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For those following me on Twitter, sorry for the spam tonight. See, there was this segment on tonight's Maddow show that really caught my attention. I think it's important, especially for those of you in Michigan. Ten minute clip. Well worth paying attention.
She's been reporting on this "financial martial law" bill that recently passed there. It gives the governor broad powers to declare, at his discretion, that a town is in a "financial emergency" and appoint an "emergency financial manager" to fix things. Used to be that was very rarely used and the financial managers had limited powers, but the new bill greatly expands both. Now the criteria for what may constitute an emergency are many and varied, and the manager can essentially dissolve the town's government, fire its elected officials, and do whatever he feels like with no public accountability. He can even disincorperate the town. Oh, and the manager doesn't even have to be a person. It can be a firm or a corporation.
In other words, if a town isn't doing what the governor wants, he can just abolish its government and put in his own overseer. So much for democracy.
That's more or less what happened in the predominantly Black town of Benton Harbor, where it so happens locals had been protesting a plan to turn their beloved public park into part of a high-priced private golf course and gated community. Emergency manager (who happens to have ties to the people planning the golf course) came in, ruled that the town council could no longer do anything (other than open a meeting, approve the minutes, and close a meeting), and went about doing whatever he wanted... like taking a chunk out of the public park.
That much is yesterday's news. (Actually, it was covered on the 18th.)
Tonight's clip was about Detroit. In short (since I've blathered on so long with the set-up): There's an amazing public high school there set up for girls who are having or have had a baby. There's onsite day care, parenting classes, and a lot of successful programs. The school has a 90% graduation rate, and a similarly outstanding college acceptance rate. (Outstanding for any school, really, but remember - these are teen mothers in a poor urban neighborhood.) It's exceptional. And it has strong local support.
You can see where this is going, right?
Detroit's emergency financial manager is planning to close a bunch of public schools including that one.
They tried to close it down last year, but public protests kept it open. Now... it's been unilaterally placed on that list. Find a private sponsor to keep it afloat as a charter school or close up.
This is wrong. And it's scary.
She's been reporting on this "financial martial law" bill that recently passed there. It gives the governor broad powers to declare, at his discretion, that a town is in a "financial emergency" and appoint an "emergency financial manager" to fix things. Used to be that was very rarely used and the financial managers had limited powers, but the new bill greatly expands both. Now the criteria for what may constitute an emergency are many and varied, and the manager can essentially dissolve the town's government, fire its elected officials, and do whatever he feels like with no public accountability. He can even disincorperate the town. Oh, and the manager doesn't even have to be a person. It can be a firm or a corporation.
In other words, if a town isn't doing what the governor wants, he can just abolish its government and put in his own overseer. So much for democracy.
That's more or less what happened in the predominantly Black town of Benton Harbor, where it so happens locals had been protesting a plan to turn their beloved public park into part of a high-priced private golf course and gated community. Emergency manager (who happens to have ties to the people planning the golf course) came in, ruled that the town council could no longer do anything (other than open a meeting, approve the minutes, and close a meeting), and went about doing whatever he wanted... like taking a chunk out of the public park.
That much is yesterday's news. (Actually, it was covered on the 18th.)
Tonight's clip was about Detroit. In short (since I've blathered on so long with the set-up): There's an amazing public high school there set up for girls who are having or have had a baby. There's onsite day care, parenting classes, and a lot of successful programs. The school has a 90% graduation rate, and a similarly outstanding college acceptance rate. (Outstanding for any school, really, but remember - these are teen mothers in a poor urban neighborhood.) It's exceptional. And it has strong local support.
You can see where this is going, right?
Detroit's emergency financial manager is planning to close a bunch of public schools including that one.
They tried to close it down last year, but public protests kept it open. Now... it's been unilaterally placed on that list. Find a private sponsor to keep it afloat as a charter school or close up.
This is wrong. And it's scary.