Tag Archives | Emergency Financial Managers

An overview of Michigan’s “Financial Martial Law Act” – P.A. 4

By on June 24, 2011 in Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers

I’m getting ready for a townhall meeting in Ann Arbor tomorrow where I will be presenting an overview of Michigan’s “Financial Martial Law Act”. The townhall meeting is from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor Community Center. The Facebook page is HERE. If you are in the area, I encourage you to join us.

I realized the notes that I have assembled make a pretty danged good two-page fact sheet about P.A. 4. While most commentators mention that it allows the Emergency Managers to break contracts and dismiss local elected officials, there are some other quite heinous things in that bill.…


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Report from the Pontiac Financial Martial Law Act lawsuit press conference

By on June 23, 2011 in Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Michigan, Pontiac

I want to draw your attention to sureujest‘s fine Daily Kos diary covering yesterday’s Pontiac press conference held by Sugar Law Center and plaintiffs in the lawsuit to declare Michigan’s Financial Martial Law Act unconstitutional.

In it she has photos, video and interviews from participants. Here is an excerpt:

At the late afternoon press conference in Pontiac, MI today I spoke with Attorney Julie Hurwitz (of Goodman & Hurwitz PC), who is acting as representation in the suit.

Ms. Hurwitz (pictured above) told me that all legal representation for the civil suit against the State of Michigan is voluntary. Ms.

…


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Traverse City Financial Martial Law repeal activists reach their 4-month petition goal in several hours

By on June 22, 2011 in Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Michigan

Okay, can I just say how much I love THIS???

In Traverse City volunteers collected about 1200 signatures within a few hours Saturday afternoon.

“People saw the signs at our table and on our many petitioner’s clipboards and eagerly offered their support,“ said Amy Hardin of Reject Emergency Managers. “We blasted through our first box of petitions in no time at all. In fact, we met 1/3 of our regional 120 day projection by mid-day!”

“It is heartening to see that so many people understand that our democratic principles must not be compromised in the name of economy,” she said.

…


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BREAKING: Major lawsuit attacks Michigan’s Financial Martial Law Act as unconstitutional

By on June 22, 2011 in Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Michigan

I have a piece up at A2Politico.com that reveals the breaking news that 28 Michigan residents along with the Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice and the Center for Constitutional Rights have filed a lawsuit in Michigan challenging the constitutionality of Public Act 4, the so-call “Financial Martial Law Act” recently passed by Republicans.

The defendents in the complaint are none other than Governor Rick Snyder and State Treasurer Andy Dillon.

Here are the main points of the complaint (a link to the complaint can be found in the A2Politico article):

  1. This lawsuit arises from violations of Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights under the Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963.

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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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