 50 percent more on a per-mile basis for both at-grade and tunnel transit systems than other peer countries. Highways and roads are costly, too.

From the story: “We do spend a lot more money here in this country, and it seems to be particularly acute in New York. But the kind of a cost per mile of building new transit, you know, is substantially higher than other developed countries with similar economies and democratic structures,” said Paul Lewis, policy director of the Eno Center for Transportation, a nonprofit think tank.

The reasons are many and varied, but one expert cites the attention to ongoing maintenance and rebuilding that is prioritized in other countries.

“In Paris, for instance, they’ve been continually building and improving and upgrading and expanding their [subway] system, you know, for about a century now. While in New York, we basically took 60 to 70 years off, and we’re not sort of maintaining our system,” Eric Goldwyn, assistant professor and program director of the transportation and land use program at NYU Marron, told Marketplace.

Electric vehicles (EVs) and saving lives

A major shift to EVs and a clean power grid in the U.S. could save tens of thousands of lives over the next few decades, according to a new report by the American Lung Association.

A story in The Verge says a drop in pollution from tailpipes and power plants would prevent up to 110,000 premature deaths by 2050, the report projects. It would also avoid 2.8 million asthma attacks and 13.4 million lost workdays. All in all, that would amount to $1.2 trillion in public health benefits.

Consumer Alert Following Verizon Smishing Warning

by Becky Andrus | Apr 4, 2022 | Regional News

Media contact:
Lynsey Mukomel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, April 1, 2022

AG Nessel Reissues Consumer Alert Following Verizon Smishing Warning

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is sharing reminders from her Text Message Scams: Smishing Consumer Alert as Verizon customers are warned about scam messages from their own number.

Smishing is when scammers send text messages pretending to be from trusted sources. The goal is to get targets to respond with personal information like passwords and credit card details or to click on links that install malware. It is just like phishing that uses emails; instead smishing uses texts.

The company told The Verge earlier this week, “Verizon is aware that bad actors are sending spam text messages to some customers which appear to come from the customers’ own number. Our team is actively working to block these messages, and we have engaged with US law enforcement to identify and stop the source of this fraudulent activity. Verizon continues to work on behalf of the customer to prevent spam texts and related activity.”

The scam text reads like this: “Verizon Free Msg: Latest bill processed. Thanks, [MyName]! Here’s a little freebie for you: f1smk.exy/XXXXXXXX”

In response, Nessel wants to remind residents of ways to protect your number and information:

Don’t share your phone number unless you know the person or organization well.
Don’t assume a text is legitimate because it comes from a familiar phone number or area code. Spammers use caller ID Spoofing to make it appear the text is from a trusted or local source.
Don’t provide personal or financial information in response to the unsolicited text or at a website linked to the message.
Don’t click on links in suspicious text; they could install malware on your device or take you to a site that does the same.
Don’t reply, even if the message says you can “text STOP” to avoid more messages. That tells the scammer or spammer your number is active and can be sold to other bad actors.
Never follow a text’s instructions to push a designated key to opt out of future messages.

“A common smishing tactic is to send a text warning about a fake problem with one of your accounts and ask for your information,” Nessel said. “Or some scammers will pitch offers too good to be true or even promise free gift cards or trips in order to convince the recipient to click or respond. If this happens, ignore it. It could put malware on your device and lead to identity theft.”

If you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint or Bell subscriber, you can report spam or smishing texts to your carrier by copying the original text and forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM), free of charge.

If you cannot use 7726, then report smishing texts to your mobile service provider and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The Department provides a library of resources for consumers to review anytime on a variety of topics.

Your connection to consumer protection is just a click or phone call away. Consumer complaints can be filed online at the Attorney General’s website, or if you have questions call 877-765-8388.

DNR News: Record investment in state parks

by Becky Andrus | Apr 4, 2022 | Recreation

– DNR News –

CORRECTION: Thursday’s news release included an incorrect funding amount for the creation of a new state park in Flint. It should have been $30.2 million, not $26.2 million. The full, updated release follows. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The following news release was issued earlier today by the Office of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer:

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, at a podium with an affixed Building Michigan Together sign, flanked by two men and two women March 31, 2022
Contact: [email protected]

Gov. Whitmer celebrates Building Michigan Together Plan’s record investment in state parks, funding to build new state park in Flint

Bipartisan bill will continue progress on roads, water, high-speed internet, housing, and make single largest investment in state parks in Michigan history

FLINT, Mich. – After signing the Building Michigan Together Plan into law yesterday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and several state and local officials gathered in Flint to celebrate the bipartisan plan’s historic investments in state parks. Chevy Commons, the former site of the Chevrolet plant, is the planned location for Michigan’s 104th state park, funded by the Building Michigan Together Plan.

“Michiganders love our pristine parks and majestic outdoor spaces. Over the last couple of years, attendance at state parks reached historic highs as people sought space to unwind and safely connect with their friends and loved ones. Our parks support so many jobs and local economies too, empowering tourism and recreation small businesses across the state,” said Governor Whitmer. “The Building Michigan Together plan will invest $250 million to improve all 103 of our existing state parks and build a new state park in Flint. All of our state parks are important pillars of their communities. They support local small businesses, create jobs, and give people beautiful, welcoming places to make memories. The bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan proves that we can come together to deliver on the issues that matter most to families, and I look forward to seeing the impact it will have on our state parks.”

“The City of Flint is known for its beautiful parks throughout the community that offer activity spaces for our families. We appreciate the state of Michigan’s investment in turning Chevy Commons into the first and only state park in Genesee County,” said Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley. “This is a great opportunity to revitalize an area in our community that will remain free and open to all Flint residents. I’m happy to work with Gov. Whitmer to lift this effort into reality.”

“State parks around the nation are serving an increasing number of visitors, while facing ongoing operational challenges that stretch resources to the limit,” said Ron Olson, Chief of the Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division. “A record investment of this magnitude will help state parks reach new audiences, especially in great places like Flint, where a new park will energize the riverfront, create more diverse recreation opportunities and deliver high-quality programs and services. It’s also gratifying progress because one of the chief goals of Michigan’s Blue Ribbon Park Plan was to establish state parks in major urban areas.”

“Securing a state park in our community is critical for placemaking and economic development,” said Dominique Clemons, Chair for the Genesee County Board of Commissioners. “I am excited for this investment into our community that will have a transformational impact and will pave the way toward building a brighter future for Genesee County.”

“Over the past decade, hundreds of Flint teens have been exposed to career paths in outdoor recreation and natural resources conservation and management through our partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Summer Youth Employment Program,” said Dr. Kimberly Leverette, Executive Director of Flint & Genesee Education & Talent, a division of the Flint & Genesee Group. “A new state park at Chevy Commons will bring more opportunities to pursue, such as jobs and a wide breadth of recreational activities to experience. This is a huge win for not only our employment program, but also our community and economy.”

Building Michigan Together Plan

The bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan includes some of the largest infrastructure investments in Michigan history. The plan will protect clean drinking water, begin dozens of new road and bridge projects, build more affordable housing, expand high-speed internet, improve state and local parks, and support tens of thousands of jobs. More details can be found on Michigan.gov.

Parks Funding

The Building Michigan Together Plan will invest approximately $30.2 million to develop the new state park in Flint, while the remaining $220 million will help the Michigan Department of Natural Resources address a significant backlog of infrastructure, repair, and maintenance needs at 103 existing state parks.

Combined with the Building Michigan Together Plan’s $200 million investment in local parks and recreation facilities, Michigan is investing a once-in-a-lifetime total of $450 million to make parks and recreation resources safer, more attractive, and welcoming for residents and visitors.

Learn more about current state parks and trail resources through the DNR website at Michigan.gov/StateParks and Michigan.gov/DNRTrails.

Economic Benefits of Parks

Parks and recreation facilities are a big part of Michigan’s economy, generating value for surrounding communities, creating jobs and helping sustain small businesses. Michigan’s outdoor recreation industry supports billions in state Gross Domestic Product and sustains 126,000 jobs and over $4.7 billion in wages and salaries in the state.

On average, every $1 invested in land conservation leads to $4 in economic benefit, meaning the Building Michigan Together Plan’s $250 million investment in state parks will yield $1 billion in economic benefits for families, small businesses, and local communities.

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