SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Michigan's Shock Doctrine Continues: Governor Appoints Emergency Manager for Detroit
Mar 01, 2013
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared the city of Detroit in a state of "fiscal emergency" on Friday afternoon and announced he would appoint a emergency financial manager (EFM) for the city.
Neil Munshi reported in the Financial Times that the emergency manager "would have relatively broad powers to handle the city's dire financial situation."
In a blog post on the decision, Snyder writes: "Working together in partnership, we can more quickly and efficiently reform the finances in the city." But the EFM role is not one of "partnerships," the governor's fact sheets on the EFM decision explain, as the appointee will be able to make a financial decision without waiting for it to go "through the many layers of bureaucracy." The EFM also has the ability to "take actions to void contracts."
Agence France-Presse adds that "emergency managers have the power to eliminate entire departments, change labor contracts, sell city assets and rewrite laws without any public review or input." And the Detroit Free Press reports that the "restructuring likely will include drastic cuts in public services and a top-down rethinking of the type of government."
Critics have referred to the EFM law as "local dictators law."
MSNBC adds that
The decision had been predicted for weeks, but Friday's announcement means that more than 50% of African Americans in the state of Michigan no longer elect their local leaders.
The EFM holds the position for 18 months, at which point the position is under review.
The city council has 10 days to appeal the decision, and they have announced they are prepared to fight the decision.
Detroit would join the towns of Royal Oak Township, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Flint, the Village of Three Oaks, Allen Park, Pontiac, Ecorse, and Benton Harbor, which already have EFMs, as well as Detroit Public Schools, Highland Park Schools, and Muskegon Heights Schools which have the emergency managers.
In December, Snyder signed into law controversial replacement emergency manager legislation, just weeks after Michigan voters rejected the previous emergency manager law, Public Act 4.
______________________________
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared the city of Detroit in a state of "fiscal emergency" on Friday afternoon and announced he would appoint a emergency financial manager (EFM) for the city.
Neil Munshi reported in the Financial Times that the emergency manager "would have relatively broad powers to handle the city's dire financial situation."
In a blog post on the decision, Snyder writes: "Working together in partnership, we can more quickly and efficiently reform the finances in the city." But the EFM role is not one of "partnerships," the governor's fact sheets on the EFM decision explain, as the appointee will be able to make a financial decision without waiting for it to go "through the many layers of bureaucracy." The EFM also has the ability to "take actions to void contracts."
Agence France-Presse adds that "emergency managers have the power to eliminate entire departments, change labor contracts, sell city assets and rewrite laws without any public review or input." And the Detroit Free Press reports that the "restructuring likely will include drastic cuts in public services and a top-down rethinking of the type of government."
Critics have referred to the EFM law as "local dictators law."
MSNBC adds that
The decision had been predicted for weeks, but Friday's announcement means that more than 50% of African Americans in the state of Michigan no longer elect their local leaders.
The EFM holds the position for 18 months, at which point the position is under review.
The city council has 10 days to appeal the decision, and they have announced they are prepared to fight the decision.
Detroit would join the towns of Royal Oak Township, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Flint, the Village of Three Oaks, Allen Park, Pontiac, Ecorse, and Benton Harbor, which already have EFMs, as well as Detroit Public Schools, Highland Park Schools, and Muskegon Heights Schools which have the emergency managers.
In December, Snyder signed into law controversial replacement emergency manager legislation, just weeks after Michigan voters rejected the previous emergency manager law, Public Act 4.
______________________________
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared the city of Detroit in a state of "fiscal emergency" on Friday afternoon and announced he would appoint a emergency financial manager (EFM) for the city.
Neil Munshi reported in the Financial Times that the emergency manager "would have relatively broad powers to handle the city's dire financial situation."
In a blog post on the decision, Snyder writes: "Working together in partnership, we can more quickly and efficiently reform the finances in the city." But the EFM role is not one of "partnerships," the governor's fact sheets on the EFM decision explain, as the appointee will be able to make a financial decision without waiting for it to go "through the many layers of bureaucracy." The EFM also has the ability to "take actions to void contracts."
Agence France-Presse adds that "emergency managers have the power to eliminate entire departments, change labor contracts, sell city assets and rewrite laws without any public review or input." And the Detroit Free Press reports that the "restructuring likely will include drastic cuts in public services and a top-down rethinking of the type of government."
Critics have referred to the EFM law as "local dictators law."
MSNBC adds that
The decision had been predicted for weeks, but Friday's announcement means that more than 50% of African Americans in the state of Michigan no longer elect their local leaders.
The EFM holds the position for 18 months, at which point the position is under review.
The city council has 10 days to appeal the decision, and they have announced they are prepared to fight the decision.
Detroit would join the towns of Royal Oak Township, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Flint, the Village of Three Oaks, Allen Park, Pontiac, Ecorse, and Benton Harbor, which already have EFMs, as well as Detroit Public Schools, Highland Park Schools, and Muskegon Heights Schools which have the emergency managers.
In December, Snyder signed into law controversial replacement emergency manager legislation, just weeks after Michigan voters rejected the previous emergency manager law, Public Act 4.
______________________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy