STATE WIDE COALITION TO REPEAL MICHIGAN’S EMERGENCY MANAGER LAW CONTINUES TO GROW

STATE WIDE COALITION TO REPEAL MICHIGAN’S EMERGENCY MANAGER LAW CONTINUES TO GROW AS DETROIT AND FLINT MAY BECOME TAKEOVER TARGETS

Who: Organizers of the repeal of the emergency manager law from around Michigan

What: Update of signature collection activities, how the public can get involved and recent emergency manager actions around the state

When: 1 PM, November 4, 2011

Where: Teleconference: Call-in number

Why: Stand Up for Democracy coalition has distributed 100,000 petitions to volunteers across Michigan to repeal Public Act 4.  The law is seen as a naked power grab by Lansing politicians that created emergency managers and gave them sweeping powers including the ability to:

-          Seize and sell public assets without a court order

-          Strip elected officials of their duties without due process

-          Dissolve/merge cities, townships and school districts without a popular vote

-          Break binding contracts and eliminate collective bargaining rights at will

-          Close vital public services without a public hearing

-          Outsource public services and enter into contracts without legislative oversight

In June volunteers in Ann Arbor, Benton Harbor, Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, Monroe, Pontiac, Petoskey, Traverse City and Ypsilanti launched a petition drive and circulated 30,000 repeal petitions. 70,000 petitions have been in circulation since then. Only 161,304 valid voter signatures are needed to place the issue on the ballot in November 2012. When the signatures are validated, PA 4 is suspended until the general election. For more information go to http://www.standup4democracy.com or call 1-866-306-5168 to volunteer.