Occupy Detroit

Own It

Fuzzytek — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:21:51 +0000

A slice of Detroit – relevant current topics throughout the lyrics.

Artists: Blue Lady Fire Tide, Bryce, Sage, SIRIUS, Subverso, Will Cee
Produced by Kadiri Sennefer for Hawk Eye Media Group

Own It discusses the troubles Detroit has been going through with land-grabs and take-aways being committed in the name of redeveloping the city. The residents ask for land and are told it isn’t available. Large developers come in and grab the land for under-market value with speculative plans and no community benefits agreement. The people realize Mayor Bing is nothing more than a State of Michigan puppet. His election was highly suspect that he was selected and not elected. Several recall attempts have been rallied, but the people of Detroit don’t seem to rally hard after being oppressed for so long. Services from the city continue to be cut and it takes something more than faith to cling to life in a city that fails to serve its people.

The people of Detroit and 83 counties across Michigan voted November 6, 2012 to repeal Public Act 4 of 2011, the Emergency Manager Law. The effort to get that referendum on the ballot brought over 220,000 signatures from around the state in an effort that last nearly a year. The referendum was opposed by State of Michigan take-over aligned organizations such as Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, formed by The Sterling Corporation. Jeffery Timmerer was on the State Board of Canvassers and brought … [read more] Continue reading →

Website Theme Update

Fuzzytek — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 03:22:24 +0000

Our website has been due some changes for a while. An update to the theme being used, Mantra, has to be worked through and some of the content has to be reorganized. Occupy Detroit is evolving and the website needs to be doing the same. We need more people able to work in WordPress as writers and organizers of the site.

If you are interested in getting involved on the website, please contact Stephen at fuzzytek@occupy-detroit.us with some information about yourself. Things like how long you’ve lived in Detroit, your interests, how comfortable you are with writing, photography, streaming video, HTML, …

It would also be great to hear through comments what people would like to see from the website. Be prepared to contribute a bit when you have suggestions. This is a participatory group!

Know Detroit Better

Fuzzytek — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 02:32:31 +0000

Sight seeing in Detroit, with some depth, is probably best accomplished by taking your interests over to the D:Hive on Woodward between State and Grand River, across from where Hudson’s downtown used to stand and is now an empty underground parking lot. Ask for some guidance and look through the assortment of information available. The staff there are regularly collecting pamphlets, flyers, and more about what is happening around Detroit. They hold tours around the cool-places and some are extended into communities. This welcome center approach is something every neighborhood in Detroit has a need to get up and running. Hopefully a central information hub in each district becomes known, as the districts of Detroit become more synergized with City Council representation (in 2013) and Community Advisory Councils in each (in 2014). They aren’t going to look the same in each district and there very well may be multiple in a district. Freedom of information and dissemination are keys to establishing these hub places of note.

Of Community Land Trusts & Job Creation

The notion of an information center that offers free information doesn’t seem to be revenue generating in itself. However, that assessment would be a sell-out of the service provided. Welcome centers are market making locations that every place nearby should see tremendous benefit as a resource to their potential and existing customers. A quick stop regularly could give residents easy updates as to what is on the neighborhood calendar, … [read more] Continue reading →

TERMINATE CISPA NOW!

Fuzzytek — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 11:36:58 +0000

The voting public of the United States has rallied countless times to protect freedom of information. It is one of the sacred rights we have to be able to be informed and retrieving information without barriers is essential. We have had so many people fighting for freedom of information – including Bradley Manning and Aaron Swartz [1][2][3], who’s death spawned #PDFtribute from researchers opening their copyright work to the public. It is an affront to our rights and the oath of office our government officials take “to uphold the interests of the people” whom they serve. As representatives this is not how you feel about the topic – get it straight, as a representative you REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS! We vote, we sign petitions, we call you, we write you, we come to meetings, rallies, protests, and somehow we just don’t get heard. Transparency in government is critical, as is allowing participation by the people (not the corporate entities – we’d like a test of being HUMAN).

We here in Michigan call out 8th District Representative Mike D. Rogers (R-MI) who sponsored this bill, and has a history that isn’t glowing in praise [1], choosing to resurrect the dead bill [2]. What is it with these lawmakers and their love for zombie legislation? Mr Rogers partnered with Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) as cosponsor for the latest … [read more] Continue reading →

Earth Day Detroit 2013

Fuzzytek — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 11:35:30 +0000

A two day event is planned for Earth Day Detroit 2013 – Sunday April 21 and Monday April 22 to connect people with not only survival skills, but how to thrive in the face of an environment that can be difficult. Our risks include the corner store, abandoned properties, waste being dumped in our neighborhoods, and the corporate criminals polluting our air, water, and soil. Our intent is to bring people together not merely for presentation – we intend to have conversation.

We want to know – how are you doing? What is helping you get through? On camera interviews will be held throughout the two day event.

When: Sunday April 21, 2013 from 1:00 pm until 9:30 pm
and Monday April 22, 2013 from 2:00 pm until 9:30 pm
Where: 5900 Activist Center, 5900 Michigan Ave, Detroit MI 48210
Food: Potluck donations are welcome and we will be doing our best to bring together community food as segments of each day discuss growing and preparation of food.
Tickets: $10 donation for a day, $15 for both days – money contributed will fund Occupy Detroit activities and events.
Ages: This is an all ages welcome event, please respect the families present.

Event Registration Online for Earth Day Detroit 2013 powered by Eventbrite

There … [read more] Continue reading →

Detroit’s Fiscal Emergency – Declared & Responses

Fuzzytek — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:32:16 +0000

An opinion from Stephen Boyle

Detroit’s government continues to be under pressure by the State of Michigan. A Detroit Financial Review Team was assembled January 2013.

Recollect December 27, 2011 as reported by Fox Business:

Michigan’s governor on Tuesday appointed a team to review Detroit’s finances, a move that could end in a possible state takeover of the city as it struggles with a shrinking auto industry and falling revenues.

This leading paragraph might have some believe the auto industry is heavily influencing Detroit’s financial picture. However three decades of push toward globalization, free trade agreements, and segmentation of labor into multi-tier negotiations have moved the auto industry well outside Detroit. The city has become a hallmark of corporate destitution when you drive past hundreds of abandoned assembly facilities. Today corporations in the city are awarded tax abatement to encourage “job growth”. These abated dollars show up as unfunded services such as lighting, water, transportation, and more. The infrastructure supporting new business is not being funded due to abated taxes.

The city has to go after the dollars it is due by business and the State of Michigan as the February 25 press release from the Committee to Elect Krystal Crittendon for Mayor states below.

This has lead to a year of state control through a Financial Stability Agreement (re: Consent Agreement) which established additional layers of government pulling money from taxpayers both locally and state-wide to manage the declared emergency.

Press Release from The Committee to Elect Krystal A. … [read more] Continue reading →

Save Detroit 2013 – Petition

Fuzzytek — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:59:43 +0000

Petition the White House and Department of Justice

We are asking everyone to make a concerted effort to push the effort to gain petition signatures into new realms of friends across the United States. Allied efforts making the appeal are welcome. A case sensitive shortlink to the petition is http://wh.gov/wGJK, if you share the link through Twitter include the tags #NoEM, and #DetroitEFM.

Save Democracy in Detroit and Michigan. Stop Emergency Managers, protect voting rights and help spur our local economy.

Chairman David Bullock of the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party of Michigan, concerned citizens, and the people of Michigan are fighting against Emergency Managers. Governor Rick Snyder’s Administration has appointed emergency managers in cities and school districts across Michigan. These emergency managers have unilateral control over all aspects of government, deny voting rights, block collective bargaining rights and balance budgets by selling assets and cutting fire and police. We need the federal government to intervene and protect voting rights. Additionally, we need the government to promote job creation, spur growth of the local economy, focus on education and worker retraining programs, reform banking and health care institutions.

Call to action by Detroit activists

Detroit School Board Meeting Wednesday, Student Rally Saturday

Free Detroit — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:44:00 +0000

Facebook Cover Image - please shareFull Sheet Info (click to view/print)We stand at a point for action at this time. Our schools, our future, and our city will never be the same if the current flow of actions are left to continue. We need your presence... Continue reading →

Responses to New Detroit Emergency Financial Manager

Stephen Boyle — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Three significant quotes illuminate the Detroit Emergency Manager appointment of Kevyn Orr on March 14, 2013.

Michael Stampfler, former Emergency Financial Manager for the City of Pontiac

“I do not believe emergency managers can be successful — they abrogate the civic structure of the community for a period of years then return it virtually dismantled for the community to attempt to somehow make a go of it. The program provides no structure for long term recovery, and that is why most communities slide back into trouble, if they experience any relief at all — a vicious cycle. The Public Act is not sufficient and the state bureaucracy isn’t up to a performance offering any significant success — as can be noted from the communities repeating.”

Butch Hollowell, General Counsel for the Detroit NAACP Chapter

“The new emergency manger comes from a firm that represents Wells Fargo, which is the leader in forecloses in our state; which participated in one of the largest fraudulent robo-calling schemes — they’ve forced people out of their homes and then don’t pay property taxes on the properties. It represents the Amway corporation, which got ‘right to work’ through the legislature. It represents Bank of America and Lehman, whose actions sunk our economy and then got billions in tax-payer TARP funds. Where’s Detroit’s TARP bailout? The new emergency manager is the ‘diversity chairman’ at his firm and it’s a virtually all-white firm. …”

“The emergency manager statute allows for dissolving the legislative body and this unelected official enacting statutes. So my vote in Detroit, Michigan does not equal the vote of someone in Grand Rapids. This violates the Voting Rights Act.”

John Philo, Director of the Sugar Law Center

“It’s significant that the emergency manager was picked before March 28, because that’s the date the new law kicks in. After that date the city would have the option of choosing alternatives, such as neutral mediation or bankruptcy.” Philo noted this was ironic since the new emergency manager, in his remarks Thursday touted the possibility of the city going into bankruptcy.”

“Over a decade of experimentation has shown that the emergency manager model is undemocratic and it hasn’t worked. Where they have been in place, those cities and school districts have gone through several emergency managers. The stated goal is to balance the books and the emergency manager model fails to deliver that in the long term. What it does do is force privatization of public resources and guts the public sector unions. But that hollows out your tax base and the city continues in a downward spiral. The people of a city need to decide how to get out of a financial mess and how to prioritize necessary sacrifices. Do they want to sell a park or eliminate a tax break for some business? These are policy choices that residents, not technocrats, should decide.”

Sugar Law Center has taken legal action against Michigan's emergency management model under Public Act 4 and is exploring legal challenges to the emergency management regimes in Detroit and elsewhere in Michigan.

Source: Accuracy.org

Ethics In Michigan is Under Attack

Butch Hollowell, John Philo, and Herb Sanders (Corporation Counsel to AFSCME) were the principal legal staff behind Stand Up For Democracy which successfully pushed the referendum to repeal Public Act 4 onto the November 6, 2012 ballot. Public Act 4 of 2011 is the

Sterling Corporation, Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, or Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility - They are all under one roof working hand in hand

The referendum on Public Act 4 was opposed by Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility (CFR), a state ballot committee formed by The Sterling Corporation, a public relations firm working with Republicans. Principals in CFR include:

Bob Labrant - former head of Michigan Chamber of Commerce
John Llewellyn - Vice President of Government Relations with Michigan Bankers Association
Larry Meyer - former CEO of the Michigan Retailers Association

At the same address for The Sterling Corporation is Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility (MCFR). a federal non-profit, that can lobby or raise money for political campaigns. According to the referenced article from Michigan Radio in speaking with Bob Lebrant "says he was unaware of the similar names when Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility was founded."

It doesn't take too bright a person to see how these two organizations CFR & MCFR working through The Sterling Corporation give the company reach to promote candidates and issues, create the public relations credentials, and raise funds for their clients and issues as well.

Inter Workings of Sterling Corporation Operatives

When the State Board of Canvassers had over 220,000 signatures delivered on petitions to put the opportunity for Public Act 4 to be repealed on the November 6, 2012 ballot a meeting to verify was needed. At this meeting the board would approve the measure and hand it over to the Secretary of State. The votes on accepting were split 2-2, one of those against was Jeffery Timmerer, Sterling Corporation employee who chose not to recuse himself from the vote. His work with Bob Labrant was the main opposition the referendum was facing in approval. They were working on a technicality questioning if the font-size on the petition was proper according to the statutes. Expert witness testimony was brought in to confirm the font was indeed 14 point bold Calibri, but the vow was to ensure this referendum was not to succeed.

The group chose John Pirich, Esq as their attorney representing Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility. Attorney Pirich is also the chairperson on the Board of Ethics for the State of Michigan. Bob Labrant was supporting counsel. The case history runs through multiple events in the Court of Appeals, and to the Michigan Supreme Court. Time seemed to be dragging out as the case continued to be heard and the referendum was finally approved to be placed on the ballot in the final week possible.

Continue reading →

State Interview of #DetroitEFM Kevyn Orr

Free Detroit — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 09:37:00 +0000

Notice was received on March 13 at 4:38 pm that a meeting of the State Emergency Loan Board would be held the following day at 3:00 pm. Details as to the purpose of this meeting were brief and not specific as shown in the media advisory received. Accor... Continue reading →