"This is the biggest power grab since the Supreme Court elected George Bush."

[highplainsdem]

Lansing mayor Virg Bernero on The Ed Show right now, talking about Snyder's plan to have emergency financial managers take over cities in Michigan.

Stunning list of fairly trivial excuses the governor could use to declare this necessary, including a small projected deficit that could be created easily by withholding state funds.

[glitch]

1. Michael Hudson on Guns and Butter radio show today talked about the asset grab

they're going for the public "commons" all over the US, Europe and UK right now.

http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/68300

Horrifying, but recommended.

[Marie Marie]

2. This is truly frightening and once again

very few of the media elites are talking about this. Thank you Rachel - that's where I first heard of this. This is so easily manipulated by withholding funds to any area upon which they want to impose their agenda. If they get away with this, look for more of the same from other Republican governors.

[Scuba]

11. Talking about it? Hell, most are complicit. n/t

[GatesofPunk]

3. I saw that...

I nearly started clapping

[slay]

9. Yeah I was just waiting

for someone to post a thread here about it. Mayor was right on! While i have my frustrations with the Democrats - how can people EVER vote republican - it's just not a rational option. i know a lot can be blamed on foxnews, hannity, o'riley, limbaugh, beck, HOLY CRAP LOOK AT ALL THAT LIBERAL MEDIA BIAS. ugh.

their right-wing corporate controlled propaganda is the worst kind though - the kind of propaganda that preys on one's fears, hatred, patriotism - it preys on the less intelligent, the old, the scared - it turns citizen against citizen - it's shameful and should be shit upon spat upon and knocked down at every turn - called out as propaganda at every chance.

but people are fighting back against this power grab. and they see who is doing it - the republicans. it's all republicans. it's naked out in the open now.

[GatesofPunk]

10. +1. And the GOP...

only wants power. They could care less about freedom.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. It MAY be legal unless challenged successfully in court.

http://www.slate.com/id/2288428/

[highplainsdem]

8. ThinkProgress article on why this is unconstitutional:

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/16/snyder-power-grab/

-snip-

There’s a pretty serious problem with this power grab, however — invoking it would violate the Constitution. The Constitution forbids state laws “impairing the Obligation of Contracts.” This provision provides a robust limit on a state’s ability to dissolve contracts between the government and a private party. As the Supreme Court explained in United States Trust Co. v. New Jersey, state laws impairing such contracts must be “reasonable and necessary to serve an important public purpose.”

The bill does contain some language requiring the emergency manager and the state treasurer to determine that they are not violating this constitutional limit before a collective bargaining agreement can be blown up, but Snyder’s own budget gives the lie to any claim that an assault on working Americans is “necessary” to ensure that Michigan governments can pay their bills. Snyder proposed a massive $1.73 billion business tax cut even as he was arguing that his anti-union power grab was necessary to restore the state’s fiscal balance.

The consequences of Snyder’s actions could be stark. If a state is free to break contracts whenever they feel like it, than no one will agree to do business with the state. Investors will refuse to buy the state’s bonds, and state contractors will demand all payments upfront out of fear that the state will accept their work and then tear up the contract requiring the workers to be paid. Creditors will charge the state enormous interest rates to secure against the risk that the state will just waive its hand and make its obligation to repay go away.

In other words, Snyder is so determined to chip away at collective bargaining, he’s demanded a power that he cannot constitutionally use and that would drive his state into an even deeper financial hole if he ever tried.

[no_hypocrisy]

12. All good points.

Thanks

[pacalo]

5. Ed mentioned that Think Progress said this is unconstitutional.

There’s a pretty serious problem with this power grab, however — invoking it would violate the Constitution. The Constitution forbids state laws “impairing the Obligation of Contracts.” This provision provides a robust limit on a state’s ability to dissolve contracts between the government and a private party. As the Supreme Court explained in United States Trust Co. v. New Jersey, state laws impairing such contracts must be “reasonable and necessary to serve an important public purpose.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/16/snyder-power-grab/

[Motown_Johnny]

6. Virg spoke at the rally today too, he did a great job

If only we had the turnout to make that man Governor. Instead we got Tricky Ricky :puke:

[Luciferous]

7. I heard something about it earlier today on the radio.

They were talking about how the financial managers would be able to nullify union contracts and elected councils. I imagine the end game here is to privatize local governments. Scary stuff! If they get away with this in Michigan I'm sure they will try it in other states as well.

[MichiganVote]

13. K&R

[Kurovski]

14. K

:kick: