I don’t have complete details at this time but it appears that there is an organized effort afoot to start a recall effort against Michigan State Congressman Al Pscholka. Who is Al Pscholka? In addition to being the state Representative from the area that includes Benton Harbor, Pscholka is a former aide to Congressman Fred Upton, a man who has […]

A few things to report today about Benton Harbor. First, Jesse Jackson made an appearance in Benton Harbor yesterday to highlight their situation. “Clearly we must prepare to file a major lawsuit to restore democratic rights in Benton Harbor,” said Jackson. He encouraged church and city leaders to form a coalition. ~SNIP~ “You don’t solve an economic crisis by decapitating […]

I’ve heard of onshore and offshore gas and oil spills but never before have I heard heard of a blowout at a natural gas facility. But yesterday in Pennsylvania, that’s exactly what happened (and is still happening): A blowout at a natural gas well in rural northern Pennsylvania spilled thousands of gallons of chemical-laced water on Wednesday, contaminating a stream […]

We could all learn a little bit about negotiating from the Republicans, I suppose. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s proposed budget eliminates the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which helps the working poor, especially those with kids. In a dramatic concession, he’s agreed to give qualifying families $25 per child . This represents 5.8% of the EITC the average family would […]

Based on some tips from folks who have contacted me about my blogging the Big Government TakeoverTM of Benton Harbor by Rick Snyder’s Emergency Financial Manager, Joseph Harris, I’ve been doing some digging into the development known as Harbor Shores. I have found an amazingly tangled web that involves a number of very powerful, very wealthy men. In the process […]

Color me shocked! The Republicans are unhappy with the effort of Michigan Citizens United (webpage firericksnyder.org) to recall Republican Governor Rick Snyder. They are trying to characterize it as being entirely the effort of the Michigan Education Association, the teachers’ union in our state, based on the fact that an MEA fax number is erroneously listed in some of their […]

Last night on her show, Rachel Maddow connected some very important dots in the situation that led up to the Big Government TakeoverTM of Benton Harbor, Michigan by Joseph Harris, aka “The Czar of Benton Harbor”. But she didn’t connect ALL of them. In her piece we learn these facts about Benton Harbor and its twin city next door, St. […]

New Benton Harbor Emergency Financial Manager (EFM), effectively the “Czar of Benton Harbor”, Joseph Harris got right to work this weekend in his new capacity by reconfiguring the city’s Planning Commission and Brownfield Commission. In two directives released Friday, Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joseph Harris removed members of the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and Planning Commission, appointed others, and reduced brownfield […]

By now you have probably heard about Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s takeover of Benton Harbor, Michigan‘s government via his Emergency Financial Manager. As I said in my previous piece on this, while I understand the utter shambles that Benton Harbor was in, I also understand that there are systemic reasons for that in addition to malfeasance and mismanagement. A population […]

NOTE: I have an important update to this entry up titled “How Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is quietly & intentionally creating more Benton Harbors” that you may find of interest. NOTE 2: A second update is here: Benton Harbor Emergency Financial Mgr. gets right to work and shows how Harris is already at work, rejiggering two city development commissions. As […]

To say things are bad for teachers in Michigan is tragic understatement. Layoff notices are being issued around the state (per union contracts) for the coming school year. The most significant was announced this week: Detroit Public School teachers union members get pink slips Detroit Public Schools administrators have mailed layoff notices to the 5,466 members of the teachers union […]