Democracy's Light Shines in Lands Darkened By Em Dictator Law; Freedom Fighters Gather in Lansing Wednesday To Launch Campaign Repealing PA 4

Local issues.  Local control.  Stand Up for Democracy supports communities fighting to be free from illegally reappointed EM dictators.  Repeal campaign kicks-off with legislative day activities in capital.

DETROIT, Aug. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A virtual brushfire of freedom, democracy and local control is spreading across the state as democratically elected officials in local communities challenge efforts to re-install new emergency managers under an old law repealed more than a year ago.

"People living in their own communities understand what they need better than another appointed bureaucrat from Lansing does," said Herb Sanders, director of the group. "Stand Up for Democracy whole-heartily supports our neighbors' desire to govern their own communities and decide their own destinies."

Public Act 4, the law that created emergency managers, is now suspended until the fall election.  However, right-wing elements in state government are attempting to install new or reappoint old emergency managers in an effort to circumvent the law and the will of the voters.

Democratically elected officials from Ecorse to Flint are taking action to assert their communities' right to self-governance in the wake of last week's decision placing the repeal of PA 4 on the ballot, including:

• The City of Flint where city council has sued the state to stop the appointment of a new EM after the old one sold a public project funded by millions of dollars in taxpayer money to a private developer for $1
• The City of Ecorse where the city council is working to prevent the installation of a new EM dictator
• The City of Detroit where city council members are challenging the validity of a contract forced on the city under the threat of an emergency manager dictator; and where the elected school board held a public meeting and voted to install a new superintendent in defiance of the re-appointed EM dictator
• The City of Highland Park where the school board is demanding the re-appointed EM dictator step down
• The City of Pontiac where city council members voted to strip the EM of his power
• The City of Benton Harbor where city council members and residents are working with national civil rights organizations to repeal the emergency manager law.

On Wednesday, buses and cars filled with people working to restore democracy and local control to their communities will arrive in Lansing from points across the state. Billed as Stand Up for Democracy Day in Michigan, hundreds of people are expected to descend on the state capital at 10 a.m. to meet fact-to-face with legislators and tell them to not support any effort to circumvent the will of the voters deciding the fate of the EM dictator law in November. The legislative lobby effort is being done in response to right-wing extremists who want to pass a new EM law to replace the suspended one before people have a chance to vote.

Freedom fighters from across the state will also gather on the steps of the state capital to announce the launch of the campaign to repeal PA 4.

SOURCE Stand Up for Democracy