Last night, on his MSNBC show, Ed Schulz finished the evening with a piece about the Emergency Manager issue in Michigan. One particularly interesting point made by Rev. Alexander Bullock from the Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church of Highland Park, MI and also of Rainbow Push Detroit was that Emergency Managers can take control of the Clerk’s office when they […]

[Bumped due to update.] MIRS News has this tantalizing snippet on their front page this morning: The Gov. Rick Snyder administration is working with legislative leaders on a bill that would create an interim Emergency Manager (EM) law in case the state’s new EM statute, P.A. 4, is suspended through a potentially successful referendum process.” UPDATE: The Detroit Free Press […]

Detroit Free Press Deputy Editorial Page Editor Brian Dickerson has an op-ed this morning titled What’s really driving state takeovers: It ain’t race. In his piece, he argues that the disparate impact of Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law on minority populations isn’t related to race but rather to the shrinking populations of the cities involved. As the prospect of some sort […]

My, my. THIS is interesting. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is reviewing whether the state of Michigan can legally appoint an emergency manager to oversee the Motor City’s finances, Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, said late today. Conyers said he spoke to Holder about his request that the government move to block the law. “(Holder) said, ‘I’ve got my lawyers working […]

Buried in the lede of the news about Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown firing seven staffers and essentially firing the the Mayor and City Council, as well, is this little tidbit: In his first orders as emergency manager, Michael Brown on Friday fired seven City Hall staffers — including the mayor’s second-in-command — and eliminated pay and benefits for the […]

Newly-minted Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown got right to work last. On Friday (pdf) he fired seven staff members at City Hall and then eliminated pay and benefits for Flint’s newly-elected mayor and the City Council. The order says: Mayor Dayne Walling’s salary and all other compensation and benefits, including the accrual of post-employment benefits, are eliminated. Flint City Council […]

Lost in the media hubub regarding the possibility that Detroit may be put under the control of an Emergency Manager (EM) was related news about Inkster, Michigan. I reported in October and then again in November that Inkster is on a glide path toward a take over by an EM. The penultimate step toward that final outcome was taken this […]

The Emergency Manager law, Public Act 4, is alread being challenged on two fronts. First with a petition drive by Michigan Forward to put it on the 2012 ballot as a referendum. They are nearing their signature goal and, once they have enough signatures certified, the law is immediately put on hold. Second, the Sugar Law Center and its partners […]

With Detroit facing an imminent takeover by an Emergency Manager, I thought now might be a good time to remind everyone about a subtle but incredibly important change that occurred when Public Act 4 — the Emergency Manager Law — was passed. This was first published in June. Please share widely if you care about this issue. When Michigan Republicans […]

On Wednesday this week, the Sugar Law Center held their annual reception and fundraiser called “ESSENTIAL: Advocacy for Community Justice”. The event started with the first annual Leonard Grossman Memorial Lecture given by civil rights attorney Michael L. Pitt. Michael L. Pitt All photos by Anne C. Savage. Click any photo to see larger versions. Please do not reuse without […]

This is becoming a daily thing for Michiganders. On the heels of an announcement yesterday by the Governor’s office that Flint may soon be put under the control of an Emergency Manager, today it was announced that Inkster may also receive an Emergency Manager, as well. The state Treasury Department announced today that a preliminary review of Inkster’s books shows […]