Governor Rick Snyder dclared a state of emergency and appointed an emergency manager to take over Detroit, after years of financial difficulty. He said that it might take up to 18 months before elected officials can take control of their city again, including the mayor. This move came after a Feb. 19 report that declare the city was experiencing a financial emergency.
This means that more than 50% of African Americans no longer elect their local leaders. Half of African Americans in the state live in areas that have an emergency manager including, Allen Park, Benton Harbir, Ecorse, Flint, Pontiac and now Detroit. The emergency manager has the power to overule all decisions made by elected leaders, including mayors and city councils. Michigan voters already rejected the concept of an emergency manager, repealing the law last November. The Republican legislature passed a new version of the law a few,weeks later, which Snyder signed into law in December.
. May say that Snyders actions undermibe Democracy and the very reason we vote. Although it is argued that while stated have a sovreign right to exist and the federal government cannot take that away. That the,same rule does not apply to local governments. If Congress and the president wanted to they could not make Michigan no longer exist. But what the emergency manager bill says is that state government can do that to local government, even if it is against their will. If they want to change the form of local government or they want a state take over, they can do it.
Some say that this is a Republican power grab in order to eliminate unions. The emergency manager has the power to modify or reject existing union contracts. Which may be a violation of Constitutional law, because The Constitution forbids states laws from impairing their obligation of contracts. This provision provides a limit on states ability to dissolve contracts between the government and a private party. It also has economic ramifications because if a state is free to break contracts whenever they like who would want to do business with said state.
These actions fall right in with the Koch Brothers vision of America. The Republican party is essentially an extension of the Kochs. It also truly shows how Democrats and Republicans differ. Democrats try to protect the worker/people while Republicans help the wealthy/corporations. Parts of Michigan are essentially living under a dictatorship. Their votes do not count which is in complete violation of our Constitutional rights.
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