Representing the People of the City of Detroit

Something seems to be lost in the City of Detroit witness list submitted April 18 to the bankruptcy court -- REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE'S INTERESTS. Corporate interests are well represented through the list provided to the court, as shown in the document below.

4.18.14 Amended City Witness List by WDET 101.9 FM

The city has done well with bringing corporate interests as witnesses to the bankruptcy, however the city is a government body elected BY THE PEOPLE to represent CITIZENS whom are both PUBLIC and corporate. Corporate interests such as the following are not public-serving employees of the city, nor the affected public. These are contracted "guns-for-hire" with a mission to strip Detroit assets and leave its residents destitute.

• Conway MacKenzie - financial restructuring advisors stating the plan is in good faith (yet proposes sacrificing constitutional rights of the people), is equitable, and in best interests of the city's citizens.

How dare they say it is in our best interest - have they spoke with the public? There has been no public hearing regarding the bankruptcy by the City Council or Mayor. No publicly elected official of the people of Detroit brought this bankruptcy filing to the court. It is a violation of the bankruptcy code. (NO Governor Rick Snyder is not the Mayor of Detroit or pseudo-official[fascist position] as such). 

• Ernst & Young - contracted to discuss ability to provide adequate levels of municipal services.
• Milliman, Inc - contracted actuarial advisors to provide valuation and funding issues of the General Retirement System and Police and Fire Retirement System.
• DIA board members whom have various corporate affiliations and stories of interest.
• Eugene Gargaro - Michigan Manufacturers Association, Merillat L.P., Metaldyne Precision Forming, and more
• Graham Beal - received $103,000 in bonuses and a $155,000 loan from the DIA, plus is "downscaling" his Detroit house [article link]
• Roger S. Penske - representing "importance from a  business and investment standpoint of the City’s ability to capitalize and  build on the efforts contemplated in the Plan post bankruptcy." Better stated as how can Penske Corporation profit from going through municipal bankruptcy.
• Daniel Gilbert - again representing the ability to capitalize for Rock Ventures and Quicken Loans. Note the appointment to the fabricated Blight Authority.

The date for court is May 30, 2014. The people need to bring forward a list of fact witnesses which could be added to the city's list, and possibly forwarded to the bankruptcy court as well demanding representation from the residents.

Remember objections to the plan of adjustments can be filed before May 1. This is the week to file your objection! Anyone can file an objection. Get more information from Moratorium Now website [people's objection instructions] [objection form]

Watch the Bankruptcy Court website for updates [audio files]

Recording from April 21 Conference Call

Detroit City Council meeting 10:00am on Tuesday on the 13th Floor at Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave, Detroit MI 48226. Arrive early and request a comment card - put your name on the card to be able to speak. The cards are issued before the meeting and collected within the first 5-10 minutes of the meeting at latest,. Public comments happen FIRST at a meeting of the whole council.

• Request public hearing regarding Bankruptcy to understand fully why and how.
• Request public hearing regarding Bankruptcy Witness List (referenced above) and lack of public representation. Demand an additional amendment to the list.

Protest Illitch's Water Bill at Joe Louis Arena on the Riverwalk entrance at 6:30pm - Hockeytown owes $80,000 for outstanding water bill, yet was awarded large parcels of downtown real estate pushing elders and low-income citizens to the curb. Wear red because the opening of playoffs is starting. Facebook event link | People's Water Board Coalition

Connect to http://d-rem.org (Detroiters Resisting Emergency Management) to get more information on May Day plans and get to know the Peoples Plan regarding the Bankruptcy.

Two Years Under State Rule

Gary Brown - 2012 Detroit City Council President Pro-Tem

Today the Michigan Citizen ran a significant article worth reading... "Selling Our City for a Paycheck", it begins:

There’s one group in Detroit city government that has been exempt from all the austerity measures leveled at others. This group has kept its salary intact; the auto is still free; the health insurance paid for; those two months a year of vacation waiting to be taken; the pension protected. Yes, their pension is protected. In fact, name any cut that has hit any other sector of city government and one group remains untouched: the city council.

Two years ago today (April 4, 2012) Detroit City Council voted to approve a Consent Agreement that gave the city over to fascist rule by the State of Michigan. A sufficient number of elected officials (6 vs 3) chose to allow SELECTED officials to run the city. They abdicated democratic rule.

Sadly three of those that voted in this manner won re-(s)election in November 2013. Detroit - you need to read the history book being created daily. If you blink you might not see the depth of matters.

When did it become OK to give large plots (or quantities) of land over for development without that land value being assessed?

• Hantz Woodlands - holding the lands for future real estate sale?
• New Red Wings Hockey Arena - the land baron has destroyed more than built and owes the city debts

Large corporations continue to request tax abatement in a system that desperately needs taxes paid by businesses. Who approves these requests? The legislative body of the City of Detroit, the City Council. Here are some of the practices of these corporate tax dodgers.

• Their promises are half baked of employing residents. Most import talent into the city - setting them up in sculpted corporate-managed neighborhoods. Then these new Detroiters can claim their resident life.
• Preferential land buying, lease arrangements, and insurance practices continue to squeeze long-term residents out of the city and out of Michigan. If that doesn’t work, then a reduced value buyout will transform ownership. Or maybe even condemn the place.
• Our public parks become watched over by private security forces. All part of the tax abatement “giving back” to the city program of wresting public commons into corporate control.
• Failing to put taxes into public government leaves the roads, utilities, and mass transit systems languish to be picked over for privatized service providers.

Who enables this system? Detroit’s legislative body, the city council.

The Extreme Prejudice of a Hearing Under PA72

A copy of the March 8 letter from Chief Deputy Treasurer Mary MacDowell to Acting Detroit Corporation Counsel Edward Keelean regarding a hearing requested on March 7 by City Council through the Law Department can be viewed through this link. It is available in the publications area of the website.

The correspondence indicates the hearing pursuant to section 15(2) of Public Act 72 of 1990 will take place Tuesday, March 12 at 10:00 am in the Richard H Austin Building (Treasury), 430 W Allegan St, Lansing before Chief Deputy Treasurer Mary MacDowell in the Board Room on the 1st floor.

The hearing will allow each side (Detroit City Council and Detroit Review Team) 30 minutes to present, with 20 minutes initial presentation and 10 minutes reserved for rebuttal. According to the letter it is not to be an adversarial proceeding. It is to be a fact finding hearing, reviewing evidence from the Review Team and supplementing with any actions taken or planned since the Review Team's report on February 19.

The interesting thing about this hearing is that none of the laws - Public Act 4, Public Act 72, or Public Act 436 are in effect at this time.

Public Act 72 of 1990

Since Attorney General Bill Schuette issued his opinion on the referendum to repeal Public Act 4 of 2011 on August 6, 2012, Michigan has been acting like this law is still on the books. The referendum addressed Public Act 72 stating that it was repealed when Public Act 4 was passed to law. This was required as the new act had to replace the prior law.

Repeatedly we have said Public Act 72 was repealed and is dead law. Numerous alternative press sources have pointed this out [DailyKos][Eclectablog][VLTP][VoiceOfDetroit]. This is what is written in Section 8.4 of Michigan Compiled Laws:

Revised Statutes of 1846 (EXCERPT)
CHAPTER 1. OF THE STATUTES.
8.4 Effect of repeal of repealing statute.
Sec. 4. 

Whenever a statute, or any part thereof shall be repealed by a subsequent statute, such statute, or any part thereof, so repealed, shall not be revived by the repeal of such subsequent repealing statute. 

History: R.S. 1846, Ch. 1 ;-- CL 1857, 3 ;-- CL 1871, 3 ;-- How. 3 ;-- CL 1897, 51 ;-- CL 1915, 65 ;-- CL 1929, 77 ;-- CL 1948, 8.4

AG Schuette's opinion is entitled "Revival of repealed law where right of referendum is properly invoked as to act that repealed prior law." This is an interesting title in itself saying that there is some hidden right of revival that supplants the right of referendum. That means something is of a higher power than a referendum voted on by a majority of the public. Lets get one more thing straight before stating the assertion of the opinion. These are public servants that have taken an oath of office to serve the interests of the public. Wouldn't the vote of the public on the referendum indicate very clearly the interest of the public? Therefore these public officials are violating their oath of office and conspiring against the people they serve. I believe that amounts to domestic terrorism.

There are several passages in the opinion that pick apart the words of the law. Follow the highlights in this passage from page 12, commentary is provided in italics within.

Const 1963, art 2, § 9 states, in part: “No law as to which the power of referendum properly has been invoked shall be effective thereafter unless approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon at the next general election.” Based on the section’s plain language, “no law” is exempt from the suspension nor is any part or provision of a law exempt. Where a constitutional term is undefined, dictionary definitions may be consulted to determine its meaning. See, e.g., National Pride At Work, Inc v Governor of Michigan, 481 Mich 56, 69-76; 748 NW2d 524 (2008). The term “effective” may be understood to mean “in effect; operative; active.” See Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition (1988). Thus, when a referendum is properly invoked, no part of the subject law is thereafter operative or active. Applying this interpretation to Public Act 4, once the Board of State Canvassers certified the referendum, no part of the Act remained operative, including the repeal provision. (Holding this logic would mean a repeal provision could not be directly written into the law.)

Are repeal provisions on laws put someplace other than in the law? Where's this magic cache of repeal provisions held? Apparently being the top lawyer in Michigan means you can gerrymander the English language to make it say what you wish. Attorney General Schuette has sliced and diced the intent of referendum to craft intent toward a specific means which undermines the commonly understood intent. A building block of law, the intent, should not be reduced to rubble each time it requires reference.

The people voted to remove Emergency Manager Law, be it Public Act 4 or Public Act 72, which was included in the 3rd from last paragraph of the referendum.

Clinging to creating the case to have Public Act 72 in effect the argument in the opinion is made that there was no replacement law waiting to take its place. This is why there was a scurry to bring the 4 page bill from January 2012 forward and turn it into the law desired in the middle of December 2012. Stay tuned for more on this.

If the people wanted the law removed then both the LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SCHOOL DISTRICT FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT [PA4] and LOCAL GOVERNMENT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT (141.1201 - 141.1291) [PA72] of the Constitution would be removed - yes without a replacement. Note this section of the Constitution does get filled on March 28, 2013 by Public Act 436 of 2012, provided the passage of that law is not contested in federal court and found unconstitutional.

You'll have to see how frustrating it is to the public that the people can't clearly see what laws are governing them. Every court case in Michigan confronting the veracity of PA72 as law at this time has pointed at the AG's opinion and said that is what they were basing the ruling on.

These are the compiler notes in the Constitution of the changes, italics are offered to point out where we are at this time leading up to March 28, 2013. According to these notes there is no act in effect, we are abiding by an opinion of the Attorney General as if that is law.

Act 4 of 2011 was rejected by a majority of the electors at the November 2012 general election. The vote was certified by the state board of canvassers on November 26, 2012. Act 72 of 1990, which had been repealed by Act 4 of 2011, came back into effect while the referendum on Act 4 of 2011 was pending. (NOTE there is a gap in this timeline of what is in effect there is no PA4, no PA72, and no PA436.) Act 436 of 2012, which was approved by the governor December 26, 2012 and filed with the secretary of state December 27, 2012, provided a new act (MCL 141.1541 to 141.1575) known as the local financial stability and choice act, effective March 28, 2013. Act 436 of 2012 repeals Act 72 of 1990, effective March 28, 2013. (Oh by the way PA72 was repealed already!)

In conclusion in observing the above compilation notes Michigan would not have a law supporting any  Emergency Manager or Emergency Financial Manager between November 27, 2012 and March 28, 2013. Given the date and time of this hearing, March 12, 2013, there is no supportive law holding the City of Detroit in a Consent Agreement or any Local Government or School District throughout Michigan under Emergency Manager Law (PA72) until March 28.

Stay tuned for the Miraculous Public Act 436, The New Emergency Manager Law - I'll go through the process of how this bill came to be law and the various violations of Michigan Constitution along the way. This is a law scraped up off the floor of PA4 being savagely ripped apart by the people and shocking it into life during the lame-duck session of 2012. Oh yeah - it isn't supposed to be substantially similar in form to a prior law... well the public isn't looking, or are they?

Sign the petition linked on the button at left. Let the White House and Department of Justice know we are watching and are very concerned. http://wh.gov/wGJK (case sensitive)

PETITION - Location for Public Hearings and Open Meetings Act

A petition has been setup requesting Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh abide by the Michigan Open Meetings Act. The location for public hearings and council of the whole meetings within the Coleman A Young Municipal Center should be the Erma Henderson Auditorium. Attendance at these events continues to exceed the capacity of room 1340, placing people waiting outside the overflow room and in the hall with the elevators. In neither location are people waiting able to observe the proceedings of the meeting taking place.

Sign The Petition

The Erma Henderson Auditorium is the proper location for these meetings and has been repeatedly stated during public comments. Violations of the Michigan Open Meetings Act are punishable misdemeanors which when repeated could lead to imprisonment in addition to fines. The people shall continue to organize in protest and you will be served for having failed to abide by the law.

The Belle Isle Giveaway

Today, Tuesday January 24 at 1pm Neighborhood Community Services committee of Detroit City Council meets and on the agenda is the amended Belle Isle Lease proposal. You may have only seen the January 17 version of the lease proposal. You can find the amended version of the lease from January 22 through our public documents. And you may not have seen the confidential analysis done by Research And Development (RAD). These were declassified and released to the public Tuesday during the City Council session.

A lengthy conversation regarding closed versus open meeting was held and security measures appeared to be the stumbling point for opening the 2pm planned closed session. It is anticipated all council members will be at the 2pm meeting and likely the 1pm committee session (click for agenda). Public comments usually take place at the end of committee meetings, whereas on Tuesdays public comments are held first.

PUBLIC HEARING UPDATE
MONDAY JANUARY 28 at 1:00PM

Banner at rally on Belle Isle held September 22, 2012

There is significant public opinion that Belle Isle should remain with the City of Detroit and claims that it is poorly maintained are false allocations. Off season employment is under 5 people taking care of the island, which rises seasonally. This has been presented to council this fall at the time that Free Detroit, Occupy Detroit, We The People of Detroit, and other organizations gathered for an informational rally on Belle Isle.

Citizens are concerned and the Bing administration doesn't seem to be listening. We are asking what is Detroit getting from this lease arrangement? The owner of property should be in the favored position in negotiations. Voice of Detroit created a chart showing the score and it certainly doesn't seem to be favoring the city. The people opposed state this is a land-grab, or giveaway and hundreds of people have appeared when these issues are brought forward. Perhaps the delay of working on the Belle Isle lease agreement until the weather is bitter cold is a plot to keep the public from showing in force.

From Voice Of Detroit article

Please read over the analysis document and the lease agreement as it is evolving through amendments. If you are unable to attend prepare a statement and email it ASAP to the members of the Neighborhood Community Services committee before the meeting, requesting it is read onto the records and discussed during public comments. Email addresses are: councilmembertate@detroitmi.gov, WatsonJ@detroitmi.gov, K-Kenyatta_MB@detroitmi.gov, CouncilPresidentPugh@detroitmi.gov

Points of information to consider:

• The greenhouses on Belle Isle remain operating under the City of Detroit. They have been in disrepair for a number of years. Nearby are the Aquarium (oldest municipally ran aquarium in the world), and Conservatory - both of which would be transferred to Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). The Aquarium has received corporate and foundation grants allowing the roof to be repaired and it has been staffed by volunteers to open it on weekends to the public. It was closed April 3, 2005 until August 18, 2012.
• Roads servicing the park would be transferred to Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Funds to service them would come from the trunkline roads budget. Does this mean these roads will be improved beyond being park service roads?
• Does the State of Michigan have any restrictions on development through the lease agreement? Will we see skyscrapers, condominiums, or other dwellings erected on the island?
• All funds will be paid to State of Michigan with nothing to the City of Detroit. There is a current deal on the table with the City of Detroit for the Orion Music and More Festival scheduled for June 8-9 being arranged through internally know headlining act Metallica. This festival is scheduled to return in 2014 and 2015. Proceeds from that festival are $100,000 in 2013, $100,000 in 2014, and $250,000 in 2015. Park hours are stated to be normal hours 11am-10pm both days of the event. Given the contract is coming through the city, will it remain city revenues or be usurped by the State of Michigan?

Upcoming City Council meetings where a quorum of the whole may be present include: Friday 9:00am (PUBLIC HEARING regarding Reduction in hours), Monday 10:00am (Public Health & Safety), and Tuesday 10:00am (Council Of Whole). We encourage those attending to be onsite waiting at least a half hour in advance.

Council member Kenyatta (video)

A special broadcast from Kwame Kenyatta regarding current times and issues in the City of Detroit.

• City Council
• Hantz Woodlands 
• Miller Canfield Contract
• Next steps - empowering each other
• Working with ALL the people - bringing something to the table

Immediate Involvement Required

The attendance of City of Detroit residents and concerned was impressive on Tuesday, November 20.

At the last scheduled City Council meeting of 2012 the views expressed and information shared with City Council helped shape how the votes were made during that session. We hate to say it but the issues we're facing keep resurfacing like a Return of the Return of Dawn of the Living Dead. Your city needs your continued vigilance during this most holy season.

The State of Michigan and powers that would rather Detroiters just shut up and take their ill-fated medicine keep injecting that questionable life into the issues. We have to continue to stand together united.

Tuesday, December 4 - 9:55 am at CAYMC, 13th Floor

Detroit City Council meets to rescind their scheduled break until January 8 with three meetings of City Council of the Whole. The first meeting to take place at 10:00 am to work on Budget Deficit issues. This can and will include coercion to re-vote any issue previously voted, such as NO on Miller Canfield contracts, NO on DDOT contracts, NO on the EMA contract with DWSD, and stopping the Milestone Agreement from approval. 

Portion of map available at
Opening Of Detroit website

Monday, December 10 - 6:00 pm at East Lake Baptist Church, 12400 E Jefferson at Connor 

Public Hearing in the community regarding Hantz Woodlands (a subdivision of the conglomerate Hantz Group, originally known as Hantz Farms) acquisition of over 1,500 parcels of land [map] with the option to purchase surrounding land within 1 mile. This Land Grab is the largest speculation in Michigan history. Development plans have not clearly identified working with the community in the best interest of the residents in the areas impacted. The extended area of impact is from the Dequindre Cut, north of Warren, east to Grosse Pointe, and south to the Detroit River. Read much more depth through these references:

• Opening Of Detroit - commentaries, map of land use topics around Detroit, and more
• Be Black And Green
• Hantz Questions, The Michigan Citizen Nov 20, 2012 

Tuesday, December 11 - 10:00 am at CAYMC, 13th Floor

Final City Council of the Whole meeting during which Hantz Group arrangement will be pressed to a vote. Likely if any issue has not yet been pressed to the will of those that would dissolve Detroit it will be brought into the meeting again.

More Details On Critical Topics  

Links to posts regarding critical topics of discussion on the Free Detroit website, find these as a cloud on the website's sidebar.

• DWSD take over
• Hantz Farms /. Woodlands
• Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone, LLC 
• Public Lighting
• Detroit Public Schools

Mayor Bing Fails to Show for Special City Council Session He Called

Reported by Stephen Boyle

Monday November 26th City Council was called upon to meet with Mayor Dave Bing, at the Mayor's request. However at 12:03 pm the Mayor pulled air time with WXYZ tv to announce a close friend was sick and required a visit during the appointed time for the meeting, Mayor Bing sent Kirk Lews, Chief of Staff to act as Deputy Mayor before City Council regarding a requested re-vote on the Miller Canfield contract.

City Council found there were numerous improprieties in the manner of the Mayor calling this meeting.

1. According to Mayor Bing's liaison to City Council Adam Hollier notice was posted in 3 locations around Coleman A Young Municipal Center after 5pm on November 21st. This provides insufficient notice during the holiday weekend with offices closed Thursday and Friday. In effect notice would be seen when arriving at work Monday. Open Meetings Act requires notice posted 18 hours in advance.
2. Mayor Bing sent an appointee as Deputy Mayor Kirk Lewis to the meeting with all nine elected City Council officials present. As an elected official he should have been present personally as the person who called the meeting.
3. The issues to be discussed were voted on November 20th and results are final.

Issues to have been Discussed

Miller Canfield Contract Supplanting Corporation Counsel

A Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone, P.L.C. contract to manage legal matters for the Reform Agenda of the Financial Stability Agreement was DENIED on November 20th. This was the first Miller Canfield contract presented to City Council after over nine months of council and the public demanding contract to be presented. 

FINANCE DEPARTMENT/PURCHASING DIVISION

Jones, reso. autho. Contract No. 2870456 – 100% City Funding – The engagement is to provide legal advice and litigation representation pertaining to implementing the City’s ongoing restructuring as contemplated in the Financial Stability Agreement among the City, the Michigan Department of Treasury, and the Review Team for the City of Detroit (“FSA). – Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone PLC, 150 West Jefferson, Suite 2500, Detroit, MI 48226 – Contract Period: August 1, 2012 through June 30, 2014 – Contract Amount Not to Exceed: $300,000.00.    (Hourly Rate has been changed from $350.00 per hour to $275.00 per hour)  (Contract period has been changed start date changed from January 1, 2012 to August 1, 2012, end date changed from December 31, 2015 to June 30, 2014.)    MAYOR’S OFFICE

This agenda item was discussed on November 14th at the Internal Operations Standing Committee. Program Management Director Kriss Andrews was present to answer questions regarding the contract.

The approval of the Miller Canfield contract was a key milestone on the Milestone Agreement, due by November 30th. City Council members have claimed the Mayor is using extortion to push through an agenda. Today's rush meeting would certainly be defined as coercion, even with the multiple failures that it met.

The city is facing a law firm considered a formidable opponent, that has 109 lawyers on the Super Lawyers list. Miller Canfield worked with Governor Rick Snyder to put tooth into the 2011 Emergency Manager Law, Public Act 4 - enabling it to alter corporate structure of municipalities and alter union contracts without negotiation. 

On March 21, 2011 Governor Snyder issued a Special Letter to Michigan Legislators with his plans on use of the newly passed Emergency Manager Law. Within these plans the dismantling of city and county services is explained as the path toward creating metropolitan governments which would assume those services. Bills in the Senate and House were introduced November 8, 2011 to establish the Metropolitan Area Metropolitan Authority (MAMA) Act.The problem with this approach is how effective a broad reach would be in addressing specific needs within local communities. Local communities can push local issues forward that may not be present across an entire metropolitan area - servicing those needs is a matter of regional oversight, not outright control of local government.

Emergency Managers have been being trained through Turnaround Management Association. Kriss Andrews is one of their Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP) graduates. Jack Martin found favor through his track record as indicated by Mlive when he was appointed Emergency Manager over Highland Park Public Schools.

Pension Obligations

One additional item on the schedule, total of two items for the meeting.

BUDGET DEPARTMENT
Cockrel, Jr. reso. autho. To amend the FY 2012-13 Budget to address costs in excess of budget for FY 2011-12 UAAL pension obligations.

I believe this came forward from a document Free Detroit unearthed from a June 2012 study done by Foster McCollum White & Associates titled "17 point draft plan to re-align Detroit's fiscal and operational structure". This document is well worth reading, and points from the document will be in our next post. It details the dismantling of departments, reallocation of funds and more in a quick 8 page guide. The document can also be downloaded from the Public Documents library on our website.

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?

Endurance Finally Heard

Opinion by Stephen Boyle

photo: Stephen Boyle

The last meeting of City Council of the Whole on November 20, 2012 was full of drama and required fortitude. Over 3 hours of public comments lead the meeting. The meeting room was full of concerned people, the overflow room was full, and the hallway with the elevators was full as well. It was full enough that people were arriving, looking at the situation and turning away or leaving after waiting an hour or two.

The Erma Henderson Auditorium has been used in the past both for the meeting itself (although very rarely recently), and as an overflow area with a screen and audio from inside the meeting room. This time however the room had been booked for the Zoning Board of Appeals, and for a Michigan Adoptive Services event. These were held back to back through the entire morning.

Personally I traveled by bus to the meeting and arrived shortly after 10 am and mingled in the line of those waiting to be heard. I didn't have the equipment I was to use prepared, coming in with a cell phone with a 10% battery charge was my biggest concern. When I can I open up a live video stream of what is happening through the Occupy Detroit channel so those not present can watch from my perspective. There is an official feed from City Council meetings, but it sometimes isn't running at crucial times so it is good to document when possible. I knew with the low battery and situations of the day I'd have problems all day and never catch up with a good charge of the battery.

PMD Kriss Andrews steering the "Reform Agenda"
left in disgust as Council
voted 8-1 to dismiss Miller Canfield contract

Cecily distributed pins the day before and at the meeting to wear as visual protest to some of the critical issues brought to the meeting:

• No EMA - a management consulting group is working through the Root Cause Committee and targeting the elimination of 80% of Detroit Waste and Sewage Department.
• No Miller Canfield - the Milestone Agreement is calling for Miller Canfield to be legal counsel to the Reform Agenda put forward through the Consent Agreement. Free Detroit No Consent has taken the stance that agreement is void based on position of Detroit's Corporation Counsel Krystal Crittendon. We also feel there is a problem when the law firm has written Public Act 4, litigated the law in the courts, and is sought to replace the City Corporation Counsel. 
• No Ernst & Young - the Milestone Agreement requires a process flow consulting firm. Ernst & Young has been used by city administration in preferred manner during the Consent Agreement. It is believed that more options with an open bid contract would be a smarter direction and to reduce preference for existing providers if in fact a Reform Agenda is truly intended. {correction: the vote was YES}

As I saw people with pins leaving the meeting I asked them if we could circulate those pins into the room on people who had not yet spoke. There were some sad faces, but they knew the fight and allowed the pins to go in with new people. This is how people work on a unified fight offering the best to a WE conversation.

March on City Hall

We must march on City Hall and demand justice delivered as promised through the vote November 6, 2012. The Emergency Manager Law (Public Act 4 of 2011) has been repealed. Public Act 72 of 1990 was repealed in 2011 and according to the law CANNOT BE REVIVED.

Detroit refuses to be a puppet to State Government demands. We must gather and create a Citizen's Reform Agenda, but that requires access to our government - something this administration and those preceding it have made very difficult.

Monday November 19 9:00am rally at Spirit of Detroit

The Public Health & Safety Standing Committee will be held at 10:00am, the 13th floor at Coleman A Young Municipal Center will be packed. Click here for the agenda.

Tuesday November 20 9:00am rally at Spirit of Detroit

The last Council of the Whole meeting will be held at 10:00am on the 13th floor. The agenda is packed and we suspect the entire day until 4pm will be spent in session. Click here for the agenda.

The Call To March

November 6th we watched the votes tally - We saw Michigan Democrats win the Senate. We saw the re-election of President Barack Obama and saw Proposal 1 come in with a NO vote. The next morning we found …

• The Emergency Manager Law had been repealed
  (but nothing changed)
• Detroit’s Proposal C to ensure Corporation Counsel retained independence and the ability to prosecute Mayor Bing
  (and the Mayor continues supporting the Financial Stability Agreement born through Public Act 4, which was claimed to not conform with the requirements of Detroit City Charter)

... and what we did not get was a CELEBRATION in the streets and JUSTICE NOW. We thought certainly someone would start the celebration. We realize now that WE ARE THE ONES to start the celebration!! WE MUST DEMAND JUSTICE NOW!

WE ARE *MARCHING ON* CITY HALL MONDAY & TUESDAY MORNING AT 9AM
WE ARE *CALLING ON YOU* TO STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND PARTICIPATE – sitting through a revolution was never the way of accomplishing what is needed.

• We are NOT WAITING 30 days to claim victory.
• We are NOT WAITING for Detroit to have more services farmed out to private business by terms of a contract. 
• We are NOT WAITING for land grabs to be complete and departments to be shut-down sending our residents into unemployment.
• We are NOT WAITING for our public buses to be privatized, or our water, or our lighting, or other departments.
• We are NOT WAITING for more of our schools to be yanked from our hands and have our children attending EAA schools established and controlled through Jim Crow Laws.
• We are NOT WAITING for the State of Michigan to push through new Emergency Manager Laws to “save us” from bankruptcy court.
• We are NOT WAITING for our elected officials to take orders from the State of Michigan on next steps in dismantling our local governments and schools.

Both Monday and Tuesday have critical items coming before City Council committees and the final meeting of City Council for the year until 2012. There will be limited room available on the 13th floor - we need people on the street picketing the issues. Get on the text messaging group by composing a message to the number 23559 with the word @honorMIvote and send the message.

WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF DETROIT and

WE ARE NOT WAITING ANY MORE!

Moving vans ready for eviction

EXERCISE OUR RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE, TO PLAN, TO PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNMENT, TO BE AWARE
EXERCISE SELF-GOVERNANCE THROUGH OUR HOME-RULE CHARTER
EXERCISE WITH OUR FEET IN THE STREET
EXERCISE OUR VOICES HELD HIGH IN REASON AND PROTEST
EXERCISE THE FREEDOM OUR COUNTRY HAS FOUGHT FOR CENTURIES TO MAINTAIN – not overseas, here at home! Our fight for freedom is here at home! We will not be slaves to a state of confusion and despair. Our children deserve to know the hope and spirit of a brighter future. We are not sacrificing to the burdens of devastation placed on us by a CORPO-GOVERNMENT declared state of emergency.

Government SERVES the People – it is their oath of office, it is time to serve as the public demanded through a general election and insist the courts and law-makers of this land follow the will of the people. WE WILL NOT BE UNDONE BY A SYSTEM NOT OF OUR OWN CHOOSING!

Assist us by inviting those that love Detroit to march, to be THE ONES that proclaim the City of Detroit is a held by THE PEOPLE and we will not back-down.

NOTE: Recall Mayor Bing petitions will be circulating while the march is taking place. Detroit voting residents we encourage action!

Nov 13 Update on Actions

Several immediate events this week were listed in a post Monday morning. We would like to thank everyone that came out in support, even as temperatures have dropped and rain fallen. Dedication can be infectious when the team is pulling together. We cover new ground quicker and learn more through interaction.

Activists attending Detroit City Council sessions

Selected items from Wednesday's standing committee meetings of Detroit City Council are pulled from the agendas provided Tuesday by the close of business. Please review and you'll find a number of these are related to topics Free Detroit No Consent has raised.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 

10:00 am Elected School Board lawsuit in 36th District Court before Judge Ronald Giles, 421 Madison, Detroit - the creation of EAA was a move to destroy the school board.

10:00 am City Council Internal Operations Standing Committee held at Coleman A Young Municipal Building, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit --- notable items from the agenda listed below (link to full copy download)

• Status of Mayor’s Office and Workforce Development Department submitting resolution and report relative to Amendment of the Executive Organization Plan to eliminate the Detroit Workforce Development Department by ceasing all functions of the department.
• Call for The Mayor to authorize the Corporation Counsel to file a Writ of Mandamus to compel the Treasurer of the State of Michigan to release Michigan Finance Authority Board Bond funds to the City of Detroit. 
• Status of report relative to 36th District Court Traffic Violations Revenue involving an alleged intentional act by Detroit Police Officers to significantly reduce the amount of revenue generated by the 36th District Court from traffic violations.
• Status of Finance Department/Purchasing Division Contract No. 2841704 - 100% Federal Funding – CHANGE ORDER NO. #1 - To Provide the Funding Agreement between the Economic Development Corporation and the General Services Department – Economic Development Corporation, 500 Griswold, Suite 2200, Detroit, MI 48226 – Contract Period: March 31, 2011 through March 1, 2013 – Contract Increase: $106,200.00 - Contract Amount Not to Exceed: $606,200.00.
• Status of Mayor’s Office submitting report relative to Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone memorandum from Council Member Brenda Jones.
• Submitting resolution authorizing Contract No. 2870456 – 100% City Funding – The engagement is to provide legal advice and litigation representation pertaining to implementing the City’s ongoing restructuring as contemplated in the Financial Stability Agreement among the City, the Michigan Department of Treasury, and the Review Team for the City of Detroit (“FSA”), including but not limited to the subjects comprising Annex B to the FSA as the same may be amended from time to time – Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone PLC, 150 West Jefferson, Suite 2500, Detroit, MI 48226 – Contract Period: January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2015 – Contract Amount Not To Exceed: $300,000.00.
• Board of Ethics - Submitting resolution to amend the FY 2012-13 Budget for the Board of Ethics. (This summary represent a brief overview of the challenges which have occurred since the approval of the 2012 Charter and the reduction in force which resulted in the elimination of the Administrative Secretary position; Increase Appropriation No. 10397-Board of Ethics-$40,000.00; Decrease Appropriation No. 00852-Non-Departmental (Claims Fund)-$40,000.00.)

1:00 pm City Council Budget Fnance and Audit Standing Committee held at Coleman A Young Municipal Building, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit --- notable items from the agenda listed below (link to full copy download)

• 1:15 pm Monthly update of the Financial Stability Agreement between the City of Detroit and State of Michigan
• Status of concerns relative to the City of Detroit paying back-pay and benefits to laid-off employees of the Institute of Population Health or the Department of Health & Wellness
• Submitting resolution authorizing Contract No. 2848583 – 100% City Funding – CHANGE ORDER NO. #4 – To Provide Cash Flow Analysis – Ernst & Young, LLP, 777 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48226 – Contract Period: January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013 – Contract Increase: $1,980,000.00 – Contract Amount Not to Exceed: $6,630,000.00.
• Submitting resolution authorizing to amend the Budget Department FY 2012-13 Budget. (The Department requests authorization to augment its FY 2012-13 Budget by transferring $150,000 from Claims Fund (Insurance Premium) to Budget Department Operations; and requesting that the remaining surplus ($128,352) be used to cover unallocated rent for the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.)
• Submitting requests authorization Budget Amendment of the Fiscal Year 2012-13 Budget. (The Budget Department respectfully request authorization for additional funding in the Finance Department, Appropriation No. 00063 Treasury Division, for activities related to enhancing the collection of City of Detroit revenues. These funds are available in the Non-Departmental, Appropriation No. 13224 Restructuring Consolidation.)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 

8:45 am Detroit Police, Fire Board with Paramount Homeowners defense in 36th Circuit Court before Judge Ronald Giles

10:00 am Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee held at Coleman A Young Municipal Building, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit

1:00 pm Neighborhood and Community Services Standing Committee held at Coleman A Young Municipal Building, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2012

7:00 pm City Council Community Meeting held in Southwest Detroit, location is Mark Twain Elementary, 12800 Visger St, Detroit 48217 [Google link]


There are MANY actions happening this week. We are suggesting the best way to keep abreast of what is happening to join the text messaging cell for Free Detroit.

Join The Text Message Cell

Compose a text message addressed to the number 23559 

The contents of the message is join @honormivote

You can get a list of commands by sending the message CMD or HELP

There is a web interface as well - you need to request a password by sending the command PASSWORD. Then visit the site at http://cel.ly with that password to access your profile and the cells you have joined through your phone. 

Agendas Posted For Reference

When we get agendas from City of Detroit and other events of interest they are posted to our Google Drive area in a publicly accessible area.

• Click here to view agendas received and posted
• Click here for other public access documents stored

Honor Our Vote

The people of Michigan demanded justice by repealing Public Act 4 on November 6 

We told Governor Snyder that it was wrong to oppress local government through the Emergency Manager Law. That includes the Emergency Financial Manager Law which proceeded and was repealed March 16, 2011 to make way for Public Act 4.

Attorney General Bill Schuette delivered an opinion August 6, 2012 on the interpretation of how the repeals would be handled. However the people's opinion is not being considered by government, a government that was NOT set to rule OVER the people, but FOR the people. We will not rest until government sets justice straight by the desired will of the people. Tyrannical government was fought over 200 years ago - a "tea party" was held by revolutionaries to protest taxation without representation.

These repealed laws no longer have standing over the people. Reference Michigan Compiled Law section 8.4:

Effect of Repeal of Repealing Statute.
Whenever a statute, or any part thereof shall be repealed by a subsequent statute, such statute, or any part thereof, so repealed, shall not be revived by the repeal of such subsequent repealing statute. 

This week the people begin moving your asserted government within our local jurisdictions OUT. We celebrate Veterans Day by honoring their fight for our rights. The rights of the people to be heard and demand justice through legislature and courts that listen to the people.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 

On-air shows will have rallying calls to the public to join the actions coming up this week.

10:00 am Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts is served notice to quit. By noon we begin moving him out of the Fisher Building office.

Noon Rally at Fisher Building and in New Center Commons to evict Roy Roberts from Detroit Public Schools.

2:00 pm Financial Advisory Board meeting for the City of Detroit is being held one mile south at McGregor Conference Center on Wayne State University Campus, near the Law Library on Ferry Mall. We will march in solidarity from New Center to this meeting and serve notice to the FAB and others appointed through the Consent Agreement which has been protested by the people and was found in fault by Corporation Counsel.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

9:00 am Detroit City Council Public Hearing on EMA Consulting Services Contract held at Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit - EMA is evaluating and restructuring Detroit Water & Sewage Dept (DWSD) to eliminate 80% of workforce.

9:00 am Cullor Family Court Date in 36th District Court - Judge Patricia Jefferson, 421 Madison, Room 432, Detroit - Eviction defense

10:00 am Detroit City Council session of the Whole held at Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit - rally in advance at the Spirit of Detroit. {agenda | new business | supporting documents}

11:00 am Bus to Lansing leaves from Northwest Activity Center

1:00 pm The public attends HR 6004 session regarding Legitimacy of EAA School District. Session to be held in the Anderson Building, 124 North Capitol Ave, Lansing 48909.

6:00 pm Detroit School Board Meeting at Detroit Public Library Main Branch, 5201 Woodward Ave, Detroit

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 

10:00 am Elected School Board lawsuit in 36th District Court before Judge Ronald Giles, 421 Madison, Detroit - the creation of EAA was a move to destroy the school board.

10:00 am City Council Internal Operations Standing Committee held at Coleman A Young Municipal Building, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit

1:00 pm City Council Budget Fnance and Audit Standing Committee held at Coleman A Young Municipal Building, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 

8:45 am Detroit Police, Fire Board with Paramount Homeowners defense in 36th Circuit Court before Judge Ronald Giles

There are MANY actions happening this week. We are suggesting the best way to keep abreast of what is happening to join the text messaging cell for Free Detroit.

Join The Text Message Cell

Compose a text message addressed to the number 23559 

The contents of the message is join @honormivote

You can get a list of commands by sending the message CMD or HELP

There is a web interface as well - you need to request a password by sending the command PASSWORD. Then visit the site at http://cel.ly with that password to access your profile and the cells you have joined through your phone. 

Special City Council Session during recess

City Council went into recess on August 1, 2012, however there is so much happening at this time that a special session was under discussion weeks prior. We've received the agenda for the meeting and these topics are present:

• Provide Assessors, city must have positions filled ASAP
• Resolution authorizing a ballot proposal to Approve Public Safety Millage requested by Board of Police Commissioners
• Resolution for William Charity Fund, petition #2515 
• Proposal to amend Chapter 61 of the 1984 Detroit City Code, with regard to provisions for School Building Adaptive Re-Use. A public hearing will be scheduled.
• Discussion of issues relative to the Detroit Workforce Development Department and the Department of Health and Wellness Promotion.

Public comments will also be heard.

Notable Protest Activity

Free Detroit No Consent is working with Occupy Detroit and union representation in preparing a public  awareness action that we hope will attract the eyes of the nation. Call it a premonition if you'd like. 

Lords and Ladies it is time to MOVE OUT!  Michigan has suspended Emergency Managers. Your eviction notice is being served and the trucks are coming.

Lack of Assessor Violation

Currently hearing that Detroit City Charter has requirement of three Assessors. State requirement is that a Chief Assessor (level 4) is required. This position is not filled to satisfy state statute. Two people have left in the last two weeks. City employment terms are forcing people to leave. Board of Ethics is addressing City Council.
Live audio stream at http://bambuser.com/channel/OccupyDetroit

SPEAK OUT this week!

Download and print

We look forward to seeing you at these events and more. Watch our calendar for more activities as we find out about them. If you'd like an event added to the calendar please send an email to admin@freedetroit.org. You can find our page on Facebook at http://facebook.com/FreeDetroitNoConsent

City Employment Terms - 6-26-12 draft

City Council will be meeting at 10:00am today with Roy Roberts (DPS-EM) to discuss the plans for Detroit Public Schools 2012-13. Additional topics are on the agenda.

There will also be continued work on the City Employment Terms as initially presented by CFO Jack Martin, and Law Department's Labor Relations. [Click here for a draft copy of CET from June 26, we will provide updated copy when obtained.]

These employment changes were part of the work of the last two meetings of the Financial Advisory Board, which have appeared as semi-secret meetings since they are announced by the State Treasurer's office. All that we have heard have been whispered notice the day of or a day before the meeting with sketchy details on the location and time. Free Detroit has requested to be placed on the distribution list for announcements out of the Michigan Treasurer and have yet to receive a confirmation to that request.

We are also curious to see the billing of contract to Milliman for the work done with the CET. Mentioned during yesterday's long session (1:30pm-4:30pm) was that details of the document were not yet complete and available until the contract terms with Milliman were completed -- they want to be paid. That contract should come before City Counsel as it will likely be higher than $25,000. Additional legal counsel from Butzel Long, Miller Cohen, and Miller Canfield can be expected as well.

July 16 Update

The following note is going to be given to City Council members today as they receive information from the Financial Advisory Board and the work they are doing on "City Employment Terms". A draft copy of the CET presentation was obtained during the 'secret' FAB meeting on July 12 at 1:30pm. Please note the concessions in the document.

This special meeting of the Council of the Whole will be held at 1:30pm today, July 16. Click here for a print ready PDF of this update which we encourage being distributed. Pass along a copy to those persons you care about and whom care about Detroit.

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Open letter to: Mayor Dave Bing, Detroit City Council, and citizens

With the move to bring suit against Ms. Krystal Crittendon for her efforts to protect the City from an illegal takeover, the Mayor and the Governor have shown their determination to dismantle the City of Detroit as we have known it and redesign it for the wealthy, the banks and the corporations. The City Council was elected to serve the interests of the majority population of Detroit; however, our rights are being ignored. The Council has the authority and ethical responsibility to hold City departments and all providers of services to the City accountable. Council Members have the power to ensure that the law will be upheld. They can stop the corruption and lawlessness that we have seen from the Mayor and the Governor.

We demand that the City Council take actions to halt the illegal takeover and war against the people of Detroit. This war has escalated and is being carried out on every front:

Suppression and Denial of Voting Rights

The conspiracy of Republicans and the Governor will result in keeping the repeal of Public Act 4 off the ballot for the November election. This act usurps our rights to elect the government officials who will represent us, taking away the rights guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution.

Union Busting and Disregard of Workers' Rights 

Agreements previously made through negotiations with unions are being disregarded, in outright rejection of the principle of collective bargaining. Retirement benefits/pensions, cost of living adjustments, health coverage, sick leave, furlough days and many other provisions that were won by workers over generations of struggle and sacrifice will be cut drastically or eliminated by the plan to be presented to Council on July 16, 2012, as the "City Employment Terms."

Education

This week Roy Roberts will present an action plan for the schools that will decimate DPS and ensure that our children will be undereducated and unable to achieve the fulfilling lives they deserve. It is possible that these ruthless strategies will culminate in closure of all the public schools, passing the school system to private companies, supporting the growth of wealth for the rich on the backs of our children.

Housing and Razing of Neighborhoods

Instead of taking actions to secure the people's homes against foreclosure, the City is involved in placing millions of dollars with companies to carry out massive demolition projects. These contracts are awarded overwhelmingly to individuals and companies outside the City of Detroit. These plans worsen the problems of homelessness, reduce the availability of affordable housing, and weaken the stability of remaining neighborhoods and families.

Department of Human Services Elimination

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is being dismantled, with plans to turn a federally funded program over to a private entity. Citizens are experiencing cutbacks and the end of services essential to their health, safety and wellbeing - especially seniors and single heads-of-household, which struggle to keep up with utilities, food, and other basic needs.

Transportation

Under the direction of a private contractor, the Detroit Transportation System (DDOT) is now in total disarray. Workers earning basic wages have lost their jobs and have no hope for rehire. DDOT is fraught with - cutbacks, schedule reductions, and elimination of major routes. Many bus riders desperate for basic wage jobs have lost their employment due to a lack of reliable and affordable transit options.

Public Lighting and Utilities

The city and state governments intend to pass a bill that will allow proper street lighting for selected sections of the City, while other sections are left in the dark. Though the citizens are required to pay increased taxes for infrastructure needs such as public lighting, these services remain shamefully inadequate. With the high cost of utilities, citizens are unable to keep up payments and suffer shutoffs to their services, sometimes resulting in death.

Land Usage

The city is rezoning residential land parcels to be available for corporate farming so that massive tracts of land can be allocated to agribusinesses, like Hantz Farms. At the same time Detroiters are being pushed out of their homes through predatory lending practices, foreclosures and evictions, while city officials harass community farmers who are trying to establish food security, strong neighborhoods, and Safe Streets.

Public Safety and Security

At a time when crime, victimization, fires, and other emergencies are soaring cuts to fire, law enforcement, and EMS are made. Grants and other special relief funds are not sought, dismissed, or accepted. This means residential and business communities exist under a veil of fear and a lack of public trust.

Militarization, Harassment & Criminalization of Citizens

The City has agreed to a multi-jurisdictional task force of law enforcement agencies that will escalate the harassment, brutalization and criminalization of Detroit citizens. Ultimately this will lead to increased incarceration of young African Americans. Increased criminalization of our youth feeds the prison pipeline and private profit.

We appeal to our fellow citizens to stand up and resist this oppressive takeover! Make your voices heard! Show up at City Council meetings on Tuesdays! Show up at the demonstrations! We are the change makers that we are waiting for!

---

Free Detroit - No Consent holds weekly meetings on Thursdays at 6pm. Please call 313-444-0061 to get location information.

We are urging the public to file ethics complaints. We have crafted a version of the Ethics Complaint form with our findings within. We would like to work with you and please assist us in assembling a large number of complaints turned in to the Board of Ethics. The next scheduled meeting is July 27 at 3pm. Details can be found on the Calendar page of the website. Note: You can view the calendar in agenda mode using a button at top right of the display. This may make for an easier to read, and print format.

New Detroit Corporate Empire

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and his accomplices have an agenda — the Rape of Detroit. Extract anything that is good and decent from the city, sell it off to the wardens of a new Detroit Corporate Empire.

The people have a choice, either:

1. Lay down and submit, Consent to Agree
2. Stand up, educate, use the law, and Fight Back

This is why Free Detroit - No Consent was formed. The people of the city are not willing victims in this “Consent Agreement”, WE DO NOT CONSENT. We the people are being enslaved by this system.

Friday, June 22 Mayor Bing asked for a Special Meeting with City Council to remove Corporation Counsel Krystal Crittendon. He needs six votes from council, council denied him that June 11. This was his second attempt.

Public comments were heard for about a half hour and the Mayor couldn’t handle the heat. Each person coming to speak was supportive of the lawyer and reinforced that she was doing her job, yet the Mayor was not doing his job. He has continued to operate outside the law of the City Charter. The people have had enough!

The Mayor claimed to have a phone conference he had to be on with Washington DC. He interrupted public comments twice. Council President Charles Pugh asked the Mayor if he would return so the meeting could be kept open. The Mayor was not specific and left.

Forty five minutes later a representative from the Mayor’s office spoke with press who were in the room and asked them to come to the 11th floor for a press conference. The people were waiting, City Council was waiting while this happened. The Mayor put the city on hold while he spoke to the press - then he did not return to complete the meeting. City Council closed the meeting around 4pm. It had started at 2pm.

The Mayor continues to exercise privilege of the press in portraying the residents of the city in a degrading manner, indicating Friday's meeting was a "sideshow"[1][2][3][4].

Mayor Bing several times has stated he no longer consults with Corporation Counsel as required by the City Charter (sec 7.5-201.1). Changes approved to the Charter in January 2012 (sec 7.5) clearly state Corporation Counsel and the Auditor General are independent of all branches of the government. This change was made to prevent corruption. Mayor Bing employs legal counsel from Miller-Canfield. Is the money to do this coming from the City Budget? Would that mean the City is on the line for Miller-Canfield's bill or are they working pro bono for the mayor? What contracts and receipts are in the city's books? All contracts are to be filed with Corporation Counsel (sec 7.5-206).

Miller-Canfield is a law firm we will show  to be in collusion with the State of Michigan, and Court system in the enslaving of the poor. There has been a focus on communities that are predominantly black. Miller-Canfield attorney Mike McGee is Mayor Bing's top choice - he wrote the changes to Public Act 4 creating a dictatorship when an Emergency Manager was placed; he drafted and revised the Financial Stability Agreement along with Ernst Young (each making $1 million in that process); and we'll have more information as investigation continues. How can a person so close to State law be placed in a position guiding the Mayor? This is all about creating a corporate empire within the State of Michigan, that is able to subjugate the people with government, rather then serve the public. They will interpret the law rather than follow it - watch for this and call it out when it happens.

Free Detroit started on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, which is the date (April 4, 2012) that the Consent Agreement was approved 5-4 by City Council. It wasn’t a super-majority, nor was it placed to the people for a vote. We are now enslaved by a system that demonstrates Taxation without Representation. We intend to fight on many fronts.

Free Detroit has created an Ethics Complaint that can be downloaded, signed, notarized, and turned in with the Board of Ethics. We are seeking to have Mayor Bing and his accomplices removed from office and legal proceedings held against him that may land him in prison as available through the Charter. The next Board of Ethics meeting is July 27 (see calendar), please have your complaint turned in through Free Detroit by Monday July 23rd. Your complaint needs to be notarized and we would like to know how many are being turned in. Contact: 313-444-0061 or info@freedetroit.org for assistance or to help in the process.

Written by: Stephen Boyle.
Please REBLOG and SHARE. Stop the Rape of Detroit by the Mayor, his cronies, and the State of Michigan (Governor and State Treasurer). RESIST - We Do Not Consent!

Thanks to: Public Enemy [video credit: Can’t Truss It (by PublicEnemyVEVO)].