(MI) Emergency Manager law repeal campaign begins statewide

[Bozita]

Source: Michigan Messenger

Emergency Manager law repeal campaign begins statewide
More than 160,000 signatures needed
By Eartha Jane Melzer
05.10.11 | 8:43 am


The Detroit-based non-profit Michigan Forward, a think tank focused on progressive policies for the state’s urban centers, has filed petition language with the State Board of Canvassers for a referendum on the Emergency Manager law that allows the governor appoint people to rule local governments.

Emergency Managers are already in place in Pontiac, Benton Harbor, Ecorse and the Detroit Public Schools.

With the expanded powers granted by the new Emergency Manager law — Public Act 4 — these appointees may fire local officials, cancel contracts, sell off community assets and even dissolve whole towns. In the case of schools systems the Emergency Managers can take over decisions about academics as well as financial matters.

In Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris has barred the city commission from all decision-making. Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Robert Bobb has issued layoff noticed to all teachers and is taking bids to turn 45 city schools into charter schools.

Read more: http://michiganmessenger.com/48896/emergency-manager-law-repeal-campaign-begins-statewide

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. Not clear if they just want to repeal the change (PA 4) or the entire law which goes back 20+ years

[HereSince1628]

2. Please explain your support for the 20 year old law...

It's apparent from other posts you've made earlier that you think that the EFM was a good idea for Benton Harbor.

Could you explain how the suspension of governance by elected officials is a good thing for progressive democracy?

[SpartanDem]

4. It's worked before

when Granholm was office in Highland Park the EFM got it's finances back in order to the point it could retured to local control

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. I supported doing *something* since BH was in total shambles and the people needed to be protected

Whether it was avarice, incompetence or both, the state has to step in when local governments can not or will not look after the peoples' interests. The means to do that was the EMF law passed 20 years ago in Michigan. The study and appointment was done under a Democratic state administration. PA 4 expanded powers, but the concept has been in place for over 20 years in Michigan alone.

There is also a lot of tripe passing as information about what is happening in BH as well. Things were in total chaos and the state had to step in with the tools it had, which in MI is the EMF law. CA intervened in the city of Vernon, with considerably less justification.

If the people have elected thieves who are lining their pockets (Vernon) or total incompetents (Benton Harbor) is it progressive to let it go unchallenged while people are financially plundered and needed services not provided? States have an obligation to step in stop such things. Not sure a total EFM dictatorship is the right way to go but if it was a "Special Master" appointed by a bankrupcy court would the net effect be that different? I won't argue that PA 4 is perfect, but what would be a better and more progressive solution? Clearly Benton Harbor and Vernon city leaders would say they are doing just fine, and that is about as specious as it gets.

So I support intervention by higher levels of government when things get out of hand. I support intervention to stop graft and incompetence from stealing from the people. Not sure I like the current tool set but in the both cases, something had to be done to protect the people, which I consider a progressive thing to do.

What would you propose as an alternative?

[HereSince1628]

7. Thanks, it sounds like your defense is the people of BH are incapable of democracy

I'd reject that, mostly out of hand, because I support the notion of governance by elected officials.

Even so, I am not opposed to the state of Michigan assigning a financial manager _to advise_ the elected officials. That should overcome whatever theoretical economics shortcomings the residents might have, although I do not believe the citizens of Benton Harbor are as a class intellectually deficient in any way.

I am opposed to the notion of government by fiat of unelected officials. I'm opposed to the suspension of democracy. History is replete with examples that show us similar systems that turn out to be much more vulnerable to phalangist corruption than to poor management by citizen participation in governance.

What is needed is bridge financing for Benton Harbor. Unless of course, you subcribe to the notion that such a bridge would lead to nowhere because the American system has no future in Benton Harbor.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. Actually BH today is being run by a democratically elected government, the State of Michigan

It has appointed an agent (the current EFM) who is accountable to the state (in specific the Governor). BH is for all intents and purposes in municipal financial receivership via the process defined by Michigan law. If the elected leaders or people of Benton Harbor do not like what the EFM is doing, they can go to the state and ask that the EFM be replaced, overruled on a particular issue, etc. I am sure some of the dialog is going on already.

An EFM as an advisor accomplishes nothing and would in no way protect the residents from the ongoing ineptitude of the local government. The city has also gone through many city managers in recent years, notionally trained professionals, and the situation continued to get worse. Not sure why you think an advisor would help in the least, let alone turn things around.

That the EFM is somehow an unelected bureaucrat with plenipotentiary powers ruling by fiat is some of that tripe I mentioned earlier. The EFM must operate in accordance with state and Federal law, and not unlike other bankruptcy officials, does have some extend legal authority with regards to contracts etc. The EFM is fully accountable to elected officials, and was in fact reluctantly appointed by a Democratic governor because BH was in such deep yogurt.

That you think all that is needed is some bridge funding means that you do not understand how bad things were. All the cash reserves was gone, huge bounced check charges, no viable plan forward, incompetents in charge of departments...the state report was quite damning. I assume you have read it, if not you should. Things had to have been quite FUBAR or Democratic Governor Granholm would not have stepped in to protect the people of Benton Harbor. Remember in the end, this was done to protect the people by the state.

All of the above does not mean I am happy about a local government being set aside. However the people were being irreparably damaged. Something had to be done. Still looking for a viable better solution where the people would be protected.

[HereSince1628]

9. Their cash reserves were gone, soon it will be their commonly held assets

and the city's circumstance will be little improved.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. THere has been a lot of chatter about that, but nothing from the EFM on that which I have seen

Not clear if it is just net noise or if selling off the waterfront park land is going to be attempted or not. If that is indeed the case, then the state should step in with the EFM and stop that. I would be more confident that would happen if MI had a Democratic administration. While things have been seriously screwed up over years in BH, there have to be ways to recover without destroying the commons.

[louis-t]

6. Similar law has been in place for a long time.

Snyder just made it more sinister. He has no intention of 'saving' any cities. This is all about stripping rights, cancelling contracts, selling assets to his mentors.

[SoapBox]

3. Wake up America and Americans...Facism IS taking over...

...and it's being implemented by the GOBPers, RushThugs and T.HATEbaggers.

http://www.ratical.com/ratville/CAH/fasci14chars.html

http://tpjmagazine.us/adams29