Michigan Emergency Manager Petitions Delivered

Michigan Emergency Manager Petitions Delivered

U.S. Congressional Candidate
Lance Enderle, (D- District 8)

In the afternoon of February 29, 2012 groups of people gathered together in Lansing, Michigan to deliver 50 boxes to the Great Seal of Michigan, Bureau of Elections, containing 24,167 sheets of petitions with 226,637 signatures to have Public Act 4 of 2011, Emergency Manager Law, put as a referendum vote on the ballot for the November election.

As a correction to the misconceptions of the petition drive,  spearheded by Michigan Forward, this effort was not to repeal the current Emergency Manager Law but an effort to allow the people to have a say in such a law that can remove elected officials from office, which many have considered, including U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. to be unconstitutional.

Brandon Jessup of Michigan Forward
at press conference 

As the petition boxes were being unloaded by the human assembly line of people from across the state, they chanted the cadence of "This is what democracy looks like",  Everyone worked in unison.  Everyone was excited to be part of Michigan history.

As the first load out of boxes made its way through the Bureau of Elections, everyone stood up from their desks to watch the peaceful and solemn procession of the democratic process.

Pontiac City Councilman Kermit Williams
waiting to deliver first load of
petitions

Once the first load made its way in the room which will warehouse the petitions during the certification process, the press piled in to interview Brandon Jessup of Michigan Forward who coordinated the statewide petition drive.  Pontiac City Councilman Kermit Williams ceremoniously assisted in the delivery of petitions.  He is just one of many elected officials who were removed from office after elections.

Delivery of the second load of petitions

As the second load of petitions made its way through the office, people started to come, not to just to witness but to be part of history.  Many of the participants had never been to Lansing and expressed their pride in being able to have a say in government.

Last load of petitions

The excitement of the delivery of the petitions was not limited to the hundred or so people who road on the bus from Detroit or the Occupy Flint and Lansing residents.  There was a bit of tension from security and staff of the Elections Bureau as it seems there were nasty rumors spread of protests in the office.

Detroit petition volunteer laughs with
Petition case manager Melissa
Malerman

Instead, it turned out to be a small party.  Staff began warming up and speaking with some of the people who were experiencing their first trip to Lansing.  There were laughs and hugs, believe it or not.

There is a 60 day review with 15 day extension. The process of certification will consist of random sampling. The statisticalprogram used was designed by University of Michigan and Michigan State where it will select, by line and sheet, random signatures for verification and authenticity. Sample number to be reviewed is between 1500 to 3000.

Michigan Director of Elections
Chirs Thomas answering questions

According to Chris Thomas, Director of the Michigan Board of Elections, the necessary amount of signatures is based on 5 percent of the gubernatorial vote, which will make the total amount of petition signatures needed to put Public Act 4 of 2011 on the November 2012 ballot.

Brandon Jessup discussing final process
of petition delivery

Challenges will have the opportunity to come in and scan the petitions to challenge. Challengers mostly look for duplicate signatures but there are rumors that a challenging group will come in next week to start the process.  It is expected that the challenging entity will bring in graphologists and scrutinize each of the more than 220,000 signatures.  This will not be done at the expense of the taxpayers.

Certificate of delivery for petitions.

Last time there has been a petition drive of this magnitude was in 2008.

Once the petition is certified it will be taken to the Board of Canvassers which will then deliver to the Board of Petitions.

Michigan House of Representatives
recognizing petition coordinators

As most who had come to Lansing on the bus had a deadline to return, there was a few individuals left who made the procession to the House of Representatives.  Upon arriving, the House formally recognized the deliverers of the petitions.

Brendon Jessup of Michigan Forward
at Capitol

From there Brandon Jessup of Michigan Forward proceeded to interact with elected officials to discuss going forward with the referendum.

Certain elected officials shared that the state, in hindsight, is reluctant to have an emergency manager for Detroit as it would affect the overall bond rating for the state.  Along with the fact that many Republican majority states are frowning about government intervention and the pending opinion of the U.S. Attorney General on the constitutionality of removing elected officials from office, there will not be any action too soon.

Response from Michigan Secretary of State to Michigan Congressional Members on Emergency Manager Petition S...

Learn more: BEVERLY TRAN: Michigan Emergency Manager Petitions Delivered http://beverlytran.blogspot.com/2012/03/michigan-emergency-manager-petition.html#ixzz1o1fHpLsP
Stop Medicaid Fraud in Child Welfare 

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Volunteers Needed to Collect Repeal PA4 Signatures at Churches and DDOT

With less than 80,000 signatures to go, we’re turning up the heat on Michigan’s Dictator Law. Below are some volunteer opportunities here in the Metro Detroit area our campaign needs your help with. Democracy is the only option we have to turn not just Detroit around in its financial crisis but to protect the many communities and hundreds of school districts facing fiscal crisis.

Please see the below events and coordination efforts as we work to close the door on this phase of the campaign!

Democracy Sunday || Jan. 8 & 15

Join Michigan Forward and Stand Up for Democracy on Sunday, January 8 and January 15 for Democracy Sunday. We are pushing towards our goal of collecting 250,000 signatures to help repeal PA4. Over these two Sundays we anticipate to visit over 50 churches throughout the Metro Detroit area. Volunteers are needed to gather signatures at over church locations in the Detroit area for both Sundays. To volunteer call Michigan Forward office at (313) 965-2722 or email us at info@michiganforward.org.

Want to Sign Up Your Church for Democracy Sunday? Call Betty Smith, MI AFSCME Council 25: (313) 964-1711.

 

Freedom Riders Needed

Calling on volunteers to collect petition signatures at Detroit's DDOT Bus Terminals and Buses

Hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents use public transit to travel daily in Southeast Michigan. Detroit's Department of Transportation carries most of those residents to and from their jobs, shopping and more. Michigan Forward and the Detroit NAACP are recruiting volunteers to ride Detroit's busiest transit lines and centers, Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4PM.

These lines and centers are:

·        Grand River

·        Gratiot

·        Woodward

·        Rosa Parks Transit Center

·        State Fair Transit Center

If you want to participate in our Freedom Rider program please contact Derek Blackmon at (313) 623-7946 or call Michigan Forward at (313) 965-2722.

Data Entry and Verification

If collecting signatures isn't your thing but you would still like to contribute and help the effort to repeal PA4 then maybe you should consider volunteering for data entry and verification. Volunteers may assist with data entry at Michigan AFSCME Council 25, 600 West Lafayette, here in Detroit.

OFFICE HOURS 
Monday-Friday: 10:00 A.M. -- 5:00 P.M
Saturday: 10:00 A.M. -- 3:00 P.M

For progress,

Brandon A. Jessup

Chairman & CEO

Michigan Forward

Michigan Forward is a Michigan non-profit organization specializing in creating progressive public policy initiatives for state and local governments.

Visit us on the web at: http://www.michiganforward.org

Twitter: miforward

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/michiganforward

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Michigan Forward To Put Emergency Manager Law To The Public

Brandon Jessup, Michigan Forward

As U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. proceeds with the next step after sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder requesting constitutional review of Michigan Public Act 4 of 2011, the "Emergency Manager Law", a petition drive has been launched across the state by CEO, Brandon Jessup of Michigan Forward  to put forth a referendum for public vote.

For more information on how to participate in collecting signatures, contact Micihgan Forward:

Mailing AddressMichigan ForwardP.O. Box 32860Detroit,Michigan 48232

Physical AddressMichigan Forward
600 W. Lafayette,Suite 100
Detroit,Michigan 4822
Phone:(313) 965-2722

                                                                 Email:info@michiganforward.org

Conyers will also be holding a townhall in the upcoming new year to further discuss alternative solutions to Michigan cities.

Attorney general tracking emergency manager law's future

Lansing— Attorney General Bill Schuette in an end-of-year interview Tuesday said he is undecided if Michigan will revert to Michigan's old emergency manager law if Public Act 4 is suspended.
Gov. Rick Snyder has said it's the position of his administration that the former Public Act 72, which grants fewer powers to emergency managers, would remain in force if a petition drive against the sweeping new emergency manager law succeeds in getting the issue on the ballot.
Schuette met with media at his Lansing office Tuesday to highlight his accomplishments for 2011 and talk about his plans for 2012. The former Court of Appeals judge is finishing his first year in office, having defeated Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton last November. He was swept into office on a GOP wave that also saw Republicans win the governor's seat, control of both chambers of the state Legislature, the Secretary of State's office and the Michigan Supreme Court.
Asked what would happen if the petitioners are successful, Schuette said, "I'm going to wait and see if that happens. There is a line of thought that the law that was in place prior to that comes into being, which is not quite as broad as the current law is. "I learned this as a judge: I wait till the facts come before me, and I always want to know all four corners of the issues involved. That is a possibility, but I'm not going to make any final decision until that occurs."
Asked if he's been requested to research the legalities surrounding the petition drive against P.A. 4, he said he's "on top of that issue, along with a lot of other issues."
Opponents of P.A. 4, a tougher emergency manager law signed by Snyder, say they are close to collecting the 161,000 signatures needed to put the question before votes on the November ballot. Emergency managers have been appointed in Flint, Pontiac, Benton Harbor, Ecorse and the Detroit Public Schools. The state has begun a review of Detroit's finances, and its findings could lead to the appointment of an emergency manger for the state's largest city.
Schuette listed among his accomplishments his fight to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes through a national coalition of attorneys general.
"This Asian carp issue is about the ecology and the economy," Schuette said.
He also noted his launch of a Public Corruption Unit within his office's Criminal Division that filed 115 charges and secured six convictions in 11 months.
He also said a warrant sweep his office conducted in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies removed 62 felons from the streets of Flint.
Other crime-fighting efforts included expanding and updating the Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative, which teaches kids, teachers and parents about Internet safety; efforts to curb exploitation of the medical marijuana law; and a crackdown on mortgage fraud.
Schuette also listed securing a five-year rate freeze for seniors who buy Medigap insurance through Blue Cross. He noted Michigan, along with 25 states, has challenged the individual mandate in the federal Affordable Healthcare Act.
Schuette has differed with Snyder on several issues, such as health benefits for same-sex partners of public employees, and whether Michigan should establish a health care exchange to conform to the federal health care law.
"If you can agree with your best friend about 95 percent of the time, I think that's great," Schuette said of his relationship with the governor. "The strength of so many issues where we agree far outweighs those where there are differences of opinions."


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