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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Lots of negative and positive ink has been used on Rev Jesse Jackson. There is sure to be some fireworks now that he is in the mix!
Jesse Jackson critical of Benton Harbor emergency financial manager's suspension of powers
Published: Thursday, April 21, 2011, 8:04 AM Updated: Thursday, April 21, 2011, 8:16 AM
By The Associated Press MLive.com
Video: Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks on Fox 2 Detroit about Benton Harbor's emergency financial manager.
BENTON HARBOR — The Rev. Jesse Jackson says church and municipal leaders in Benton Harbor should form a coalition and file a lawsuit against the actions of the city's state-appointed emergency financial manager.
Jackson made the comments during a speech Wednesday in the southwestern Michigan city, where some leaders are angry after emergency financial manager Joseph Harris suspended their decision-making powers.
WSBT-TV says the civil rights leader spoke in front of an audience of about 30 people inside the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.
Harris' action is likely the first since Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law in March a new statute that grants more powers to emergency managers appointed by the Treasury Department to take over distressed schools and communities. |
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Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:53 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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0000000 April 21, 2011 at 8:41AM
Follow
The real question here should concern us all - is it constitutional for a governor or governor's appointee to supplant duly elected local, state or federal officials? I should hope not, this will/can and now has resulted in nullification of the people's vote. It can be the greased slide to appointed officials with dictatorial powers and no control over them. Talk about a high visibility constitutional issue - where is the ACLU, where are the Wayne State and Michigan State law departments? This case is tailor made for them, they need to team up and take this issue head on for all of us. If they don't who is next?
Inappropriate? Alert us.Reply Post new |
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Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:55 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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0000000 April 21, 2011 at 9:16AM
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Here is the bottom line - most of us don't know anything about the people running for office. We have to either believe they mean what they say or depend on the media to tell us who and what they are. Either way we are basically screwed - you can't believe a politician and the media has its own agenda and loves taking all those political ads - that sets up a conflict of interest right there. All we can do it vote and either we get what we voted for or we recall or wait until the next election to get rid of blingers. Like it or not - its the American way. IMHO we have laws to deal with criminally corrupt officials. The only reason to send in someone to take over is if and when it is proven that an entire body of elected officials are criminally corrupt - or maybe so illiterate they cannot function. To do anything else means throwing out our right to vote. I don't want to see that happen. |
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Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:58 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks to city leaders in Benton Harbor
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Power shift comes to Benton Harbor
Emergency chief takes control in Benton Harbor
By Kristin Bien (kbien@wsbt.com)
6:37 p.m. EDT, April 20, 2011
wsbt-rev-jesse-jackson-in-benton-harbor-to-support-city-leaders-20110420
Some city leaders in Benton Harbor are angry after the state-appointed emergency financial manager stripped their power and authority this week. Now, they hope Rev. Jesse Jackson will help shine the national spotlight on their struggling city.
In front of an audience of church leaders and city leaders on Wednesday, Jackson encouraged the city of Benton Harbor to fight for democracy.
"Clearly we must prepare to file a major lawsuit to restore democratic rights in Benton Harbor," said Jackson. He encouraged church and city leaders to form a coalition.
Jackson spoke in front of an audience of about 30 people inside the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Benton Harbor.
In March, Michigan's governor signed a law granting more powers to emergency managers. On Friday the emergency financial manager in Benton Harbor — hired to help balance the budget there — suspended the decision-making powers of city officials. That order means they can only call meetings to order, adjourn them and approve minutes of meetings. On Wednesday Jackson encouraged city leaders to fight back.
"You don't solve an economic crisis by decapitating mayors and city council people. You don't solve the economic crisis by replacing democracy with dictators in the name of emergency," said Jackson.
Jackson said he hoped his visit to Benton Harbor was a wakeup call. He wanted elected positions to be restored and workers collective bargaining to be revived.
City leaders in attendance hoped Jackson's voice would help power their mission.
"I am enthusiastic," said Benton Harbor Mayor Wilce Cooke, "I think it was a great meeting. There is a movement out there in support for Benton Harbor to help us oversee and overcome the adversity that we have with a financial manager."
Not every city leader agrees with Cooke. Commissioner-at-Large Bryan Joseph supports the work the city's emergency financial manager is doing and says Jackson doesn't live in Benton Harbor and doesn't understand what is going on in Benton Harbor.
"I really don't think it is right for Jesse Jackson to come into Benton Harbor and tell us what we need to do when this has been a problem for many years,” he said. “Remember, this didn't start two years ago, five years ago, six years ago. This has been going on for over three decades. The majority of the people in Benton Harbor support what the emergency manager is doing. We [the city commission] have had the opportunity to fix the problem. We didn't take advantage of it. This is the end result. And that is why the emergency financial manager is here taking the steps to address the financial problems."
Copyright © 2011, WSBT-TV |
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Thu Apr 21, 2011 2:01 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Rev. Jesse Jackson in Benton Harbor to protest EFM law
Benton Harbor, MI
Benton Harbor's financial woes have brought a big name to the city: Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Reporter: NewsCenter 16 Staff
The Reverend Jesse Jackson is in the city to talk about, and protest, Michigan's emergency financial manager law. As we've been reporting, Joseph Harris is in place as the EFM for Benton Harbor and he recently used the new law to restrict the power of some city officials.
Jackson appeared at the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church on Main Street at noon.
Our reporting partners at WSJM say Jackson talked about the dangers of cuts to education in Kalamazoo on Monday.
We'll have much more on Jackson's visit to Benton Harbor coming up on NewsCenter 16 at 5:30. |
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Thu Apr 21, 2011 2:04 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Thu Apr 21, 2011 2:07 pm |
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theboyzmom
F L I N T O I D
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| In my book it is no more unconstitutional than voiding contracts in a bankruptcy. In a bankruptcy the other party elected to take a risk and give money to the bankrupt person. In the EFM case, the people chose to take a risk with the elected officials. Either way the person with clean hands gets screwed. |
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Thu Apr 21, 2011 4:47 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Rev. Jesse Jackson back in Benton Harbor
May 04, 2011|By Colleen Ferreira, WSBT-TV Reporter
Benton Harbor remains in the national spotlight as the fight over Michigan's emergency financial manager law faces even more criticism.
Reverend Jesse Jackson was in South Bend on Wednesday at the WUBS radio station to talk about Benton Harbor's future. WSBT showed him a survey that throws new light on the EFM debate in Michigan.
Out of 400 people surveyed, 60 percent believe the emergency financial manager would better balance Benton Harbor's budget deficit rather than the mayor and city council.
"In this case I think it might have been one of the best things they could have done,” said Benton Harbor local Sam Volker. “It's already made a difference in the short time he's been here."
But Jesse Jackson wants to makes sure EFMs across Michigan don’t have so much power. The State's "Public Act 4" gives a state-appointed emergency manager the authority to strip city commissioners of their authority and reject union contracts.
"There's nothing about the economic crisis that should disseminate our right to vote, we should reinforce democracy," said Jackson.
But some said democracy in Benton Harbor needs some help.
"Sometimes the people we vote for aren't the right people," Volker said.
"It’s one thing to have a financial manager. We needed it here, obviously, but then he took it too far," said Benton Harbor resident Karen Moldavon.
WSBT asked Jackson to comment on the survey.
“This says 60 percent of the people are satisfied, so when you have that over the 50 percent mark, what do you tell those 60 percent of people when they see you guys coming in trying to change things?” asked WSBT Reporter Colleen Ferreira.
Jackson responded, “There are people who live in Benton Harbor who think their right to vote is a precious right to vote."
But Sam Volker doesn't feel his right to vote has been suspended. He said the state appointed an EFM for a reason.
“He knows the government, overall, a lot better than community leaders would I think, so he knows more the ins-and-outs of it," Volker said.
The Glengariff Group, which has offices in St. Joseph and Chicago, conducted the survey. It included people from Benton Harbor, Benton Township, St. Joseph and St. Joseph Township. It was conducted randomly through phone calls.
Click here to read the survey. |
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Mon May 16, 2011 6:10 am |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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| The problem with electing politicians is that many are not educationally qualified or experienced enough to fulfill the duties of the position to which they have been elected. |
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Mon May 16, 2011 6:00 pm |
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Debunker1
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
00SL2 schreef:
The problem with electing politicians is that many are not educationally qualified or experienced enough to fulfill the duties of the position to which they have been elected.
AMEN ! You are so right there OOSL2. Most people involved in politics are the exact opposite people who should be wield a lot of power and influence over anyone else. In fact, they are often the people who shouldn't be allowed to have sharp pointy objects around them or be allowed to reproduce. |
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Tue May 17, 2011 12:31 am |
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ConcernedCitizen
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
Debunker1 schreef:
AMEN ! You are so right there OOSL2. Most people involved in politics are the exact opposite people who should be wield a lot of power and influence over anyone else. In fact, they are often the people who shouldn't be allowed to have sharp pointy objects around them or be allowed to reproduce.
Halleluiah!
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_________________
"When people fear their government, there is TYRANNY.
When the government fears the people, there is Liberty"
Thomas Jefferson |
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Mon May 23, 2011 2:19 pm |
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ConcernedCitizen
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
"You don't solve an economic crisis by decapitating mayors and city council people. You don't solve the economic crisis by replacing democracy with dictators in the name of emergency," said Jackson.
Normally, I would not agree to that, but I think it would be a tremendous first step in Flint! I mean that both figuratively and literally! |
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"When people fear their government, there is TYRANNY.
When the government fears the people, there is Liberty"
Thomas Jefferson |
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Mon May 23, 2011 2:24 pm |
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