Tag Archives | EFM

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

By on July 11, 2011 in Education, Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Labor, Michigan

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. They changed the name of “Emergency Financial Manager” to simply “Emergency Manager”.

Why did they do this? A quick look at the new law tells the tale.

In P.A. 4, there is a “Definitions” section and one of the items there is this:

“Emergency manager” or “manager” means the emergency manager appointed under section 15.…

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Important Financial Martial Law repeal townhall this SATURDAY in Ann Arbor

By on June 21, 2011 in Ann Arbor, Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Michigan

This Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. is an informational townhall meeting on the effort to repeal the Financial Martial Law Act recently passed by the Republicans in Michigan’s legislature. I will be a featured speaker in the Michigan Forward-sponsored event, talking about the history of the law and what it does. Here are the details from their press release:

Washtenaw Community Members Host Town Hall to Discuss Emergency Manager Law

Ann Arbor, Michigan, June 25, 2011 – The Washtenaw Community Action Team (WCAT) is hosting a town hall meeting to discuss the statewide initiative to repeal Public Act 4.…


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BREAKING: Big news on the fight against Michigan’s EFM law coming tomorrow!

By on June 21, 2011 in Benton Harbor, Detroit, Emergency Financial Managers, Michigan, Pontiac

The Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice, a non-profit law firm based in Detroit, just released this news:

CITIZENS TO ANNOUNCE MAJOR STATEWIDE ACTION AGAINST MICHIGAN’S CONTROVERSIAL EMERGENCY MANAGER LAW

Over two dozen citizens from across Michigan will announce, on Wednesday, June 22, a major action directed against Michigan’s controversial “emergency manager” law. The new law has serious consequences for local communities in the region.

Wednesday, June 22
LANSING

WHEN: 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Lansing City Hall
Outside near entrance
124 W. Michigan Ave
Lansing, MI
WHO: Bill Goodman, Attorney-at-law
Kym Spring, Grand Rapids resident
Michael Merriweather, Ann Arbor resident

BENTON HARBOR

WHEN: 10:00 a.m.

…


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Detroit Mayor Bing planned to become EFM and dissolve City Council and school board

By on June 15, 2011 in Detroit, Emergency Financial Managers, Michigan, Rick Snyder

I’m en route to Netroots Nation but had to pull off to blog THIS:

A whistle-blower lawsuit filed by a former top aide to Detroit Mayor Dave Bing this morning alleges that the mayor had plans to be named emergency manager for the city and Detroit Public Schools, dissolving the city council and the school board.

~SNIP~

Collins said in the suit that she worked with “stakeholders” on an effort that would have made Bing emergency financial manager of Detroit and his former deputy Kirk Lewis emergency manager of the public schools, dissolving the city council and the school board.

…


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Washtenaw County kicks off effort to repeal EFM Law this Saturday

By on June 14, 2011 in Ann Arbor, Emergency Financial Managers, Michigan

As you know, if you read my blog, this past spring, Michigan Republicans passed legislation that Governor Rick Snyder signed into law as Public Act 4 of 2011, otherwise known as “The Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) Law”. Although Michigan governors already had the ability to put EFMs in place in struggling cities and schools, this new law gives EFMs wide-sweeping new powers such as the ability to break contracts with unions and other groups and to dismiss local elected government officials.

Both of these things have happened. In Benton Harbor, EFM Joseph Harris relegated the City Commission to calling meetings, approving minutes and adjourning meetings – essentially becoming stenographers as he reconfigured city commissions and awarded city contracts to companies of his own choosing.…


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BREAKING: Michigan EFM outsources water treatment to company facing 26 felony Clean Water Act violations

By on June 9, 2011 in Emergency Financial Managers, Michigan, Pontiac

I have a new piece up today at A2Politico that shows just how far Michigan’s CPA-style Emergency Financial Managers (EFMs) will go to cut costs.

Michael Stampfler is Pontiac, Michigan’s EFM. He has the dubious distinction of being the first Michigan EFM to use new powers granted by Michigan Republicans to cancel a union contract. What went nearly unnoticed was that last week, he dissolved the Pontiac Planning Commission and replaced it with a smaller number of his own hand-picked, unelected members. But he also did another thing. He made a contract for water treatment services with United Water Services permanent, outsourcing the water treatment to them and laying off city water treatment officials.…


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Benton Harbor EFM continues the disenfranchisement of voters, tightens his power

By on June 5, 2011 in Benton Harbor, Emergency Financial Managers, Joe Harris

Note: to find all of my coverage of the Benton Harbor situation, click HERE. The most recent posts are at the top.
Benton Harbor Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) Joseph L. Harris took further steps to reconfigure the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, the group responsible for directing how brownfields, former industrial sites, are developed. Note that there is a great deal of funding through grants and loans for brownfield redevelopment. Also, access to this prime real estate in the shoreline city is very valuable, particularly if it can be obtained for very low-cost and subsidized through federal and state grants.

The order is HERE.…


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Repealing Michigan’s odious Emergency Financial Manager Law, P.A. 4

By on June 2, 2011 in Emergency Financial Managers

There is a movement afoot to repeal the unconstitutional Public Act 4, Michigan’s Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) law. The group heading it up is Michigan Forward. Trainings are being held across the state to help people be as effective as possible in this effort. Here’s the information and note that the trainings are this weekend.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for volunteering and spreading the word about our efforts to repeal Public Act 4. Governor Rick Snyder’s takeover legislation, Public Act 4 of 2011, “The Local Government and School District Financial Accountability Act,” commonly referred to as the Emergency Manager (EM) legislation.

…


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Petition language for Pscholka recall approved

By on May 24, 2011 in Benton Harbor, Emergency Financial Managers

After failing in their first submission of petition language for the recall of State Representative Al Pscholka, recall advocates, led by Benton Harbor City Commissioner Dennis Knowles, were successful yesterday in getting petition language approved.

Unsuccessful earlier this month with its recall language, the group seeking Pscholka’s ouster covered its bases this time by submitting four separate wordings, said Berrien County Clerk Louise Stine, one of three county officials charged with reviewing recall language.

“We approved three of the four, and they picked the one they wanted to appear on the petitions,” she said.

Specifically, the wording asks that Pscholka be removed from office for “allowing emergency financial managers sole authority to remove local elected municipal government officials and elected school district board representatives from office.”

Pscholka, a former aide to Congressman Fred Upton, is the author of the bill that was signed into law as Public Act 4 or the Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) law.…


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UPDATED: The Michigan Democratic Party has little tolerance for dissent

By on May 13, 2011 in Emergency Financial Managers, Michigan, Michigan Democratic Party, Recall Rick Snyder

UPDATE: I am tempering the tone of the title of this blog entry after realizing that the MDP hasn’t completely removed all posts from their Facebook page. They’ve only changed the landing page so that only their own posts show up unless you click the “Most Recent” tab. Thanks to Sagebrush Bob in the Comments at Daily Kos for this clarification. Their ignoring of the recall and EFM law repeal efforts is still an issue, of course, and a large number of unfriendly posts were deleted yesterday.
============

Well, this is interesting. In the past couple of days, I have posted two blogs.…


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