There aren’t too many people in Michigan more emphatic that we need to repeal Public Act 4 – Michigan’s Emergency Manager law – more than I am. But THIS is just an absurd waste of time.
The Michigan Supreme Court will decide whether the office of emergency manager of Detroit Public Schools should be declared vacant because of a delay in administering the oath of office to Roy Roberts.The high court announced Wednesday it will consider an argument rejected in October by the Michigan Court of Appeals that Roberts’ appointment in May is invalid because he failed to take the oath of office until months later.
Gov. Rick Snyder named Roberts to the emergency manager’s post, which wields broad powers over the financially troubled school district and its elected board.
The issue was raised in a lawsuit filed by Highland Park school board member Robert Davis. He claims the appointment and nearly four months of decision-making are invalid because Roberts didn’t take his oath until Aug. 30.
“The fact that the justices of the Supreme Court unanimously agreed to take up this case on an expedited basis shows you the seriousness of the issues we’ve raised,” said Davis, a union activist who also is suing the Wayne County Airport Authority over the appointment of Turkia Mullin as CEO.
Serious? Really? You are trying to remove Roberts because he took his oath a few weeks late? Here’s an idea: why don’t you hook up with Michigan Forward and Stand Up For Democracy and hit the streets gathering petition signatures to repeal PA 4? Why don’t you use your time and energy on something that will actually DO something to impact the imposition of Emergency Managers around the state including Detroit Public Schools? C’mon people, FOCUS!
This effort is a waste of time, money and resources and, in the end, will accomplish nothing. Even if they were somehow successful with this Republican Supreme Court, they will simply reappoint him, read him the oath of office and the continue on as if nothing happened. Waste. Of. Time.
It’s about at stupid as the Michigan Democratic Party’s “Oakland County Jeopardy” Tweet-a-thon. Honestly, who comes up with this lame stuff???
County Executive L. Brooks Patterson on Wednesday joined a Twitter game of “Oakland County Jeopardy,” launched by Michigan Democrats upset by a controversial bill that effectively gives county Republicans the power to draw voting districts.Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer said he initiated the weeklong effort Monday on the social media site to “educate people about the abuse of power in Oakland County with redistricting.”
Mimicking the format of the TV quiz show “Jeopardy,” Brewer posts an answer to the Twitter page @michigandems each morning and solicits guesses throughout the day.
On Wednesday, the category was “Redistricting” and the question was: “Who are 3 infamous American practitioners of political gerrymandering?”
That afternoon, Patterson tweeted: “Mark Brewer. The other two don’t count.”
Brewer said he’s not offended. “Obviously this is attracting attention, and (Patterson) feels he needs to defend himself,” he said. “He understands the power of social media. We’ll continue with our Jeopardy game at a minimum and won’t let him deter us.”
Something tells me that a few staffers at the MDP, a few staffers in Patterson’s office, and a journalist at the Detroit News are about the only ones paying attention to this.
