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[Vector]

Anyway, I need some more stuff.  State governments doing insane things has been ironically slow in the news lately, aside from 25 or so states that all at the same time are passing abortion laws that pretty easily violate statutory federal rulings.  But of course, can't handle that here, so I need something better.

... Well, fuck.

[MaximumZero]

Benton Harbor

Yeah, that's the place. I'm not far from there, and we're replacing our four decade old signs this year for some reason. Yes, they're being planted properly.

[Aqizzar]

Benton Harbor

Yeah, that's the place. I'm not far from there, and we're replacing our four decade old signs this year for some reason. Yes, they're being planted properly.

When I first heard about the law, I mentioned it to my parents, since we lived there when I was a kid.  The first town on both of their minds was Benton Harbor, with Flint and Detroit close behind.  All my talk about how the Emergency Manager could force the town to pay him any salary he wanted raised in my father an interesting question.  How much would you demand to actually take a position like Czar of Benton Harbor?  As an up and coming bureaucrat on a first name basis with the governor, what in the world could that be worth to you?  It's a bit like being appointed Viceroy of Port Royal.

[Bauglir]

Benton Harbor

Yeah, that's the place. I'm not far from there, and we're replacing our four decade old signs this year for some reason. Yes, they're being planted properly.

When I first heard about the law, I mentioned it to my parents, since we lived there when I was a kid.  The first town on both of their minds was Benton Harbor, with Flint and Detroit close behind.  All my talk about how the Emergency Manager could force the town to pay him any salary he wanted raised in my father an interesting question.  How much would you demand to actually take a position like Czar of Benton Harbor?  As an up and coming bureaucrat on a first name basis with the governor, what in the world could that be worth to you?  It's a bit like being appointed Viceroy of Port Royal.

I'll be honest. I'd pay the state for that job. Not much, but maybe a couple of bucks. I don't expect I'd hold it long, I'm pretty inept.

[mainiac]

Clearly we should take a page from the British Empire and start auctioning off appointments to people with political ambition.  Budget problems solved!

[Aqizzar]

Clearly we should take a page from the British Empire and start auctioning off appointments to people with political ambition.  Budget problems solved!

As it turns out, you have no idea how close to reality you may be.  Thanks to some more reporting and cross-referencing, it's now become apparent exactly why Benton Harbor was the first town saddled with an emergency manager, about a month after the bill actually passed.  It'll take me a little while to correlate this into a narrative I'd be willing to stand by, and first I have to get my jaw off the floor.

Long story short for now: Bentor Harbor is being gutted at the seams, so that some really rich people today can take a dump on the charity of some long dead rich people, and turn a public park into a private golf course.  All at the campaign funding intersection of Whirlpool, the Koch Brothers, and Blackwater.

[MaximumZero]

...Aw, crap. That means that my hometown is next, if it's not Flint.

[mainiac]

Okay, I'm kinda confused here.  I'm in a town of roughly that size and we have three private golf courses and a public park coexisting quite happily.

[MaximumZero]

We have two (three if you count the one just outside the city), and numerous parks. But we're stone cold broke. Seriously, the companies that founded the town are outsourcing their labor. At one point, reported unemployment was above 20%. (This is much less now, but mostly because people have run out of extensions on their unemployment and are now out of the system, and not being reported.)

[mainiac]

I'm just thinking that the public park in my small town would be horrible as a gold course.  Too small, no room to expand and a bunch of houses around to complain about loose balls.  The private golf courses are all on the outskirts of town because those are better locations.

[Gorjo MacGrymm]

Wow, that whole mess is insane.  I have heard of emminent domain abuses, but this one is outrageous.  It is the most unfreaking believable crap I have ever seen in this country while I have been alive.  At first I was willing to give this whole idea of the state taking control over broken local goverments a chance to do some good and see what happens, but holy shit, this is just nuts.  If the road to hell is paved with best intentions, then these guys bypassed it and built a monorail to hell out of false intentions.

[knaveofstaves]

Can I be the first person on this thread to bring up a recall? Search seems to think so!

http://www.ncsl.org/LegislaturesElections/ElectionsCampaigns/RecallofStateOfficials/tabid/16581/Default.aspx

Michigan is one of eleven states that allows recall without specific grounds. Get enough signatures and you can put it on the ballot to kick out any elected official you like, except judges.

You're not gonna let those BADGERS show you up, are you? 

UPDATE: Speaking of badgers, there are now recall petitions filed against three Wisconsin Republican state senators. If Dems flip three seats, they become the majority party in the state senate. They're hoping to gather enough signatures to recall eight Republicans.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/third-recall-being-filed-against-a-wis-gop-state-senator.php

[scriver]

Hey man Aqizzar, is it okay if I high-jack this thread to write about Swedish political bullshittery? I have a long rant about something I need to get out of my system, if I ever get myself together long enough to finish an "article" (or whatever) on it.

edit: There is no u!

[PTTG??]

I want to read this. Perhaps you could start a thread titled "The Dissolution of Swedish Government?"

I thought you guys had like *<*Social Democracy*>* though.

[scriver]

Well, unfortunately for your *<*preconceptions*>* , this is the work of the liberal parties.

Yes, "liberals" are rightwingers over here.