Michigan Judge Restores Power to Democratically Elected Mayor
Michigan's controversial Emergency Manager law received a setback on Tuesday.
The law states that in the event that a city is declared to be in a financial emergency the state's Governor may appoint an emergency manager to handle future finances for the city. The duly elected mayor and city council are reduced to mere figureheads.
Many people believe that the law is fascistic in nature and denies certain citizens the right to have democratic representation. Their votes cast in a legal election are essentially declared null and void.
Cities which Governor Rick Snyder has determined to be in distress coincidentally have a rather high percentage of minority residents.
Opponents of the measure are extremely happy with the decision of Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina who found that a state review team violated the state's Open Meetings Act.
As a result of her decision, power has been restored to the mayor and city council and the appointment of Michael Brown, the state appointed emergency manager, is considered to be invalid.
In a world where state legislatures are a proving ground for conservative ideals and legislation pushed in our nation's capital, special attention should be paid by everyone in any state to the grand efforts made by a Republican Governor to deny people the right to democratically elected representation.
With Rick Snyder we have certainly found one Republican politician incapable of speaking of or willing to protect his own state's citizens right to liberty or freedom.
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