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ICYMI: Why the Michigan GOP took the “Financial” out of “Emergency Financial Manager”

By on December 1, 2011 in Education, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Labor, Michigan

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.

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When Michigan Republicans passed the legislation that became Michigan Public Act 4 of 2011 or P.A. 4 or the “Emergency Manager Act” or “local government and school district fiscal accountability act” or, as I call it, the Financial Martial Law Act, they took a subtle step that few noticed.…


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Half of Michigan African Americans will soon be under the rule of an Emergency Manager

By on December 1, 2011 in Emergency Managers

Here’s an interesting thing to ponder: based on 2010 census figures, when Detroit gets an Emergency Manager, over 49% of Michigan African Americans will have lost their representative government and will be under the rule of an Emergency Manager.

(Note: I’ve been reminded that Ecorse has an Emergency Manager as well so I have updated the chart below.)

City Population % African American # of African Americans
Benton Harbor 10,038 89.2% 8,954
Detroit 713,777 82.7% 590,294
Ecorse 9,512 46.4% 4,414
Flint 102,434 56.6% 57,978
Pontiac 59,515 52.1% 31,007
Total &nbsp &nbsp 692,647

[Source: U.S. Census Bureau]

Michigan had 9,883,640 residents in 2010, 14.2% of whom were African Americans for a total of 1,403,477.…


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Eclectablog on Fox Detroit Channel 2 TONIGHT

By on December 1, 2011 in Emergency Managers

In case you’ve ever wanted to see what I look like or sound like, you’ll have your chance tonight if you’re in the southeastern Michigan area. I’ll be on Fox Detroit News’ Let it Rip program at 10:30 p.m. I’ll be among several guests on to discuss the Snyder administration’s decision to move forward with an Emergency Manager for Detroit.

My mom would have been so proud ; )

…

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Mich Governor Rick Snyder to begin process for installing Emergency Manager in Detroit

By on December 1, 2011 in Detroit, Emergency Managers

THIS is not unexpected but, in my mind, chilling.

Gov. Rick Snyder is expected as early as Friday to begin the process to appoint an emergency manager for the city of Detroit, the Free Press has learned.

Snyder is expected to call for a financial review, the first step in state intervention. Both Mayor Dave Bing and Detroit City Council have refused to initiate such a review.

Bing and Snyder had a conversation Wednesday, and Snyder informed the mayor he intended to start the emergency manager process. [...]

Bing has repeatedly said he does not believe an emergency manager is necessary.

…


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Flint, Michigan gets an Emergency Manager – Michael Brown

By on November 29, 2011 in Emergency Managers

Former temporary mayor and city administrator of Flint, Michigan, Michael Brown has been named the Emergency Manager of Flint. The decision to appoint an EM was made the same day current mayor Dayne Walling was re-elected.

“Michael Brown has a strong track record of serving the Flint-area community,” Snyder said in a statement. “Given his experience in public, private, and non-profit settings, I’m confident he is well-equipped to take on this critical post.”

Brown is currently president of the Prima Civitas Foundation and director of the Flint Area Reinvestment Office, which he established in 2009.

As emergency manager, Brown will make $170,000, according to his contract, which he signed Monday.

…


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Snyder admin’s solution to Detroit schools’ truancy problem: take away more of their funding

By on November 28, 2011 in Education, Emergency Managers

There’s no debate over whether or not there are problems with the Detroit Public School system. It’s a decades-old problem made worse by a dwindling city population, higher-than-ever poverty levels and, in some cases, malfeasance, corruption and outright criminal activity by some. Although they are improving with respect to school attendance, Detroit still has big problems in that regard, too.

The Snyder administration has decided that the best way to solve that problem is simply to fine the school system, one that it already struggling due to reduced aid from the state and from lower revenues from its shrinking tax base, by fining them.…


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MEA steps up to help Benton Harbor schools with massive donation of supplies

By on November 23, 2011 in Benton Harbor, Education, Emergency Managers, Teachers

While state officials mull over appointing an Emergency Manager for Benton Harbor schools, the state’s largest teachers union, the Michigan Education Association (MEA), has stepped up to help teachers there with much needed supplies. They put out a call to MEA teachers (flyer HERE (pdf)) to make donations and teachers across the state responded.

When Republican lawmakers pushed through more than $1 billion in cuts to public education earlier this year, bad financial situations in school districts across the state were made even worse. A prime example of this is in Benton Harbor, where the cuts have caused an unsustainable lack of basic school supplies across the district.…

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What’s left to take over in Benton Harbor? Oh, yeah. The schools.

By on November 17, 2011 in Benton Harbor, Education, Emergency Managers

Benton Harbor schools are a whisker away from getting a — you guessed it — an Emergency Manager.

The State of Michigan will conduct a preliminary review of the “critical and alarming financial situation” at Benton Harbor Area Schools. This is the first step in a process that would determine if the school district needs a state-appointed emergency manager. It doesn’t mean one would be appointed for certain.

Leonard Seawood has been superintendent of Benton Harbor Area Schools for a little more than a year. “When you are in a deficit like I inherited…there are no easy answers in terms to digging yourself out of this hole as a district,” Seawood said.

…


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Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris handed stunning defeat at polls

By on November 10, 2011 in Benton Harbor, Emergency Managers, Joe Harris

As I have written about in the past, Emergency Manager Joe Harris by-passed the normal process simply decreed that seven proposals be placed on the ballot for last Tuesday’s elections. These proposals would have altered the Benton Harbor city charter to reduce the number of City Commissioners and eliminated the ward system. In addition to the three I previously wrote about, he also included proposals to shift the responsibility for interactions with Department of Finance and Law from the City Commission to the City Manager, allow the City Manager to hire and fire the City Clerk , City Attorney, City Assessor, and City Treasurer.…


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Dominos falling: yet another Michigan city faces imposition of an Emergency Manager

By on November 9, 2011 in Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers

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 the city is in ‘probable financial stress’.

Treasury spokesman Terry Stanton says the city is having trouble solving a multi-million dollar deficit.

“And the review also found city officials…have proposed unrealistic budgets and failed to make budget revisions in a timely manner,” says Stanton.

…


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