Gov. Snyder first used his czar power against the predominantly African-American (about 90%) community of Benton Harbor, which first had an emergency manager in April 2010, under a much weaker statute. As the New York Times reported in December 2011, describing that manager:
"His power grew exponentially last spring when Governor Snyder and the state's Republican Legislature passed Public Act 4, which allows emergency managers to renegotiate or terminate contracts, change collective-bargaining agreements, even dissolve local governments (subject to the governor's approval). They have almost unfettered control over their respective cities. This approach to governing is still in its infancy, but if it proves successful in Benton Harbor and elsewhere, emergency managers could be dispatched to troubled municipalities across the state. Snyder has even made it clear that Detroit is a strong candidate for takeover."
So how has one-man rule worked in Michigan communities?
The record is mixed, and without any stunning successes. Representative government has yet to be restored in Benton Harbor, which is now under a successor czar and still living on promises of improvement in the future.
After experiencing Gov. Snyder's experiment in czarist rule in half a dozen communities during Public Act 4's first year, Michigan voters weren't all that happy with the results.
By August 2, 2012, opponents of one-man rule had gathered enough petition signatures to put the repeal of Public Act 4 on the November ballot. In November, roughly four million voters split 52-48 in favor of repeal. Of Michigan's 83 counties, only 8 voted to retain the law.
Responding to the will of the voters, the Republican-dominated legislature promptly passed a revised version of the czar law -- and made it immune to any future referendum. Gov. Snyder signed the new law, Public Act 436, on December 27, 2012, allowing it to take effect on March 26, 2013.
And this is the state law that made possible the czar of Detroit?
Exactly. Gov. Snyder appears to have been gunning for Detroit all along, Detroit being a city rich with his political enemies: Democrats, unions, working people, African-Americans and other minorities.
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