Next Monday is Memorial Day in the USA, a day to remember those who gave their lives to defend our country and our democracy. On that day, a coalition of civil rights, labor, and faith leaders from around the state are staging another memorial: the death of democracy in Michigan.
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Regular readers may have noticed that blogging has been light for the past few days. Both of my kids graduated from college this past weekend so Saturday morning found us at the Cleveland Institute of Music watching Arleigh graduate from graduate school (she’s a bassoonist.)
Then it was off to Ithaca, New York to watch Cameron graduate with an undergraduate degree in film making from Ithaca College…
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Last year, faced by over $300 million in debt from a failed trash-to-energy incinerator, Pennsylvania’s capital city Harrisburg attempted to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
They were, however, rebuffed. A law passed in earlier in the year specifically to prevent Harrisburg from filing for bankruptcy prohibits them from doing so until July 2012.
In December, David Unkovic became the state-appointed receiver for Harrisburg as the state took control over the city. The appointment of Unkovic was controversial because he has ties to some of the city’s main creditors. However, a judge okayed the appointment determining that Unkovic did not have any conflicts of interest.…
Here are some photos, courtesy of Michigan Forward, from the delivery of over 226,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of States office on Wednesday. Some details along with a statement from Michigan Forward are available in yesterday’s News Round-up.
Rally at Central United Methodist Church
Another rally shot
Brandon Jessup, Rev. David Bullock, Rev. Charles Williams and others delivering petitions to the SOS
Happy petition deliverers!
A very important receipt
And now the second and equally-challenging phase begins.
| Click for a larger version |
This morning at 11:30 there will be a rally in Lansing, Michigan for those who support the repeal of Public Act 4, Michigan’s undemocratic Emergency Manager law. Then, at 1 p.m., close to 250,000 petition signatures will be delivered to the appropriate officials. 160,304 valid signatures are needed to put the citizens’ referendum on the November ballot. Once that many signatures have been validated, the law goes on hold until the election. Also, Republican heads across the state are likely to explode.
Great coverage by The Rachel Maddow Show last night of the march and rally in front of the gated community where Michigan Governor Rick Snyder lives. Rev. David Bullock was spot-on perfect with his message and it’s one that will resonate with a wide variety of people.
My favorite part of Rev. Bullock’s comments came at the end.
Just a reminder that this afternoon, starting at 4:00 p.m., there will be a protest march on the Ann Arbor-area home of Governor Rick Snyder. Word has it that, in addition to scheduled speakers, the Reverends Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson are also in town for the event. Here are the details from my original post that also had an interview with Pastor David Bullock.
Monday’s “Occupy for Democracy” march on Governor Snyder’s home begins at 4 p.m. People are being asked to park at Washtenaw Community College at 4800 East Huron Drive. You can then walk the short distance to the rally point or take a shuttle.…
Last night I spoke on the phone with Pastor David Bullock, the president of the Michigan Chapter of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the Highland Park NAACP. He and his group are organizing a Martin Luther King Day march on the Ann Arbor home of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. Details on the “Occupy for Democracy Rally” to protest Michigan’s anti-democratic Emergency Manager law are below.
Pastor Bullock, who was recently interviewed on The Ed Schultz Show (video HERE), is a young, energetic and, passionate advocate for the cause of southeastern Michigan African Americans and other people of color. While others who speak about Public Act 4 and its impact on Detroit can come across as a bit shrill, Pastor Bullock is calm, direct and on-point.…
I’ve been happy to see hear coverage of the takeover of Benton Harbor on Michigan Public Radio over the past three days. They’ve done a three-part story which is pretty balanced, on the whole.
Wednesday, April 27 – Benton Harbor called “ground zero” in fight over emergency manager powers
Thursday, April 28 – People in Benton Harbor disagree about what’s best for the city
Friday, April 29 – What’s next for Benton Harbor and emergency managers?
You can read the transcripts and listen to the audio at the links.
The reporting, as I say, is pretty balanced. I do think they underplayed the anti-democratic nature of the takeover but this quote from Reverend David Bullock addresses the issue very eloquently:
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