While we were venting our outrage at shenanigans in Wisconsin politics, in fact while Republicans were planning last night’s attempted coup, the Michigan state legislature quietly passed a bill giving the Governor of Michigan martial control over the state. Except instead of using actual military, the Governor is more likely to use private security. But make no mistake–rights would be suspended.
Here’s how it works:
The governor, on his own initiative, can declare an economic emergency in any town and appoint an administrator. The administrator can be any person, including a corporate person.
The administrator has the power to do anything in the name of economic stability, including void contracts, void collective bargaining agreements, dissolve the town council, dissolve the school board, fire anyone including elected officials, hire private security, unincorporate the town, and sell off public property.
The people of the town have no say in this. They can neither demand nor turn away the administrator. That is because this provision is meant to be used against the people.
Politicususa
1
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Whatever. Does not sound that unrealistic to me. Try living in Russia or China. Then tell me we are really losing freedoms. Its the paranoid, conspiracy freaks that worry me.
Shut up, Slave!
What a wonderful country you live in.
Where’s RoboCop when you need him??
Very disturbing. Should be shot down in the courts or at least at the ballot box. I doesn’t sound legal to me.
This is by politicususa every thing coming out of that site is pure bullshit propaganda. They are the weekly world news of the political world.
If they put it out it is grain of truth wrapped in a giant propaganda lie to suit their progressive needs.
For a better article about this, see:
http://dailytribune.com/articles/2011/03/10/news/doc4d78d0d4d764d009636769.txt?viewmode=fullstory
“All hail Ceasar!”.
These were the same sort of arguments that lead the Roman republic to appoint Ceasar. Extraordinary authority was granted to deal with a crisis. We all know how well that worked out in the long run.
Well this is going to make for some long-lasting far-ranging shit.
Look at GitMo. Started by Shrub and it has survived Obama’s attempts to close it down.
Somehow I dont think this is being done for preventing unrest, its being done so that the governor can open fire on employees and the recently employed.
Michigan pulls ahead in the U.S. Race to the Bottom.
This really isn’t new. States have taken over school districts in the past.
This is one way to save the city of Detroit. Already Mayor Bing is shrinking the town and abandoning the outskirts.
I suspected it when the article had no links to the bill. Four cities in Michigan are already under emergency financial management including Pontiac, and it is expected that many more will fall. This allows them to step in at an earlier stage. It is somewhat similar to the financial regulation bill that Pres Obama pushed for.
City next door to me, here in Michigan, was taken over by an emergency financial manager last summer. This city desperately needed that takeover, and so far it’s working. The law used last summer seemed fine to me.
However, the state rep for my district–a freshman GOPer (but not teabagger) wrote this new bill, and he has over-reached.
Wow. There sure are a lot of neocons here supporting the rich even if it’s their own throat they are cutting.
Just remember: there is no financial crisis. Make the rich pay! Make big corporations pay!
There. Financial “crisis” solved.
As elected Pukes and Teabaggers continue to turn over government and freedoms over to corporatations, they anticipate a citizen uprising. Good call.
It’s a matter of time before the separation of wealth in this country reaches a breaking point to cause a sheeple uprising. The Wisconsin governor blatant corruption and conspiracy recorded on tape has awaked them.
Hopefully the Arab uprisings have provided Americans a sense of confidence that they can take their country back from USA, Inc.
You libs are funny, in a pathetic kind of way.
Chavez, Mugabe, Hussain, Gaddafi. All used state of emergency powers to silence opposition. That’s a 50% failure rate.
Take away Control and only OUTLAWS will have control…
It’s all fun and games until someone pokes their eye out.
#1 its the people that say whatever that worry me. “at least its not as bad as china” is the worse excuse to let america become more like it
I bet somebody is going to make a fortune on debt insurance contracts.
And how valuable a dude is that Administrator? Redoing any contract he wishes… that sounds like thousands of dollars into his pockets.
None of this appears to be in the interests of the state.
#1 That is just so wrong. People like you are the reason the USA has turned into a police state.
I’m not a paranoid liberal, so someone is going to have to tell me what a “corporate person” is.
Is that what people who only work for government agencies call the rest of us? Or; was the author actually talking about a person built by a corporation like Robocop?
Bob
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_personhood
#25 Mushrooms like you are corporations love- feed them shit and keep them in the dark.
Good for you, though. By the time you wake up, somebody else will have taken care of the social issues for you. In the mean time, go nite nite and get out of the way,
MrMiGu . . .
So, the author was talking about Robocop, but it was the whole company (OCP) they were talking about. First you have to let OCP take over management of the city, then they bring in the cool scumbag killing toys.
Still a liberal paranoid fantasy; replace OCP with Blackwater, replace scumbag with loyal democrat voters and replace Robocop with this.
http://dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1182910/March-terminators-Robot-warriors-longer-sci-fi-reality-So-happens-turn-guns-us.html
One more thing…. “…instead of using actual military, the Governor is more likely to use private security..”
The Teabagger governor might bring in mercenaries but make no mistake as to who will prevail.
>The people of the town have no say in this. They can neither demand nor turn away the administrator. That is because this provision is meant to be used against the people.
Revolting. Positively revolting.
What are you waiting for?
To the average person it sure seems that governor is using emergency as a pretext to violate law.
“The government is the potent omnipresent teacher. For good or ill it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. To declare that the end justifies the means — to declare that the government may commit crimes — would bring terrible retribution.”
— Justice Brandeis
Beware, governor, beware, because you are running the risk that Justice Brandeis was correct.
Perhaps cities should look a few years down the road before they sign big contracts?
As long as other states and the feds don’t have to bailout California, that’s good for me. I’ve already sold my bonds.
Treason never prospers; for if it does none dare call it treason.
Alix