Michigan's Republican Governor, Rick Snyder
A few days ago, I reported
on an anti-union bill in MI that would allow the governor to appoint a
person or corporation to take complete control of a local government.
This person or corporation would have the power to completely dissolve
municipal governments and take on any and all powers of any and all
offices of the local government to which he, she, or it is assigned.
Unfortunately, this bill passed. Fortunately, the version that passed
only allowed a person to be in this role.
Is it really about about the economy? I don’t really think so, since
they didn’t pass the ammendment the Dems tried to put in to limit the
pay of the emergency manager to that of the governor. Maybe it is just
a conservative thing; it’s what the founding fathers would have
wanted!
Well, despite the obvious flaw that the founding fathers would in no
way support a bill that literally removes the democratic power of the
People, there is another reason the initial bill would never have
gotten the approval of the founding fathers-they
HATED corporations.
“I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied
corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial
by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.”-Thomas
Jefferson
If it’s not really about economics and it’s not really a conservative
value thing, then what is it really about? To answer that, we need to
put it in context of the other recent legislative moves in the
country.
First on the list is the anti-union legislation that’s being passed
around the country. Most notibly was the recent Wisconsin bill that
unfortunately passed. Was this one about the economy? I don’t think
so, since the governor’s budget cut several programs to help the
People, but gave nearly the same ammount of money to outsourcing
corporations in hefty tax breaks. Luckily for us, there were a few events
that literally told us why this happened. The Senate Majority Leader
even said what
it was really about-it is a ploy to defund the Democrats since the
unions are by far the major source of the Democratic Party’s campaign
finance.
And this one definitely can’t be a conservative value issue either. We
know this by listening to their idol-Ronald Reagan:
”Where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom
is lost.”– Ronald Reagan
In NH, and several
other states, legislature is being passed that is deliberately
geared to make it harder for students to vote. One way they are doing
this is by removing the ability to register the same day you vote. As
college students are typically just barely old enough to vote, they
are unlikely to have registered prior to the vote. Another avenue that
is being explored by these states is an unconstitutional approach that
effectively creates a poll tax; they are removing student
identification as proof of identification and requiring a valid state
ID. Once again, a loose lipped politician spilled the beans and told
us that this legislation is aimed to prevent the student from voting,
because they’re “voting as liberal; That’s what kids do.”
Placing these individual trends in legislature in context with each
other reveals the true overal goal of the party. Connecting the dots
between each individual attack on democracy only shows a large scale
war on democracy. We must stop this and do it soon before there’s no
way for us to do so.
These conservanazi thugs will steal whatever municipal property and services and give it to their bribers. I can’t believe Michiganders are putting up with this crap. Now, from the Michiganders I knew, they would be happy because Benton Harbor had a huge minority population. Midwesterners can be very racist. I lived in Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
They need to get rid of these conservanazi pricks or live with the “democracy” the conservanazis will let them have.
Good article. Watch your spelling, though. “Hefty” is the word, not heafty.
My letter to Governor Snyder:
Governor Snyder,
Before you sign this bill, please consider this… Where will you stand if the US Senate passes a similar law that could strip you of your elected Governorship and give it to an emergency manager?
Would you deem such a law to be unconstitutional or would it be just fine with you?
I think there is without a doubt a bit of exaggeration going on here. Don’t get my wrong, I agree with everything you said about corporatocracy being a huge risk, especially if the GOP can run amok. However, I believe that the American Revolution 2.0 is pushing that to the extreme- A little to far in my opinion.
Fascists: Yes. Evil: Yes. Influential enough to create a corporatocracy: Not yet, not even close.
I give these monkeys about six weeks tops before they declare an “economic crisis” and snatch whatever power they can get their grubby claws on.
Seriously, the last few weeks, and these shenanigans in particular, highlight the true goal of the GOP: Grab the people by the short and curlies, and give them a good twist.
Seriously, passing a law that basically gives them autocratic power to take over schools, cities, and to circumvent laws? The only plus is that it’s limited to a person instead of a corporation, but even then, it’s not much better. This is a Republican we’re talking about… You know, the Koch Brothers’ cabana boys? It’ll be the corporations in power, albeit indirectly. Ignore the men behind the curtain, boys and girls.
Honestly, the more this crap is going through, the more faith I lose in this nation. I’m originally from Canada, and I’ve been living here in the States for the past five years, and let me tell you, Canada looks better and better all the time. It’s scary to see this nation on the fast-track to obliteration.
Mark my words. In the next couple years, if these trends persist, we’re going to see a full-on peasant revolt, so to speak. American Revolution 2; The Revenge! And that will lead in one of three directions: The revolution will be squashed, with corporate-powered conservatives taking complete control under the guise of “security” and creating a police-state that will slowly but surely turn into a complete corporatocracy; the revolution will succeed, the sleazeballs will be turned out into the streets, and a new day with an uncertain future will dawn in America; and finally this much darker prospect:
The Second Revolution will come to a standstill. The people will fight, the corporations will fight back, the government will divide to take sides, and in the end it will be only the beginning of a Second Civil War. Only this Civil War could easily go nuclear.
We’re living at the dawn of a truly historic point in American history, whether we believe it or not. And the scary thing is, there’s no telling if the “good guys” will win. Especially when the bad guys have so much money and power already.
I was astonished by what Republicans in the Michigan Senate intentionally kept out of the bill — such as conflict of interest standards. Democrats proposed amendments to block the worst abuses (for example, total control of land use and zoning), but GOP lawmakers stood together to block changes that might have made the law more civil and responsible.
Heres’ my analysis of Rick Snyder’s Oversight. ( http://blog.nexcerpt.com/2011/03/12/snyders-oversight/ )
On water exploitation: expect the public water supply in Benton Harbor — directly from Lake Michigan — to be very popular. There are “circumstances indicative” of a “likely occurrence” of financial problems; that part of the new statute seems written with Benton Harbor in mind. Immediately adjacent to the city’s water plant, Whirlpool Corporation (with Fred Upton’s gleeful support) already seized public land / sand dunes to build a Jack Nicklaus golf course.
The folks behind “Harbor Shores” should be able to recover their investment many times over by selling the remainder of the city’s Lake Michigan access to their golfing buddies… so they can charge the rest of us for a sip.
They, The Renazican Tea Party Facist, Have Come For Us, (The Unions) If People Dont Stand Up For US —When The ReNazIcan Tea Party Facist, Come For Them, We Wont Be There To Help Them—-Think About It—Do We really Want To Destroy The American Free Labor Movement In This Country ?? If Not We Had Better Reconsider What Group We Have Just Elected In November, 2011, and get Rid Of Them (The republican tea party Facists), In 2012, Or Recall As many Of Them As Possible, Before It Is Too Late For Democratic Government In This Country. If We Do Not Do It In A Hurry, They Could Eleminate Recall Through Legislation !! They Have The Numbers In The US congress, And State Legislatures, To Do It.
Wow, I didn’t even think about the impact on the lakes and the rights to their water.
Do you suppose this has something to do with giving contracts to big water companies to give them access to the Great Lakes? Currnet law requires that all counties that border the lakes have to agree to any water contracts. Take control of county governments, even temporarily, and you can give water rights to Bechtel, Nestle, etc.. If the people try to cancel those contracts later, the corporations could sue the state or county that objects, as they negotiated in good faith. Just look at the histiry of Bechtel in Bolivia. This Emergency Manager idea needs to be challenged in court before he/she has a chance to act.
This article and the replies make me laugh.
You should get over it…the people VOTED these governors in…and they are doing what the majority wants.
Such ranting and raving…quit sucking on the government programs and start a company and put people to work yourself by producing something someone actually wants to buy.
Do that – it will be better for you and the country!
Buckshot
No, we’re better than that. We can make a point without shooting a politician in the head and taking out several civilians as well. We can do this the proper way.
What we need to do is large scale recall of all of these governors and state legislators who are directly attacking democracy. The Koch brothers definitely need to be under some scrutiny to find any sort of ethics violation in this mess and be put under legal investigation.
But what of Congress? If they’re really so determined to balance the budget, they’d take a pay decrease for themselves. Put in a bill for a 15% pay decrease(effective the day of passing) for all members of the House and the Senate. They make more than enough to not really even feel the decrease, it would make a great political move in showing personal disinterest, and it would be a symbolic move showing seriousness in addressing the deficit issue. When the bill doesn’t pass, put in recall orders for every politician who voted against it; Then vote them out.
More of the same fascist bullshit – another way to steal the money, power and lives of the working people.
It truly is time to take genuine action against these Nazis – before it is too late and they take action against you! Oh, wait, they already HAVE!
Are you going to just sit there and whine, or are you going to fight back?
Remember, the bigger the target, the bigger the reward. Koch Bros, Karl Rove, Gov. Walker, et al – time for some Palin Crosshair action – turn about is fair play – Oh right (wing,) these assholes don’t believe in fair play – so get a bigger gun. You will need it soon, when they come for your pension, savings and Social Security…