203,238 Michigan residents took a ball point pen in their hands, exerted the power of democracy, and signed petitions circulated by Stand Up for Democracy to put a proposal to overturn the Michigan Emergency Manager law on the November ballot. The ballots were delivered to the State Board of Canvassers, reviewed, and deemed valid.
The petition gatherers were everyday folks who spent hundreds of hours volunteering their time to obtain the required number of signatures to bring this issue before the voters. They worked hard. And other everyday folks took a few minutes out of their busy lives to read these petitions and sign their names, all in good faith that our democratic process was intact.
A last minute appeal to the challenge was made by Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, an opposition group formed by the Sterling Corporation, a Republican political consulting firm (wanna see something scary? visit their website). The group argued the font size on the petitions is too small, in violation of state rules.
Font size. Ridiculous right? Would never happen, right?
The State Board of Canvassers deadlocked along party lines and the proposal failed to get on the ballot. On font size.
Of course.
Jeffrey Timmer, Republican, is on the State Board of Canvassers. Jeffrey Timmer voted against putting this proposal on the November ballet. Jeffrey Timmer also works for the Sterling Corporation.
A clear, unequivocal conflict of interest. He chose to do it anyway and nobody stopped him.
Proponents will fight this all the way to the Supreme Court and let them decide whether the proposal will make the ballot.
Michigan's Supreme Court has four Republican and three Democratic Justices. Which way do you think they will vote?
When will we the people of this most beautiful state in the country stand up and say enough is enough? When will we the people do like the folks in Wisconsin did and take to the streets? The Republicans are destroying democracy in this state. Not hiding behind closed doors and doing it, well OK I am sure they are. They are blatantly throwing it in our faces. Is this the kind of government we want? We the people must take back our rights, our integrity, our quality of life from Michigan's Republican-run government. Do it with your votes in November. Do it by protesting. Do it every way you can. It is our responsibility to each other and future generations to preserve democracy in this country.
I know we Michiganders are tired. Many of us are struggling and broke. Many of our cities are in trouble. Does that mean we throw up our hands, roll over, and play dead? Turn over our democratically elected process to a takeover by one party or the other without even a peep? I say NO! We are Michiganders! We NEVER give up! I call upon our strong unions to take be the leaders they are and rally the folks for change.
We the people want democracy. Stand up and tell them so. Loudly. Then vote the bums out.
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