you heard what s going on in detroit. their ongoing financial troubles. this morning, reuters quotes michigan governor rick snyder will officially declare a financial emergency setting up the state to take over the motor city. ever heard of such a thing? detroit has been ailing from a $327 million budget deficit and $14 billion in long-term debt. if governor snyder moves, an emergency manager will come in to oversee a financial plan, which includes changing budgets, selling city assets, and suspending salaries of elected officials. one visible ceo has been shown the door. groupon fired ceo and founder andrew mason, sending shares of the company up. so why are we covering this story? because of this. in a statement, mason said, after 4 1/2 intense and wonderful years as ceo of
70th birthday. i started at 12 years old, you and reverend bill jones appointed me as youth director many years ago. in all your years, have you seen such a blatant attempt to undermine the voting rights act that you and dr. king and others established in the 60s with voter i.d. laws, early voting and now with michigan, where your vote means nothing? well, this is a tenth amendment for you, a classic example of states rights violating basic civil rights. those who once denied the right to vote, never using jerry mandering at lark, but now the power of the state to displace elected officials, nullify those voters choice of an official, cancel labor contracts, and then sell off city assets, is the most extreme, and the department of justice must act and must act now. this disease must not be allowed
number, and if found the majority of african-americans in michigan will be impacted. their democratic rights will have been taking from them, reverend, jackson, this isn t old mississippi, but new michigan. the governors has the authority on states rights to display an elected mayor and city council, therefore taking away their vote. he then has the power then to dismantle labor contracts and sell off city assets at the price of his own choosing. he is a czar, no longer a democrat. while we have seen voter suppression as a scheme in 38 states, the idea goes to another extreme this is nullifying the democracy. now, virg, when you look at the fact that there s a movement in michigan called michigan forward, well on its way to
we voted in detroit for city council. in benton harbor they voted for a mayor. they voted for city commissioners. and so then the state can come in and appoint one man or one woman to unilaterally make decisions about collective bargaining agreements, make decisions about selling city assets. the people have no voice? their vote does not count in the city of pontiac? pastor, i just find this so hard to believe, that a governor has the power now to appoint somebody who has nothing to do with the city to come in for $180,000 a year, i might add, and start making all the decisions with the citizens having no say whatsoever. do i have that correct? you have that right. ed, you find it hard to believe, we thought that the enemy of democracy was in egypt. it turns out that the enemy of democracy is in michigan. michigan is the new mississippi, where you have a governor who puts emergency dictators over cities and school districts and unilaterally makes our voices and our vote null and vo
in detroit for a mayor. we voted in detroit for city council. in benton harbor they voted for a mayor. they voted for city commissioners. and so then the state can come in and appoint one man or one woman to unilaterally make decisions about collective bargaining agreements, make decisions about selling city assets. the people have no voice? their vote does not count in the city of pontiac? pastor, i just find this so hard to believe, that a governor has the power now to appoint somebody who has nothing to do with the city to come in for $180,000 a year, i might add, and start making all the decisions with the citizens having no say whatsoever. do i have that correct? you have that right. ed, you find it hard to believe, we thought that the enemy of democracy was in egypt. it turns out that the enemy of democracy is in michigan. michigan is the new mississippi, where you have a governor who puts emergency dictators over