General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBreaking on Ed Shultz from Michigan
The ReTHUG Governor's appointee, the Emergency Manager, has been removed and the Mayor and City Council reinstated.
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/03/emergency_manager_lawsuit.html
<snip>
Judge: State violated law in appointing Flint emergency manager; Powers of mayor, city council reinstated
LANSING, Michigan -- A judge has ruled that the state violated the Open Meetings Act in appointing emergency manager Michael Brown.
Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina invalidated Brown's appointment and also reinstated the authority of Flint Mayor Dayne Walling and the Flint City Council at a hearing regarding a lawsuit from a city union representative.
The order also invalidated all the orders and actions Brown has taken since he was appointed Dec. 1, according to attorney Robert Fetter, who represented Sam Muma of AFSCME Local 1600, who filed the suit.
Muma claimed the state violated the law when appointing Brown because the financial review team that recommended the state takeover of Flint didn't meet in public.
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This is HUGE!!!
warrior1
(12,325 posts)notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)Detroit? Pontiac?
Check the link I added
Firebrand Gary
(5,044 posts)malaise
(269,219 posts)Great news
freshwest
(53,661 posts)xtraxritical
(3,576 posts)They have no need for secrecy everybody knows about it in the first place. IMO the judge could have found many sterner legal objections. Me thinks the judge is up for reelection.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)WillyT
(72,631 posts)Flint Mayor Dayne Walling: 'There will be changes made tomorrow' following judge's removal of emergency manager http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/03/flint_mayor_dayne_walling_ther.html
State plans emergency appeal after judge removes Flint emergency manager, restores mayor and city council http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/03/state_plans_emergency_appeal_a.html
Judge puts Flint mayor, council back in charge http://www.thetimesherald.com/article/20120320/NEWS05/120320006/Judge-puts-Flint-mayor-council-back-charge?odyssey=nav%7Chead
:taost: LOL... or...
& Rec !!!
I added a link as well
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Small, but determined victories.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)malaise
(269,219 posts)Fight back folks, fight back!!
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Canuckistanian
(42,290 posts)But it's a pretty sad day when it's considered a victory to restore an elected official back to power. It should never have come to this point.
The same goes for Benton Harbor, MI. How the Hell did this happen and why aren't people out in the streets protesting the usurping of power?
Still, it's progress. I guess.
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)It's been a lot of pretty sad days in America since 2000.
spartan61
(2,091 posts)Now let's get judges to do the same in Ecorse, Inkster, Benton Harbor, Pontiac, Highland Park et al.
malaise
(269,219 posts)Then put the criminals on trial and throw away the keys.
amandabeech
(9,893 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)suffragette
(12,232 posts)K&R
malaise
(269,219 posts)weeds
suffragette
(12,232 posts)Iwillnevergiveup
(9,298 posts)of a little pushback in the morning.
K&R
DLevine
(1,788 posts)SunSeeker
(51,745 posts)Per the article:
The case is similar to one recently heard by Ingham Circuit Judge William E. Collette, who ruled that the appointment of the Highland Park Schools emergency manager was not appropriate because the review team did not follow the Open Meetings Act. After that case, the state reconvened the review team in public and the governor reappointed the emergency manager following the public proceedings.
So, all the state review team needs to do is just hold a hearing open to the public (i.e. comply with Open Meeting Laws) at which they then appoint Brown in charge of Flint again. And that's assuming their "emergency apeal" goes nowhere. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer. But hey, that should be one helluva public hearing. And, having public hearings will really slow down this takeover process.
What I don't understand is how this emergency manager law does not violate the U.S. Constitution.
Regardless, the best hope is voting this monstrosity out. As the artcle points out, AFSCME is also part of a statewide coalition, Stand Up 4 Democracy, which submitted more than 200,000 petition signatures in an attempt to put a referendum of the law before voters.
Thank you AFSCME, for all your good work. You are the people's union.
valerief
(53,235 posts)Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)Now time to arrest Rick Snyder and his merry band of fascists