Uh-oh… ALEC and Snyder’s Michigan EFM stories go National. Using GOP national strategy generated state budget crisis across the US, Rick Snyder plans statewide take over of local government, cities and schools thru his ‘Emergency Financial Managers’ (EFM) law, and Republican Michigan Legislature push through Corporate Business dictated laws in their own ALEC models or corporate monopoly bills ‘cocktail’ to create the greatest transfer or shift of wealth in Michigan history from working class and old people and the poor ($1.7 Billion in Tax Increases/Credit Eliminations) to Big Business and Corporations ($1.8 Billion in Tax Breaks/Decreses).
American Legislative Exchange Council Featured on Rachel Maddow Show March 10, 2011:
(Transcript) (Video Clip - ALEC) (Video Clip – Connecting the Dots)
The ONLY media source/outlet to connect all the dots...
ALSO:
AARP and Others Call for Lansing Michigan Protest on Tuesday 15 March 11, 2011
Working Families and Michael Moore? Michigan Protest on Wednesday 16 March 11, 2011
Michael Moore Tweet, Speech and Interviews – Calls for Support of Lansing Michigan Protests
Details and links below...
Cross-posted from Blogging for Michigan.
NOTE on ALEC:
The 'most powerful lobby nobody knows about', the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is the Koch Foundation, Corporate America, and Heritage Foundation outfit that is writing all the bills that are being peppered by Republicans in a number of States, including Michigan which we outlined earlier in great detail. They are the boots on the ground that physically are putting this national republican strategy targeting unions, pushing more corporate tax breaks and setting up the field for 2012. Rachel Maddow points this out: ALEC is the engine behind all this at the State Legislation level.
FULL INVESTIGATION of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in Michigan and Elsewhere HERE.
From Grandmas to Grungers - People of Michigan Prepare for Record Setting Protests
Greatest Transfer / Shift of Wealth in Michigan History
As Michigan Governor Rick Snyder attempts budget ‘crisis’ cuts and Michigan Republican Legislation plans transfer $1.7 Billion from Seniors, Students and the Poor to pay for $1.8 Billion in tax breaks to Business, groups form wide ranging coalition for protests in Michigan State Capitol, Lansing are planning more protests in Lansing next week.
AARP and Others Call for Lansing Michigan Protest on Tuesday 15 March 11, 2011
From the Daily Tribune March 10, 2011 (Royal Oak, MI):
The governor argues that taxing public and private pensions is fair because the state’s population is aging and the state is among the most generous toward its retirees in terms of taxation.
Opponents of the proposed tax on pensions plan to rally at the state Capitol from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, with speakers between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“We don’t think it’s fair the governor increases tax on seniors and the poor while giving breaks to business and cutting services,” said Mark Horbeck, of AARP Michigan, a sponsor of the rally. “Seniors and the working poor are going to be asked to pay more taxes. What do they get in return? Less services and a business tax cut.”
Other groups expected to attend include the Michigan League for Human Services and the state employee retirement association, as well as lawmakers from both parties….
Yeah right... We will see if any Republican is brave enough to support normal people in public.
From the Detroit/Mackinac/ALEC News:
Snyder's Feb. 17 budget also includes a business tax cut of nearly $1.8 billion, deep cuts to money for education and cities, and calls for government reform and employee concessions at all levels.
Mark Hornbeck, a spokesman for AARP of Michigan, said seniors are willing to do their share, but they don't want to pay for a business tax cut. "What are seniors getting for their pension tax? They're getting reduced services and a tax cut for business people," he said.
(break)
What could be the biggest budget demonstration yet is planned for the Capitol Tuesday, when the AARP has organized a protest expected to be joined by several other groups, as well.
Michigan Republicans Gamble with losing Senior Support (getting squeamish guys?) shift focus back to Snyder:
"In general, we're going where the governor wants to take us, but it's not going to be exactly the same," [Republican Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe)] said.
Richardville would not offer details of alternatives Republicans were studying to replace all or some of the $900 million a tax on pensions would raise.
As of March 10, 2011 “More than 95,000 people have viewed the Facebook page of Mary Lee Woodward of Oxford, a General Motors retiree” who launched the page to protest the proposed tax.
UPDATE: Working Families Protest for Wednesday 16 March 11, 2011 (and Michael Moore mentions - Will Update)
UPDATE: Some talk of MEA for Wednesday 16 March 11, 2011 (Not Strictly Confirmed Yet - Will Update)
MEA posted a link to AARP event for Tuesday and mentions "protest on Tuesday and Wednesday" - Don't have confirmation from a teacher yet though.
Rally and Peaceful Protest LINKS:
Go to Michigan Seniors/Retirees Protest Tax On Pensions (Facebook).
AARP “It’s Not Fair” Rally announcement HERE.
AARP Transportation and other details for the rally HERE.
Michigan League for Human Services Flyer for Speak Out Rally HERE.
Working Families Protest (Facebook)
Moving on... Michael Moore Tweet and Speech – Calls for Support of Lansing Michigan Protest
Got a Point: Top 1`% have assets equaling 50% of America (115 Million fellow citizens)
Michael Moore on Twitter supporting WI and MI protests and from Michigan Messenger story on EFM mess:
It is unclear how labor and other groups will respond to Michigan’s emergency takeover legislation. Though there have been protests at the Capitol by union workers, the numbers haven’t been as high as for similar protests in Wisconsin.
In an interview with Rachel Maddow last night, filmmaker Michael Moore called for demonstrators to converge on the Capitol in large numbers in Lansing today [March 9, 2011]. “Go to Lansing,“ [Moore] said. “Tell Gov. Rick Snyder you won’t let him kill our unions and take away our right to vote for mayor.”
Reference "take away right to vote for mayor": The Michigan Emergency Financial Manger (EFM) law allows EFM contractors to get rid of local elected government officials (acually there are penalties too for not cooperating with EFM people taking over a city or school).
READ the Official Michigan Government ANALYSIS HERE listing 32 powers of Snyder appointed (OK Dillion, former(?) Dem that is now State Treasurer).
Michael Moore speech in Madison Wisconsin March 5, 2011 “American is NOT Broke”.
Moore interview on Rachel Maddow March 10, 2011 “Awakening a Giant” and “Maybe more than in my lifetime, now is the time to go out and peaceful protest”…
Moore interview on Democracy Now March 10, 2011: ‘Yeah, this IS class warfare”…
This is the story of the , of corporate monopoly government (finally learned the real terms most used). These people and their corporate backers may own many of our political opposition and a majority our houses of our government, have money without end post-Citizens United, and run a misinformation noise machine nationally and in Michigan, but THEY WILL NOT SILENCE US… just getting started, this rat hole of conservative enabled corporate corruption of Our Democracy runs deep but it can not be hidden from the public.
Sorry, lost discipline for a moment… breathe, deep breath … now back to the files and records – there are so many.
Who will be smoked out next? We’ll see….