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Opponent of emergency manager law speaks to group
- Details
- By Kate Cole
- Monday, July 23, 2012
- Hits: 312
Paul Jordan, a retired Genesee County Community Mental Health employee and former Flint school board member, was part of a group that filed a lawsuit against Gov. Rick Snyder and state Treasurer Andy Dillon in June 2011 claiming the emergency manager law (PA 4) violates the Michigan Constitution.
Jordan provided members of the Eastside Business Association with an update on the legal process July 18.
Jordan said its broad powers include the ability to change or nullify existing labor contracts without renegotiating them; prohibit the mayor and city council from exercising any powers of their offices except those permitted by the emergency manager in writing; issue, approve, disapprove or alter vendor contracts; recommend consolidation of local governments; and dissolve local governments.
Jordan said that according to the House Judiciary Committee Democratic staff it also violates the contracts clause (Article I Sec. X) of the U.S. Constitution which says: "... No state shall pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law or law impairing the obligation of contracts ..."
Jordan recognized that Flint's loss of population brought down property prices that affected the city property tax revenue. The city has about 37.9 percent of its population in poverty — earning less than $31,000 a year.
Other members expressed different opinions of why the city is in financial trouble including:
- Republicans just came into power. How can you blame them for the mess the previous administrations made?
- A democratically elected mayor ignored city council and used their executive powers to put the city in debt.
- Citizen apathy contributed to the city's problems and too many citizens depend on the Mott Foundation to bail them out.
- A combination of poor planning by local government and the end of 80,000 GM jobs.
- We didn't anticipate the GM loss that turned into a migration out of the city.
Concluding his presentation Jordan retorically asked if an emergency manager can fix Flint's problems.
"Is democracy the problem? Does replacing local government make local officials better when they are re-empowered? Can a poor city become fiscally healthy without a healthier revenue stream? Can poor cities provide minimally adequate public services while relying only on their own fiscal resources?"
Jordan said Michigan Supreme Court will hear his legal appeal July 25. The deadline for PA 4 going on the November ballot is Aug. 27.
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