Does Detroit’s fate foretell the end of American democracy? In becoming the first major American city to die before our eyes, Detroit is the prime case study of the destructiveness of the traditional liberal model of governance, public-sector-union rapacity, and the abandonment of any sense of civic responsibility by a governing elite that feasted like Roman senators while their city burned. And as in late republican Rome, a dictator may be appointed before long in Detroit; this has happened already in four bankrupt Michigan cities, including Flint (population: 102,000). The question is whether today’s dictators are a necessary means to save otherwise irredeemable places or whether they foreshadow an end to democracy in America’s dysfunctional states and cities (and perhaps in the country as a whole).
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In both ancient Rome and modern Michigan, the dictator was appointed to restore order. Given the dangers facing both, the dictatorship seemed a prudent and necessary measure. The modern American dictators are Michigan’s state-appointed emergency managers (EM), each of whom has been named to his position by the state legislature after it has identified a locality that has defaulted on its debts or is in danger of bankruptcy. In Michigan, the EMs have sweeping powers — among other things, to hire and fire local government employees; renegotiate, terminate, or modify labor contracts (with state-treasury approval); revise contract obligations; sell, lease, or privatize local assets (with state-treasury approval); and change local budgets without local legislative approval. They can strip local elected officials of their power; indeed, according to Joe Harris, the EM of Benton Harbor, Mich., “the only authority that [local elected officials] can have is the authority that’s provided to them, or is given to them by the emergency manager.” Unlike in republican Rome, however, where the dictator could not rule legally for more than six months, Michigan’s nouveaux dictators have no term limit, and they are answerable only to the state government.
In Wisconsin and Indiana, elected governors are using democratic means to change ruinous labor contracts and balance budgets. But in Michigan, an apparently ingrained inability to fulfill basic governance duties at all levels has led to the governor’s supporting the erasure of local freedom in the name of expediency and urgency. Michigan’s example may appeal to other similarly dysfunctional and cash-strapped states.
In Rome, what began as a position with limited powers to respond to emergencies and to ensure the smooth running of elections changed into a far more powerful post whose holder directly made laws and altered the constitution. Under Julius Caesar, the dictatorship became a ten-year position — and ultimately a lifetime appointment for Caesar by a supine Senate. In Michigan, similarly, the persistent failure of local government led in the 1980s to the creation of a new position with limited powers: emergency financial managers. But the state’s endemic problems led to the replacement of this position with the far more comprehensive emergency manager, and that may not be the final iteration, either. For example, EM 2.0 was passed last year once it became clear that the original EM statute didn’t go far enough. Soon afterward, in April 2011, Benton Harbor’s Joe Harris issued an order stripping all city boards and commissions of their authority to take any action.
From the perspective of the liberal, technocratic state, creating American dictators makes perfect sense. What better way to ensure the welfare of the people than by taking away the powers of those elected officials who failed them? There’s a perverse logic to this style of one-man rule — accountable to a higher (elected) authority, but not to the people themselves. And there’s no question that numerous states are now being forced to recognize the failure of democratically elected local governments that have impoverished generations of city dwellers. Yet this is not a temporary measure: Given the extent of the collapse of Michigan’s cities, some may have EMs for years.
Ten "Occupy Wall Street" people protested PA 4 in last week's cold in Bay City, MI (unsurprisingly with excessive press coverage). It couldn't be more apparent that these were SEIU paid lackeys. After all, who stands to lose when the Governor appoints an EM? If you guessed the public unions we are both on the same page.
I can't quite sort out if this op-ed piece is critical or supportive of Michigan's EM law, or just intended to be illustrative. I believe that most Michiganders support the law. How does belief in democracy somehow justify the continued epic mis-managment of the city of Detroit? Those opposed to the law have NO solutions. Finally, what happens when the pro-democracy protesters awake to a city with no firefighters, police, garbage collection, or other essential services? I don't believe that responsible adults believe in magic solutions, and many bumper stickers in the city urge praying for Detroit as a solution. So if adults aren't in charge, adults have to move in.
There is a solution: Municipal bankruptcy. Then all the promises the municipality made to all the special interests (including voters as municipal employees) go out the window.. Also, all the bondholders get shafted. When the municipality comes out of bankruptcy, its ability to make unreasonable promises will be severely limited, at least for a while. So, whomever the voters voter for will find their ability to screw things up by promising hope and change will be severely llimited.
I agree. Vendors will then be demanding cash up front, City workers will have to plan for their own retirement. Budgets will be on a cash basis. A little discipline won't hurt.
Not going to happen, in the short term, for the same reason as the unraveling of the EU. Once bondholders in, say, Detroit, realize they are going to get shafted, they'll demand a risk premium in, say, Springfield, which might be borrowed to hilt but could have hung on if the interest rates didn't suddenly go up by 400 basis points because of Detroit. And the government-indebtedness house of cards tumbles down.
Sadly there is a lot of truth in this. Cleveland is not far behind Detroit and the corrupt Cuyahoga county government was under FBI invstigation for years. during that investigation a certain County judge was indicted. She was also suspended without pay from her duties. All of this happened before her name could be removed from an election ballot.
This indicted, suspended judge still got more that 100,000 votes for re election. This may be the government that the city's voters deserve but it is not to the likely of many. As proof Ohio lost two house seats in this last census as hard working, decent people fled the state.
In a democracy, the voters get what they deserve. Keep voted for morally degraded, power hungry statists, and eventually, you get to the point where the power worshippers you put in positions of power seize what little bit of power you actually have at the polls. For your own good, of course, which is how all fascist initiatives will be sold to us in this country, as a forced self-improvement program...
On the one hand, it's nice seeing the blue states shoot themselves in the foot this way. It pretty much vindicates any criticism of Hayek's notions about the inevitability of totalitarianism when government is centralized and strong. Too bad proof of Hayek's content has to happen in the U.S. and too bad we're so far down the track toward this approach nationwide.
There is absolutely a connection between the continued slide toward authoritarianism and the eradication of the classical Western education. More and more frequently, I meet young, well-meaning Liberal technocrats that "invent" solutions to problems created by liberal overreach that are straight out of the Marxist textbook. Indeed, I was shocked to learn Western Civ was no longer even a requirement at many universities! UNBELIEVABLE! They have no history-based understanding and therefore, no respect for the protections designed by the founders. Their concept of freedom is the ability to camp downtown and disrupt a city's operation and lawful commerce without consequence.
They have no idea that the inconsequential and annoying thing they're so willing to squash in pursuit of their newest social engineering scheme is called "freedom."
A compelling question for the author and AEI to consider - what is the state of classical education in Western Civ at our universities and is there a link between support of certain policy approaches and a lack of historical knowledge.
Victor,
You are absolutely logical and correct.However, the lack of hard knowledge taught in the schools, now, is astounding ,dangerous, and frightening. Very, very few students on any level take any classics courses in any field. " The dummies are teaching the dummies."
The rest of the answer to your question is there is a "'link, "but in history it has, also, been proven that the "intellectuals"often become power mad and destructive. This is one of the proofs for the necessity of a solid and moral character, and one who understands leaders have to serve the People as in the mold the Founders envisioned.
Unless we manage to change the school systems, and the Schools of Education in the universities, and each teacher's character and intellect is on a far higher plain than what the children must suffer, now, nothing will change. The standard must be higher and the system must be based on merit.
I live in the Detroit area and have watched the city's downhill slide since the 1970's. If not an EM, would you suggest a low-yield nuclear weapon? The state creates it's political subjurisdictions, and the state can address this issue in the manner it sees fit to so do, totally unlike the state's relation to the federal structure, another creation of the state(s). Perhaps the states in concert should appoint an EM for that heedless mob in the federal district as well.
Perhaps the author of this screed is unaware that PA 4 was written and rammed through the state legislature by the Republican/teaparty super majorities in Michigan's State Senate and and House of Representatives. The OLD act (product of a Democrat/Republican compromise measure and Gov Jennifer Granholm(D)) was called "toothless" and "impotent" and "pointless" by the Republicans that took over the legislature and the Governorship in 2010.
Frankly I agree with them. This in not how democracy dies, this is how it is given back to the people it's been stolen from for so long. Further, this process is much less destructive than municipal bankruptcy as a bankruptcy would take down many of the surrounding counties as well. AAA and AA ratings of those counties would be gone with the BK because they are so tied to Detroit. Finally, the EFM can not serve longer than the exigent financial circumstances last. So, if the EFM is doing his job, the term is by definition NOT infinite. And again, the people of the state have a chance to change this by simply not re-electing the "CONSERVATIVE"/ TEA PARTY REPUBLICANS that made this their signature accomplishment for 2011. Democrats are making the repeal of PA 4 their almost singular talking point for 2012.
So, i guess I'm confused. Is this magazine criticizing Conservative Republicans for honoring a campaign promise and getting a beefed up PA 4 passed and implemented? Or is this author so misinformed he wrote this piece thinking Michigan still had a Democrat in the Governor's manse and Democrats in power in the legislature?
Liberty becomes a luxury when the lights go out. Power and light, water, sewers, streets and the other vital elements of any city simply must be in place before political form can be effectively addressed. To the extent we beggar the fundaments of our cities through reckless largess; we threaten the survival of liberty herself. Conservatism isn’t an alternative approach to liberty; conservatism is the conservator of liberty.
Thus ends the sermon to the choir.
"Power and light, water, sewers, streets and the other vital elements of any city simply must be in place before political [re]form can be effectively addressed."
I'd flip that -- without political reform, there is no means to put and keep the utilities and the police and courts in place, *uncorrupted*.
The Roman comparison is apt to a degree but stretches credulity a bit as well. The Roman dictator had full authority, executive, legislative, judicial and military over the state once appointed, albeit for a term.
These emergency managers have been appointed to exercise an obviously less sweeping power over subordinate jurisdictions with accountability to a higher one on multiple counts as you noted. Including the fact that they have been appointed by the state legislature.
For a Roman equivalent, it would have to be a city council appointing an all powerful mayor and then ceding their own powers to that person. Or, alternatively, for a state legislature and governor to name a dictator and then turn over their powers to that person.
That doesn't mean the loss of elected home rule at the local level is nothing, but it is not the same.
