Detroit, Michigan EFM Plan: Get the Teachers

Detroit Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb sent layoff notices to all Detroit teachers. Bobb has the dictatorial power granted by the Michigan legislature, and signed by Snyder weeks into his first term, to undo the collective bargaining agreement in the teachers' contracts, and Bobb said he will do it. The math behind targeting teachers has never, and will never, add up. The rationale for these actions is reprehensible, and will not fix Detroit's problems. This is more union busting. As Gloria Steinem said, "if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, but you think it's a pig - it's a pig." Can we educate these politicians and their minions that teachers represent the future: for our cities, our governments, our growth and, of paramount importance, for the success of our children? Politicians are notoriously learning impaired. They could all have made better use of their time with teachers.

Gov. Snyder to Unemployed: Eat Cake

Gov. Snyder today signed into law a reduction in unemployment benefits for laid-off Michigan workers. Since 1954 we've had 26 weeks of unemployment benefits as has every other state in America. Now Michigan is the only state with 20 weeks unemployment. Snyder calls this "breaking bad habits." It took one day to railroad this nasty legislation through the Michigan Congress. Talk about bad habits! In a response to an action alert issued by unemployedworkers.org, Snyder wrote "HB4408 will allow job providers to redirect their limited financial resources to potentially rehire those currently receiving assistance." Get out the hip boots, boys and girls. There were other ways to go about extending the federally-funded benefits that will run out at the end of the year. Employers' contributions to unemployment benefits will not be reduced in any way by this bill. Snyder is the mouthpiece of the pro-business Chamber of Commerce, recently touting the same BS rationale. Czar Snyder continues to overachieve in favor of corporations at the expense of working families, the poor, and children. Snyder thanked Mitchell Hirsch for willingness to participate in the democratic process. Recall is a nice way to participate in a democratic process, too.

GOP Has Its Roots in Michigan: Can We Unroot It?

There is a grand tradition of the Grand Old Party in Michigan. The name was launched by Horace Greeley. A Republican was someone who cherished liberty, and didn't want to be called a Whig for opposing slavery. In 1854, the first Republicans took the state of Michigan, and by 1855 held a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The majority we have in the House of Representatives today is not the same Republican Party we found forming "Under the Oaks" in Jackson, Michigan. The demonstration - and arrests - in Lansing today bear that sad news. Republicans value local and state government, less centralized, less federal government and yet, in Wisconsin and Michigan and Ohio, there has been a hostile takeover legislated of cities, municipalities, townships and school districts. This is not the Republican Party I knew, the candidates the party fielded that I voted for, or the party that held the finest goals of the United States first in their hearts.

Michigan Budget: The Shift Hits the Fan

Governor Snyder's budget proposal is a tax shift burdening the poor, seniors and children to benefit corporations. 1) Eliminate the Earned Income Tax Credit. 2) Reduce K-12 funding by $499-$700 per pupil, which will force some marginal school districts into a position prime for appointment of a financial manager. 3) Replace MBT with a 6 percent corporate tax. 4) Tax public and private pensions at 4.25 percent. (Problematic - Michigan constitution prohibits public pensions from being reduced.) The lowest income families in Michigan will see their taxes raised 10 times the wealthiest 1 percent. We need to do better than this. The Republican agenda is in full play: it's not about jobs, it's not about the economy. It's about reducing women's access to healthcare, union busting, eliminating democratic process, and blaming the middle class, seniors and the poor for the economy. None of what's in the Michigan budget will create jobs. Nothing. AARP is organizing a rally to protest Snyder's budget proposal on Tuesday, March 15 in Lansing at the State Capitol from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please join us.