Comments on: Democracy Fights Back as Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law Gets Suspended

By: SayWhat?

SayWhat? — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:23:37 +0000

Why are these Emergency Managers being assigned? What’s the underlying conditions of the cities/districts that warrant them? Is a better solution for these jurisdictions to go bankrupt and shutter their offices – apparently so. Prior to criticizing, perhaps a closer examination of the actual situation and citizenry of these ‘emergency manager’ situations is warranted to provide better insight. Are budgets balanced? Are the schools producing educated graduates? Are the local citizens paying the taxes necessary to support the services they demand?

Relating to “democracy”: Wasn’t the Governor and the Legislature democratically elected and empowered by the electorate to create law? Isn’t trying to thwart their democratically elected will ‘anti-democracy’? Seems this point’s being lost. If you agree usurping the democratically elected leadership is o.k., where does it stop? Is anarchy, dismantling the rule of law, the power of elected officials (up to and including the President) and our system of government by special interests (like unions) a good thing? Watch out what you ask for.

Last but not least: If you haven’t read the law and don’t understand it – you have no business pontificating.

What do you think? 0 0

By: Shiva (Moderator)

Shiva (Moderator) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 13:24:28 +0000

Worse, they are NOT up in arms in the numbers they should be. People never understand what is being lost until they lose it directly to themselves

What do you think? 0 0

By: john R.

john R. — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 08:56:56 +0000

Rachel maddow has been covering this for months, off and on, in fact her program is the only place i have seen the coverage… in regard to Shiva’s comment.. the Republicans apparently in the Michigan Legislture, have little regard for fairness.. a number of issues have been gaveled through kangaroo court style..

What do you think? 0 0

By: majii

majii — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 04:07:46 +0000

In Benton Harbor, the EM confiscated a part of the land set aside for public use, and sold it to a corporation that built a luxury golf course on it that the citizens of Benton Harbor can’t afford to join. They can work at the golf course, but they can’t be members because they can’t afford the membership fees. This reminds me of the way it was in the 1950s-1990s at a golf course we have in the city where I live. Blacks could work there, but they couldn’t be members. In the cities in Michigan that have EMs, the people should be up in arms because their right to run their own cities has been taken away from them, and they’re living in a corporate oligarchy and don’t seem to know it.

What do you think? 0 0

By: Shiva (Moderator)

Shiva (Moderator) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 20:56:43 +0000

I have to admit that I honestly cannot understand how the law made it this far. This is one of the most blatantly unconstitutional things that any governor could’ve done. It goes beyond the pale. yet the Republicans support it. You know the party of the Constitution as long as it doesn’t get in their way?

This is an excellent example of lease in my mind to not give the states anymore rights then you have to. We already have several corrupt governors, at least one of which is owned by billionaires and admits it. Is that who you want having more power than the federal government? This reminds me of Ron Paul who runs around touting states rights it at the same time doesn’t tell you who will own the states. Because it sure as heck isn’t going to be the people any more than the people on the federal representatives in Washington.

What do you think? 0 0