Thursday, March 28, 2013

Baumol and Blinders (cont.) (Unqualified Offerings)

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CA-NEWS Summary

North Korea to cut all channels with South

SEOUL (Reuters) - Reclusive North Korea is to cut the last channel of communications with the South because war could break out at "any moment", it said on Wednesday, days of after warning the United States and South Korea of nuclear attack. The move is the latest in a series of bellicose threats from North Korea in response to new U.N. sanctions imposed after its third nuclear test in February and to "hostile" military drills under way joining the United States and South Korea.

Italy politics still stuck as Bersani to face president

ROME (Reuters) - Italian center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani was left on Wednesday with only slim hope of forming a government after talks with rival party leaders ended with rejection from Beppe Grillo's 5-Star Movement. Bersani said he would report back to President Giorgio Napolitano on Thursday and called on all parties to "accept their responsibilities" and allow a government to be formed.

Despite threats, North Korea keeps border factories open

PAJU, South Korea (Reuters) - A heavily armed border crossing between North and South Korea that allows the North access to $2 billion in trade a year, one of its few avenues to foreign currency, remained open on Thursday despite Pyongyang's move to cut communications. North Korea on Wednesday severed the last of three telephone hotlines with South Korea as it readied its troops to face what it believes to be "hostile" action from Seoul and Washington. The phone line is used to regulate access to the Kaesong industrial park on the North Korean side of the border as well as for military communications with the South.

Nations close to deal on U.N. arms trade treaty: envoys

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations members on Wednesday were close to a deal on the first international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global conventional arms trade, though delegates and rights groups said India, Iran or others could still block agreement. Arms control campaigners and human rights groups say one person dies every minute worldwide as a result of armed violence and a treaty is needed to halt the uncontrolled flow of arms and ammunition they say fuels wars, atrocities and rights abuses.

Egypt could hold delayed election in October: Mursi

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi said on Wednesday parliamentary elections could be delayed until October, a postponement which could give his cash-strapped administration breathing space to negotiate an IMF deal. Mursi's original plan was for a four-stage election that would start in late April and put a parliament in place by July.

Train hauling Canadian oil derails in Minnesota

NEW YORK/CALGARY (Reuters) - A mile-long train hauling oil from Canada derailed, spilling 30,000 gallons of crude in western Minnesota on Wednesday, as debate rages over the environmental risks of transporting tar sands across the border. The major spill, the first since the start of a boom in North American crude-by-rail transport three years ago, came when 14 cars on a 94-car Canadian Pacific train left the tracks about 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis near the town of Parkers Prairie, the Otter Tail Sheriff's Department said.

Britain opens inquest into Berezovsky's unexplained death

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain opens a judicial inquiry into the death of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky on Thursday to establish how he died in the locked bathroom of his vast mansion near London. Berezovsky, who survived years of intrigue, power struggles and assassination attempts in Russia, was found dead on Saturday in his home in Ascot, a town close to Queen Elizabeth's Windsor Castle.

Sanctions noose makes it harder for Japan's Koreans to help their own

TOKYO (Reuters) - When the now elderly man left Japan on a Soviet ship in 1960 for North Korea, he thought he was headed to the promised land. In reality, he survived 47 years there thanks only to $1 million in support from his half-brother in Japan. The man's Korean-born parents decided to migrate to North Korea when he was a teenager, lured by the promise of free education and healthcare in a country that at the time was richer than South Korea in the wake of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Pockets of resistance still in Central African Republic

BANGUI (Reuters) - Rebel forces and international peacekeepers mopped up pockets of resistance on Wednesday in Central African Republic after a weekend coup but life in the capital was mostly returning to normal after three days of looting. Up to 5,000 rebels swept into the riverside town on Sunday, killing at least 13 South African soldiers in intense fighting and forcing President Francois Bozize to flee in the latest conflict to destabilize the landlocked former French colony.

Former Chilean leader Bachelet seeking presidential comeback

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet ended months of speculation late on Wednesday by announcing she will run in a November presidential election that she is favored to win. A popular center-leftist who ruled the copper-exporting nation from 2006 to 2010, Bachelet will likely face a candidate from the right-wing bloc of President Sebastian Pinera, who is barred from seeking a consecutive term under the constitution.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-010147756.html

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Thursday, March 14, 2013

IAOPA and AOPA join efforts to grow Abu Dhabi's general aviation ...

The two organisations put together a set of initiatives and principles that will enable effective cooperation among them and support their efforts to attract new members. One of the key terms agreed upon was that members of the AOPA in Europe and United States will be entitled to the same privileges as the UAE's AOPA. In addition, a set of functions and events are to be jointly organised in Abu Dhabi within the coming year to exchange knowledge and expertise and further promote general aviation locally and regionally.

The discussions took place during a workshop hosted by Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and AOPA during the Abu Dhabi Air Expo on Thursday 7th March. Representatives from IAOPA, AOPA USA, AOPA United Kingdom, AOPA Germany and AOPA France, alongside their colleagues from the United Arab Emirates, attended the workshop held at the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies at Al Bateen Executive Airport, to share knowledge and discuss a variety of topics including air space regulations, aerial non-commercial operations, certification and maintenance issues, as well as pilot licensing.

Yousif Hassan Al Hammadi, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Abu Dhabi Air Expo, General Manager of Al Bateen Executive Airport, said, "One of ADAC's priorities for the Abu Dhabi Air Expo is to provide a platform in which members of the general aviation industry can meet to develop ways to capture the growing potential of the industry. ADAC looks forward to working with IAOPA and AOPA UAE as they join forces to attract new members to their organizations, and provide members with best practices aimed at facilitating understanding of the general aviation industry as a whole, and maximizing the potential of their businesses."

Since inauguration of the 70th branch of the IAOPA just one year ago at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Air Expo, AOPA UAE has grown to include more than 100 members and has taken steps towards achieving its goal of uniting pilots, owners and operators based in the Emirates, through providing information and organising regular meetings. AOPA UAE continues to encourage young enthusiasts to become pilots, and this year's meeting aims to continue to encourage the development of solutions to ease access to airspace, airports and international travel.

The International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) is a non-profit federation of 70 autonomous, non-governmental, national general aviation organizations around the world. IAOPA has represented international general aviation for nearly 50 years and serves a combined total of 470,000 pilot members worldwide who fly general aviation aircraft for business and personal use.

The second annual Abu Dhabi Air Expo took place from 5th March until 7th March 2013, at Al Bateen Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi's dedicated business aviation airport.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/international-council-aircraft-owner-pilot-association-333236

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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Erik Estrada Returns To Fight Mysterious Creature In 'Chupacabra vs. The Alamo' (VIDEO)

The chupacabras is back! But don?t worry, because Erik Estrada is here to protect us all...

With suspense, horror and a hint of comedy, the new original movie ?Chupacabra vs. The Alamo? debuts on the SyFy to revive the legend of the terrifying and mythical predator that attacks animals and kills them by drinking all their blood.

And who better to fight this dangerous character than Erik Estrada? The Puerto Rican actor stars as DEA Agent Carlos Seguin, who is in charge of combatting the violence and mysterious deaths that have been disturbing San Antonio citizens for some time.

However, Carlos quickly learns that unlike what he thought, the incidents might not be gang-related. To his surprise, it is the Chupacabras (Goat Sucker), a vampire monster, who has been using drug-smuggling tunnels to hunt for food, causing all the commotion.

It is time now for Estrada to save his town. He returns with his motorcycle to remind us he still has what it takes to be an action hero.

The legend of the enigmatic creature, also known as the ?Latino Bigfoot? for his constant attacks to primarily Hispanic communities, first emerged in 1995, when eight sheep were found dead and drained of blood at a farm in Puerto Rico. At the time there was no evidence of who or what would have caused the deaths, but several people assured they have seen a ugly looking beast surrounding the areas.

Take a look at the funny sneak peek above and watch the full show on March 23st at 9pm (ET.)

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/12/erik-estrada-chupacabras_n_2862032.html

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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Heavy snow blankets Rocky Mountains

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

An overhead sign warns that Interstate 70 is closed to the east as a tractor trailer heads out of Aurora, Colo., as a late winter storm packing wet, heavy snow and high winds swept over the intermountain West on Saturday, March 9, 2013.

By F. Brinley Bruton, Staff Writer, NBC News

A powerful storm dumped snow on the Rocky Mountains on Sunday, after having forced the?cancellation?of hundreds of flights and the?postponement?of a Major League Soccer game.?

The fierce Pacific storm was moving east across the Plains into the Midwest, and blizzard conditions were possible?in parts of Nebraska and northwest Kansas,?The Weather Channel reported.

Forecasters also said that parts of the region could expect wind gusts of up to 50-miles-an-hour and white out conditions.

Meteorologists said there could be accumulations of 3 to 6 inches in portions of Iowa, Minnesota, central Wisconsin and northern Michigan as well on Sunday.

Snow pounded Denver, Colo., Saturday, falling at more than an inch per hour at times. Nearly 500 flights out of Denver International Airport had to be canceled. The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports.

The late-winter blast has already dumped up to 10 inches of heavy, wet snow in?the Denver metropolitan area, The Weather Channel reported.

More than 600 flights in and out of Denver International Airport were canceled on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

"Many of the canceled flights are commuter flights that go to mountain towns," airport spokesman Heath Montgomery told Reuters, adding that the facility remained open.

Related:?How deep is it? Show us your snow photos #nbcnewspics

Looking ahead, passengers could expect delays of up to 30 minutes as crews de-iced departing aircraft, he said, according to Reuters.?

The Colorado Rapids postponed their Major League Soccer game against the Philadelphia Union until Sunday, the team said on its website.?

And as the storm moves farther east, rain is expected to move into western New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia on Monday, the Weather Channel reported.

Brennan Linsley / AP

A man walk struggles to walk as blizzard conditions set in at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in southern Colorado on Saturday.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/10/17257054-heavy-snow-blankets-colorado-prompts-flight-cancellations?lite

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Book Publishing Secrets: A Conversation with Mac Fallows | Book ...

We?re talking to authors from all walks of life about their experiences in publishing their book.? Some have smooth paths, some rocky, but they all share a common goal ? to see their name on the cover of their creation.? It?s interesting to read what path they decided to take to get there and my guest today is here to tell everyone what he/she did in order to make it all happen so that other writers will learn a little something from the experience.

Today we are talking to Mac Fallows, author of the musical fantasy novel, Wondertown.

Reclusive writer and composer Mac Fallows first began pitching the idea of a musical book for teens and adults to music and book publishers in the late eighties. But without the technology to support his vision, he didn?t get far.

So instead, he set out to travel the world in search of new challenges . . . and stories. He went on to write and produce over 100 songs in a dozen languages in places including Dakar, Mumbai, Prague, and Santiago for singers including Youssou N?dour, Shankar Mahadevan, Pape and Cheikh, and Kavita Krishnamoorthy.

Along the way he lived with taxi drivers and their families, camped in farmers? fields, butchered bulls, sold tea, raised chickens, translated travel contracts, worked as a session musician, a construction worker, a teacher, and toured the biggest festivals in Europe as a member of one of Africa?s most celebrated bands.?

Wondertown is the?first true musical story he?s published.?It includes?a full-length fantasy novel, 12 related songs and 17 illustrations.

Visit the Author:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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Thank you for your time in answering our questions, Mac. Let?s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to write a book?

For the past twenty-five years or so, I?ve been wrestling with the idea of combining a fantasy novel with a collection of related songs sung by the characters themselves. The concept was formally rejected over a thousand times during that time period, but I couldn?t let it go. Finally, when the iPad arrived, I decided to give it a try myself. Wondertown is the result.

Is this your first book?

The first one I?ve published, yes. I?ve published about 100 songs, however.

Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?

I wrote an earlier version of Wondertown in the eighties and tried to generate interest in the concept, to no avail. Eventually, I packed up my things and spent a decade traveling the developing world, thinking that I could make something happen easier with less red tape to work through. I made my living writing and producing music for local artists and occasionally playing in bands- it was an amazing experience. All these years later, the traditional publishing industry still feels the same way about musical stories, however, and I ended up publishing a musical story myself.

What lessons do you feel you learned about the publishing industry?

That they?re under extreme pressure right now, and as such, that they?re going to really struggle to get out in front of a new concept. They?re cost cutting and looking for anything that?s already proven. They need to minimize risk right now. Traditional media of all kinds is under the same pressure. What?s more, musical stories have a tough business model for traditional publishers with potential upfront costs around recording and songwriting. In the end, it?s likely going to be the artists themselves who grow the musical story genre. I just can?t see traditional publishers ever venturing down that road.

If you had the chance to change something regarding how you got published, what would you change?

More groundswell through non-traditional means. Building a community around the product, no matter how small, is clearly the way to start things these days.

Did you credit any person or organization with helping you get published?

I have a business partner who is very tenacious.

What?s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

Don?t undervalue the entertainment factor. People need to enjoy the experience. And don?t ask the audience to work more than they?re used to working to be rewarded, if you can help it. It?s a significant barrier to success.

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Related posts:

  1. Book Publishing Secrets: A Conversation with Linda Kovic-Skow
  2. Book Publishing Secrets: A Conversation with Roland Allnach
  3. Book Publishing Secrets: A Conversation with H. W. ?Buzz? Bernard
  4. Book Publishing Secrets: Q&A with ?Going for Excelsior? Wayne Hatford
  5. And Yet Another Self-publishing eBook Success Story?

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Source: http://bookmarketingbuzz.com/2013/03/11/book-publishing-secrets-a-conversation-with-mac-fallows/

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Monday, March 11, 2013

Cash-strapped cities seized by new management ? MSNBC

Image: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder talks about the city of Detroit being in a financial emergency state during a  meeting with an invited audience at Wayne State University in Detroit,

(Michigan Governor Rick Snyder talks about the city of Detroit being in a financial emergency state during a meeting with an invited audience at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan March 1, 2013. (REUTERS/ Rebecca Cook))

UPDATED

Imagine if a democratically-elected mayor was suddenly neutered and replaced by an ?emergency manager? with the power to steamroll City Council. Imagine if the manager had the authority to unilaterally modify or even eradicate collective bargaining agreements and used that authority to entirely wipe out public sector unions. For Detroit, and its staunch labor movement, that scenario is less far-fetched than it sounds. In fact, it?s already happening in the Michigan city of Pontiac.

Since Lou Schimmel became Pontiac?s emergency manager in 2011, he has privatized the Department of Public Works, outsourced police services to the Oakland County sheriff?s office, and turned over the city?s fire department to nearby Waterford Township, killing the public sector unions which represented the city?s firefighters and cops. He?s put every city property, including City Hall, up for sale and cut the city?s public employee workforce by about 90%. And he?s done it all without the consent of the city council.

Across Michigan, emergency managers installed by the state are using sweeping powers to privatize public services, lay off city employees, and weaken public sector unions with little standing in their way. Now the same thing is likely to happen in Motor City, one of the industrial centers of America.

Ostensibly a mechanism for rescuing insolvent Michigan cities and school districts from the brink of bankruptcy, the Emergency Management system has turned into a way for unelected officials to break up public sector unions, privatize public services, and drastically shrink the size of municipal governments. Currently, five Michigan cities are being administered by emergency managers?all of whom were appointed by the state?s Local Emergency Financial Assistance Loan Board (ELB).

When a city fails to meet certain financial benchmarks, the state can step in.

?Basically, there?s a set of conditions that trigger this law, things like missing a payroll or bound default,? Michigan State University economist John Scorsone told MSNBC. A state review team then examines the city or school districts? financial health for the governor, who then decides whether a financial emergency has taken place. The governor and state treasurer then determine whether ?local officials have the wherewithal to enact a plan,? Scorsone said.

If not, then the ELB?which includes gubernatorial appointees?will likely appoint an emergency manager.

If Detroit receives an Emergency Manager, roughly half of the state?s black population, living in primarily urban centers, will be governed by un-elected leaders. More than 5,000 unionized city employees in Detroit?all of whom have already been working without a collective bargaining agreement since last spring?will totally lose control of contract bargaining.

Schimmel, whose office did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, is the third EM to preside over Pontiac since 2009.

?He?s the roughest, toughest one,? said Democratic City Councilman Don Watkins. In fact, said Watkins, Schimmel has completely disregarded the City Council, leaving the city?s elected legislative body impotent and irrelevant. Council members no longer receive compensation for their part-time work as elected representatives, though the mayor is on the EM?s payroll as a consultant.

Managers in other cities have attempted similar maneuvers. In Muskegon Heights, the EM for the town?s public schools?fired 158 teachers in Mid-2012 and turned over management of the school district to a private company called Mosaica Education. Reporters later discovered that many of the new Muskegon Heights educators were not legally certified to teach in Michigan. Meanwhile, in the historic union town of Flint, the EM unilaterally imposed contract concessions on public employee unions and outsourced waste collection.

Pontiac too was once a union town but that is no longer the case, said Watkins. The ?whole goal? of those policies, Watkins believes, ?is not to have city employees. They want to have every city service be handled by private companies.?

?Modern-Day Cincinnatus?

Emergency Managers haven?t always held such sweeping powers. Until 2011, they were called Emergency Financial Managers and their authority was defined by a state law called Public Act 72 [PDF]. Passed under Democratic Governor James Blanchard in 1990, it empowered the state government to appoint managers to run city budgets or school districts which would otherwise remain financially insolvent. After the 2008 financial crash, the Democratic administration of Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed several EFMs.

But even before the crash, some people were unsatisfied with what they saw as the limited authority of EFMs. Under Granholm?s administration, Schimmel was a manager in the town of Hamtramck and an adjunct scholar at the Mackinaw Center, a right-wing Michigan think tank. In 2005, he wrote an essay for Mackinac arguing that Public Act 72 didn?t give EFMs ?all of the necessary tools to be successful.? The authority to tinker with public sector union contracts was particularly limited, he complained.

State Republicans who rose to power in 2010 agreed. With a Republican governor, Rick Snyder, and solid majorities in the House and Senate, the legislature passed Public Act 4 in 2011, transforming Emergency Financial Managers into Emergency Managers and expanding their authority. In particular, the newly dubbed EMs now had the power to unilaterally modify collective bargaining agreements with public sector unions.

The EMs appointed under Snyder haven?t been shy about exercising their new authority, said John Philo of the Sugar Law Center, which has challenged the law in court. ?Emergency Managers in general have looked at the unions as their major targets for cutting costs, and that?s regardless of whether the unions have been willing to negotiate and give concessions,? he told MSNBC.

Roy Roberts, the Snyder-appointed EM for Detroit?s public school system, imposed a new contract on the Detroit Federation of Teachers in July 2012. Under his predecessor, the teachers had agreed to significant concessions in a contract that was estimated to save the school system $100 million.

Keith Johnson, president of the teacher federation, described the new contract as an ?edict,? not a collective bargaining agreement, and accused Roberts of creating a ?culture of fear.?

In an article describing Public Act 4 as ?financial martial law,? Mother Jones? Andrew Kroll suggested that Mackinac had ?inspired? the bill. The president of the Center, which is connected to ALEC and played a key role in making Michigan a right-to-work state, called that description an exaggeration. But Mackinac has been more than effusive in its praise of the act. Michael Van Beek, the center?s director of education policy, has even compared the new emergency manager role to that of a ?modern-day Cincinnatus??a reference to the historical figure who temporarily became dictator of Ancient Rome in order to save it from military defeat.

For others on the right and in the business community, Public Act 4 has been a boon for fiscal solvency. In late December, Pontiac received a bond rating upgrade from Fitch Ratings, and the financial publication Crain?s Detroit Business has subsequently held up Schimmel?s tenure as a tentative success.

However, even emergency management proponents believe that there is still work to be done.

?There are cities that have found their own ways towards success,? said Ari Adler, press secretary for Republican State House Speaker Jase Bolger. ?I don?t think we have anything that has shined as an example just yet, that has turned around completely.?

?The proof is going to be in how the [Pontiac] City Council acts? once Schimmel steps down, said James Hohman, a fiscal policy analyst at the Mackinac Center. It is unclear when Schimmel will decide to turn control of Pontiac back to its elected leaders.

The Clone Wars

In early 2012, Stand Up for Democracy, a group connected to the public sector union AFSCME, began collecting signatures for a petition intended to kill Public Act 4 for good. If the group managed to obtain 162,000 legitimate signatures, Public Act 4 would be suspended until November 2012, when it could be voted on as a popular referendum.

It collected 220,000 signatures and a protracted legal struggle ensued. First, a group called Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility?backed by several prominent businessmen in Michigan, including the former head of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce?s political activities?challenged the legitimacy of the petition. One of its arguments was that the petition heading was ?noncompliant with the 14-point type? required by state law.

As a result, the Board of Canvassers failed to certify the petition in April, and Stand Up for Democracy took legal action in the case, which wound up before the Michigan Supreme Court. In August, the Court ruled on behalf of Stand Up for Democracy, putting Public Act 4 on ice until at least November. With the Emergency Manager legislation suspended, the law reverted back to Public Act 72.

On Election Day 2012, Michigan voters repealed Public Act 4. But the fight was far from over.

?You can vote to eliminate Emergency Managers, but you can?t vote to eliminate the emergency,? said Adler, Speaker Bolger?s press secretary. Republicans in the state legislature, arguing that Public Act 72 was still insufficient to deal with local budget crises, got to work crafting a replacement.

Days after Michigan officially made itself a right-to-work state, and just hours before the end of the 2011-2012 legislative session, the lame duck Republican majority pulled an all-nighter. The November elections had cost the state Republicans a chunk of their commanding majority in both houses, and so they were using their last minutes of uncontested dominance to pass as much of their agenda as they possibly could.

?We were here until about 4:30 in the morning, jamming through any number of divisive pieces of legislation under the cover of night,? Robert McCann, the communications director for the State Senate?s Democratic caucus, told MSNBC. Around two in the morning, Michigan Republicans successfully passed Public Act 36, which Democrats argue is essentially a clone of Public Act 4.

?It?s really the exact same law,? said McCann. ?They changed the wording of it a little bit.?

The new law allows cities to choose between a consent agreement, an EM, bankruptcy, or mediation with creditors. The EM?s power to unilaterally alter collective bargaining agreements reemerged in the new law.

Because of the expansive powers over collective bargaining reinserted into the new Emergency Manager law, Detroit teachers are racing to put together a new contract before the law goes into effect on March 27. That same day Michigan will officially become a right-to-work state, and by then, Detroit?s new Emergency Manager will have likely taken office.

Johnson, who heads the teachers federation, said both pieces of legislation were part of a ?relentless and unprecedented assault upon labor unions in general and teachers unions in particular.?

Speaking from experience in Pontiac, officials there said there was little anyone could do to push back once their cities were under the control of an emergency manager. ?We?re just hoping he?ll leave,? said Watkins, the city council member, referring to Pontiac?s EM.

Michigan Democrats, still in the minority in the legislature, said they would continue to oppose the law but offered no specific plans to try to repeal it or challenge it in court, said McCann, the spokesman for Democrats in the state Senate. ?We?re going to keep talking about how this law flew right in the face of what voters just told us last year, and we?re going to keep carrying that message forward,? he said.

Michigan?s stance on city management take-overs seems more aggressive than in other states but that could change. ?Most states have a law that says the state can intervene in local governments if there?s a crisis of sorts, but I don?t think they?re nearly as strong as in Michigan,? said Scorsone.

UPDATE (3/11/2013, 12:10 PM): An earlier version of this article, citing Michigan blogger Chris Savage, said that over half of Michigan?s black population would be governed by EMs if Detroit went under emergency management. Savage was citing U.S. Census numbers which he has since updated?according to the new numbers, it would be slightly less than half of Michigan?s black population.

Source: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/03/11/michigans-emergency-manager-law-another-front-in-the-war-for-union-survival/

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