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Mayor
Bing,
Council,
Unions
and
supporters
unite to
prevent
State
EFM
takeover
of
Detroit
By HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit
DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) -
Thursday
night in
a
hurried
press
conference
Detroit
Mayor
Bing
called
for a
show of
unity
and
togetherness
against
what he
says is
the
beginning
steps by
Governor
Rick
Snyder
to send
in an
Emergency
Finance
Manager
to run
the the
largest
city in
Michigan.
The
Mayor
made it
clear to
all,
especially
those
who
questioned
his
resolve
in this
matter,
saying,
"I did
receive
that
call
(from
Governor
Snyder)
and I am
here
today
with
City
Council,
Labor,
our
Community
and
Businesses
to say
that we
are
opposed
to the
Governor
beginning
this
process.
We are
here as
Detroit
to send
a clear
message.
We are
opposed
to an
Emergency
Manager.
We are
making
progress
and
moving
closer
than
ever to
addressing
this
fiscal
crisis."
Bing
told the
media
that
Detroit
is
making
good
progress
on its
own
relating
to the
$150
million
budget
deficit
and cash
flow
problems.
he also
points
out the
outstanding
monies
owed by
the
state to
the city
saying,
"We’ve
asked
the
state to
see what
they can
do about
the $220
million
owed to
the City
of
Detroit
that
helped
put us
in a
fiscal
crisis
in the
first
place.
Refusal
to
consider
those
proposals
while
initiating
this
process
sends a
disturbing
signal
to our
community."
In
responding
to the
mayor
about
the
30-day
state
review
of the
city's
troubled
finances,
Gov.
Rick
Snyder
pledged
Thursday
to do
whatever
it takes
to avoid
appointing
an
emergency
manager
in
Detroit.
"This
absolutely
isn't an
us
versus
them -
whether
within
in the
city or
outside
of the
city,"
Snyder
spokeswoman
Sara
Wurfel
said.
"We're
all in
this
together.
Because
again, a
strong
and
successful
Detroit
is key
to a
strong
and
successful
Michigan."
However
Snyder
said the
state
has no
choice
but to
intervene
and
offer a
hand to
avoid a
manager
before
the city
runs out
of money
by
April.
Bing
spokesman
Dan
Lijana
said
Thursday
that the
governor
"signaled
his
intention
that a
financial
review
could
begin as
early as
today,
Friday
December
2, 2011.
This
financial
review
is the
first
step
toward
appointing
an
emergency
manager.
The
entire
process
of
taking
over the
city
would be
about 90
days.
The
mayor
plans to
cut
1,000
jobs
early
next
year to
save
about
$14
million
this
fiscal
year. He
has said
the
layoffs
will be
strategic
and the
positions
will be
eliminated
by Feb.
25. Some
city
council
members
have
said
they
think
more
layoffs
are
needed,
while
Bing has
been
seeking
deeper
pay and
benefits
concessions
from
unions.
Now that
all
sides
say
they're
listening
to one
another,
it seems
to have
generated
movement
from the
unions.
"We're
going to
sit down
and
resolve
these
issues,"
Al
Garrett,
president
of the
American
Federation
of
State,
County
and
Municipal
Employees
Council
25 in
Michigan,
said
after
the news
conference
where he
stood
with
Bing.
Garrett
said all
parties
want to
work
toward a
resolution
"and
everybody
knows
there
are
concessions
in it."
Local
organizations,
members
from the
labor,
civic,
and
religious
communities
will
hold a
press
conference
on
Friday,
December
2, 2011
at 2:00
P.M. at
AFSCME
Local
Council
25
located
at 600
W.
Lafayette
in
Detroit.
Speakers
for the
press
conference
include,
Brandon
Jessup,
CEO of
Michigan
Forward
and
Stand Up
for
Democracy
Chairman,
Rev. Dr.
Wendell
Anthony,
President,
Detroit
Branch
NAACP
and
Richard
Mack,
Attorney,
representing
AFSCME
Local
Council
25
The call
and plan
of
action
is to
address
the
precarious
situation
the City
of
Detroit
is in
regarding
its
fiscal
challenges
and the
efforts
to
repeal
Public
Act 4.
I have a
message
for all
Detroiters
who are
troubled
by this
news. We
need
your
help. We
need to
stand
together
and
maintain
order in
our
city.
The
mayor
concluded
in his
statements
Thursday
night by
saying,
"The
best
thing we
can do
is work
together
to solve
the
problem.
You have
my
commitment
that we
won’t
rest
until we
have a
solution.
This is
our
city. We
are
Detroit.
Detroit
needs to
be run
by
Detroiters.
We know
what
needs to
be done
and we
are
ready to
do it."
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