Let’s find out if it is, indeed, a legal law Federal bankruptcy judge Steven Rhodes determined today that a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Michigan’s anti-democratic Emergency Manager law – Public Act 436 – can move forward. The case is being handled in another federal court. In his ruling (pdf) denying a request to stay the case, Judge Rhodes said: […]

Please, sir, may I have some more? [Photo by Chris Savage | Eclectablog] Steven Rhodes, the federal judge overseeing Detroit’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy, halted discussions on Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr’s plan to borrow $350 from Barclay’s bank to retire some terribly negotiated debt swaps, effectively moving banks to the head of the line in the bankruptcy proceedings. In what can […]

I am going to start posting all of Tony Trupiano’s podcasts since they really are terrific and, due to his potential run for office, he may no longer be on the air with his radio show any longer. Today’s podcast happens to be with moi. Tony and I talked about Rand Paul’s insulting visit to Detroit, the Education Achievement Authority, […]

The GOP believes they simply need to talk about issues that African Americans care about, not actually do anything about them Kentucky Senator Rand Paul came to Michigan today to be part of the opening of the Republican’s Detroit “African American Engagement Office”. No, seriously. Before the Republicans got their day started, Democrats had a press conference nearby where they […]

Making Detroit into America’s very own Third World country is decidedly NOT the solution In the television series The West Wing, Republican candidate for president Arnold Vinick is asked in a debate about debt relief for impoverished countries. “Senator, are you saying you’re opposed to debt relief for impoverished countries?” Vinick is asked by the moderator. “No,” he replied. “We […]

Hear ye, hear ye I was on the Majority Report radio show with Sam Seder this afternoon. We discussed Detroit’s bankruptcy, the Education Achievement Authority, and other examples of the corporatist Republican takeover of Michigan. You can listen to it here: [ca_audio url_mp3=”http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/majorityfm/12-4-13-Chris_Savage-PUB.mp3″ css_class=”codeart-google-mp3-player” autoplay=”false” download=”false” html5=”false”] True story: the first time I met Sam Seder in person was when […]

With the announcement that Detroit is officially in bankruptcy and at the suggestion of my good friend Emily Hauser, we thought it would appropriate to rerun a photographic journey to Detroit taken by Eclectablogger and photographer extraordinaire Anne C. Savage the day Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr filed the bankruptcy paperwork – July 18th, 2013. It’s an antidote, if you will, […]

Ain’t NOBODY happy ’bout this Eclectagraphic by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog I’m on record as someone who supported Detroit going into bankruptcy from the very first days of that idea being discussed. As I pointed out in an op-ed at AnnArbor.com, Chapter 9 bankruptcy offers protections for a municipality that the imposition of an Emergency Manager does not. […]

The desperation is getting palpable While Governor Rick Snyder met with billionaire Warren Buffett and Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein in Detroit yesterday, another group of wealthy moneymen were across town filing a motion with the federal judge asking that he take action on their behalf in Detroit’s ongoing bankruptcy saga. The banks that are owed money by Detroit are […]

A rock on one side and a hard place on the other Last year, the Detroit Institute of Arts had over a half million visitors. The museum is a huge tourist draw and an anchor for the area of Detroit that surrounds it. The cost to the city of Detroit for this priceless collection of art is exactly zero dollars. […]

Dear goddess, no. Just no. Senator Rand Paul, who has publicly told America that he does not support the part of the Civil Rights Act that forbids businesses from doing things like preventing African Americans from entering their premises, will be in Detroit on December 6th to open the Republican African American Engagement Office. Oh, the irony. Paul told the […]