Gov. Snyder: A one-man financial review team for Detroit, hired Emergency Manager before emergency w
Gov. Snyder: A one-man financial review team for Detroit, hired Emergency Manager before emergency was declared
The Detroit Free Press has obtained copies of the emails between Governor Snyder’s staff and Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr that prove that he was basically offered the position before the financial emergency had even been declared in Detroit. Under Emergency Financial Manager law that was in effect at the time, Public Act 72, a state review team had to make the determination that Detroit was actually in a financial emergency before an Emergency Financial Manager was hired. This detail … sorry –LAW – did not appear to get in the way of Governor Snyder making the assessment himself and hiring Orr before the process had been completed.
The law (pdf) http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(44gtqv45acc0koa0m3wstzn0))/documents/publications/repealed/mcl-Act-72-of-1990-repealed.pdf
Note the progression there:
(A) The governor appoints the review team.
(B) The review team makes an assessment.
(C) If the assessment is that the city needs at EFM, the governor notifies the city in writing and then assigns management of the city to the local financial assistance loan board.
(D) The local financial assistance loan board then appoints an EFM.
Governor Snyder did appoint the team but, based on the emails (you can read them HERE [pdf]), http://www.eclectablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/OrrBairdemails.pdf he had already hired Orr before the review team’s report was issued on February 20th, before the governor himself had formally declared the emergency which happened on March 1st, and before the review team (whose job it was to hire him) appointed Orr on March 14th.
He skipped steps B & C and took over step D himself. The conversations were going on as early as February 12th, a week before the report was issued. They were even getting photos for Mr. Orr’s apartment building on February 25th which was over two weeks before he was even appointed. Very efficient!
http://www.eclectablog.com/2013/06/gov-snyder-a-one-man-financial-review-team-for-detroit-hired-emergency-mgr-before-emergency-was-declared.html
When you take over city after city you think you are a dictator, as long as you just do it to the poor and most vulnerable.
A timeline of information; As we learn more about the #FlintWaterCrisis, now what?
Scroll Down…… http://www.eclectablog.com/category/emergency-financial-managers
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Saginaw River Flint River (Michigan)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saginaw_River
"Saginawrivermap" by Kmusser - Self-made, based on USGS data.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Commons –
EPA; Tittabawassee River / Saginaw River / Saginaw Bay Cleanup
http://www3.epa.gov/region5/cleanup/dowchemical/
Karegnondi Water Authority
For years, the City of Flint purchased Lake Huron water from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (Detroit Water)[fj 3] under a now expired 30-year contract.[fj 5] Flint resold the water to the Genesee County Drain Commissioner who then sold it to municipalities in the county. Genesee County officials had disliked the high cost and usually high percentage increases of the Detroit Water which the Department's formula penalized the area for its elevation and distance from Detroit.[fj 3] Detroit Water would never open discussions with Genesee County.[fj 6] Sanilac County has never previously had a public water system depending on individual wells instead.[fj 7] The City of Lapeer has been a member of the Greater Lapeer County Utilities Authority (GLCUA) which purchases water from Detroit Water.[2] Future members that are clients of Detroit Water (Flint City,
(Genesee County and GLCUA) use 10% of the water but pay 21% of the costs.)
On March 25, 2013, the Flint City Council approved 7–1 to purchase 16 million gallons per day from the KWA with the lone no vote was to go with Flint River water as a permanent supply.[6] Flint emergency manager Ed Kurtz and Mayor Dayne Walling approved the action on March 29 and forwarded the action for the State Treasurer to approve.[7] The Detroit Water and Sewer Department (DWSD) sent out a press release demanding that the state should block Flint's request, as it would hurt Detroit Water, and start a "water war".
The release also outlined 4 options for Flint including the sale of raw untreated water. Genesee County Drain Commissioner Wright replied that: "It would be unprecedented for the state to force one community to enter into an agreement with another, simply to artificially help one community at the other's expense. This is exactly what the (Detroit Water and Sewerage Department) is arguing should be done. If the DWSD was serious they would contact the appropriate officials instead of negotiating through the media."[8] On April 15, State Treasurer Andy Dillon gave approval to Kurtz to enter into a water purchase contract with the KWA.[fj 21] EM Kurtz signed the KWA water purchase agreement on April 16.[9]On April 17, the Detroit Water and Sewer Department gave its one year termination notice to the city just days after the County and City rejected the DWSD' last offer.
The DWSD expected Flint to pay them for "'stranded costs,' or past investments in the water system that have benefited customers in this area." Flint and Genesee rejected such responsibility, although they would be will to purchase some pipeline. Governor Rick Snyder called a meeting of the three parties for April 19.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karegnondi_Water_Authority
