We are all Benton Harborites now. . . .

[annabanana]

If it happened to them in Michigan it can happen to YOU.. anywhere there is a Repug legislature and a Repug Governor

http://michiganmessenger.com/48278/benton-harbor-emergency-manager-strips-power-from-all-elected-officials

The Emergency Financial Manager of the city of Benton Harbor has issued an order stripping all city boards and commissions of all their authority to take any action.

The order, signed Thursday, limits the actions available to such bodies to calling a meeting to order, approving the minutes of meetings and adjourning a meeting. The bodies are prohibited under the act from taking any other action without the express authority of the Emergency Financial Manager, Joseph Harris.

Actions such as Harris’ are explicitly allowed under a newly approved law which granted sweeping new powers to emergency financial managers. That legislation had drawn large protests, including attempts by some protesters to take over the state capitol building. The sit-in resulted in numerous arrests.

Harris’ move comes as Detroit Public Schools’ emergency financial manager Robert Bobb announced that he would use powers granted to him under the act to change union contracts.

Rachel covered it. I believe she is the only national stage to do so.

Your vote means NOTHING to this crowd. Do you like your Mayor or City Council? Well if there is a gang of republican/real estate developers running your state.. tough noogies guys. Is there a nice park in YOUR town? You know, a place with rolling lawns, waterfront property, a lovely view? Kiss it good bye.


Here's their NEXT target:

http://www.eclectablog.com/
So, we have now come full circle. In Saugatuck, Congressman Fred Upton helps get a judge appointed who then rules quite favorably for one of Upton's relatives, Aubrey McClendon, in a shoreline development dispute. Meanwhile, in Benton Harbor, both the Upton and McClendon families benefit financially from another shoreline development at the expense of the local residents -- a project that Upton himself helped to push.

But there's actually more to this. The guy who wrote the bill that gave Harris his massively expanded powers, Al Pscholka, is a former Upton staffer and is the state representative from that area. AND he was on the Board of the development group for Harbor Shores.

And more: Aubrey McClendon is the CEO of Chesapeake Energy. His relative and golf buddy, Congressman Fred Upton, is the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. And Fred Upton is trying to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases. Natural gas obtained using hydraulic fracturing, as McClendon's company does, has recently been found to emit more greenhouse gases than coal. More on the close ties between McClendon and Upton at the Blind Eye's great blog Who is Fred Upton (R MI-6)?

Finally, there's this: Saugatuck Township, home of the stunning Saugatuck Dunes, is beginning to worry about bankruptcy due to the lawsuits from Aubrey McClendon. In fact, they held a vote last May to raise taxes to pay for the legal fees. It passed by two votes but there was a snafu that prevented a recount and is forcing the Township to spend even MORE money. They are actually fearing bankruptcy and, if they go into bankruptcy, they become vulnerable to -- yep -- an Emergency Financial Manager.

If that happens, what's going on in Benton Harbor to hand over prime real estate to wealthy and powerful developers for their own economic enrichment could happen in the beautiful Saugatuck Dunes, as well.

[Yo_Mama]

1. Not unless the municipality is defaulting on its obligations

They really can't do this unless it IS a financial emergency.

The other alternative is for municipalities to declare bankruptcy, but that is usually worse.

[malaise]

2. They've already designed their golf course

This is unbelievable

[HereSince1628]

4. Unfortunately, it IS believable.

Complaints about tyrannical corruption like this were in our Declaration of Independence!

Most people only read the prelude to that document. Would you recognize this little ditty from among the complaints listed on that parchment?

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

If you put this in modern language with respect to the Enabling Acts that create EFMs...the complaint becomes

--For suspending our local governments, and declaring themselves invested with power to decide for us in all cases, whatsoever.--

Is this not as objectionable as the complaint made more than 230 years ago????

These Enabling Acts, done by Brinksman under conditions of Potempkin crises ARE THAT TO WHICH THE FOUNDERS OBJECTED!

A stake has been driven into the heart of local governance in Michigan for no greater purpose but to enable the Privateers to steal the common wealth. When they are done, there will be nothing left but rotten infrastructure. There will be NO ASSETS OF VALUE LEFT TO BACK MUNINCIPAL BOND RATINGS.

This erosion of Democracy is a CAUSE FOR GREAT CONCERN.

The day is no longer coming when the privateers will simply lay claim to assets held in commonwealth.

That day is HERE!

[Jim__]

8. Excellent point! - n/t

[malaise]

9. Excellent response

Deserves its own thread :hi:

[CrispyQ]

13. Outstanding post!

This would make a fine LTTE.

[Bandit]

16. It is here and every person that truly loves this country and everything it is based upon

should descend upon Michigan in force...ARMED if necessary.. Sometimes bullets instead of ballots are necessary...Our forefathers knew this and made Declarations saying so to their rulers.... Republicans want to Rule rather than Govern and in America that is just not acceptable...

[Canuckistanian]

7. I don't think you get it

There are people who are conspiring to bankrupt their local municipalities because they WANT an "Emergency Commissar" to come in and sell off all the valuable land without interference from pesky town councils.

[suffragette]

24. + 1,000

That's it in a nutshell.

They sound very much the descendants of those who accused people of being witches so they could grab their land and assets.

And now, they can grab power along with the assets.

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Recommended - this story is both fascinating and sickening...

To lose a public park to private development is a major breach of one of the most basic social compacts. :grr:

[Hannah Bell]

5. kr

[Vinca]

6. How can this possibly be legal?

[annabanana]

10. easy. . Real Estate developers hire the legislature and those who

are supposed to enforce the law are not working for the people anymore

[Shadowflash]

11. It can't be

We just need someone who is affected by these actions to challenge this in court so it can be ruled unconstitutional and things can get back to normal.

If it's NOT found unconstitutional then, considering Michigan is broke and in debt, President Obama can just dismiss the dumbass republican Governor and republican house and senate and appoint a liberal to run the state.

This is the issue that proves the Tea party is a joke. They run around talking about taxation without representation, local control and small government and, when this one issue is being fought on ALL those grounds, There's not a single peep from these 'patriots'.

Grass roots my @$$.

[Brickbat]

14. When you believe the rhetoric that government is evil, who gives a shit about legal? Playing along

and trying to find someone to file suit and bring it through the courts is a waste of time. It's time for direct action.

[truebrit71]

12. Wow....they are just getting more and more brazen aren't they?

..they are barely bothering to cover up their crimes anymore...

[white_wolf]

15. Surely, the courts won't let this stand.

This is the most blatant violation of the Constitution since the Patriot Act. Of course, they haven't done anything about that either.

[MedleyMisty]

21. There are no checks and balances

The Supreme Court helped Bush steal the 2000 election. The Supreme Court made corporations legal persons. The Supreme Court gave the Kochs the right to buy the government.

Don't depend on the courts. The entire system is broken. Trying to work within a broken system is a waste of time.

Mass civil disobedience. Now. Unless you like living in a totalitarian fascist state.

[starroute]

17. McClendon is a major player in all of this

Aubrey McClendon is not just some cousin of Fred Upton's. I checked my files for what I had on him and his name came up in a 2004 list of donors to the Progress for America Voter Fund -- $250,000, just a few lines above T. Boone Pickens.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Progress_for_America

Progress for America (PFA) (a 501c4) and its affiliate Progress for America Voter Fund (PFA-VF) (a 527 committee) are national tax-exempt organizations. The PFA was, from the beginning, "closely associated" with the Bush administration, the Republican National Committee and "their consultants."

PFA was established in 2001 to support George W. Bush's "agenda for America." The PFA Voter Fund, which was set up in 2004, raised $38 million in support of Bush's 2004 election bid.

Progress for America, a "friends of the party" organization "operated by Tony Feather, the former political director of Bush-Cheney 2000 and a close friend of White House political adviser Karl Rove, is described by some Republicans as a new group dedicated to corralling outlawed party soft money."

And I also found McClendon mentioned in a thread I started here in October 2004 about the dirty tricks connections of the Swiftboat Veterans: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1162991

Chesapeake Energy donated $250,000 to the Swifties, too. (Not surprisingly, there were multiple overlaps between that group and Progress for America -- one of them being lawyer Ben Ginsberg, who is now representing Prosser in the Wisconsin recount.) And I quoted this article from an Oklahoma newspaper:

The top two executives of Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. have contributed $500,000 to a group running a statewide television ad criticizing U.S. Senate candidate Brad Carson.

Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward each donated $250,000 within the past month to a recently formed group affiliated with Club for Growth.

Club for Growth has been helping raise money for Republican Senate candidate Tom Coburn and sponsoring media ads for him.

<snip>

Price said McClendon and Ward gave money to Club for Growth, which is based in Washington D.C., because of "the agenda that they have, which is increased prosperity through lower taxes and lower regulation."

And Club for Growth, of course, is these people:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Club_for_Growth

Club for Growth is a right-wing political group that endorses and raises money for candidates. According to a February 22, 2011 article by John Nichols in The Nation, the Club for Growth is "an organization funded by extremely wealthy conservatives to carry out their budget-stripping goals," and that "has been a key player in Republican Governor Scott Walker's move to take out the state's organized workers." Nichols writes that the Club for Growth is part of a "national strategy" to get "newly elected Republican governors" to destroy labor and unions. R.J. Johnson, who served as a political strategist for Walker's campaign, is a key adviser to the Club for Growth. Johnson has refused to disclose where the Club for Growth gets its funding.

So this is not just about local Michigan politics. It's all about "the agenda" and the "national strategy" and just happens to be zeroing in on Michigan at the moment.

[upi402]

18. Thanks to Rachel. The news would be canceled 100% without

a handful of journalists at MSNBC.

[Rhiannon12866]

19. K&R!

This story has disturbed and sickened me as much as anything else has for a very long time. What is happening to this community is unconscionable, but they don't seem to stand much of a chance without big outside help. ;(

edit: typo

[MadMaddie]

20. Here is the truth

They are using Benton Harbor as their model to steal from everyone. They didn't think anyone would pay attention to some small black town sitting on prime property and they were wrong. I have no doubt they have other areas where poor and middle class live and they want to steal it. I am confident of this.

[notadmblnd]

23. I agree. Snyder's administration is training hundreds of EFMS

it tells me they plan on taking over more than a few failing cities. Any, and I mean any city that has valuable assets that any of these privateers decide that they want, is theirs for the taking. Drive a city to bankruptcy, appoint a EFM and sell the assets who drove the city broke.

I bet they have targeted most of Michigan's of shorelines and hundreds of lakes.

[notadmblnd]

22. Can't they be charged with conspiracy to defraud the State?

Isn't this some form of racketeering? Isn't there any other way to put a stop to this other than by using the slow grinding wheels of the State legislature and political process?

[Keith Bee]

25. A very nervous K&R

Where are the cries of "tyranny" now???