Top Stories

The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

HIV-AIDS-small
By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

foreclosure
By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

epa_logo
By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.

bh judith jones

Benton Harbor City Commission defies Emergency Manager

By Eartha Jane Melzer | 05.03.11 | 1:30 pm

In defiance of an order that prohibits them from taking any action, the Benton Harbor City Commission passed a resolution last night declaring the appointment of Emergency Manager Joe Harris unconstitutional and calling for his removal.

With a vote of 6-2 the commission approved the following:

Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article I §1, which states that all political power is inherent in the people and that government is instituted for their equal benefit, security and protection.

Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article I §3, which allows the citizens of Benton Harbor the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.

Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article VII §22, which affords Benton Harbor citizens the the power and authority to frame, adopt and amend its charter, and to amend an existing charter of the city or village heretofore granted or enacted by the legislature for the government of the city or village. Each such city and village shall have power to adopt resolutions and ordinances relating to its municipal concerns, property and government, subject to the constitution and law.

Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article VII §34, which states that the provisions of this constitution and law concerning counties, townships, cities and villages shall be liberally construed in their favor.

Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article IX §2, which provides the citizens of Benton Harbor the right of taxation with representation.
Resolved, The appointment of an Emergency Manager is in direct violation of the Michigan Constitution and therefore demands the removal of said Emergency Manager immediately.

Resolved, That the Benton Harbor City Commission is hereby directed to forward copies of this resolution to Governor Rick Snyder, State Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, Speaker of the House Jase Bolger, State Senator John Proos, and State Representative Al Pscholka.

Last month Emergency Manager Joe Harris used new powers created by Public Act 4 — the Emergency Manager law — to bar city officials from taking any action without his written approval.

Commissioner Dennis Knowles, who drafted the resolution, said that it will be mailed to officials on city letterhead but that city commissioners will have to buy the stamps to do the mailing because they are no longer able to order supplies.

“This is the government working beyond the dictatorship,” he said. “That is what we are doing.”

“This is about democracy … it is about human rights. It is a litmus test to see if the Constitution even still exists.”

Knowles said that copies of the resolution will be sent to the U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division and President Barack Obama.

Comments

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ISXJOGRZJR3HXXCEIKBQ6NNRZ4 Froglig Nod

    BH hasn’t bounced enough checks already?

    • http://profiles.google.com/jonathanmillerfina Jonathan Miller

      They have positive net income and the ability to borrow. Do you have a source for this data about bouncing checks?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=516771566 Jenny McKillop

    Yay Benton Harbor! You tell ‘em!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sally-Rogers-Bryan/100001592496008 Sally Rogers Bryan

    Dont you people get the bigger picture? This is going to look like a walk in the park compared to what this Governer has in store for the people in this state. This is all in concert with the other communist governers in wisconsin, ohio, florida, and some of the other, now republican governers that were “elected”, in novermber, and want to dismantle the middle class, little by little, trying to make sure they can acheive their agenda, and cut off the the groups that donate money to the democrats running for public office.what they did is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.!!
    period, and if we dont stop them now!!

    • Kodiak Darling

      Whenever something bad happens, it’s always communist, isn’t it? You’ve done a nice job of absolving the Republicans of their guilt for the actions in Michigan and Wisconsin. What the Republicans are doing is the exact opposite of communism, and their actions are vile. You voted for this bed, lay in it.

      • http://www.facebook.com/Sedjmier Martin Gallup

        Voted for this bed, you mean it was a unanimous vote. Wow didn’t know thanks for clarification, I mean it wasn’t like there were think tanks funded by groups to elect these guys, oh wait there were.

        Though yes, it is not communist and more Bolshevik, autocratic, and dictatorial than any semblance of communist–for communist implies working together instead of 1 at the top dictating all.

    • Anonymous

      honey, why don’t you look up the meaning of “communist” ?  Snyder and his henchmen better fit the definition of facists…..it is important to understand the implication of the rhetoric you are throwing around (well meaning as I’m sure it is) .  This kind of thing is what the Tea party people a re doing as a way to confuse and distract the facts. Distortion of historical fact and outright lying is the playbook of these people….educate yourself. C A from Kalamazoo

      • Anonymous

        Way to make an ally. Have you noticed that this sort of belittling is the very thing that turns people off when they hear the term “liberal”? I think we all realize what Sally was trying to say… don’t do a good thing to death.

    • Anonymous

      Yes, I think at this late stage most of the non-tea partying crowd gets it. And the Benton Harbor City Commission has shown us that civil disobedience is key. The baggers can only get away with what we allow them to get away with. They may think they can crap on the Constitution and on us right up to the moment we tell them where to shove their decrees.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=520667440 Ros Doneghy

    Stand firm Benton Harbor. This may trigger a constitutional crisis. Good for you, letting the dictator Harris and the Fascist Synder know that your rights are not for sell and can not be given away!

  • Anonymous

    Go BH! This whole ‘take over’ thing seriously smells like a rat. Not to say that the BH elected officials were doing their jobs diligently either to say the least. What this whole thing needs is SHARED responsibility, better communication and compromise. Sit down together and work it out to EVERYONES best benefit, not just the rich golfers. No one sits down one day and chooses to be poor, show some humanity, where’s your heart? By all means send someone in to help but remember, you don’t own it.

  • RustyCannon

    I think president Obama should take a lesson from Snyder, declare MI insolvent, and replace the governor with a financial manager.

    • http://profiles.google.com/somecallmemike Michael Andrews

      The federal government was never meant to muddle the politics of the States (even though it already does in many ways). If the president ever had the power to reappoint the governor of a state I would have to get my pitchfork. The people of MI voted for this asshole, they have to live with him until he is able to be recalled, and thanks to BH they are more than dealing with him!

  • http://profiles.google.com/bwillenzik Bruce Willenzik

    The vote was 6 to 2. Someone up there please recall the 2 for acting against the interest of the citizens of the community.

    Every elected official who is not on the side of our people, our communities and our generations to come needs to be sent home.

    Anyone up there know about the Louisiana two term system. It consist of a short term in office immediately followed by a longer term in prison.

  • RustyCannon

    Wow, talk about smaller government! Just one dictator to run everything. Small, compact, efficient, and about as un-democratic as can be. Face it, ‘baggers, democracy is big and messy but it is way better than the alternative.

    • http://profiles.google.com/somecallmemike Michael Andrews

      Your absolutely correct! I see these Rethuglicans trying to enact a corporate mentality on government, which is a complete abridgment to the concept of a democracy. Rick Snyder is trying to play CEO of MI, appointing his cronies to ‘directors’ of cities. Government was meant to be bureaucratic and messy as hell so that the will of the people, not the will of the establishment, was recognized. God damned business men running the government… we need some better leadership across the board.

    • Anonymous

      I’m not sure why the little tea drenched Eichmanns think they can come along and take it from us. Must be something in the tea.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1261249260 Rodney C. Nanney

    Mr. Harris is no dictator, and it was those very same elected officials who ran the city so poorly that an emergency financial manager became necessary – under the old rules as established and appointed by a Democrat Governor.

    The quicker these elected officials “elect” to cooperate with and learn from Mr. Harris, the quicker his job will be done and the (financially stable) city will be returned to their (hopefully wiser and more frugal) care.

    • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/2EG2QHFEIOC6VLTEBF6MA3IGEU Tony

      By your logic China should be able to pass a resolution allowing them to take over America. Work that weak brain of yours. I suggest crossword puzzles and video games because your mind is too weak for rational thought.

      • Anonymous

        Good admonition of Rodney.
        Does anyone remember that Hitler was appointed reluctantly due to his extremist views, but then once he was in power as an appointee, he pushed The Enabling Act which gave him total power to make the laws of the land by decree, not through anyone elses purview. So in order to pass the act that gave him so much power, he arrested 81 of the deputies that, had they not been arrested they could have stopped him.
        He took over the media, outlawed all political parties except his own Nazi Party, dismissed the legislature, literally killed much of the opposition, took over all of the educational institutions and taught the propaganda of Nazism, established a youth movement with about 7 million volunteers. Set up the Gestapo, the SS, and passed the Nurembourg Laws which removed citizenship from the Jewish people along with taking away their rights to attend college, run businesses, basically shut the Jewish people out of entire social structures, pushing them into ghettos where there were originally 7,000 people became 57,000 people which made disease run rampant throughout the ghetto and there was no healthcare, people dropped like flies, women, men, children, the elderly, the disabled.
        Weak economics=the rise of extremist groups.
        Snyder is trying to make cities fail so he can implement his dictatorial regime.
        “Fascism should be more appropriately be called corporatism, because it is the merger of the corporations and the state.” Benito Mussolini

        And consider that US companies ushered in the rise of Hitler by loans and gurantees of support. Alcoa, GE, GM, and many more. Even after Pearl Harbor these companies were doing business with Hitler.

        Hitler gained the people’s trust by promises at first, then attacking the German obligations of WWI, like reparations, then breaking the rules of the Treaty of Versailles, which impressed the people who felt oppressed under that treaty. Hitler essentially took over a weak government that had problems passing simple laws. It has been said that a strong government can pass laws relatively quickly, this was not Germany in the twenties and thirties.
        Just sayin’.

    • Anonymous

      The city is fine.

    • Anonymous

      ROFLMAO… you have GOT to be smoking crack. This doesn’t even deserve a response.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_6UZ7QLLM2NE5WUM4E6UOWDZTMM LiamW

    I am very glad to see what Benton Harbor is doing! Keep up the good work BH and hopefully your actions will be copied by other communities that will stand up to those fascists!

  • Anonymous

    Benton Harbor is the test case. If you think that this is really about helping a city that is in crisis, you are not paying attention. Take a look at the other potential targets: Traverse City and Ann Arbor are on the list. Note that they are training HUNDREDS of EFMs. There will be a blitz if we don’t stand with Benton Harbor. The protest on the 7th should serve to send a message.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jacob-Aaron-Libby/12127496 Jacob Aaron Libby

    Benton Harbor and all concerned. Represent your city, your state, your nation, and the very idea of political liberty. Now is the time to stand up. Do not got to the back of the bus.

  • http://profiles.google.com/smithadmin William Smith

    As an outsider looking in, I think that it would have been one thing if the decree had ordered special elections to replace the people that were being held responsible for the city’s fiscal woes, but that’s not what is going on here. Given what IS happening, I think Benton Harbor is doing the right thing. It is up to the people that live there to elect responsible people. If they cannot or will not, they only have themselves to blame.

  • Anonymous

    I’m happy to see that there’s still some fight left in Michiganders. All of this talk of the alleged incompetence of the elected officials is a mere distraction from the true issue here.

    And what qualifications does a person have to have to act as an Emergency Manager? Let’s see their resumes and their diplomas. If someone runs for office the electorate often votes based on a person’s experience and philosophy.

    Who are these people being ‘trained’ as Emergency Managers? Where do I sign up? Oops. I’m a highly educated Democrat. It’s the latter fact that most likely would disqualify me. How much money are they being paid? It’s a matter of public record how much money elected officials earn.

    Given the unemployment rate I’m certain that there are tons of qualified people who would love to score a gig like the Emergency Manager job. To repeat myself, where do I sign up? Beats running for office, that’s for sure.

  • Anonymous

    I’ve read that Mr. Harris is getting $11,000.00 salary per month, not too shabby.

    • Anonymous

      Paid for by whom?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1817791776 Edward James Ruppert

    Greetings and best wishes from communist occupied Wisconsin home of Adolph Walker and his troll’s the Fitzgerald boys. Good luck with your war. We support you.

    • Anonymous

      And we’re with you also, Edward. All of us ‘picked’ on states need to have a conference call or two.. there’s power in numbers.

      • Anonymous

        Don’t you worry… the non-picked on states have your back. You’re not alone.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000168001877 Melissa Behm Marra

    Go Citizens of Benton Harbor, the citizens of Wayne County are with you !! Snydely WhipLash WILL be Recalled !!

  • Anonymous

    Good for Benton Harbor. Where was the “small government” conservatives when BH was going under? Detroit? etc. Why did they wait for them to fail before taking action? If they truly gave a hoot about the people, they would have stepped in and offered help long before they failed. Instead they waited for failure so it doesn’t sound so bad when they take over a local government. Not to mention these actions violate the spirit of the Constitution. They can claim its the best thing, it will save the rest of the state money etc etc. I guess I am a preventive maintenance kind of guy.. Seems like it ALWAYS costs less and offers fewer headaches.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Wesley-Jackson/100000456913066 Wesley Jackson

    you know they commit crime in benton harbor not st joe .thats were all the money go .it got alot to do with that golf course.burn it down. and thats in benton harbor .tax it til you cant tax nomore there money for benton harbor.i was born and raise there and still love to come home let get it to gather.what marching going to do? PUT OUR FOOT DOWN NOW.BEFORE IT BE TOO! LATE.on every thing.power is in numbers.boyscott.

  • Anonymous

    Maybe we should have a rally at the park/golf course. One great big picnic!

  • CarmanK

    How did the EFM get his hands on the checkbook?? What document did he present to the bank that gave him that authority?? Where are the tax dollars being deposited?? Who is collecting and accounting for that money??? The parade is tomorrow, Walker is coming to town. Hope you let him know how you feel, don’t show up or turn your backs on him as he passes in the parade. Come on Benton Harbor, you can do it. Remember, nonviolence is the best way to beat this bully.

  • Anonymous

    Good for Benton Harbor… we salute you. And the rest of us had better take this as our cue to step up as well. We’ve gone from Republican batshit stupid since 2008 to freaking absurd. This is the limit, folks.

Categories & Tags: Budget| Civil Rights| Election Law| Government Accountability/Reform| Judicial/Legal| Labor| Local Politics| Poverty| State Politics| Taxes| | | | |