America’s powerful UAW union has heavily criticised Michigan governor, Rick Snyder’s decision to potentially appoint an emergency financial manager for the State’s largest city.
Governor Snyder appointed an independent, six-member financial review team to examine the state of Detroit’s parlous cash situation and concluded a financial emergency existed with no satisfactory plan to address the crisis.
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Following a hearing if requested, Snyder will decide whether or not to order management of the situation to be supervised by a Local Emergency Financial Assistance Loan Board, who would be responsible for appointing an Emergency Financial Manager (EFM).
However, the UAW labour body has condemned the move as “disheartening to say the least” and insists the Michigan government needs to bring parties together in the same way the auto industry worked through its difficulties in the industry crisis.
“This is difficult, tedious work – it is certainly easier to just dictate but that is not the right way in a democratic society,” said a UAW statement. “Governor Snyder claims there isn’t one simple formula to solve the Motor City’s problems. We agree, but dictating from Lansing is not the right formula.
“Whatever happens with fixing Detroit’s finances, our immediate concern and priority must be a more common-sense approach to improve public safety and focus on the city’s basic responsibilities: safe streets, trash pickup, fighting fires and protecting those in need. Without starting with the basics, we cannot turn our great city or state around.”
Unsurprisingly perhaps, Snyder takes a different view, maintaining “additional action” is required to repair Detroit’s finances and to stop what he refers to as the cycle of overspending and one-off fixes.
“The partnership between Detroit and the State has resulted in great things happening in the city, improved schools, a thriving Midtown, new businesses and a revitalised river-front,” he said.
“But we can’t allow a continuing fiscal crisis to stand in the way of Detroit’s reinvention. Solving the financial problems will lay a solid foundation for future growth and lead to a thriving, vibrant Detroit.”
