Poll: Voters Ready to Reject Emergency Manager Law Because it Threatens Democracy and Rights

Campaign Volunteers Circulate 70,000 repeal petitions

LANSING, Mich., July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Stand Up for Democracy campaign is announcing it has distributed nearly 70,000 petitions to volunteers across Michigan during the first full month of operations to repeal Public Act 4, the law that created emergency managers. Often referred to as the Local Dictator Act, PA 4 fundamentally threatens democracy and local rights.

"Emergency managers rule with impunity. They make policy without regard to citizen input or local law," said David Bullock, president of Rainbow Push Detroit and member of the Committee to Stand Up for Democracy. "That is not democracy. That is a dictatorship and it will not stand."

Emergency managers can:

1. seize and sell assets owned by the city, such as buildings or parks, without the approval of voters or local elected officials
2. add to local debt, by putting property tax hikes on the ballot with confusing wording that hides the real cost of the tax hike
3. outsource to private and out of state companies
4. lay off thousands of public employees including teachers, police and firefighters
5. change or terminate the contract of city or school district employees
6. suspend contracts and collective bargaining agreements
7. eliminate collective bargaining rights for up to 5 years
8. fire elected officials, and
9. dissolve or merge whole cities, counties and school districts

The campaign's announcement that it has 70,000 petitions in circulation comes on the heels of news reports of an independent poll showing that voters will repeal the law once it is put on the ballot in November 2012.

"Polling shows clearly that people in Michigan value democracy. The Emergency Manager Law is seen for what it really is by the public -- a naked power grab by Lansing politicians," said Bullock. "It will be repealed."

In June, volunteers in Ann Arbor, Benton Harbor, Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, Monroe, Pontiac, Petoskey, Traverse City and Ypsilanti launched a petition drive and circulated 30,000 repeal petitions. There are currently 70,000 petitions. Only 161,000 valid voter signatures are needed to place the issue on the ballot in November 2012. The Local Dictator Law is suspended until the general election once the signatures are validated by the state elections bureau. For more information go to www.StandUp4Democracy.com, [email protected] or call 1-866-306-5168 to volunteer.

SOURCE Stand Up for Democracy