Tornado Alley (PROG)

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Reports: Gov. Walker considering “financial martial law” in Wisconsin

According to a report by Rick Ungar of Forbes’ The Policy Page blog, Republican Governor Scott Walker is said to be considering following the lead of far-right Republican Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan in preparing a plan that would not only allow Walker to force local governments to submit to a financial stress test, but would permit the governor to take over municipalities that fail to meet with Walker’s approval.

According to the reports, should a locality’s financial position come up short, the Walker legislation would empower the governor to insert a financial manager of his choosing into local government with the ability to cancel union contracts, push aside duly elected local government officials and school board members and take control of Wisconsin cities and towns whenever he sees fit to do so.

Such a law would additionally give Walker unchallenged power to end municipal services of which he disapproves, including safety net assistance to those in need.

It’s worth noting Gov. Snyder has already put his draconian law into effect in the city of Benton Harbor, Michigan, where Emergency Manager Joseph Harris suspended the decision-making powers of elected city officials last week Friday.

No doubt supporters of Gov. Walker will defend his proposal as some sort of “courageous” attempt to reform government, but it strikes me as extremely dangerous – not to mention unAmerican – to give one person the ability to set aside the will of voters.
http://bloggingblue.com/2011/04/18/reports-gov-walker-considering-financial-martial-law-in-wisconsin/