When Michigan Republicans passed the legislation that became Michigan Public Act 4 of 2011 or P.A. 4 or the “Emergency Manager Act” or “local government and school district fiscal accountability act” or, as I call it, the Financial Martial Law Act, they took a subtle step that few noticed. They changed the name of “Emergency Financial Manager” to simply “Emergency […]

This Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. is an informational townhall meeting on the effort to repeal the Financial Martial Law Act recently passed by the Republicans in Michigan’s legislature. I will be a featured speaker in the Michigan Forward-sponsored event, talking about the history of the law and what it does. Here are the details from their press […]

The Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice, a non-profit law firm based in Detroit, just released this news: CITIZENS TO ANNOUNCE MAJOR STATEWIDE ACTION AGAINST MICHIGAN’S CONTROVERSIAL EMERGENCY MANAGER LAW Over two dozen citizens from across Michigan will announce, on Wednesday, June 22, a major action directed against Michigan’s controversial “emergency manager” law. The new law has serious […]

I’m en route to Netroots Nation but had to pull off to blog THIS: A whistle-blower lawsuit filed by a former top aide to Detroit Mayor Dave Bing this morning alleges that the mayor had plans to be named emergency manager for the city and Detroit Public Schools, dissolving the city council and the school board. ~SNIP~ Collins said in […]

As you know, if you read my blog, this past spring, Michigan Republicans passed legislation that Governor Rick Snyder signed into law as Public Act 4 of 2011, otherwise known as “The Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) Law”. Although Michigan governors already had the ability to put EFMs in place in struggling cities and schools, this new law gives EFMs wide-sweeping […]

I have a new piece up today at A2Politico that shows just how far Michigan’s CPA-style Emergency Financial Managers (EFMs) will go to cut costs. Michael Stampfler is Pontiac, Michigan’s EFM. He has the dubious distinction of being the first Michigan EFM to use new powers granted by Michigan Republicans to cancel a union contract. What went nearly unnoticed was […]

Note: to find all of my coverage of the Benton Harbor situation, click HERE. The most recent posts are at the top. Benton Harbor Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) Joseph L. Harris took further steps to reconfigure the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, the group responsible for directing how brownfields, former industrial sites, are developed. Note that there is a great deal of […]

There is a movement afoot to repeal the unconstitutional Public Act 4, Michigan’s Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) law. The group heading it up is Michigan Forward. Trainings are being held across the state to help people be as effective as possible in this effort. Here’s the information and note that the trainings are this weekend. Dear Friends, Thank you for […]

After failing in their first submission of petition language for the recall of State Representative Al Pscholka, recall advocates, led by Benton Harbor City Commissioner Dennis Knowles, were successful yesterday in getting petition language approved. Unsuccessful earlier this month with its recall language, the group seeking Pscholka’s ouster covered its bases this time by submitting four separate wordings, said Berrien […]

UPDATE: I am tempering the tone of the title of this blog entry after realizing that the MDP hasn’t completely removed all posts from their Facebook page. They’ve only changed the landing page so that only their own posts show up unless you click the “Most Recent” tab. Thanks to Sagebrush Bob in the Comments at Daily Kos for this […]

Many parallels have been drawn between what is transpiring in Wisconsin and Michigan in terms of Republicans Gone Wild and the trampling of the rights of voters, union members and any other group Republicans have in their crosshairs. And there are parallels. Certainly the law that Republicans were able to get signed into law stripping away the rights of public […]