Political Ruminations

Flashback Quote of the Day: Gov. Rick Snyder

Michigan’s hated Republican governor, Rick Snyder, taken from his written endorsement of Mitt Romney in February 2012:

“ Mitt understands the challenges confronting Michigan as few Americans do. ”

Yeah, Romney certainly understood Michigan’s “challenges” when he said “let Detroit go bankrupt”.

Snyder is now facing another recall action, this one far more likely to be successful.

Related Posts:
~ Gov. Rick Snyder & Michigan GOP Engaging in Disaster Capitalism
~ Republican Governor Rick Snyder Signs Draconian Bill in to Law
~ Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Begins Rape of Michigan to Benefit Wealthy
~ The Corporatization of Michigan
~ Corporations Behind Michigan’s Unconstitutional EFM Law

UPDATE: Recall Rick Snyder Michigan Governor

The recall effort for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) is at the halfway point in terms of time to collect the 800,000 plus signatures required to put the recall of Snyder to the voters on the November ballot. They need volunteers, but most of all, they need cash money to fund the recall effort, according to the Detroit Free Press.

But the recall effort appears to be practically penniless. A fund-raising appeal at ActBlue.com (a tool for online fund-raising for liberal causes and candidates) had attracted $15,143 as of Thursday afternoon. And it shows few signs of having developed the infrastructure critical to a statewide campaign and imperative for a statewide recall.

Mark Grebner, a longtime East Lansing political consultant, said the Snyder recall, like every gubernatorial recall campaign before it, is destined to run aground.

"There's just a lot more to doing something like that than people realize," Grebner said. "If someone asked me how much it would cost to run a statewide recall campaign, I would say, 'Probably $10 million ... no less than $5 million.' "

Okay. If we really want this guy gone, and I know that I certainly do, we need to put some money in to it. Go here to donate. Be as generous as you can afford to be. Remember. We only have until August 5 to accomplish this.

Thom Hartmann on Michigan Citizens vs. Gov. Rick Snyder’s Dictatorship

Okay. So I’ve been doing a lousy job lately of keeping up with Rick Snyder’s dictatorship/regime in Michigan, primarily because I live in Michigan, and I can barely stand to read the stuff myself because it distresses me so much. It also absolutely infuriates me when I watch the local news and they try to paint it as normal goings on (ABC affiliate, WXYZ.com), so I have stopped watching local news. Blech. That said, I’ll try to do a better job of it as of now, and if I slack off, feel free to give me a friendly nudge.

Last week Sugar Law Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of Michigan citizens seeking an injunction against Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law. At that time, Thom Hartmann talked to John Philo, the lead attorney in the lawsuit, and the resulting interview is well worth watching if you’d like to become more informed re the state of democracy in Michigan.

Watch:

The Big PictureRT:

John Philo, Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, joins Thom Hartmann. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s “Financial Managers” will face their first legal test – as the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice filed suit today arguing his “Financial Managers” law violates the state constitution. Earlier this year – Republican Governor Snyder passed a bill that allows him to take over any city in Michigan that’s struggling financially – fire all the local elected officials – and put in place a crony of his own personal choosing – what’s called a Financial Manager – to handle the city’s finances. That Financial Manager has the power to do pretty much anything – from voiding union contracts – to cutting local government services – to even selling off huge chunks of the city like public parks and power plants to his buddies in private corporations at a fire-sale price. But as the Sugar Law Center says in a press release about the law: “It is a power grab by Lansing politicians ideologically committed to rewarding the private sector at the expense of the common god an attack on the very core of democracy.” And now Sugar Law Center is fighting back.

---

A Few Related Posts:
~ Gov. Rick Snyder & Michigan GOP Engaging in Disaster Capitalism
~ Republican Governor Rick Snyder Signs Draconian Bill in to Law
~ Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Begins Rape of Michigan to Benefit Wealthy
~ The Corporatization of Michigan
~ Corporations Behind Michigan’s Unconstitutional EFM Law

Major Rant

I don’t usually do actual rants cause I'm just not that good at it, but I guess that thinking about this topic has driven me there. Plus, AngryBlackLady inspired me, although I will never be able to measure up to her awesome, awesome rants.  NSFW.

So let me be clear at the outset. My purpose is not to denigrate our Democratic lawmakers for their intentions, but rather it is to denigrate them for their inaction, lack of action, or as Olbermann says, their damn TIMIDITY!!

I have spent the last year (since June 27, 2010) blogging here, posting stuff that I felt people should be aware of, trying to do my part because our media no longer does their job. During much of that time, I’ve been sick, and as a self-employed person I’ve lost income because I focused on blogging instead of earning. Since sometime in April of this year I’ve had writer’s block, which started shortly after Michigan’s GOP legislature enabled and encouraged, Michigan’s Republican fucking governor, Rick Snyder, to turn Michigan in to a corporation. The ONLY media person that really did her job and reported on this mess, was the inimitable Rachel Maddow, along with myself and my fellow lefty bloggers such as Eclectablog, Ashby and Bob, Karoli, ExtremeLiberal, and a few others. That’s IT.

Not only that, but while these Republican governors and legislatures have been (see ALEX) busily rewriting laws in many states (Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, et al), busting unions, destroying our public education system, privatizing everything in sight, NO ONE said a fucking word. Not even ONE damn Democratic lawmaker spoke out or showed any get up and go except for the Wisconsin 10.

Then, we watched as Anthony Weiner went down, brought down not by Republicans, but by the Democratic leadership. Yes, I know that what he did was bloody damn stupid, but come on. There wasn’t even any physical fucking contact. He did not do anything that hurt his constituents in any way except for to get caught. I’ll let Olbermann say what needs to be said on this issue because he nailed it. Watch:

Injunction Sought Against Michigan Emergency Manager Law

In an Ingham County court today, Michigan citizens filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law.

The law was enacted by Michigan’s Republican controlled legislature in April, and has caused a massive uproar with citizens seeking to recall legislators, Gov. Rick Snyder, and a repeal of the law itself. From the Michigan Messenger:

The Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act allows the governor to appoint Emergency Managers to take over local units of government, fire elected officials, sell off or privatize community assets and even dissolve whole cities.

The measure was rushed through the Republican-controlled legislature this spring as a move to protect against widespread municipal bankruptcies, with some of its supporters referring to it as “financial martial law.”

But in legal arguments filed in court this morning a group of 25 plaintiffs say the right of citizens to elect their local officials is guaranteed in the state Constitution and financial stress is not a legitimate ground for scrapping the democratic process.

“This is an infringement on basic democracy,” said plaintiffs attorney John Philo of the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice. “It really is an experiment in a new form of government — one person rule.”

The complaint alleges that the law “violates the rights of local voters by attempting to delegate law-making power and the power to adopt local acts to unelected emergency mangers, by suspending the rights of local electors to establish charters and to elect local officials, and by imposing substantial new costs and expenses upon local municipalities without providing new revenue,” the group argues.

The law is so extreme, the plaintiffs say, that it “establishes a new form of local government, previously unknown within the United States or the State of Michigan, where the people within local municipalities may be governed by an unelected official who establishes local law by decree.”

Please note:  The term “Emergency Financial Manager” is extinct. The correct term is now “Emergency Manager”, the qualifier, “financial”, having been removed. It really shouldn’t have been there to begin with since the law granted such broad authority to the EM, not just financial authority.

Jeb Bush Involved in Michigan Education Reform

Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder announced a plan to reform Michigan’s public education system today, a plan which includes a takeover of struggling schools, and included assistance from former Florida governor, Jeb Bush. The Michigan Messenger, emphasis mine:

Doug Pratt, Communications Director of Michigan Education Association, in an email to the Michigan Messenger said adopting merit pay would be futile in attempting to increase student achievement, saying research shows no correlation between the two.

“Jeb’s ideas are designed to dismantle and privatize our system of public education,” Pratt said.

Bush also talked about how the role of teachers would change when Michigan moved toward a more technology and online based learning environment.

“It makes the teaching experience different, less focused on world class content and more focused on managing the learning experience that could be unique for each child,” said Bush. “That may sound like some weird notion but that’s how life works in America and across the world today and it could easily work in education with structural changes.”

But not everyone was convinced. Rep. Brown questioned Bush and Levesque about their success with college entrance exams, pointing out that, even after the Bush reforms in Florida, Michigan’s college bound students outperformed Florida students in the ACT. Michigan students, she said, average a score of 19 on the ACT, while Florida students averaged 16.

I agree with the statement that these governors are looking to privatize schools, i.e., sell them to the highest bidder, especially since Republicans have made it clear that they want to be done with public education.

---

RELATED POSTS:

~ Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Announces Takeover of Struggling Schools
~ Jeb Bush Involved in Michigan Education Reform
~ Roy S. Roberts New Emergency Manager for Detroit Public Schools is the Managing Director of Reliant Equity Investors
~ Republican Governor Rick Snyder Signs Draconian Bill in to Law
~ Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Begins Rape of Michigan to Benefit Wealthy
~ The Corporatization of Michigan
~ Corporations Behind Michigan’s Unconstitutional EFM Law

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Announces Takeover of Struggling Schools

More disaster capitalism from Rick Snyder, this time targeting struggling public schools in Detroit. From the Michigan Messenger:

Under the new plan, the schools in the bottom five percent of the academic progress programs will be taken over by the state Department of Education. There, the schools will be overseen by a new board made up of Eastern Michigan University officials, appointments from the governor’s office, and Roberts. The board will an 11-person board, with five of those members serving as an executive committee.

According to Snyder’s press release, the restructuring will include the following:

§ Ensuring that each child’s school has a principal that 1) is qualified and knows how to create a safe learning environment and 2) passionately believes that every child, of every background, is capable of success.

§ Spending as much money as possible in the classroom – not on administration – to help students and teachers make dramatic academic gains. Detroit Public Schools currently spends nearly half of its entire budget on bureaucracy and management, with $900 per student going simply to pay off debt. Because the system will operate on a very lean administrative structure and not be required to payout funds toward debt reduction, it will ultimately seek to push 95 percent of all school funds to the classroom.

§ Hiring teachers that have a track record or the promise of success, and then empowering, supporting and rewarding them to succeed in the classroom. Every staff member in the central office will be held responsible for supporting teachers in the classroom, and all employees will work under a “continuous improvement” model that allows staff to provide students with immediate help when they have fallen behind. Staff will be able to access a multitude of cutting edge national and local resources to bring students up to speed, regularly monitoring their progress and continuing this loop until each student achieves at dramatically higher levels.

§ Providing students with a challenging curriculum and longer school day that will allow for more instructional time in core subject areas like reading and math as well as access to the arts, music and physical education.

§ Providing every parent a voice in the future of their child’s school, including a role in the Parent Advisory Councils where they can provide direct feedback and guidance. As the school makes academic gains, the parent council will assume additional responsibilities for supporting its school.

§ Sharing local school performance data with parents so they can make an informed decision about how to get the best possible education for their child.

§ Asking parents to agree in writing to play a role in making sure their children succeed in school.

You should know that under Snyder’s new plan, all struggling public schools in the state of Michigan will be taken over (by the 2012-2013 school year) and restructured according to the guidelines of the master plan revealed today.

Adding…….watching for news of a response to Snyder’s plan from the teachers unions. We still have no idea how this will affect teachers and other public service sector workers in the schools. My feeling is that their contracts are at risk.

Go here to join the effort to recall Rick Snyder.

---

RELATED POSTS:

~ Jeb Bush Involved in Michigan Education Reform
~ Roy S. Roberts New Emergency Manager for Detroit Public Schools is the Managing Director of Reliant Equity Investors
~ Republican Governor Rick Snyder Signs Draconian Bill in to Law
~ Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Begins Rape of Michigan to Benefit Wealthy
~ The Corporatization of Michigan
~ Corporations Behind Michigan’s Unconstitutional EFM Law

Roy S. Roberts New Emergency Manager for Detroit Public Schools is the Managing Director of Reliant Equity Investors

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder today announced his appointment of Roy S. Roberts, a former GM executive, and currently the managing director and co-founding member of the private equity firm, Reliant Equity Investors. to replace Robert Bobb as the Detroit school district’s emergency financial manager. At a news conference today, Roberts said "This is a mission for me. This is something I want to do.”

Morning Quote: Rachel Maddow

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow describes the situation in Michigan, where Republicans have enacted a law which essentially does away with democracy on the local level:

With this emergency law in Michigan, the state says that these places can‘t be fixed with their democracy in place and functioning, that the solution for them depends on doing away with that democracy, doing away with representative government, doing away with their elected officials.  The repair for their brokenness begins with ending their democratic decision making and imposing something shocking name to it but is the only way to describe this—imposing a kind of dictatorship, with the dictator being a person of the state‘s choosing.

Let’s not kid ourselves, however. Although emergency financial managers will all technically have the power, the truth is that the EFMs serve at the will of Gov. Snyder and thus they are  likely to be more like puppets, with Snyder being the puppeteer,  than independent voices, making Snyder himself the “dictator”.

You can view the video here.

Maddow: Update on Michigan Dictatorship

I’m short on time, and so I just grabbed Maddow’s latest vid (from last night), and I am presenting it with out much comment.

I will try to remember to grab the transcript for this segment when it gets posted, so check back if you’re interested. (you can now read the transcript after the jump)

This segment is primarily about Benton Harbor and the Catherine Ferguson Academy. Benton Harbor is planning to sue on constitutional grounds.

Of note, Rachel mentions that Rick Snyder will be the first governor since 1984 to act as Benton Harbor’s grand marshall in the city’s Grand Floral Parade (part of their Blossomtime Festival). This is happening in Benton Harbor next week, on May 7. Feel free to go and throw some rotten tomatoes. Certainly, no one deserves that more than Gov. Rick Snyder.

While I’m talking about the parade, I should mention that a friend of mine is producing a documentary about the anti-democracy movement in Michigan, and he will be at the parade to document the tomatoes, and any other occurrences.

Watch:

The Corporatization of Michigan

Via Laura Conway, writing for Maddow Blog, I learned today that there is pushback from a reporter for the Kalamazoo Gazette regarding Maddow’s position on the events occurring in Benton Harbor. .

The reporter, Julie Mack, writes:

What's worse for Benton Harbor: A financial manager with dictatorial powers or an utterly dysfunctional city government? Are Benton Harbor residents better served by 90 acres of parkland, or 68 acres and a new source of revenue for cash-strapped city coffers? Is it insensitive to build an upscale development in a downtrodden community, as Maddow suggests? Or does it show that the business community hasn't turned its back on Benton Harbor?

Yes, Ms. Mack apparently thinks (or was told to write by her corporate bosses) that both the governor, and his wealthy cronies behind the golf club, are doing Benton Harbor a favor.

I strongly disagree. Here's why.

Robert Bobb, Detroit Schools EFM, Attempts to Sell His Treatment of Teachers, Charter Schools, and School Reform in a Video Interview

The videos are from an interview (aired just a few minutes ago) with Robert Bobb, the Detroit School District's Emergency Financial Manager,  and conducted by Carolyn Clifford, a reporter for the local ABC affiliate in Detroit.

Presented without comment.

Watch:

Part 1

Maddow: Republicans Are the Party of BIG, as in Big Brother, Government

As many differences as we have between us, I think that all Liberals-Progressives can agree on this: Republicans have run completely amuck. And nowhere is this more evident than at the state level.

The question now is, could we have known this would happen, did Republicans who ran for state level offices tell us what they were planning?

No, of course not. Case in point. Rick Snyder, the newly elected governor of Michigan. He wisely refused to engage in debates during the run-up to the election. When his opponent, Virg Bernero, the current mayor of Lansing, Michigan, cornered Snyder in a very public way, Snyder agreed to one debate which turned out to be complete and utter nonsense. useless since Snyder in no way intimated his plans for the state during said debate.

Rachel Maddow called out Republicans for their utter hypocrisy, some might call it criminal hypocrisy, in promising smaller government to voters during campaigns, and then going for really BIG government, BIG Brother type government, once in office.

Watch (this is a long clip, but it’s worth watching):

Scary stuff.

---

NEW & RELATED POSTS:

~ Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Begins Rape of Michigan to Benefit Wealthy Cronies

~ Corporations Behind Michigan's Unconstitutional EFM Law, Including Amway and Koch Industries

~ The Corporatization of Michigan

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Begins Rape of Michigan to Benefit Wealthy Cronies

Having been sick for the past few days, I missed hearing on Friday that Benton Harbor, Michigan had been “seized” by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder under the authority of the much despised, un-democratic, unconstitutional, emergency financial manager law.

The EFM law gives Snyder the power to hand pick emergency financial managers (or emergency financial "corporate persons"), who then have the authority to take the following actions:

1. Consolidate or dissolve local governments and dismiss the officials elected by the people.
2. Consolidate or dissolve school districts, close schools, and dismiss elected school board members.
3. Sell off public property. Public. Property. Parks, buildings, licenses, permits, and so forth. All of it.
4. Privatize government services, with all that entails.
5. Shred all contracts agreed to by local governments and schools, including union contracts.

On Thursday, Snyder’s newly appointed EFM Nazi, Joseph Harris, stripped the elected government of Benton Harbor of all  powers:

Fresh from our "Isn't this America?" file, Todd A. Haywood of The Michigan Messenger is reporting that Joe Harris, the emergency financial manager of the city of Benton Harbor, Mich. has issued an order stripping all city boards and commissions of all their authority to take any action.

The order, signed Thursday, limits the actions available to such bodies to calling a meeting to order, approving the minutes of meetings and adjourning a meeting. The bodies are prohibited under the act from taking any other action without the express authority of the Emergency Financial Manager, Joseph Harris.

Before we go further, let me do a little geography lesson for those of you who aren’t familiar with the Southwest Michigan area.

Marked in red on Michigan’s southwest coast are a few of the many beach towns ubiquitous to the land bordered by the great lakes, in this case, by Lake Michigan.

Grand Haven, Holland, Saugatuck and St. Joseph are primarily populated by Caucasians (all over 80%), are also mostly populated by the wealthy who spend winters in Chicago or Detroit, and are relatively expensive to vacation in. Homes on the water are, of course, priced out of reach for all but the very wealthy.

Benton Harbor has only one thing in common with these towns. It has a very lovely waterfront area which was donated to the town as a park. Uncommon to the other towns, the population of Benton Harbor is better than 80% black, and the town is very poor. You can see where I’m going with this.

But, while you might have thought that this was primarily about race, you would have been wrong, although race is certainly a factor, as is class. Rachel Maddow reveals the real reason behind the takeover. Watch:

So this is what we know - Rick Snyder’s wealthy cronies want the waterfront area currently owned by the city of Benton Harbor for themselves. They also want the contracts for the redevelopment of said area. The only remaining question is how exactly this will go down. Stay tuned…….

Maddow: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Most Over-Reaching Republican Governor

I love Rachel Maddow, but she is just now figuring that out? Come on, really. This was evident from the moment we learned the details of Snyder's EFM law. From Rachel herself, no less.

Watch:

Michigan Legislative Watch

Cuts in Unemployment Benefits

On Monday, Michigan became the first state in the country to reduce the number of weeks that the unemployed can receive benefits from the state, as Snyder signed off on a bill which reduces jobless benefits, cutting the number of weeks from 26 to 20 before unemployment runs out. The Lansing State Journal:

Snyder said he signed the bill reducing state benefits from 26 to 20 weeks because it will allow people out of a job now to get up to 20 more weeks of help from a federal program for those who used up their state and most of their regular federal unemployment benefits. The change will allow them to extend unemployment benefits to 99 weeks.

Gov. Snyder issued a press release after signing the bill in private:

Cutting them off so abruptly would have jeopardized the well-being of those who are trying hard to find work,

Critics say that Snyder should have vetoed the bill:

Steps Required to Recall Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder

As I mentioned in my last update, we are required to follow the recall rules of Washtenaw County since Gov. Snyder remains in residence there, and does not reside in Lansing, or anywhere else in Ingham County.

Below I’ve listed the actions required, and indicated the timeline. All information was sourced from the Washtenaw Country Recall Timetable (pdf). You can also find additional information on the process here.

1. The petition language (including the reason for recall) must be submitted after the first 6 months, and prior to the last 6 months of the current term being served by the elected official to be recalled. [After typing the las senctence, which is what the information I read indicates, I spoke with someone at the Elections Commission, and he said that we can submit the petition language now.]
2. Notification of all parties involved is undertaken by the County Clerk within 24 hours of the Clerk's receipt of the petition language.
3. A "clarity hearing" will be held by the Election Commission within a minimum of 10 days, and a maximum of 20 days after their receipt of the petition language. The commission only rules on clarity. They do not rule on the acceptability of the reason for the recall.
4. Either the petition sponsor or the elected official whose recall is sought may appeal a clarity hearing decision within 10 days after the decision was reached.
5. Once a petition has been determined to be of sufficient clarity, it must be filed with the County Clerk within 180 days.
6. The petition sponsor must request the number of signatures needed (25% of the total votes cast for governor in 2010) in writing from the County Clerk, who will respond within 5 days of the written request.

Corporations Behind Michigan's Unconstitutional EFM Law, Including Amway and Koch Industries

Trust me when I tell you that this is the most tangled web you have ever seen in your life.

Last week Michigan's Republican Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation giving him what many have called “dictatorial” powers. The much despised EFM law gives Snyder the power to hand pick emergency financial managers (or emergency financial "corporate persons"), who then have the authority to take the following actions:

1. Consolidate or dissolve local governments and dismiss the officials elected by the people.
2. Consolidate or dissolve school districts, close schools, and dismiss elected school board members.
3. Sell off public property. Public. Property. Parks, buildings, licenses, permits, and so forth. All of it.
4. Privatize government services, with all that entails.
5. Shred all contracts agreed to by local governments and schools, including union contracts.

Which people or what organizations are behind Snyder’s EFM law?

Andy Kroll at Mother Jones enlightens us:

Since 2005, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy has urged reforms to Michigan law giving more power and protection to emergency financial managers, state-appointed officials who parachute into ailing cities or school districts and employ drastic measures to fix budgets on the brink of collapse. In January, the free-market-loving center published four recommendations, including granting emergency managers the power to override elected officials (such as a mayor or school board member) and toss out union contracts. All four ended up in Snyder's legislation.

"The Mackinac Center has been tied at the hip with the Republican Party establishment for years," says Doug Pratt, public affairs director at the Michigan Education Association. "It goes to their funding sources; it goes to their ideology."

But wait, according to a statement on their "Purpose" page, the Mackinac Center is non-partisan, emphasis mine:

Michigan Voters Support Constitutional Amendment to Protect Collective Bargaining

From Public Policy Polling, emphasis mine:

59% of folks in Michigan think that public employees should have the right to collective bargaining while only 32% are opposed, and 49% of voters even favor a state constitutional amendment to guarantee collective bargaining rights while 37% are opposed to such a measure. While union households are obviously the most supportive of collective bargaining, nonunion households support it by a 53/39 margin as well so the voters Snyder is antagonizing on this issue go beyond who you might expect.

Michigan Senate Democratic leaders have already announced such an effort to amend the Michigan Constitution to protect collective bargaining rights.

LANSING - Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer (D - East Lansing) and House Democratic Leader Rick Hammel (D - Mt. Morris) announced at a Capitol Rally this afternoon that they would be introducing an amendment to the Michigan Constitution to guarantee the right of Michigan workers to collectively bargain, a right many workers feel is currently under attack.

I’m just wondering how they plan to get that amendment passed when we are saddled with a Republican majority in the Michigan House and in the Senate. My best guess is that it won’t pass, and the proposal is just for show.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder More Unpopular Than Scott Walker or John Kasich

Recall. Recall. Recall.

From Political Wire, emphasis mine:

A new Public Policy Polling survey shows that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has fallen out of favor with his state's residents even more than Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) have lost favor with their state's residents.
Key finding: Just 33% of voters approve of Snyder's job performance, with 50% disapproving. Additionally, respondents said if they could vote all over again, they'd pick Snyder's opponent Virg Bernero (D), 47% to 45%.

There is good reason for Snyder's fading popularity.

Note to readers: working on a story re the relationship between Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and William Parfet of MPI Research, with exclusive information obtained via a whistleblower. Stay tuned……

Via Ashby

Correction

I was contacted by Terry Stanton, Public Information Officer for the Michigan Dept. of Treasury yesterday, regarding a report originating with WXYZ that I quoted here.

He advised me that WXYZ had gotten the facts wrong, that he had also advised them of this, and that he would like both of us to remove or correct the articles.

WXYZs original statement:  "Vulnerable cities like Ecorse, Highland Park and Pontiac could get Emergency Financial Managers. This problem is so serious across this state, more than 60 communities are on a Michigan Department of Treasury special watch list.  Hamtramck is once again in danger."

Mr. Stanton’s clarification: “The Cities of Ecorse & Pontiac are currently under authority of an Emergency Manager.  Highland Park, while no longer under an EM, is still under a financial emergency declaration.”

After doing some fact checking, I found that three cities and one school district are currently under EFM management:

Only Pontiac, Benton Harbor, Ecorse and the Detroit Public Schools have state-appointed emergency financial managers in place, and critics say the current law isn't strong enough to do much good.

The cities of Highland Park, and the village of Three Oaks no longer have EFMs, although they remain under the declaration of a financial emergency.

While I’m talking about these cities, allow me to digress a moment and go where several others already have, and point out that the cities which currently have EFMs are all places where minorities are the majority. So yes, I have very few doubts that the decision to install EFMs in these cities is in part, racial

Additionally, Mr. Stanton had this to say about the “special watch list”, emphasis mine:

In addition, the department (Treasury) does not have a "special watch list" as was reported.  We are aware that some local units of government are facing very trying financial circumstances.  Following the bill signing yesterday, State Treasurer Andy Dillon noted that we are currently aware of "less than ten" municipalities and school districts that may experience additional difficulties in the weeks and months ahead.  However, we do not have a "special watch list."

I have to say, without being at all surprised by it, it at least appears that WXYZ once again did not do their homework, and, as of yet, they have not made a correction or removed the article.

Finally, if you have any information to the contrary, such as knowledge of the existence of such a watch list, please contact me at nscATpoliticalruminationsDOTcom.

Michigan Teachers Planning a Strike?

With Gov. Rick Snyder slashing education by at least $470 per student, not only is the education of our children on the line, the jobs of our educators are right there on the line with them. As if Michigan needs to add to its unemployment rolls.

And don’t even get me started on the fact that Snyder won’t say exactly where the money saved by slashing everything in sight, and increasing taxes on the poor and the elderly, will be spent. Of course, we already know the answer to that question (tax cuts for his greedy corporate backers).

It is illegal for teachers to strike in Michigan. Nevertheless, our educators are considering a strike, and for good reason. WILX reports, emphasis mine:

LANSING -- With another potential education cut looming, teachers are considering desperate measures.

"These attacks and these cuts will be devastating to children, and to schools," said Iris Salters, president of the Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union.

It sent out a letter this week to its members, bashing Governor Snyder's plan to slash at least $470 per pupil -- and asking for the authority to call a strike, if that cut goes through.

"The legislation being considered on a daily basis at the Capitol (emergency managers, step freezes, mandatory privatization, mandatory health insurance payments, budget cuts, etc.) are outright attacks on our students, our members, our communities and our future," the letter reads.

It asks members to vote at their local MEA chapters between now and April 14 on whether or not to give the union the "authority to initiate crisis activities up to and including job action."

"[The Republicans] are interested in taking our rights," Salters told News 10 on Friday. "As well as seeing that the next generation does not have the preparation that it needs."

Salters added that a strike is seen as a last resort and remains highly unlikely, even if it gets the go-ahead from members.

I would support a strike by Michigan teachers if that’s what it takes.

Recall Rick Snyder, Governor of Michigan

I've been hoping that someone else would get a recall effort going, and I believe that there probably are those who are working on it. That said, I haven't heard anything, so I've begun gathering information for a piece on what it takes to mount a recall effort. Although a recall petition online is good for our souls, it will not induce a recall election for Snyder because it isn’t the legally acceptable method.

The good news is that Snyder and his legislative cronies can be recalled as soon as July.

I hope to get the piece up later today, or first thing tomorrow, on Monday, March 21 Wednesday, March 23, so please check back if you’re interested in this.

MAR. 23 UPDATE: Ready to post, currently waiting for a call back from the Ingham County Clerk's office re clarification on a couple of issues. Will update as soon as I receive that info.

MAR. 23 UPDATE 2 6:30PM: Gah. I talked to the person responsible for dealing with recalls in the Ingham County Clerk's office in order to clarify a few issues, and according to her, we have to follow Ingham County recall rules rather than Michigan recall procedure. She told me she would email me the information. I have yet to receive it, and it does not appear to be posted on line. Stay tuned.

MAR. 24 UPDATE 1 2:54 PM: Still trying to get a response from Ingham Co. and the recall rules. Will get it posted as soon as possible.

MAR. 25 UPDATE 1 1:30PM: I just spoke with Janie Lee in the Ingham Co. Clerk's office. She is now saying that we need to file any recall, and abide by the recall rules of Washtenaw County since that is where Gov. Snyder still resides. He has not moved in to the governor's residence in Lansing.
I need to take care of some family issues over the next couple of days, so I probably will not contact Washtenaw Co. until Monday morning. If anyone else would care to do so and send me the info, please, I would be grateful. My email addr. is nscATpoliticalruminationsDOTcom.

MAR. 28 UPDATE click here for the latest.

VIDEO: Michigan Teabag Fascist Governor Rick Snyder Booed at Ford Motor Celebration

Via MLive:

Ford Motor Co. celebrated the launch of its all-new global Focus on Thursday at the renovated Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, but hundreds of employees weren't ready to celebrate Gov. Rick Snyder.

On hand to note the success of one of the region's largest employers, Snyder took the stage to a smattering of boos from union workers, many of whom wore red T-shirts declaring their "Solidarity with Wisconsin."

"Come on guys," UAW Local 900 President Anderson Robinson told the disgruntled crowd as the event even started. "We've already proven our point."

Snyder has taken heat from organized labor in recent weeks over plans to tax pensions and his support for a new law allowing state-appointed emergency financial managers to void public union contracts deemed unaffordable for struggling municipalities or school districts.

Personally, I would have kept up the booing until I was removed. This man has turned Michigan in to a fascist state, a state where the will of the people no longer matters. He should be booed right out of the state!

MUST View Video Clip From Michigan Protests

The video is a clip of a heated discussion about Gov. Rick Snyder’s unconstitutional bill which would strip the rights of the people of Michigan.

On the left is Lance Enderle (D), who ran as a congressional candidate from Michigan’s 8th district in 2010 (he plans to run again in 2012), and who organized the rotunda protest in the state’s Capitol building on March 15, in a heated discussion with Ari Adler [R),  the Press Secretary to Michigan Speaker of the House,  Jase Bolger [R).

Watch:

Lance Enderle is the kind of man I would love to see as our governor. Can he be convinced to run in 2014?

Michigan's Republican Governor Rick Snyder Signs Draconian Bill Into Law

Gov. Rick Snyder signed the much despised emergency financial manager legislation in to law today, giving him far too much power over the people in his state. Even the power to ignore the will of the people and the votes they cast. The local ABC affiliate reports:

LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) - Governor Rick Snyder has signed a bill giving broad new powers to emergency financial managers appointed by the state of Michigan to run struggling cities and schools, including the ability to terminate union contracts.

The bill was signed as thousands of union protesters rallied inside and outside the Capitol to protest the bill.

Vulnerable cities like Ecorse, Highland Park and Pontiac could get Emergency Financial Managers. This problem is so serious across this state, more than 60 communities that are on a Michigan Department of Treasury special watch list.  Hamtramck is once again in danger.

In Hamtramck, City Manager Bill Cooper’s position was created out of the financial crisis. The city fell in to receivership but emerged five years ago. He says the city fell in to debt when the emergency manager was here. He says they are still digging out from under it. “The Emergency Manager does the short-term fixes and leaves, a lot of them don't look five or ten years down the road.”

65 people have been trained as Emergency Managers and Cooper says the state is preparing to train 150 more.

It is imperative that we recall this man and his supporters in the legislature.

Adding.....please see the correction I made to the WXYZ quote.

RELATED POSTS:

~ Gov. Rick Snyder and Michigan Republicans Engaging in Disaster Capitalism
~ Morning Quote: Rep. John Conyers Calls Michigan Martial Law Unconstitutional
~ Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Trickery Shields His Tax Referendum From Voters
~ A List of Top Contributors to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder
~ VIDEO: Rachel Maddow & Michael Moore - GOP Stripping the Rights of People in Michigan
~ Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Now Has the Power to Suspend the Rights of the People
~ Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Granted Broad & Unprecedented Power

Michigan Protest Updates & Coverage for March 16

Following the protests in Lansing, Michigan throughout the day. [WHY I'm not there]

11:31AM - A bald eagle was just erected on the lawn of the Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan. Via @mitchellrivard on Twitter.

LIVE streaming coverage throughout the protest via Michael Moore.

Manistee residents protest Snyder budget

12:15 PM - President of the American Federation of Teachers speaking:
“THIS is our house”, “WE are Michigan!” “Some elected officials are using the financial crisis to undercut working people.” “Do we provide EMF managers with the opportunity to say, no thanks, NO collective bargaining!” “We fight back. We unite because WE are the People. WE are ONE.”

12:22 PM - Michigan's Senate minority leader Gretchen Whitmer speaking: "We didn't start this fight, but we sure don't plan to lose it!"  Sen. Whitmer also announced the introduction today of a  constitutional amendment to protect collective bargaining rights.

Michigan Activists Plan to Take Over the Capitol Building in Lansing

The Michigan Messenger is reporting that a Capitol building takeover is planned for 4pm today:

A group of Michigan activists has confirmed that they plan to stage a protest in the state Capitol building at 4 p.m. today.

Lance Enderle, a former Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 8th Congressional district, confirmed moments ago that he is leading the protest.

“We are planning to exercise our free speech rights in a non-violent way,” Enderle said. “We will take the Rotunda, and we are not leaving.”

The Capitol building closes at 5:30 p.m. and officials have told Michigan Messenger that anyone remaining in the building after 5:30 will be given a 10 minute warning to leave. If they don’t leave, Michigan State Police troopers could eject them or arrest them for trespassing. The problem for state police troopers, however, might be in mustering the manpower. In last year’s budget, Republican lawmakers voted to close the Capitol police post, which has left the state with only two Michigan State Police troopers and the Sergent at Arms staff. It is likely state police will have to muster road patrol staff to help eject protesters

I just hope that Snyder doesn't do anything stupid.

VIDEO: Statewide Protests in Michigan March 14

A local news report on the protests in Michigan yesterday, March 14, which were all about Michigan’s Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s planned budget cuts, which would slash corporate taxes to almost nothing, and penalize the poor and the elderly in order to pay for it. Fact sheet (pdf).

Watch:

Think Progress:

Quote of the Day - Michael Moore

In a letter to his fellow Michigan citizens, Michael Moore describes what our dictator wannabe Republican Governor, Rick Snyder, has been up to for the past eight short weeks:

* Gotten the House and Senate to pass bills giving him "Emergency Management" powers such as the ability to appoint a corporation or a CEO who could literally dissolve town governments or school boards, fire the elected officials, nullify any local law and run your local governmental entity. That company then would have the power to immediately declare all collective bargaining contracts null and void.

* Proposed giving business a whopping 86% tax cut while raising everyone's personal taxes by 31%! And much of that tax hike he believes should be shouldered by -- I kid you not -- senior citizens and the poor! He says these two groups have not been "sharing the sacrifice" the rest of us have been burdened with. So his budget proposes a $1.8 billion tax CUT for business and a $1.75 billion tax INCREASE for the rest of us, much of it from the poor, seniors and working people -- even though the top 1% in Michigan ALREADY pay a lower state tax rate than everyone else does!

* Together with the legislature, introduced over 40 anti-labor bills in just the first two months of this session! They have wasted no time and have caught most people off guard. Much of this is being rushed through right now before you have a chance to raise your voice in objection.

And follows up with a plea to Michiganders to stand up, to participate in our democracy. 

Michigan Protests Week of March 13 -19

 

Time to STAND UP, People! Our rights are disinegrating via Republican sleight of hand, and our own inattention.

So...there are two 14 protests planned for this week that I’m aware of, but more are rumored. I’ll post the planned protests here as I get the information, and will update as needed, so check back.

1. Pro-Union Protests

Monday, March 14, 2011 10:00 am – till…
Saginaw, Michigan
Borchard Park at the northwest corner of Court and Michigan in Saginaw, across from Saginaw County Governmental Center at 111 S. Michigan.

Also...there are pro-union protests being held in 11 other cities, but I have not been able to get details as  of yet. The cities are Mount Clemens, Monroe, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Port Huron, Detroit, Birmingham, Marshall, and Livonia.

2. AARP RALLY

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Lansing, Michigan at Michigan Capitol building, on the east steps, at the corner of Michigan Ave. & Capitol Ave.
Michigan Seniors/Retirees Protest Tax On Pensions
AARP “It’s Not Fair” Rally announcement HERE.
AARP Rally details + Transportation.

3. WORKING FAMILIES PROTEST 

Wednesday, March 16
12:00pm - 6:00pm Lansing, MI, at Michigan’s Capitol building
Working Families Protest for Wednesday 16 March 11, 2011 (unconfirmed rumors that Michael Moore will be there)

MAR. 15 UPDATE: Michael Moore will attend the Working Families Protest!

Adding…..please let me know if you become aware of other protests not yet on this post!

Morning Quote: Rep. John Conyers Calls Michigan Martial Law Unconstitutional

In response to the anti-Democratic martial law being enacted in Michigan, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) fired back, calling the bill unconstitutional, emphasis mine:

Worse yet, this bill raises serious constitutional concerns. Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits any State from impairing a contract, which is exactly what this legislation does. As the Supreme Court has held in Home Building & Loan Association v. Blaisdell (1934), the sanctity of contracts cannot be impaired by a state law “which renders them invalid, or releases or extinguishes them . . . . Not only are existing laws read into contracts in order to fix obligations as between the parties, but the reservation of essential attributes of sovereign power is also read into contracts as a postulate of the legal order.”

Rep. Conyers also inferred that some parts of this bill may be racially motivated, something Karoli at Crooks and Liars has also suggested:

The takeover provision of the legislation – allowing the dissolution of locally elected bodies — implicitly targets minority communities that are disproportionately impacted by the economic downturn, without providing meaningful support for improved economic opportunity.

Finally, Conyers also pointed out that by forcing a community in to bankruptcy (which will likely be done to force union consessions for public sector workers or just to break the collective bargaining contracts which the EMF also has the legal authority to do), the financial situation of the community will actually become worse.

Further, the bill empowers this financial czar with the Governor’s approval to force a municipality into bankruptcy, a power that will surely be used to extract further concessions from hardworking public sector workers. And, by making the risk of bankruptcy a reality, the bill will make it more not less expensive for municipalities to obtain financing given this risk, which will make the financial circumstances of municipalities even worse.

Taking it through the courts could take years. In the meantime, thanks to the Republican controlled House and Senate in Michigan, along with our new Dictator Republican Governor Rick Snyder, the people of Michigan will suffer, because this bill is the most draconian, the most un-Democratic piece of legislation in this country right now.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Trickery Shields His Tax Referendum From Voters

Unbelievable. Turning the state in to a dictatorship wasn’t enough, he had to pull this out of his CorporateBastard bag of tricks. Detroit Free Press:

LANSING -- One $100 bill could block voters from a chance to stop more than a billion dollars in higher taxes.

Whether you think it's a dirty trick or a smart move, a House bill to implement Gov. Rick Snyder's proposal to eliminate tax credits and exemptions contains a $100 appropriation -- enough to make the plan immune from a voter referendum.

The plan has incensed some Michiganders. On Tuesday, AARP is holding a rally at the Capitol for senior citizens angry about Snyder's plan to tax pensions and other retirement income while cutting business taxes.

In 2001, the state Supreme Court ruled that legislation with a state expenditure -- even just $1 -- can't be repealed by voters.

On Thursday, minority House Democrats assailed the move to block a potential repeal vote."I think there's a natural, built-in constituency that would sign that petition" to repeal tax changes, said Rep. Vicki Barnett, D-Farmington Hills.

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley said the $100 appropriation in the 180-page bill is legitimate, and would be increased to cover the cost of implementing the new tax code.

So, what this means is that a petition drive to repeal the tax changes (you know, the changes where Snyder increases taxes on the poor and elderly, but NOT on the rich guys with the big businesses) won’t help where his budget is concerned.

Protests and a recall petition are it, unless someone goes after his entire scheme based on the unconstitutionality.

A List of Top Contributors to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder

UPDATE JUNE 24, 2011: For further information on the effort to recall Gov. Rick Snyder, or to volunteer for the recall effort, please go here. SIGNING AN ONLINE PETITION DOES NOT COUNT TOWARD LEGAL RECALL!!

The list is derived from information found on Follow the Money, is a work in progress, and depicts the top contributors of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. I was shocked to see the University of Michigan at the top of the list.

1. University of Michigan contributed $65,851 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
2. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan contributed $46,376 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
3. Dow Chemical contributed $41,062 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
4. PriceWaterhouseCoopers contributed $35,600 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
5. DTE Energy contributed $32,448 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
6. Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone contributed $31,850 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
7. Dykema Gossett PLLC contributed $28,786 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
8. Deloitte & Touche contributed $24,350 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
9. Walbridge Aldinger Co contributed $24,150 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
10. Meijer, Inc contributed $24,080 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
11. Amway/Alticor contributed $21,220 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
12. Masco Corp contributed $18,140 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
13. Foley & Lardner contributed $17,450 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
14. Ford Motor Co contributed $15,059 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
15. CMS Energy contributed $14,250 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
16. Dow Corning contributed $12,904 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
17. Northwestern Mutual Life Ins contributed $12,343 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
18. Dickinson Wright contributed $12,110 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
19. Delta Dental contributed $12,025 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
20. Ernst & Young contributed $10,953 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
21. Quicken Loans contributed $10,900 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
22. Arbor Investments Group contributed $10,200 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
23. General Motors contributed $8,730 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
24. Merrill Lynch contributed $8,600 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
25. Sterling Equities contributed $8,400 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder
26. JP Morgan Chase & Co contributed $8,275 to Michigan Dictator Governor, Rick Snyder

UPDATE - MARCH 15 Although followthemoney.org has listed the University of Michigan itself as the second largest contributor, after seeing a reader comment, and then checking out additional records, I found that the University actually only contributed $2,250, and the employees of UMICH, contributed $63,601, probably through a PAC. It is a distinction, however in my opinion, it is not much of one, since the school itself and its employees are intertwined. In other words, the school is still responsible to the extent that they sure hired a lot of Conservative employees. As long as Follow the Money has it listed as I originally posted it, I am going to leave it as is, however I did want to add this explanatory note. 

VIDEO: Rachel Maddow & Michael Moore - GOP Stripping the Rights of People in Michigan

Watch:

Adding.....for some reason, this video  keeps "vanishing", and nothing I do seems to correct the situation. So, if you don't see the video here, click here to go to MSNBC to watch the vid. Sorry for any inconvenience.

 

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Now Has the Power to Suspend the Rights of the People

For the backstory, read here and here.

Michigan is in deep trouble. What makes me really angry is that people voted for this TrojanCorporateBastard, even though he told them that he would “run the state as a business”. What did they think that would look like? (in the next week or so, I’ll be doing a piece on Snyder’s campaign, including the financing-stay tuned) And, more critical now, why weren’t we paying attention?

PoliticusUSA has a piece on the implications for Michiganders [which includes moi]. Scary stuff.

While we were venting our outrage at shenanigans in Wisconsin politics, in fact while Republicans were planning last night’s attempted coup, the Michigan state legislature quietly passed a bill giving the Governor of Michigan martial control over the state.  Except instead of using actual military, the Governor is more likely to use private security. But make no mistake–rights would be suspended.

Here’s how it works:

The governor, on his own initiative, can declare an economic emergency in any town and appoint an administrator.  The administrator can be any person, including a corporate person.

The administrator has the power to do anything in the name of economic stability, including void contracts, void collective bargaining agreements, dissolve the town council, dissolve the school board, fire anyone including elected officials, hire private security, unincorporate the town, and sell off public property.

The people of the town have no say in this. They can neither demand nor turn away the administrator. That is because this provision is meant to be used against the people.

What might constitute an emergency in the Governor’s eyes?

A labor strike is the first thing that comes to mind.  Too many foreclosures.  Crime!  In short, anything he wants it to be–and with billionaire backers, any controversy can be created.

What might the administrator do in that emergency?

First, privatize everything. Fire public workers and take over all public functions–running schools, police and fire service, and so on.  Michigan just made this legal.

Second, imprison dissidents, shutter businesses, and seize property by eminent domain. This is not legal, but hey, that didn’t stop the Wisconsin Republicans.

In short, take over control and turn it into a corporate town.

We need to pay attention to Michigan because they are farther along the road to corporate statehood–to where the Republicans want to take all of us.

Privatization is going to happen first. And they aren't going to play around. They will go after towns en masse, with people unable to catch their breath long enough to fight back.

Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Granted Broad & Unprecedented Power

The Republican controlled Senate passed the emergency financial manager bill today, and the Republican controlled House passed a version of the same bill yesterday.

Gov. Rick Snyder did an end run around the people by forcing cities, towns and school districts closer to financial emergency via his own state budget cuts. This is nothing more than a union busting power play, no matter how Snyder tries to spin it.

The powers of the emergency financial managers, who would be appointed by Snyder at his whim, since the law does not require that an entity actually be in dire financial straits, are so broad it is likely that they are unconstitutional.

From my previous post, EFM powers include the following:  

~ Authority to dismiss all or any elected officials
~ Authority to privatize all or any city services, including schools
~ Authority to break any and all contracts entered in to by your city via your elected officials, including collective bargaining contracts
~ Authority to disincorporate a town or city
~ Authority to merge one school district with another school district

The Detroit Free Press:

LANSING -- The Senate has passed a bill to give much broader powers to emergency managers appointed to overhaul the finances of cities or schools facing collapse.

The 26-12 vote capped two days of debate, punctuated by protests from union supporters in the halls of the Capitol who object to giving emergency managers authority to nullify employee union contracts in municipalities or school districts where they're appointed. All Republicans voted for it; all Democrats voted against.

A demonstration Tuesday filled the inside of the Capitol and was called the largest protest ever seen inside the usually decorous building.

Democrats blasted the bill as a government power grab that would undermine collective bargaining in targeted communities with appointed, high-paid managers that have almost unlimited authority.

Rick Ungar of Forbes, emphasis mine:

What makes this law so unique is its extensive reach.

Not only can an emergency manager wipe out collective bargaining agreements, he or she can literally push aside duly elected city officials and prevent them from doing the job they were elected to do.

Clearly, this raises some questions of constitutionality and state overreach.

Be sure to watch Rachel Maddow discussing this travesty with Naomi Klein, and stay tuned.

Gov. Rick Snyder and Michigan Republicans Engaging in Disaster Capitalism

Today, the Republican controlled Michigan Senate will vote on a bill giving newly elected Governor Rick Snyder, unprecedented power to:declare any town, city, or school district in fiscal emergency, and to appoint a fiscal manager to such a town or school district.

The fiscal manager, which can be a corporation, then gains the following powers:

• Authority to dismiss all or any of your elected officials
• Authority to privatize all or any city services, including schools
• Authority to break any and all contracts entered in to by your city via your elected officials, including collective bargaining contracts
• Authority to disincorporate your town or city
• Authority to merge your school district with another school district

Union busting, disaster capitalism at it's finest. The Michigan Messenger:

Critics argue that the deep cuts in school funding and revenue sharing proposed by Snyder and Republican legislators could push many cities over the brink into bankruptcy, dramatically increasing the number of cities under the control of state-appointed emergency managers that will, after the passage of this bill, have unprecedented and — many argue — unconstitutional powers.

Rachel Maddow discusses this situation, and Republican plans for disaster capitalism with Naomi Klein. Watch:

For reference purposes, it may be helpful to note that Rick Snyder is a former CEO of Gateway, the same guy who sold it to the Chinese.

Adding……this is the Michigan House bill that has already passed. And, a quote from Mark Gaffney, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO.

We are Wisconsin on the installment plan, Collective bargaining in Michigan is dying a death by a thousand cuts.