Incumbency protection planning gone wrong?
If Karen Weaver survives the Flint Mayoral ‘recall’ contest,will anyone be particularly surprised?
Weaver, supposedly a solution to decades of infrastructure neglect and poor city service planning, became the target of big city politicos because of the normal big city shenanigans. From Global financial Market Review:
” Mayor Karen Weaver sailed into office two years ago promising to clean Flint’s lead-tainted water and to restore trust in government, after previous leaders brought poisoned water to the city and ignored residents when they complained. Ms. Weaver declared a state of emergency, met with the president and made the rounds on cable television, quickly becoming one of America’s most visible mayors.
But as her celebrity grew, so too did a revolt within her own City Hall. She now faces City Council members accusing her of corruption, a court battle over Flint’s long-term water source and, on Tuesday, a recall election that could snuff out her four-year term at the halfway point.”
Once upon a time, a recall actually meant something however.
In 2012 the Michigan state legislature in-artfully crafted improper/illegal language describing the nature of a recall. Because of no challenge, it remains in force, and recalls are truly a thing of the past leaving free-for-all elections such as this to occur. As I had opined then:
HB6060 Added these words:
State factually and clearly each reason for the recall.
Each reason for the recall shall be based upon the officer’s conduct during his or her current term of office. The reason for the recall may be typewritten. If any reason for the recall is based on the officer’s conduct in connection with specific legislation, the reason for the recall shall not misrepresent the content of the specific legislation.
..
If any reason for the recall is not factual or of sufficient clarity, the entire recall petition shall be rejected.
The very premise of recalls in Michigan is spelled out very clear in the state’s constitution.
§ 8 Recalls.
Sec. 8. Laws shall be enacted to provide for the recall of all elective officers except judges of courts of record upon petition of electors equal in number to 25 percent of the number of persons voting in the last preceding election for the office of governor in the electoral district of the officer sought to be recalled. The sufficiency of any statement of reasons or grounds procedurally required shall be a political rather than a judicial question.
Recalls are of a political nature. Period.
And at the end of a recall election, there should be a vacancy in the position, or not.
The incumbency protection scheme enacted by a pitiful representation of Republican politics ended the ability of voters to remove bad actors. In fact, the worse they are, the better chance of survival they have, by attracting all manner of indignant challengers.
And with 17 candidates divvying up the vote against Weaver, she will likely remain.
(8)Nuh Uh.
(0)
Heh. My comments from back then still stand.
Good times!
And as expected, there is a vastly different outcome when the people's disgust is not allowed a simple thumbs up/down scenario.
18 candidates diluting the pool, and Weaver easily keeps her job.
For the record, We the People of Michigan have the authority, under Article II § 9 of Michigan's Constitution, to use the power of the citizen initiative to undo the damage done by 2012-HB-6060. What we'd need is a well-structured petition, and the necessary network of volunteers to get the signatures accomplished within the 180-day window. As to the language, I have a well-outlined idea already drafted . . . anyone interested?