Walker, Kasich and Snyder? Oh, my!

Note: A nasty computer virus prevented me from accessing the net and posting this yesterday morning:

I’ve written about this crap before.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed a law earlier this year making it possible for emergency managers appointed by the state to go into struggling cities and school districts and usurp the authority of local elected officials.

In an April 19 post entitled “Fascism comes to Benton Harbor” and again in a June 23 post entitled, “Look out, Snyder! Sugar Law is on the case!,” I lamented the fact that the governor can appoint emergency managers to take over local units of government and do whatever they want. Emergency managers have already laid off employees, privatized services, cut wages and increased health care costs for employees.

Chris Savage of Eclectablog.com wrote that Public Act 4 of 2011, the “Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act,” disenfranchises Michigan voters by stripping away the powers of their local elected officials and giving them to a single gubernatorial appointee; forces local governments to pay the costs of emergency managers; reneges on previously-negotiated contracts and collective bargaining agreements; allows emergency managers to assume control over academic and educational plans; and allows public assets to be sold off to private interests.

Not only has a lawsuit been filed in Ingham County Circuit Court to declare the law unconstitutional, but folks have banded together under the “Repeal Public Act 4 of 2011” banner to collect petition signatures and put the issue before voters.

A group called Michigan Forward is leading the coalition and volunteers are collecting signatures in Detroit, Marquette, Pontiac, Grand Rapids, Flint, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo and Benton Harbor, among other places.

The group needs 161,304 valid signatures by next March to put the issue before voters; organizers said a few days ago they have nearly half of their 250,000-signature goal. (They want a cushion to allow for invalid signatures.) If the State Board of Canvassers certifies the signatures, the law would be suspended until voters decide its fate in November of 2012.

I bet Michigan’s pro-repeal forces are encouraged by what’s going on in Ohio and Wisconsin. Ohio’s GOP governor, John Kasich, just announced he’s willing to discuss his union-stripping law, Senate Bill 5, after all – now that polls show it’s likely to be repealed by voters. (Over 1.3 million signatures were collected to get the repeal on the November 8 ballot.) And labor came out on top in five of the nine recall campaigns recently concluded in Wisconsin, where GOP Governor Scott Walker has been flipping the bird at angry voters for months. Looks like politicians seriously underestimated the power of an enraged citizenry.

I wonder how long Rick Snyder thinks he can keep his fingers in his ears and ignore the will of the people here at home.


Update: It was announced Thursday that Snyder wants to fast-track the Ingham County Circuit Court challenge by having the Michigan Supreme Court – which has a 4-3 majority of justices nominated by the Michigan Republican Party or appointed by Snyder – take the case immediately. What a surprise.