December 10th, 2012
April 6th, 2012
Rachel Maddow presents evidence that Michigan Republicans are illegally ignoring the votes of their Democratic counterparts in the Michigan House of Representatives. The evidence points to a clear and purposeful disenfranchisement of people of color, as well as anyone opposing the mass-privatization of public goods.
February 14th, 2012
Romney’s Auto Rescue Double-Down: Favoring Banks Over Health Care
Mitt Romney, struggling to regain the lead from Rick Santorum in national polls and facing a serious deficit in the key primary state of Michigan, has doubled down on his position against the auto industry rescue, arguing that the industry should have gone through a “managed bankruptcy,” mainly to squeeze out the United Auto Workers
May 4th, 2011
Eight more recalls in Michigan
Eight more Republican state representatives in Michigan are now the subject of recall campaigns, Eclectablog reports today. Last week the sponsor of Michigan’s emergency manager law, Republican State Representative Al Pscholka, got papers notifying him that he was up for recall.
Mr. Pscholka represents tiny Benton Harbor, Michigan, the largely black town that is the first in the state to have its elected government stripped of power by an emergency financial manager. As of last month, the emergency manager is allowing the electeds three ceremonial duties — calling meetings, adjourning meetings, and approving the minutes.
On Monday night, the elected officials of Benton Harbor went further. The mayor and the commission met at City Hall and approved a resolution calling the emergency manager law unconstitutional. Mr. Knowles says they intend to send the resolution out to state and federal officials, including the White House and the Justice Department. The vote was six to two, with the emergency manager not attending. “I said that we represent Benton Harbor and we should continue to set the tone and the agenda on everything except financial matters,” he tells us. “And everyone agreed except those two.”
In other Benton Harbor news, a new poll gets the headline “BH residents pick EM over commission.” Read the article more closely, and you’ll see that 60 percent of Twin Cities voters — including ones in wealthier, whiter St. Joseph — tell the pollster they back the emergency manager. In Benton Harbor alone, it’s 50 percent. Not that it matters, since under the law Benton Harbor’s got an emergency manager for as long as the state keeps him in place, regardless of what voters think.
The pollster, it’s worth pointing out, is a longtime Republican Party operative in Michigan, dating back to 1983. He’s also a former director of tourism and public affairs for the Michigan state travel office. “Sometimes there’s so much clamoring of arguments and voices that a survey helps cut to the chase and gives the people a voice, rather than giving the special interests a voice,” he tells the local paper. For the record, he also says he has never done work for anyone in the county that includes Benton Harbor.
March 31st, 2011
Americans love small-C conservatism, Rachel argued last night on the show, but now they’re discovering that the freshmen Republicans who promised it actually prefer big government. In Michigan, new Governor Rick Snyder is taking the power to declare entire towns economically distressed and then dissolve them. In Florida, new Governor Rick Scott just ordered quarterly drug testing for state employees.
“Is that small, leave-me-alone government, or is that big, intrusive government?” Rachel asked. The question, of course, is rhetorical, and the consequences of centralizing authority are real.
In Florida, a woman has sued the state over Governor Scott’s plan to make the rules himself now. Mr. Scott suspended the power of state agencies to craft procedures, giving himself those privileges instead. Rosalie Whiley of Miami says Mr. Scott’s order blocked a new and simpler system for applying for food stamps online, which Ms. Whiley had been counting on because she’s blind. Her lawyers describe it as an overreach. “Unless the Supreme Court acts immediately, Florida law will be suspended by a branch of government with no authority to do so,” Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, former president of Florida State University, told the local press. Ms. Whiley put it her own way. “That’s not right,” she said.
(via The Maddow Blog - ‘Limited government! Restrained government! Humble government!’ (Or not.))
March 8th, 2011
Michigan Workers Jam Capitol to Protest Union Plan
In a scene reminiscent of Wisconsin, hundreds of pro-union protesters jammed the Michigan state Capitol on Tuesday to oppose a bill that would give emergency managers authority to break labor deals to revive failing schools and cities.
About 1,000 pro-union demonstrators gathered on the Capitol steps in Lansing, Michigan, then 400 entered the building to occupy the rotunda and floors overlooking as the Republican state Senate moved the bill toward a final vote expected Wednesday.
New Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal would expand the powers of emergency financial managers who are named to oversee faltering school districts and cities. The House approved the measure in February. Republicans hold a 26-12 Senate majority.
In Wisconsin, protesters occupied the Capitol Building in Madison for weeks to protest new Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s proposals to limit public sector union powers for collective bargaining and require yearly recertification votes.
With Michigan cities and school districts struggling from the severe recession and potential state funding cuts, the bill expands the power for the state to name financial overseers.
The state’s biggest school district, the Detroit Public Schools, was put under the emergency financial management of by Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2009. It is the only district in the state under emergency management.
Brent Gillette, political director for the AFL-CIO in Michigan, said he was frustrated that Republicans did not discuss it in advance and sees parallels to the power-reducing union limits proposed in Wisconsin.
“I’ve heard him say more than once that he wants to be transparent that he wants to talk across the table, he doesn’t want this to be Wisconsin,” Gillette said of Michigan’s Snyder. “Unfortunately, this bill says to me that he wants to take on the same fight as Wisconsin. He just wants to do it from the back door.”
Steve Benkovsky, director of Capitol facilities, said demonstrators filled the base of the rotunda, the second and third floor balconies and filtered onto the fourth floor. He estimated the crowd at about 400 inside and 1,000 total.
“They seemed pretty well behaved other than being boisterous,” Benkovsky said. No arrests were made.
(Writing by David Bailey)
