As the water crisis has unfolded in Flint over the past few months, there has been an enormous amount of finger pointing and blame shifting going around. Just this week, Darnell Earley wrote an op-ed piece for The Detroit News absolving himself of any of that blame, despite the fact that he or one of his predecessors was in charge […]

Last night after the announcement that a grand jury had failed to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year old in Ferguson, Missouri, I read a comment on Facebook that said, “White privilege is me being outraged and angered by the #FergusonDecision rather than utterly terrified.” It took some time for that […]

We need to talk about mental illness until no one is afraid to ask for help. As the world mourns the loss of Robin Williams, there are two things we must remember. The first is the light he shared with us, bringing us laughter and genius and inspiration that will outlive us all. The second is that depression is an […]

This isn’t going away, governor

Retired government employees from both Flint and Pontiac have filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court in Detroit to have Public Act 436 and its predecessor Public Act 4 — Michigan’s anti-democratic Emergency Manager laws — declared illegal under the Bankruptcy Clause and Contracts Clause of the US Constitution, as well as Chapter 9 of Title 11 of the United States Code. The complaint (pdf) rests largely on the argument that these laws favored one set of creditors over others. Namely, they claim retirees and unions have seen their contracts negatively impacted while businesses and banks have gotten away without taking a hit.

Details are after the jump.

Take your victories where you can get them Flint Mayor Dayne Walling As I mentioned earlier, a judge had put a restraining order on Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown due to potential violations of the Open Meetings Act. The hearing was this afternoon and, now that it’s over, Michael Brown is unemployed and Dayne Walling is mayor again. Not only […]

You don’t have to be a jerk about it Last spring when I published exclusive audio of Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris talking about crushing the unions, I was shocked at what he said and, more to the point, how he said it: So, I’ve laid off twenty-five people. I’ve laid off nine police officers. I’ve laid off four […]

All the news that’s fit to make you cringe Lots of news to get to today. Lots more after the jump, too, so make sure you click through. UPDATE: My article for The Nation magazine on Michigan’s Emergency Manager law will be in the issue that goes to print today and will hit the stands later this week. It may […]

Let’s get right to work, shall we? New Highland Park schools Emergency Manager Jack Martin got right to work yesterday, his first day on the job. He closed Barber Focus School. Parents and students of Highland Park schools learned Monday evening how the newly appointed emergency manager will change the troubled district, starting with a closure that will leave only […]

Anyone wanna buy a sewer? Lotsa Emergency Manager tidbits to report today. Highland Park schools Emergency Manager takes the reinsAs I reported last Friday, a new Emergency Manager has been appointed in Michigan, this time it’s the Highland Park school district that has been taken over. You can read about Jack Martin HERE. He’s also on the team that is […]

When you put a single man in charge of the city of Flint, a non-elected financial guy with no accountablility to the local residents, answerable only the Governor, you’d probably want to choose someone who pays crazy close attention to detail, wouldn’t you? Someone who is truly gifted at dotting the the “I”s and crossing the “T”s? Well, apparently that […]

This is so damn patronizing. Flint Emergency Manager Michael Brown has issued an order restoring City Council meetings which he had previously cancelled. Here’s the agenda of the meetings (unless Brown modifies it): Call to Order by the Council President Roll Call by the City Clerk Pledge of Allegiance Presentation of Minutes Report by the Emergency Manager and/or his designee(s) […]