This will be interesting
As he himself predicted last summer, Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris has been booted. In his place will be Tony Saunders II, a marketing guy from WYLD Marketing Group.
Details after the jump.
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UPDATED: Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris is out, marketing consultant Tony Saunders II in
Majority white communities avoid Emergency Financial managers with help from Republicans Denby and Rogers – UPDATED
Ah. So THAT’S how it works.
As majority African American communities in Michigan are forced to live under the rule of unelected dictators, formerly called Emergency Managers and, now, once again called Emergency Financial Managers, efforts by two Republicans in the heart of Republican Livingston County are hoping to avoid the same fate for their own, mostly white, communities. Fiscal troubles that can be laid largely at the door of state legislators Cindy Denby and Bill Rogers would be conveniently remedied by a new law that Rogers and Denby co-sponsored. Even though these communities are in trouble due to fiscal mismanagement on the part of their government leaders, they, unlike Benton Harbor, Flint, Pontiac and other Michigan communities, would receive a state bailout, not a takeover of their town by a state-appointed dictator.
Details after the jump.
IRONY ALERT! Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris being forced out of power
Irony this large needs a zip code
In what may be one of the most ironic stories of the year so far, Joe Harris says he’s being forced out of his position as the Emergency Manager of Benton Harbor.
Gee, Joe, I wonder what it’s like to lose power as a person in charge in that town? I guess you could as the Benton Harbor City Commissioners. They’d certainly know since you were the one who forced them out of power.
More after the jump.
Benton Harbor’s Whirlpool Corp. – Corporate citizen or corporate blackmailer?
“I’m sure we can work something out…”
In a fawning editorial about Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool (linked in yesterday’s Emergency Manager news round-up), Tom Walsh of the Detroit Free Press wrote this:
[T]hings are improving, says Jeff Fettig, CEO of Benton Harbor’s largest taxpayer and corporate citizen, global appliance maker Whirlpool.
“Our view is that it’s working and a lot of progress has been made,” Fettig told me Thursday in Detroit.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let’s back up a minute here, shall we? Rewind.
…Benton Harbor’s largest taxpayer and corporate citizen, global appliance maker Whirlpool…???
Whirlpool doesn’t pay TAXES, Tom, you silly news guy!…
Benton Harbor covered on the Rachel Maddow Show, my wife gets a shout out
Michigan embarrassed on the national stage
Rachel Maddow had another terrific piece on Benton Harbor last night. In it, she wonders out loud if the “non-profit” Cornerstone Alliance, the development arm of Whirlpool, might secretly be conspiring to buy the broadcast license of the city radio station, WBHC. During the segment, you’ll see a panoramic photo taken by my wife, Anne C. Savage, that shows you the impact of the Harbor Shores golf course on the beautiful Jean Klock Park. Watch for the “Anne Savage Photography” notation at the top of the screen.
One piece not mentioned in this segment that focuses a great deal on the Harbor Shores golf course is that Emergency Manager Joe Harris appointed himself to the Golf Course Oversight Panel.…
Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris appoints himself to several city commissions
It’s good to be the king
The Herald-Palladium reports today that Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris appointed himself to several city commissions. I guess he’s not planning on leaving soon after all…
In an order dated Tuesday, Emergency Manager Joseph Harris removed, appointed or reappointed members to the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, the Cemetery Board, the Twin City Area Transportation Authority, the Downtown Development Authority, the Golf Course Oversight Panel, the Benton Harbor Housing Commission, the Benton Harbor Public Library Board, the Planning Commission, the Public Safety/Recreation Committee and the Board of Review.
Harris said Wednesday the city has to make appointments and reappointments to the committees annually but had not done that in the past.
…
Nonprofit group looks to help Benton Harbor citizens buy city radio station – for themselves
There IS goodness in the world
[NOTE: I have edited the title of this piece because PRC does not actually purchase radio stations or licenses themselves. They help other groups to do this.]
Laura Conaway at The Maddow Blog reports in a piece called “The Silencing of Benton Harbor, Michigan” that a private non-profit called Public Radio Capital is looking to help keep Benton Harbor’s city radio station in the hands of the people of Benton Harbor.
As of Saturday afternoon, the auction of the public’s station had drawn three bids, with — I think — two from actor and human rights activist Ben Patrick Johnson.…
Rachel Maddow covers Benton Harbor and selling of city radio equipment – UPDATED
Rachel Maddow did a fine job last night of reporting on an issue I wrote about twice this week (HERE and HERE): the selling off of Benton Harbor’s city radio station equipment. Here’s the video:
This was great journalism – kudos to TRMS producer Laura Conaway – that brought together some seemingly unrelated pieces to show the complete picture including Jonathan Mahler‘s recent New York Times Magazine article.
[And, yeah, she called Eclectablog "the essential Michigan website".]
By the way, the most recent eBay listing has been updated to correct the misspelling of “Equipment” and replaces the improperly used “negligible” with “negotiable”.…
Benton Harbor Emgcy Mgr Harris’s attempt to sell city radio equip on eBay gets ZERO bidders – UPDATED x2
Well THAT didn’t work
Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris’s effort to sell the city radio station’s equipment (or should I say “Eequiptment”?) on eBay is now over. The auction resulted in [ahem] ZERO bids.
Click image for larger version
UPDATE: It’s baa-aack. Yup, he reposted it on eBay again. You now have just under three days to bid. Same starting price, same $1,000 shipping charge, same misspelling of “Equipment” (“Eequiptment”) and same wrong use of the word “neglible”.
UPDATE 2: Aaa-aand now it’s gone again. “This listing was ended by the seller because the item is no longer available.”
What a clown show…
…
Emergency Mgr Joe Harris puts Benton Harbor city radio station equipment on eBay – UPDATED
What’ll ya give me for it?
Back in January, I wrote about Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris closing down the radio station that was run from the City Hall basement. He figured it would save the city $10,000-20,000 a year.
This week, Harris put the equipment up for sale on eBay:
Click image for larger version
Item specifics
Low Power radio station and equipment
Transmitter
3 mics
Mackie 16 channel board
2 CD players
Cords included
antenna – negligible on removal [negligible? negotiable?]
Low Power radio station and equipment
Transmitter
3 mics
Mackie 16 channel board
2 CD players
Cords included
antenna – negligible on removal [negligible? negotiable?]
The sale has some locals worried. One person wrote to me:
Yes, [the radio station] was low tech and “unprofessional” – but the real folk listened in.…
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