Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:41 PM

BREAKING: Mich Board of State Canvassers votes that Emergency Mgr law petitions are NOT valid

Last edited Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:13 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by maddezmom (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Eclectablog

Democracy not upheld

After hearing testimony from both sides, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted by a vote of 2 to 2 NOT to validate the petitions to repeal Public Act 4 — Michigan’s Emergency Manager law. By doing so they threw out the signatures of nearly a quarter million Michigan citizens.

The vote was followed by chants of “SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!”

(Mods - don't know that "electablog" is "mainstream" news but this is IMO of national importance because if they get away with this in Michigan, we know it's coming to other states too)

Read more: http://eclectablog.com/2012/04/breaking-mich-board-of-state-canvassers-emergency-mgr-law-petitions-are-not-valid.html

29 replies, 3386 views

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Replies to this discussion thread

29 replies	Author	Time	Post
BREAKING: Mich Board of State Canvassers votes that Emergency Mgr law petitions are NOT valid (Original post)	ProfessionalLeftist	Apr 2012	OP
Unbelievable...	hlthe2b	Apr 2012	#1
2 to 2	AlbertCat	Apr 2012	#2
It's a four-person board	Eclectablog	Apr 2012	#12
keep piling it on, GOP. Just keep going.	ChairmanAgnostic	Apr 2012	#3
IF ONLY!	elleng	Apr 2012	#4
The font sice is correct	Iliyah	Apr 2012	#5
When did this country become a plutocracy?	Smilo	Apr 2012	#6
I don't understand this, were the petition sigs not obtained correctly?	bluesbassman	Apr 2012	#7
right now they will dismiss a petition if it is in the wrong font or Size. Rachel Maddow has done	Justice wanted	Apr 2012	#9
They're claiming the font size wasn't exactly 14pt, which supposedly invalidates the petition. (nt)	Posteritatis	Apr 2012	#28
Why would anyone be surprised by this ruling. We are seeing a state become some sort of 21st	Justice wanted	Apr 2012	#8
"This is democracy subverted."	ProfessionalLeftist	Apr 2012	#10
FYI, it's "Eclectablog", not "Electablog"	Eclectablog	Apr 2012	#11
Sorry - dumb typo.	ProfessionalLeftist	Apr 2012	#13
Actually, the Detroit News is carrying it	Maeve	Apr 2012	#14
How can they do that after saying yesterday there were more than enough	sinkingfeeling	Apr 2012	#15
This is absolutely infuriating.	drm604	Apr 2012	#16
What I don't understand is why or how they have a RIGHT to vote against it if it's correct?	saras	Apr 2012	#17
I don't know Michigan law but I don't think they do have the right.	drm604	Apr 2012	#18
I forget how much our government depends on trustworthy people	saras	Apr 2012	#20
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?	drm604	Apr 2012	#21
This message was hidden by jury decision.	JackHughes	Apr 2012	#19
Despicable.	Chorophyll	Apr 2012	#22
I am telling you that we are in big trouble here in Michigan	erinlough	Apr 2012	#23
Detroit will burn again?	alfredo	Apr 2012	#24
What I Would Like To See	DallasNE	Apr 2012	#25
Local newscast said petitioners would head to the state's Court of Appeals, bypassing circuit courts	Bozita	Apr 2012	#26
There were other problems, too!	longship	Apr 2012	#27
Duplicate topic	maddezmom	Apr 2012	#29

Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:42 PM

hlthe2b (47,267 posts)

1. Unbelievable...

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:44 PM

AlbertCat (10,450 posts)

2. 2 to 2

Last edited Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:47 PM USA/ET - Edit history (3)

is a "win" for conservatives? I thought it was a tie.

What, do the conservative votes count more than the Dem votes?

And why doesn't someone have to explain why the font size matters?

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Response to AlbertCat (Reply #2)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:11 PM

Eclectablog (8 posts)

12. It's a four-person board

Two Democrats, two Republicans. They need three votes to do anything. In this case, they were certifying the petitions and the two Republicans voted "no".

There are substantial updates in the post linked above.

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:46 PM

ChairmanAgnostic (23,984 posts)

3. keep piling it on, GOP. Just keep going.

Once you reach the point of no return, you will rue the day you began this ridiculous attack on democracy and the poor and middle classes.

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Response to ChairmanAgnostic (Reply #3)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:49 PM

elleng (40,519 posts)

4. IF ONLY!

Don't know what I'd do, if I were in Michigan.

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:51 PM

Iliyah (2,343 posts)

5. The font sice is correct

the GOP are jerks, I hope they lose big time in the next election and Pres O will win MICH big time.

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:52 PM

Smilo (1,885 posts)

6. When did this country become a plutocracy?

By the people, for the people - so passe for the GOP.

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:53 PM

bluesbassman (12,900 posts)

7. I don't understand this, were the petition sigs not obtained correctly?

Last edited Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:54 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

How can the board "vote" not to validate, either they are or they are not valid. Are they going to get away with this?

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Response to bluesbassman (Reply #7)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:54 PM

Justice wanted (2,657 posts)

9. right now they will dismiss a petition if it is in the wrong font or Size. Rachel Maddow has done

some excellent reporting on this.

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Response to bluesbassman (Reply #7)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 05:06 PM

Posteritatis (17,277 posts)

28. They're claiming the font size wasn't exactly 14pt, which supposedly invalidates the petition. (nt)

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:53 PM

Justice wanted (2,657 posts)

8. Why would anyone be surprised by this ruling. We are seeing a state become some sort of 21st

century serfdom state where the Rich-Repugs are the overlords crushing everything they possibly can.

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:01 PM

ProfessionalLeftist (4,982 posts)

10. "This is democracy subverted."

Further down on the page:

"This is a clear attempt to force repeal proponents to spend their money in court rather than on getting the referendum passed in November.

This is democracy subverted."

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:09 PM

Eclectablog (8 posts)

11. FYI, it's "Eclectablog", not "Electablog"

Here's the important thing to remember about today's charade:

This is what you need to remember: the printer who printed the petitions signed a sworn affidavit that the font size is correct and he gave testimony at the hearing saying the same thing.

The two Republicans on the Board of State Canvassers still voted against it.

So far as my site not being "mainstream", good luck getting reporting along the lines of what I do from the "mainstream" media in Michigan. Michigan Radio maybe. Detroit News and Detroit Free Press? Forget it.

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Response to Eclectablog (Reply #11)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:11 PM

ProfessionalLeftist (4,982 posts)

13. Sorry - dumb typo.

Last edited Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:13 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

I only mentioned "mainstream" because that is one of the requirements for posting something here in LBN. I realize the "mainstream" media blacks out much or most relevant news. It wasn't meant as an insult to your site at all.

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Response to Eclectablog (Reply #11)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:15 PM

Maeve (28,526 posts)

14. Actually, the Detroit News is carrying it

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120426/POLITICS02/204260440#ixzz1tAWqDEkl

But thank you for your efforts to keep folks informed!

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:40 PM

sinkingfeeling (27,792 posts)

15. How can they do that after saying yesterday there were more than enough

signatures to put it on the ballot?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=106798

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:44 PM

drm604 (13,962 posts)

16. This is absolutely infuriating.

As angry as this makes me, I can only imagine how angry the circulators and signers of that petition must be.

Republicans seem to have lost all respect for the spirit of our laws. They have no sense of decorum, and no respect for the will of the people. They have no shame and no concern about what the people think of them.

Those two Republicans are obviously acting in bad faith. I hope that justice can be obtained quickly in the courts. My fear is that the Republicans will fight it all the way to the SC if they have to, just to obstruct things while their emergency managers loot the cities.

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:44 PM

saras (6,670 posts)

17. What I don't understand is why or how they have a RIGHT to vote against it if it's correct?

That seems like vastly overstepping their authority.

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Response to saras (Reply #17)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:52 PM

drm604 (13,962 posts)

18. I don't know Michigan law but I don't think they do have the right.

But if they're the final arbiters, who's going to stop them except possibly the courts?

They have no respect for the law.

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Response to drm604 (Reply #18)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:59 PM

saras (6,670 posts)

20. I forget how much our government depends on trustworthy people

...I'm thinking - well, if something goes batshit crazy with the board, there's a procedure to deal with it, right?

When in fact there usually isn't a procedure to deal with it because it never occurred to the people writing the laws defining those institutions that they'd ever BE full of the batshit crazy.

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Response to saras (Reply #20)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 03:18 PM

drm604 (13,962 posts)

21. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Last edited Thu Apr 26, 2012, 04:04 PM USA/ET - Edit history (2)

Who will guard the guards themselves?

The founding fathers tried to create a balanced system to prevent exactly this sort of bad faith. Ultimately it's up to the voters. Their supposed to be the ultimate guards.

But if they make it more and more difficult to vote, if they plant operatives in the elections boards, if they control information so that people can't make intelligent voting decisions, if they make life so hard on people that people don't have the time and energy to consider politics, or to jump through all of the hoops required to vote, then what?

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

JackHughes This message was hidden by Jury decision.

Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 03:54 PM

Chorophyll (5,042 posts)

22. Despicable.

These people need to go back to elementary school and learn some basic civics.

Oh wait, that can't happen. They don't teach civics anymore. Just standardized tests designed to root out Bad Teachers and break the unions.

I'm disgusted with almost everything today.

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 04:22 PM

erinlough (1,830 posts)

23. I am telling you that we are in big trouble here in Michigan

and if you have a Republican Gov and legislature you are next. These guys are crooks.

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Response to erinlough (Reply #23)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 04:37 PM

alfredo (46,553 posts)

24. Detroit will burn again?

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 04:38 PM

DallasNE (2,943 posts)

25. What I Would Like To See

Is a side-by-side of a petition used and a petition with the proscribed font and whether you would have to study the differences to know there was a difference. This seems like hair-splitting to the n-th degree. Futher, is the font really a recommendation or a hard-wired requirement. Lastly, will this be challenged in court.

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Response to DallasNE (Reply #25)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 04:50 PM

Bozita (26,949 posts)

26. Local newscast said petitioners would head to the state's Court of Appeals, bypassing circuit courts

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 05:03 PM

longship (17,624 posts)

27. There were other problems, too!

1. The petitions were printed on A4 paper instead of 8 1/2" x 12". A4 is used in Europe, including... Russia!!!

2. They were printed in Helvetica font, which everybody knows was named after... Switzerland!!!! A known socialist country.

3. When they turned in the petitions they forgot to say, "Pretty please" and "Thank you, Jesus".

Need I go on?

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Response to ProfessionalLeftist (Original post)

Thu Apr 26, 2012, 06:21 PM

maddezmom (130,825 posts)

29. Duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014107494

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