Mayoral Coercion of City Council

Mayor Bing will ask for City Council to revive the vote of some of last Tuesday November 20th's agenda items. This is being encouraged by Council Pro Tem Gary Brown who believes five votes from City Council can be guaranteed to approve the Miller Canfield contract. We need to call our council members and urge them to stick by their votes.

City Council Session with Mayor Bing
Topic: Miller Canfield contract to work on Financial Stability Agreement, required by Milestone Agreement by November 30.
Monday, November 26, 2012 @ 1pm
Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit MI 48226 [map]

Mike McGee
Miller Canfield partner

The discussion November 14 at the Internal Operations standing committee made it clear that Miller Canfield is using extortion on the City of Detroit. Miller Canfield has written the laws-contracts-agreements, litigated cases, and are now standing to be the legal counsel guiding the "Reform Agenda" and using the Milestone Agreement to hold the city to account for making the changes prescribed. Unfortunately the City of Detroit website does not have archived footage from that day for viewing.

Ask these pertenant questions:

• Has the Milestone Agreement been approved by Corporation Counsel?
• Who prepared the Milestone Agreement?
• Since Public Act 4 was repealed the repeal of Public Act 72 was in the referendum. Where is the standing for the Consent Agreement?
• Corporation Counsel gave testimony before City Council on Nov 20 that she did not approve or prepare the Consent Agreement, by Charter section 7.5-206 that is required.
• Why does a Reform Agenda not include job creation? Everything here is contracting out and privatization. Has anyone looked at common references for Reform Agenda?
• Why is billing for Miller Canfield at $275/hr rather than standard legal rate of $180/hr?
• This is a retroactive contract, why was work done prior to approval?
• $300,000 in expenses has been consumed in the time of the proposed contract. Are there expected requests for additional funding to 2015?
• Contract periods need to be reduced, what measures through the Reform Agenda are committing to return work to Detroit expeditiously?
• Will the Mayor meet with the public to hear their concerns? Even City Council seems to have a problem gaining audience without the Mayor being the requestor.

Considering PA4 and PA72 are repealed how soon will the Mayor be requesting Chapter 9 Municipal Bankruptcy? Has the city done any planning in this direction?

• Has the city prepared an organization chart as requested by the 2012 Charter? Is that available online or at the City Clerk?
• Changes to the City Charter were made in the 2012 election - when will an updated City Charter be provided?

Unethical Conduct

When it comes to legal consel in the courts we continue to find Miller Canfield present to defend the Mayor / Consent Agreement / Emergency Managers. There have been occassions where they are not used, in those situations John Pirich, esq has been present. Attorney Pirich is the chairperson of the Michigan Board of Ethics. His involvement in 2012 has included:

• Hired by Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility as lead counsel in the case against Stand Up For Democracy
• Representative for Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts in case against Detroit School Board
• Defense for Mayor Bing at Election Commission meeting regarding recall proceedings

There is a vast pool of legal counsel around the State of Michigan. Is there an underlying reason why certain attorneys are being used? Could it be that in their position they are above the law and beyond reproach?