The state-appointed emergency manager of Benton Harbor, Michigan, has issued three new orders since the first of the year. The third one (pdf), screengrabbed below, removes one mayor pro tem and replaces him with another. The emergency manager has the right to make decisions like this under Michigan's expanded emergency manager law, which he spells out in the order.
At first blush, you might think Mr. Harris was moving autocratically to sideline one of his critics. The now-former mayor pro tem, Marcus Muhammad, has called for an investigation into the relationship between Mr. Harris and the powerful nonprofit that's building the Habor Shores golf result stock-imaged above. That nonprofit is backed by Whirlpool, which has its corporate headquarters in Benton Harbor and is the biggest economic player in the sad, busted-up town.
Imagine your new life in Harbor Shores.
So it would make sense that Mr. Harris would want to quiet Mr. Muhammad. But it turns out that Mr. Harris says he made the move at the request of the new mayor, who wanted to appoint his own mayor pro tem. The new mayor can't do that, because in an order last year (pdf), Mr. Harris stripped Benton Harbor's elected officials of all powers except the ability to call a meeting to order, approve the minutes, and adjourn the meeting. Now the unelected manager is carrying out, autocratically, the normal duties of the democracy he gutted.
Which is weird. On Monday, protesters plan to spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day marching to Governor Rick Snyder's house over the emergency manager law. The state is inching closer to installing an emergency manager in Detroit, which Eclectablog reports would leave 75 percent of the African-American electeds in Michigan essentially powerless.
Eclectablog also posts the best catalog I've seen of Benton Harbor's desperate largess toward Whirlpool, which was founded by Congressman Fred Upton's family. One of the saddest things about Benton Harbor is that no one listens to the electeds when they talk about this stuff. And some of it is really amazing stuff.
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Incorporation papers of the GOP
Benton Harbor represents the end game of Republican politics
I agree and worse. They hope to install zenophobic fears and deathlike competition for the crumbs they'll see fit to drop to the grabbers.
The discredit of govt has already begun with the lobbyist takeover and a predominantly rich Congress aiding and abetting the general disorientation of the people in states where this EM is occurring.
I want a T-shirt with this on it and wear around some idiot tea party republicans that I know.
People need to wake up - this is not democracy. What happens to the millions already living in poverty? How much of this bounty from "Harbor Shores" going to trickle down to them? The situation in Benton Harbor specifically, represents a plantation mentality and a blatant land-grab. This story needs more coverage, this can happen anywhere. The people of Michigan deserve better than this.
U will C more of this land-grab everywhere. It has occurred in Russia with their oligarchs that are similar to the American one Reagan and Bush helped to create. and Sovereign states cannot stand up to the global octopuses we've allowed our multi-nationals to become, ergo, now transnationals.
Many, once they are less stunned, willl come to blame the American people for our failure to prevent, keep this greed spread checked. We still don't see that we are the perpetrators.
The Oligarchy has taken over our democracy - when are you sheeple going to wake up and realize that your fears xenophobia and homophobia, are being used against you to further weaken the democracy that this nation was supposedly found upon?!?
This is an excellent question, Zora. Not until the press stops cozying-up to the politicians, ALL of the politicians, who get their funds from the 1%. And yes, that includes Obama. The first thing we need is to be told the truth, objectively.
Hold onto your hat, but integrity in journalism is pretty much dead when a major newspaper asks this question while a cable-show comedian becomes the objective observer.
I remember back to my teenage years in the 70s, when my dad explained to me that certain automobile magazines were beholden to certain manufacturers, so it shouldn't come as any surprise when (for example) Car & Driver named a certain model of Ford as the Car of the Year. Of course that's when I stopped lending credence to any auto magazine.
And so it goes with modern journalism. Murdoch-owned entities lean way right, MSNBC leans left (although in my opinion stay much closer to objectivity than anything touched by Murdoch). There are a select few who at least appear to be neutral, but if you listen closely for long enough they reveal their own leanings. It seems the days of reporting only confirmed facts have lost out to the financial rewards of getting the scoop out first to satisy your paying audience, right or wrong.
M. Fehrman,
Ahh, but therein lies the problem. Could you please define the objective of objectively? It is my opinion that our fourth estate should should be providing the public with information from which to think, not telling the public what to think. However, most media outlets have conflicting priorities/objectives due to personal public/private ideologies of each individual reporters.
That is why it is so important to seek many different media outlets for information before basing an opinion. However, that being said, the consistent conglomeration of our media industry does blur the priorities/objectives. It's just sooo damn hard finding the truth anymore. The whole truth; nothing but the truth... You know?
Let us remember that MSNBC admits to leaning left and their commentators do not pretend to be news casters. Let us also remember Beck loon-a-versity and that FOX claims to be a news network.
this is insane. this is why revolution start. i guess it really is time to go out and buy a gun. the wealthy/republican/aristocrats are just going to damn far
Don't vote republican I have said time and time again they are only conservative for the rich. They do not care about the middle, working and poor classes.
OMG
Why does the book Animal Farm come to mind here?
Gosh I don't know but then I seem stuck in the year 1984.
"The new mayor can't do that, because in an order last year (pdf) Mr. Harris stripped Benton Harbor's elected officials of all powers except..."
Did the mayor actually ever have that ability? Because that doesn't seem right at any level.
I think normally if a mayor stepped down the process would involve the city council, which Benton Harbor doesn't have because of the E.M. Therefore, the Mayor can effectually resign suggesting a replacement to the E.M., and the E.M. can appoint because he has aristocratic control of the city.
In the real world, not Rick Snyder's, the city council would probably have to vote to approve the new mayor, or possibly hold an off-term election for the new mayor. There you see how neat and clean dictatorships are?
So... where are all those tea people and their 2nd amendment remedies? Oh wait, they don't care about YOUR rights only their own.
The president should be sending troops in. This is an attack on Freedom in America.
Ah ha! Of course it is illegal to use Federal troops against American civilians on American soil. A fact bush tried to remedy and Obama seems willing to get rid of. Imagine what the theocrats could do if their man gets to be CIC.
I believe that due to the new Defense Authorization they can just simply say there is terrorism involved and do a drone strike.
Of course they can't talk about it afterwards since it is classified.
The media is infiltrated with FBI. The media is owned by corps/big $$. If you still cannot fathom what's happening to Americans, this country, and the world, please further educate yourself with those willing to do the hardcore research and voice their findings. Fair warning: Not mainstream. Weird and conspiratorial, even. Take it or leave it. Truly. But energy/vibration—the more truthful and loving the better (and the do go hand in hand)—is everything, and mass awareness is everything. A game changer, in a very serious game.
http://metanoia-films.org/films/ : Rise Like Lions, Police State Canada, Lifting the Veil, PsyWar, Human Resources.
http://zeitgeistmovie.com/
http://consciousselfgovernance.ca/category/resources/ , including: Ben Stewart docs: Ungrip, Kymatica, Esoteric Agenda. http://talismanicidols.org/ And, may I add, his band, Hierosonic, makes a mean CD: Consciousness, Fame, Money, God and Power Very f*cking good.
And then, take a deep f*cking breath—or two—and do everything in your power to get your gut self-protective instincts, a.k.a. intuition, back, i.e. eat clean, meditate or whatever, and then listen to it and follow it. Could be a lifesaver.
Oops, this post was meant in response to Mr. Bob Wallace's initial post.
This is Nucken Futz,I don't know who is letting us down more,Our Politicians,or the Media.How is this story not natinal Headlines?Same with the Occupy,Thousands in the streets protesting,Barely a mention.our country is being sold out from under us and most don't even know,and wont until its already done.yet they will know who won "Dancing with the Stars'Which will be comforting in between low wage jobs.starving kids,no health insurance,wondering "what happened?"
Occupy the voting booth.
I am trying very hard to get this story in front of as many people nationally as possible. Unfortunately, so far, MSNBC seems to be the only network interested.
Check out my blog (eclectablog.com) for all the Emergency Manager news you can stomach.
Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to stomach such arrogant, illegal actions much.
Why our Justice Department isn't stepping into this, I cannot fathom.
My post above was meant to go here.
Cheers. F*ck yeah, peeps!
Michael Moore has long focused on how the right wing has turned Michigan into the Third World.
With all due respect to Michael Moore, we sure could use the attention he could bring to this issue. So far, he has been all but silent on it. Too much Occupy stuff on his plate to pay attention to what's happening in his own state, I guess.
Remember the old jokes such as how many so & so's does it take to screw in a light bulb?The new butt of these jokes now should be the people that would vote for Mitt Robme or any other republican candidate.Are they so blinded by hatred of Pres.Obama that they would take us back 100 yrs or more.Look to new Hampshire for one,with their ridiculous Magna Carta law.Look to Michigan with their Soviet style politics. Look to Wisconsin and Indiana for trying to effectively rid their states of unions.Look to many republican led states with their voter supression laws.These are just a triclkle of the rights we are losing,and a hint of things to come under republican leadership.How many thousands have died fighting for their rights only to have them taken away by republicans?
This is a state issue that needs to be resolved by the legislature, voters and the courts. The Justice Dept. can step in if the manager law is being used to interfere with the citizens rights under the US Constitution. However, it seems that most of these decisions being made by managers are financial so it is hard to see any civil rights being violated. If deals smell of cronyism and fraud, the Justice Dept. can investigate and charge the parties with various federal violations.
dear maddow an indiana gop st rep wants to fine people for singing the star spangled banner incorectly? really big gov?
The United States of America has suffered a fatal overdose of Republican government.
I would not claim it dead yet. Though we have sustained a Reagan/Bush/Bush debt of near lethal proportions and are now enduring Biblical proportions of theocratic nonsense wrapped around greed and bigotry we will survive. At least until the real push is on and the war begins.
In some ways the marxist in me loves this as it hastens the day when retribution will be delivered. That would be quite messy. It is interesting that people seek praise for screwing each other wrap themselves in the mantle of the devine
The United States of America has suffered a fatal dose of Republican government.
Autocracy looks like this, too:
Obama targeted individual assassination Phoenix Program includes Americans
http://www.examiner.com/human-rights-in-national/obama-targeted-individual-assassination-phoenix-program-includes-americans
And this:
Collateral Damage USA: Extremist Cells Target 350,000 US Civilians
http://www.examiner.com/human-rights-in-national/extremist-stalking-cells-america
And this:
Randy Quaid Flooded with Oppressed Targeted Individuals' Blessings
http://www.examiner.com/human-rights-in-national/randy-quaid-flooded-with-suppressed-targeted-individuals-blessings
Personally, I bought a sleeping bag so I could be warm sleeping on the ground as all of my friends with couches have been turned against me. Nightly psychic/energetic implantation and rape and torture and use of my 'energy' for elitist dark acts is always pleasant, as well. The Shock Doctrine.
Oh for crying out loud! What do you think this is,America?
And, something to consider among many other considerations:
https://duncanofinioan.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/facial-symmetry-sarah-michelle-gellar/
And on a more hopeful note:
Why Are We Here?
http://duncanofinioan.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/why-are-we-here/
MSM silent. Michael Moore silent.
This is Black people so lets ignore it. This country sucks.
White people wake up u are next.
Tanyars5, on this one, you are spot on.