Michigan's Republican Governor Snyder Touts Emergency Manager Law

I am speechless that a Republican Governor would sign this bill into law passed by a Republican Legislature.  The Emergency Manager of the Muskegon Heights school district converted the school district to a charter system run by a private company.  That means someone appointed by the Governor as the Emergency Manager has a right to come into an entity like a school district, oust the school board, and change them from a public school to a charter school.  The Emergency Manager for Detroit schools has set the ceiling of  61 students in a classroom.  How is a teacher in the public schools supposed to handle 61 students.  

Knew that Michigan had economic problems due to the downturn of jobs but this has turned into a dictatorship type governing throwing out elected public officials.  The fact that the Governor has the power to appoint this Emergency Manager blows my mind.  

Yesterday the Michigan Governor Snyder was touting this new law before the Michigan Supreme Court said the petitions could go forward to have an election on this bill in November.  The Election Board had thrown out the petitions because the font size changed.  What is going on with Republicans who were elected in 2010?  Thought Republicans were about democracy but this is an example of someone who never should have been elected which is what some longtime Republicans were saying but the Tea Party came in, spent a lot on ads, and lied about other candidates.  Now I know my initial reaction to Snyder was right.  

When you read this, you are left with wondering how these people can get by with passing a law that takes away the elected officials in a public entity, install one person who can sell and do whatever they want with the entity, and nothing the citizens can do.  Is this what the far right takeover of the Republican Party is all about?  To get their people in place even if they have to resort to removal of duly elected officials?  This is scary that is is happening in Michigan.  What state is next up for the members of the far right Tea Party?

There is an emergency–an emergency for democracy. 

Public Act 4, a law passed by Republican majorities in the Michigan Legislature in March 2011, gives Gov. Rick Snyder power to appoint an emergency manager for any city, town, village or school district in Michigan undergoing a “financial emergency.”The State of Michigan itself admits in official exhibits it released to the court in the Summary of Arguments:

“Con — This bill allows the emergency managers too much power and control over local units of government. Emergency managers can’t be trusted to act in the interests of the local nut and will use the enhanced powers granted under this bill for their own gain. Stripping local officials of the powers is anti-democratic.”

Read more about the challenge to the Emergency Manager Law (Public Act 4) that Sugar Law Center is leading.

Usually when I see the term Social Justice I have a negative reaction but in this instance they are doing the right thing.  No state should have a law on this books like this that gives the Governor way too much power.

Michigan Supreme Court: Put emergency manager law on the ballot 

Fri Aug 3, 2012 2:21 PM EDT 

Delivering signed petitions in February. 

The voters of Michigan will get a say on the state's emergency financial manager law. In a 4-3 decision, the state supreme court ruled today that the petition drive met the requirements and should be certified for the November election. That petition had been challenged by a group based in the office of a member of the elections board that rejected it. The challenge alleged that the type on one line of the petition was not 14 point. The court ruling is remarkably technical (pdf) -- font nerds, skip to page 18 for the time of your lives -- and the most exciting part might be this: 

In the present case, plaintiff used 14-point Calibri font for its petition heading, as attested to by plaintiff's printer. 

Today's ruling means that the emergency manager law will go on ice, after it's officially certified, until the referendum this fall. That has large and potentially confusing implications for the towns and school districts the state has taken over under the law. 

What happens to the Muskegon Heights school district, which a new emergency manager just converted to a charter system run by a private company? Who's in charge in Benton Harbor, where elected officials have been stripped of all power and a blizzard of recall attempts is underway? Do Detroit schools have to keep their new ceiling of 61 kids in a class, as ordered by the emergency manager? For that matter, does Detroit still have to slash its city workforce under the consent agreement they signed to avoid getting an emergency manager? 

However the answers turn out, the campaign to repeal the emergency manager law can now begin. By dragging the matter out this long – the petition could have been certified back in April -- supporters of the law have taken away weeks that the repeal effort could scarcely afford to lose. The repeal side is trails by 10 points in the polls, but there are twice that many undecided voters for their campaign to try to reach.

  

Romney wins Arizona and Michigan -- Time to Bow Down to the Nominee

Romney won Michigan and Arizona and now time for everyone to bow down to the nominee according to the Rockefeller Republican wing of the GOP.  We are now to accept he is going to be the nominee.  IOTW Super Tuesday doesn't matter as Romney has the momentum going into Virginia.  OOPS -- only Romney and Paul are on the ballot there due to an unconstitutional law signed and approved by Governor McDonnell who refused to change the way they accepted signatures for ballot access knowing the law was unconstitutional.  That's what you get from a Governor who supports Romney.

Take a look at these results.  First is Arizona who has the second largest concentration of Mormons outside of Utah and a Governor and Senator who endorsed Romney.  When you add the voting turnout which is low, Romney wins.  In one precinct 45 out of 3000 had cast their votes by 9 a.m.  Since Arizona is a retirement destination, retirees normally turn out early to vote.  The enthusiasm is not there for the Republican primary.  Maybe if Romney had not decided to spend millions in 'scorched earth' against fellow Republicans enthusiasm might be better but a lot of of us had heartburn with Romney and his underhanded tactics against our candidates in 2008 so we didn't want him to run.  We have been proven right as enthusiasm is not there for him even in states where he is winning.

You take out the Mormon support who are turning out to rallies and the support is not very deep.  When a candidate can only win their home state by 3% you have problems.  Declaring victory and momentum going into Tuesday?  Would say that is a little premature.

Arizona Primary Results »

Candidate		Pct.
	Romney	47.3%
	Santorum	26.6
	Gingrich	16.2
	Pau	8.4
	Others	1.5

 Michigan Primary Results »

Candidate		Pct.
	Romney	41.1%
	Santorum	37.9
	Paul	11.6
	Gingrich	6.5
	Others	2.9

This comment from Erickson of Red State says it all:

"a guy who can only win in states with a home state advantage, New Englanders and New England transplants, and Mormoms. There are a lot more outside those categories than inside them and that is shaping up to cause him heartburn on Super Tuesday. "

Unlike Arizona and Florida, my state of Oklahoma is going to abide by the rules to apportion delegates so it is not winner take all since we vote before 1 April.  If we can follow the rules by the RNC, why can't Florida and Arizona?  Never mind those Romney states and rules don't apply to him.  This post on Hot Air last night says it all:

 Romney attracting independents and democrats in New Hampshire primary = demonstration of appeal outside the base 

Santorum attracting independents and democrats in Michigan primary = betrayal of conservative principles and proof he can’t win against Obama. 

Romney running robocalls = Dont whine 

Santorum running robocalls = whining about dirty tactics 

I just want to make sure I understand how it works. 

MB (abbreviated screen name)

She summed up what many of us are feeling today.  Romney is free to do 'scorched earth' and we are to sit down and shut up but if anyone dares to come after Romney it is the end of the world with Romney and his supporters with their thin skin whining.  Super Tuesday is ahead and know at least one state that is going conservative and that is Oklahoma.  We don't have enough Mormons to make a real difference just enough to be annoying at the door but then so are others like Jehovah Witness.  Don't like people knocking on my door trying to sell me their religion like a door to door salesman.  Mormons are already posting on line they will use the White House for their outreach around the world.  Does anyone think that Democrats won't use that.  Worked on me so why wouldn't it work on other voters.  

This Romney mentality in using millions to buy this primary doesn't equal votes in the general election something the Rockefeller Republicans cannot seem to get through their brains.  

My attention is quickly shifting to the House and Senate races.  My biggest concern is that if Romney is the nominee iy will cause people to stay home who would normally vote for our Congressional candidates.  The Rockefeller wing has made one big mess of this primary and it is going to take a lot of hard work on the part of conservatives to get voters to the polls for our Congressional candidates. 

When you only beat a candidate who just surged several weeks ago by 3% in a state where you and your wife were raised and your Dad was Governor, you are in trouble in a lot of the Country.  If you look at Michigan and add what votes votes Gingrich received with Santorum, there are more votes than Romney.  Some media outlets last night reported Romney won one county by one vote.  Is this going to be another case of votes being checked and a different result comes out weeks later as part of the official results?  We are still waiting for the official Maine results.  

Republicans are NOT happy with our choices.  Do we think anyone would jump in this race at this late date to lose to Obama?  Probably not if they want a political life after 2012.  

Bad day for conservatives but on Super Tuesday that should change. 

Three Percent 

Posted by Erick Erickson (Diary)

Wednesday, February 29th at 4:45AM EST

When you have a candidate few people really like, whose support is a mile wide and an inch deep, whose raison d’etre (a 4am fancy word) is fixing an economy that is fixing itself without him, and who only wins his actual, factual home state by three percentage points against a guy no one took seriously only two months ago, there really is little reason for independent voters in the general election to choose him if the economy keeps improving. 

Seriously, putting it bluntly, conservatives may not like Barack Obama, but most other people do. And when faced with a guy you like and a guy you don’t like who says he can fix an economy that no longer needs fixing, you’re going to go with the guy you like. 

If Republicans in Washington are not panicked and trying desperately to pull Bobby Jindal in the race tomorrow, or someone like him, the party leaders must have a death wish.Mitt Romney continues to run an uninspiring campaign only able to win by massively outspending his 

opponents to tell voters how much worse the other guys are. That may work in the primary, but it will not work in a general election where the President of the United States won’t be outspent 5 to 1. 

Three percentage points. In his home state. In his wife’s home state. In the state his father served as Governor. Three percentage points against a guy few took seriously two months ago and who just three weeks ago no one expected to give Romney a run for his money in Romney’s home state. 

And this is our nominee — a guy who can only win in states with a home state advantage, New Englanders and New England transplants, and Mormoms. There are a lot more outside those categories than inside them and that is shaping up to cause him heartburn on Super Tuesday. 

And let me tell you what else is going to happen: Democrats sense such a strong vulnerability now and sniff a chance of a Santorum nomination, they aren’t going to wait for the general election to start dumping oppo research on Romney. Get ready Romney supporters, this is just the opening salvo. 

But I suspect he will be the nominee. At least we can be rid of him and, hopefully, his most ardent cheerleaders on November 7th when what the rest of us know will happen unless an economic catastrophe happens.  Excerpt:  Read More at Red State

Now you get the spin of the NY Times, the establishment paper of the Democrats, who really want Romney for the Republican nominee.  All the opposition research is done and Mr. Romney is going to find out what it is like to have the media and the Obama attack machine after him.  Romney is going to get payback for what he has been doing to Republicans.  Most of Romney's donors are feeling the pinch and tired of wasting millions on 'scorched earth.'  Are they going to step up to the plate and give to a candidate likely to lose to Obama?  Mostly likely not.  

Romney Regains Stride With Victories in 2 States 

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Mitt Romney fought back a vigorous challenge from Rick Santorum in Michigan on Tuesday, narrowly carrying his native state, and won the Arizona primary in a pair of contests that reasserted his control over the Republican presidential race as it advances to critical Super Tuesday contests next week.

His victory over Mr. Santorum here in Michigan was far from commanding, but it was most likely sufficient to dampen the rising clamor from across the Republican Party about his ability to win over conservatives and connect with voters. The tussle with Mr. Santorum highlighted ample concerns about Mr. Romney, but his win spared his campaign from deep turmoil. 

Excerpt:  Read More at the NY Times

Less then a week left of Romney ads in Oklahoma on my sports radio channel.  The ad talks about the companies he saved at Bain Capital -- as some have said -- saved them and sent the jobs overseas.  Not an effective ad for Romney here in Oklahoma.  I detest political ads when I like a candidate -- it is worse when I don't.  Keep turning my sound down on my radio when Romney comes on the air with his annoying ad that seems to go on forever.

House and Senate races are moving to the forefront as there has been some Romney supporter shenanigans in the South Florida races but Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio came to the rescue there for Cong Allen West and have endorsed Adam Hasner who pulled out of the FL primary for the Republican nomination for Senate to run for Congress.  Florida Senate seat is turning nasty once again.  People in Florida must be really tired of the north-easterners who have moved to Florida and brought their corrupt and underhanded politics with them.   Makes you appreciate living in a state like Oklahoma all the more!

Beautiful spring day in the Heartland which I am about to go enjoy!