Admittedly, Michigan has gone through some very tough stretches in its history. But few of those disasters IIRC were the direct result of our legislature and governor deciding to act against the common good, as happened in several noteworthy instances during the past several days.
Let me recap:
--The package of bills legalizing discrimination against lesbian and gay people in Michigan who seek to adopt children--a version of a "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" applied to adoption, in Eclectablog's phrasing--was signed by Snyder last Thursday. The ACLU of Michigan immediately promised a legal challenge, but even assuming an ultimate victory, the endorsement of bias on the part of religiously-funded adoption agencies is a sorry indication of the disregard, even contempt, with which the GOP-dominated political branches in Michigan hold our LGBTQ citizens.
--The MI House passed their version of a road bill that eliminates the last small vestige of the state Earned Income Credit. Once 20% of the federal credit, then cut to 6%, it is likely going to be eliminated by the Senate once they have a chance to do so. One more punitive measure levied against the working poor in Michigan.
--And as of today, both houses of the legislature have signed off on the so-called "Death Star" bill, which will void the ability of local municipalities to enact ordinances that provide more generous protection to workers (via sick leave and prevailing wages) than the state does. Now it's on Snyder's desk, and the governor is expected to sign it into law.
--Oh, let me not omit mention of the other nasty bill Snyder signed that targets poor Michiganders: a law that will permit the state to curtail financial support to families if a child is chronically truant. Way to go, Michigan, showing how to kick people when they're already down.
There are more problematic bills, unfortunately; I refer you to Eclectablog's overview of last week's assaults to see them. What's worse is that we aren't likely to see any improvement in the picture any time soon. Unless, of course, we decide we aren't waiting for next election season to kick into gear....
In a sorry case of buyer's remorse, last Saturday the MLive Editorial Board expressed their disapproval of these shenanigans in their version of a strongly-worded letter, "Snyder, Legislature putting Michigan on path of intolerance and regression":
It was a banner week in the Legislature's apparent crusade to turn Michigan into a backwater, intolerant, anti-economic development state.
And Gov. Rick Snyder helped them right along.
After the near-frenzy of scorched-earth policies approved by both chambers in recent days, moderate residents are left wondering, what has happened to our state?
And more importantly, what happened to our moderate governor?
When MLive endorsed Snyder for re-election last November, there was already plenty of evidence that he was no "moderate." How does that saying go--Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice.... Perhaps they weren't foolish as much as willfully ignorant, which to me is worse and less excusable. I doubt that their endorsement made a significant impact on the outcome of the election, mind you, but at least it would have shown they were paying attention had they noted the path that Snyder was already following.
Lastly, ICYMI, I'd like to alert you to this marvelous, albeit distressing, report on the state of Michigan as seen by Laura Gottesdiener and Eduardo Garcia, "How to Dismantle This Country." The reporter and photographer recently traveled throughout the state to assess just how bad things have gotten here since 2010. The answer: pretty damn bad. A few attentive Kossacks will note that this essay was already posted here by TomDispatch; I will admit I did not catch it the first time around. It's worth the read--not only for us here in Michigan but for others across the country who should be aware that they're coming for you, too.
Here's the intro, to whet your appetite [links are found within the Daily Kos diary linked above, and not repeated below]:
Something is rotten in the state of Michigan.
One city neglected to inform its residents that its water supply was laced with cancerous chemicals. Another dissolved its public school district and replaced it with a charter school system, only to witness the for-profit management company it hired flee the scene after determining it couldn’t turn a profit. Numerous cities and school districts in the state are now run by single, state-appointed technocrats, as permitted under an emergency financial manager law pushed through by Rick Snyder, Michigan’s austerity-promoting governor. This legislation not only strips residents of their local voting rights, but gives Snyder’s appointee the power to do just about anything, including dissolving the city itself -- all (no matter how disastrous) in the name of “fiscal responsibility.”
If you’re thinking, "Who cares?" since what happens in Michigan stays in Michigan, think again. The state’s aggressive balance-the-books style of governance has already spread beyond its borders. In January, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appointed bankruptcy lawyer and former Detroit emergency manager Kevyn Orr to be a “legal adviser” to Atlantic City. The Detroit Free Press described the move as “a state takeover similar to Gov. Rick Snyder's state intervention in the Motor City.”
And this spring, amid the hullabaloo of Republicans entering the 2016 presidential race, Governor Snyder launched his own national tour to sell “the Michigan story to the rest of the country.” His trip was funded by a nonprofit (fed, naturally, by undisclosed donations) named “Making Government Accountable: The Michigan Story.”
To many Michiganders, this sounded as ridiculous as Jeb Bush launching a super PAC dubbed "Making Iraq Free: The Bush Family Story.” Except Snyder wasn’t planning to enter the presidential rat race. Instead, he was attempting to mainstream Michigan’s form of austerity politics and its signature emergency management legislation, which stripped more than half of the state’s African American residents of their local voting rights in 2013 and 2014.
Remember, this is an Open Thread. Thanks for being here.