Dear People Of Michigan: We Told You So

Sunday , 10, January 2016 22 Comments

Back in 2011, when an unknown, nerdy former chairman of the board of a former computer giant called Gateway was sworn in as governor of the state of Michigan, his plans for the state set off alarm bells in more than a few state residents. Raising taxes on poor people and old people, cutting over a billion dollars out of the school budget to offset two billion in corporate tax cuts made us cringe. Then we learned of something even worse: A plan to substantially increase the powers and duties of the Emergency Financial Manager.

Governor Blanchard first used emergency managers during his administration. They had no power in any way to overrule the democratically elected local government, their purpose simply included helping that government work on budgeting better and get out of debt. The Nerd changed that. He decided that emergency managers shouldn’t share power, they should have ALL the power. They would strip the local government of all authority, break contracts, fire at will, and privatize any and all services the city, school district, township, or county provided to the residents. The Up North Progressive was one of many who noticed this sounded an awful lot like the plot of RoboCop.

It didn’t take long for those of us who were alarmed by this venture capitalist nerd and his sinister plans to organize and beat the streets. We worked through the summer of 2011 collecting signatures to recall him and hold a new election. We worked hard asking the unions to get involved. They refused. We worked hard to get the Democratic Party behind us. They refused. Michael Moore? Not a peep from him. As it slowly and depressingly sank in that we were stuck with Snyder for four years, we worked on other petition drives, including getting rid of the Nerd’s despicable emergency manager law. We didn’t succeed in collecting enough signatures to recall him, but we did collect enough to put eliminating P.A. 4 a.k.a Rick Snyder’s democracy-killing emergency manager law up to a vote of the people. The referendum went on the ballot in 2012, and the law was repealed.

Then Rick Snyder simply had the state legislature write up and pass a new version of the emergency manager law. Despite promising the city of Detroit there would be no bankruptcy, he secretly worked on finding an emergency manager to do just that. Despite obvious evidence that the Education Achievement Authority was a colossal failure, he threatened the rest of state he would expand his special pet school district to everyone. Despite the Michigan State Constitution banning school vouchers, he had software developers and members of his administration holding secret meetings called ‘skunkworks’ to force illegal school vouchers down Michiganians’ throats.

By the time 2014 came, his emergency managers were entrenched in communities helping Snyder’s corporate friends scoop up the assets and privatize them. Detroit residents had their water shut off. Detroit businesses continued getting all the water they wanted while owing millions to the city. As if cutting off city residents to water wasn’t bad enough, an even more deadly horror silently flowed into the taps of homes of Flint residents.

Resignation that the Nerd won another four years to destroy Michigan gave way to anger when people made noise that Flint was being poisoned by the water they had to drink thanks to Rick Snyder’s emergency manager. There is no way to blame this on the city of Flint, or their elected leaders. The local government had no power. They didn’t make the decision to switch to a water supply that was toxic, the decision was made for them by a Snyder appointee who only had to report to Snyder.

So far, making sure branding the crisis is a priority to helping the people suffering through the crisis:

Good thing we have the logo sorted. How else would anyone know the state is taking proactive steps to solve problems? They’re not taking proactive steps. Mostly the state has been in damage control mode trying to figure out how to deal with what is according to them “apparently going to be a thing now.”

According to FOIA records, we know the Snyder administration knew 6 months ago there was a problem with the water in Flint. The city had already been poisoned with the water for a year by then. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality denied the reports, told the EPA they were wrong. Told specialists from Virginia Tech they were wrong. Told pediatricians testing children’s blood and finding alarming levels of lead they were wrong. None of them were wrong. Lansing was wrong. Rick Snyder was wrong.

What happened in Flint, Detroit, and everywhere else Snyder has touched with his toxic hand is criminal. At the least, he shouldn’t be Governor anymore. His political career should be dead. Ideally, Snyder should have to answer for his crimes. Unfortunately he won’t.

Back in 2011, a small group of people realized the damage Rick Snyder could potentially do to the state and organized a recall campaign to get rid of him. Imagine how different things would be today if we had support from the unions, the Democratic Party, more people who knew what Snyder was doing was wrong, but didn’t get involved. Hate to say it, but we told you so.

22 thoughts on “ : Dear People Of Michigan: We Told You So”
  • […] Back in 2011, a small group of people realized the damage Rick Snyder could potentially do to the state and organized a recall campaign to get rid of him. Imagine how different things would be today if we had support from the unions, the Democratic Party, more people who knew what Snyder was doing was wrong, but didn’t get involved. Hate to say it, but we told you so. SOURCE […]

  • Leo says:

    As someone who knows at least enough about computers to earn entry-level certifications, I’d like to ask that you stop referring to Snyder as either “tough” or “a nerd”. The guy ran Gateway, for fuck’s sake. They’re OCZ without the quality.

  • Glen Schoen says:

    What happened in Flint is monstrous and the paper trail long I can only hope they (gov) fix it and do the right thing (reparations) but I know that means the buck is passed to us.

  • Carolyn Sumners says:

    Richard Reimer is the ignorant one. His assumptions tell you all how he feels about Michigan residents who are not in his tax bracket. No, we are not living in the basement and have every right to feel this outrage. You may not be living in the basement, but surely don’t care about what is happening to our Democracy in this state, nor do you care about the men, women, and children living in Flint….you are disgusting!

  • You people are all ignorant or something, oh wait you’re all on the taxpayers dole and never bothered to look for a job and earn your own living! Still living with mom and dad, in their basement perhaps?

  • Helrn says:

    I diligently worked on both recall campaigns. I worked on getting signatures for the petition. After reading the EFM law, it made me cry to see so many of our rights under a democracy removed. When he declared himself sovereign I knew he had tongo. He destroyed the Inkster a public Schools and levied and assessment to pay for a 52 million dollar debt. They tore down buildings, stole equipment, supplies,m destroyed records. I will never forget this low down son of a bitch.

  • Dan Moore says:

    I’m proud to say, although I am no genius I know the difference between facts and deceit. Dick Snyder is a liar!!! I never have nor would vote for him or his ilk. His name says it all…DICK!!!

  • wriz says:

    100,000 people with lead poisoning……. The last time an evil dictator poisoned his people, the U.S. military sent jets, bombs, cruise missiles and 180,000 troops to take him out.

    • giana calvert says:

      White supremacy rears its ugly head again. Where is all of the outcry from people that kwame received, and he didn’t poison kids,and possibly ruined their health for life. All in the name of greed. He bulldozed his way in Detroit,and Flint and did what ever he wanted, and said screw the democratic process.

      • Up North Progressive says:

        Excellent question. Of course, the people of Michigan haven’t been inundated with a constant barrage of media exposure about Snyder’s crimes, unlike Kwame.

      • wb says:

        In case you forgot, Kwame is in prison.

      • regulatwhiteguy says:

        it has nothing to do with white supremecy you fucking idiot

        • Up North Progressive says:

          Are you sure? Over 50% of the black people living in Michigan are currently living under some form of emergency management. This means they don’t get to elect their own government, and Snyder has complete control over what happens in their community, just like in Flint, where the population is 60% black.

          Anyway, thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to reply from Fort Worth, Texas using a server owned by American Airlines. Your email address suits you.

          • Lobo says:

            I’m am sick and tired of hearing about White supremacists. Nobody talks about the Jewish Supremacists who run Hollywood, own around 95% of the major media, control our major universities and have an iron grip on our Federal government. Why don’t you do an article on the Jewish supremacists who dominate the Michigan superstructure? If not shut up and quit demonizing White people!

          • Up North Progressive says:

            Are there a lot of Jews controlling everything in Munising? I wasn’t aware there were any Jewish supremacists in Michigan.

          • Lobo says:

            You know all about White Supremacists so I figure you should know all about the Jewish Khazarian World Wide Crime Cabal…. I suspect that you May be a self hating White who goes along with their plan of divide and conquer Whitey….
            i have to agree with most of your article about Snyder.
            I didn’t like when he said he wasn’t going to make Michigan a right to work state and then went back on his word. Poisoning of Flint’s water will never go away but he will probably never get a day in prison for it. Most never do.
            In the mean time quit hating on White people and you will get a lot more support.

          • Up North Progressive says:

            This blog doesn’t hate on any people of any race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic status or ethnic origin. Thanks for commenting, enjoy the snow up there in Munising.

          • Lobo says:

            I should be in Bangladesh now! Bye

  • Greetings, friend! I love comments and read every one of them.