Primordial

Mass Intervention

        Is the actual function of the emergency manager to protect profits for multinational banks?
        After years of grassroots activism to stop the state-led political takeover, emergency financial manager Kevyn Orr has arrived. Right now one hundred Detroit-based activists are marching and sitting-in, calling attention to the anti-democratic maneuver. The legal activist community has prepared a federal lawsuit against the EM which siting numerous conflicts of interest.
        Recognizing the encroachment on civil rights that the emergency manager law undoubtedly represents --and the potential for further abuse-- veterans of the civil rights movement are also taking a firm stand.
        Reverend Jesse Jackson took center stage during a March 22 press conference supported by Detroit political figures. He cut straight to the heart of the matter, saying that in the face of such unlawfulness, the only avenue to redress and the reinstatement of democratic principals is a "major, mass, non-violent demonstration in Michigan."
        True enough.
        But other activists are placing the emphasis on what they say is the real reason why the state needs an 'emergency manager' in the first place: to provide legislative protection for large financial institutions, or multinational banks, and the racketeering schemes they continue to perform on poor neighborhoods across America.
        Documents show that the same banks that decimated Detroit's revenue base with years of predatory lending schemes arbitrarily  raised rates on municipal bond payments-- $14 billion in debt that the city of Detroit has accumulated through questionable and often times coerced agreements.
        Governor Rick Snyder and Michigan lawmakers provide the political cover so the banks will receive a maximum return, and profit.
        Consider this-- the connections between Orr and those financial institutions holding the bonds are numerous.
        Attorney Kevin Orr worked for the Washington D.C. office of the law firm, Jones-Day. His client list included many, if not all, of the financial institutions that Detroit now calls its "bondholders".
        These financiers can't risk a rogue bankruptcy filing by the city-- and a possible forfeiture of billions in artificially, possibly illegal, manufactured profits-- without a guiding force.
        And they can't risk the possibility that the city take any direct action against the banks in the form of a lawsuit for financial restitution, stemming from years of illegal foreclosures and the sub-prime loan scandals.
        Is this why conservative forces are working so hard to keep EM law, and Kevyn Orr, in place? Would they suddenly pursue such broad, anti-democratic measures as an emergency manager law without an underlying profit-based motive?
        
       side note: Detroit is not the only large city in America running low on cash.
       side note 2 (and widely under-reported): In February 2012, city worker's unions collectively offered massive concessions to keep the city's short term budget deficit manageable. After Council and Mayor Dave Bing considered the deal, Bing later reversed his position on a union tentative agreement and opted for the state's 'Consent Agreement' plan instead. The 'Consent Agreement', after one year of the five-year plan, is now null and void.
        Reverend Jesse Jackson's comments are especially relevant considering the recent history. In fact, Kevyn Orr assumes the EM position at the tail end of years of successful legal and political action against the emergency manager law by grassroots initiative. Last year organizers collected 220,000 signatures statewide to repeal the emergency manager law. In November 2012, Michigan citizens, with massive support in Detroit, struck down the emergency manager law at the polls.
        The Michigan legislature reacted immediately by brazenly drafting and passing another emergency manager law, PA 436. It went into affect, March 28, 2013 just as Orr took up residence down the hall from the Mayor's office. Michigan lawmakers attached budget appropriations to the new bill, so it can't legally be challenged by referendum.
        All legal and political pathways to popular reform, presumably entrenched in our democratic system, are exhausted. The people of Detroit, and throughout Michigan, ignored.
        If we agree that the emergency manager is indeed undemocratic and an assault on the civil rights of Michigan citizens, then further action must be considered.
        Reverend Jackson, in his call to action, was careful to include the entire state and not just the city of Detroit. Majority-Black cities have taken the brunt of the emergency law making it impossible to conclude that race isn't a factor. But all Michigan citizens should be outraged and vigilant.
       We are being asked to disregard even the most basic criteria demanded by a so-called Democracy. We have to do our job to protect those few remaining democratic principals. The EM is certainly here to do his job-- making sure the banks get paid.

        The track above includes the voice of civil rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson, speaking during a press conference held in conjunction with City Councilmember Joann Watson and other political activists in the Erma Henderson Auditorium on the 13th floor of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building.

        Gypsy Cab Dispatch would like to thank Nadir Omowale for providing valuable assistance during the mixdown of 'Mass Intervention'. Take a moment and visit his site here.

                                                                                                                           Peace, Guy

Alarm Bells

           Daylight saving time-- and the one hour we lose because of it-- signals the coming of the Spring thaw. Its a good time to assess the state of the natural environment immediately around us. But we shouldn't be afraid to monitor the environment on a global scale as well.
          Multinational oil companies are moving another, more important clock ahead with increasingly risky drilling schemes. According to an emerging consensus of climate scientists, we're getting dangerously close to the point at which the hope of ever stabilizing rising temperatures is lost-- the global community needs to reach peak greenhouse gas emissions in the next 5-10 years to avoid that scenario.           
         Specific timelines to enact energy reform, along with increasingly dire warnings by climate scientists, have not spurred government policymakers to action.  
         Consequently, the environmental/activist community is revising tactics around mounting evidence that the U.S. State Department and President Barack Obama will support the completion of the Keystone XL pipeline.
        This major investment involves transporting 'tar sand' oil from Alberta, Canada to refineries in Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico. The 1,700-mile pipeline would would cross major U.S. waterways, including one of the nation's largest ground water source, the Ogallala Aquafier.
         TransCanada, Keystone XL's operator, has been cited a dozen times in just a year for oil spills from its U.S.-based Keystone I pipeline. The even larger issue with the Keystone XL pipeline is the type of crude oil that will be extracted and its effects on the surrounding environment. 'Tar sands oil' presents particular challenges to the surrounding, as well as the global, environment-- its extraction from the ground releases greater volumes of carbon-based, greenhouse gases. The prospect of a major, international pipeline transporting the especially corrosive and toxic 'tar sands oil' is devastating to environmentalists. 
         Climate scientists agree overwhelmingly that the amount of carbon released by excavating 'tar sands' in Alberta, Canada could be enough to push the planet past the 'tipping point' for an already struggling eco-system. The announcement that the Sierra Club would suspend its 120-year ban on civil disobedience actions demonstrates the extent of the crisis.
         Backing the XL pipeline would prove that Obama and the U.S. government are not at all prepared to take global emissions seriously-- not surprising considering a 200-year track record of supporting corporate profit over public good.
         But the public, in this case, is mounting an offensive return. Major actions against the Keystone XL pipeline have recently taken place on the doorstep of the White House and around the country. Two recent protests in Washington D.C., were attended by tens of thousands of climate change activists hoping to dissuade any political support for XL pipeline.
         Let's not forget the corporate media's inability, or unwillingness, to respond to the topic of climate change, even when there is a growing mass movement calling attention to it.
         Considering its possible effects on both the climate and the movement to decrease carbon emissions, mass protests against the Keystone XL pipeline should be on the front page of every newspaper in the country-- daily.
         Perhaps we're witnessing a general aversion to face, head-on, an issue with such dire implications. But the crisis is not going to solve itself, especially with world leaders continuing to turn the clock forward.  

       The track above features Van Jones, former for Green Jobs adviser under President Barack Obama and current president of the non-profit 'Rebuild the Dream', speaking at the 'Forward on Climate' rally on February 13, 2013. An estimated 40,000 protesters converged on the National Mall in Washington D.C. to protest ongoing political consideration of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Revisionary

     History is written by those in power, its been said. And no greater truth has been spoken as we continue to divine what is fact and what is fiction in the political realm.
     The second term of the Barack Obama presidency officially commenced on the national holiday commemorating the birth of Reverend Martin Luther King. The timing didn't go unnoticed and was further highlighted by Obama's decision to incorporate MLK's bible during his swearing-in ceremony. Consequently, more well-intended comparisons between the two historic figures were made in the mainstream press.
      For some, drawing a line from the policy changes won by the civil rights movement to the nation's first Black president is a rational and natural exercise.
      But a look at the comparison through another lens proves that its a mistake to compare the 'leader' of the most militaristic, secretive empire in history with the same nation's most revered and inspiring pacifist.
      It's very difficult for most progressives to reconcile the widely-accepted historic Black presidency with evidence that a man, or woman, of any color holding the office of the President of the United States would be guilty of war crimes.
     The Obama administration recently refused to answer the question of whether the president has the authority to assassinate U.S. citizens any where in the world. This despite the admission that the Justice Department and White House legal counsels have drafted opinions on the matter in private documents. Those supposedly legal arguments are being kept secret.
     Obama has already made the case, by example, and many times over, that he does hold that authority when it comes to non-American citizens. He and his advisers weekly choose victims from a pre-determined "kill list", setting in motion a heinous chain of events without any semblance of due process or on any battlefield by any definition.
         With this post I'll let Dr. Cornel West make the case in his unique and wonderful vernacular, that for Barack Obama to commandeer the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King in any way is, to say the least, problematic and a textbook example of revisionist history. We should not allow it.
                                                                   
                                                                                                                                     Peace. Guy.

The Body Politic

       "...for the body politic incorporated-- not individuals. That was the reason the people wanted the charter amended.."

         On Jan. 14 Krystal Crittendon announced a possible bid for the Mayor of Detroit, proving that she may have survived one of the most vicious 'witchhunts' the corporate media in Detroit has ever levied on a city official.
         This summer, local news outlets spent weeks laying seige to the person and reputation of Crittendon, the City of Detroit's Corporation Counsel. What did Crittendon do to incur the wrath of our suburban warrior press?-- her job, as it turns out. 
         As Mayor Bing was pressuring City Council to approve a far-reaching Consent Agreement with the State of Michigan, Crittendon turned up legal grounds to challenge the agreement. She asked a judge to rule on the matter. That request was fully supported, in fact mandated, by the new City Charter, whose revision was approved by a referendum vote in 2011.
       
         Unfortunately for Crittendon's career, her actions also stood directly in the way of Governor Rick Snyder's ongoing plans to execute a political and economic takeover of the city of Detroit.
       It needs to be repeated, (it was conspicuously played down by the Free Press and the Detroit News) that Crittendon was not only at her discretion to question the consent agreement's legality in court-- she was legally bound to do so.
         In fact, it would have been grounds for removal if she hadn't taken legal action. She attempted to make that point to reporters the couple of times she spoke publicly on the subject, but they reserved very little space to report on what the revised charter actually says.
         Ingham County Circuit Judge William Collette later decided that Crittendon's suit was unfounded, but his decision was based on an interpretation of the old city charter, according to Crittendon and other legal observers.
         It is the new City Charter, ratified by voters months before his decision, which dictates Crittendon's actions. And the revised City Charter explicitly states that she act on behalf of the City of Detroit and not the Mayor and/or City Council.
         That particular change in the definition of the Corporation Counsel's responsibilities was, ironically, one of the main issues which motivated proponents of the City Charter revision in the first place.
        The entire episode is instructive considering the ferocity and obvious intent to vilify, which local papers (except one) exhibited as they executed their "investigation" into Crittendon's actions. She was labeled a "rogue attorney" and even held responsible for the potential bankrupting of the city (the Governor and the Michigan Treasury Department had made clear that they would not release tens of millions of bond monies held in escrow to the City of Detroit unless the Consent Agreement was approved by City Council).
        They ignored completely the fact that Crittendon interpreted the City Charter correctly and that the judge in the case ruled on an obviously expired document.
        It was a textbook example of how easy it is for the suburban-based media to turn a Black public figure, no matter how ethical their actions, into an "uncontrollable" or "rogue" city official.
         Mayor Dave Bing, with Governor Snyder-appointed deputies literally looking over his shoulder (and probably directing his every move), has, of course, lobbied for Crittendon's removal from the moment it was apparent she wouldn't ignore the law.
         On January 8 the 'coup d'etat' was complete. City Council reversed earlier legislative actions in support of Crittendon, and voted for her removal from the position of Corporation Counsel by a 6-3 majority. (Kenyatta, Jones and Watson remained loyal to the people).
         Crittendon's intention to run for Mayor of Detroit in 2013 indicates she received a good amount of public and political support during the ordeal. If she continues to show the courage, composure and self-control she maintained through this summer, she's a worthy candidate in my opinion.
         Crittendon's political future aside, there are some dire consequences to be examined as a result of her relatively easy removal by Mayor Bing and Governor Snyder.
         Firstly, the firing of Crittendon sets a dangerous precedent for future City Counsels who may have differing opinions than the Mayor. Even scarier is the fact that the City Charter has now been trampled and disregarded a mere ten months after a highly-publicized, fairly democratic revision process.
         There were some reasonably progressive changes that were worked into the new Charter. We must be vigilant in assuring that they are protected in the future.


       The music track above includes responses given by former Detroit Corporation Counsel Krystal Crittendon to local TV cameras and correspondents when they cornered her in the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building. The segment aired on WXYZ-TV Detroit on June 14, 2012.
                                                                                                                                  Peace. Guy.

Taking Root

Taking Root by Guy Mingo

          It's getting increasingly difficult for me to tolerate the holidays and their artificially manufactured hype. But you just can't help but reflect on the future when the New Year comes around. For me, 2013 brings an opportunity to reassess this "blog", which I've now determined is paramount to my creative and political activism.
         To start, I've committed to increasing the frequency of posts to one a week. I have a stable of musical sketches that can easily keep that pace. But what about the topical trajectory?
          In general, I don't have the sense, or the self-control, to adhere to one subject-- a downfall I've struggled with forever. Although I increasingly see the inter-relatedness in the long list of progressive causes, addressing them all in one forum is difficult and probably undesirable.
          Thus far, I've mainly focused on the increasing political and economic attacks by the state of Michigan on the city of Detroit. But I increasingly feel that climate change and/or environmental justice is the one subject that, if any, deserves continuous attention from political activists.
          Successfully arguing the structural weakness of a capitalistic, jobs-based economy means little when the earth's climate is heating up to the point of non-sustainability for human life.
          So where is the federal government when it comes to climate change, which is now accepted as imminent  by an overwhelming majority of climate change scientists? Encouraging catastrophe if recent actions are any indication.
          A perfect example is the U.S. Department of Interior rushing the approval, in 2011, deep water drilling by Shell oil in the Arctic waters north of Alaska. The sad irony, (or, more accurately, the criminal wrongdoing) is that the waters are only now accessible to drilling because of the extreme ice melt that has occurred due to the warming climate, which of course is a result of carbon emissions.
          I can think of no better example of the unwillingness of government to represent the best interest of "the people", than the failure of federal and state government to respond to the piles of evidence that carbon emissions are decimating our atmosphere at an unprecedented rate.
         So where does the type of leadership exist that can pull us out of this environmental and political downward spiral, and how can we make it a priority in our community? I'm glad you asked.
        I made a timely visit this week to a grassroots-led, community space where I was reminded, yet again, that, in the words of Grace Lee Boggs, "we are the leaders we've been looking for."

        I first came across spoken word artists Kevlar and Camara-El during a last minute internet search for some audio content to add to the Guy Mingo track featured above.
        A December 8 spoken word performance by the duo was filmed at the 'Conscious Corner Cafe' during a community discussion about the Hantz Woodland development. The meeting, which was also attended by actor/activist, Danny Glover, was convened to create a unified front against what many are calling the largest sale of public land in Detroit's history.
        Breaking one of my golden rules, I grabbed material from an existing artist. So I immediately made a point of reaching out for their consent.
        A phone conversation with Kevlar led to a visit to the 'Conscious Corner Cafe' a community kitchen and gathering space near the corner of Kercheval and McClellan, in a near-eastside neighborhood that is highly underserved by our depleted city government.
        Kevlar and Camara-El are two members of the 'Black Tie Collective', a group of performers and artists dedicated to the creative and spiritual uplift of the Black community. In addition to spoken word performances given around town, they host events next door to the 'Conscious Cafe', at the 'Rhyme 'n' Reason', a space dedicated to youth and adult classes in poetry, creative writing, chess, dance in addition to general tutoring.
        That impromptu visit affirmed my growing belief that real political change in the community, and the environment, can only be achieved by starting at the grassroots level. The 'Black Tie Collective', for example, has set its sights on providing public services that the feds have let go in favor of subsidizing the military, big banks and the oil barons. In the process they've planted seeds in a place that needs them the most. Their commitment to the community is the energy necessary for those offerings to take root and grow.
       
       My undying thanks goes to Kevlar and Camara-El, who's vocals are featured in the above track, for their graciousness during my visit to the 'Conscious Corner Cafe'/'Rhyme 'n' Reason', and for allowing me to embellish my music with their carefully crafted spoken word. Look out for their upcoming events.        Peace. Guy Mingo.
       

The Takeaway

   TheTakeaway by Guy Mingo

             I'm a little behind on this post, but there's never a bad time to examine the power of mass, street-level activism.
             In September, 25,000 teachers flooded the streets of Chicago hoping to contain ongoing attacks on public education in urban centers across the country.
The strike in Chicago ended after eight days with modest benefits retained by the teachers.
            Specifically, the union-based effort won small gains in the areas of job security and test-based evaluations. We all gained from a more critical look at education-for-profit.
           This now long-sought method for education reform  continues to be advocated by the Obama administration and state legislatures forming a cohesive front with corporations who have, for decades, been trying to unlock the vault holding billions of public education dollars. In the process, they have intentionally weakened urban school districts, and sacrificed the futures of millions of underprivileged, minority children.
           The even larger issue, however, was not lost on Chicago teachers, their supporters, and, hopefully, observers-- there simply is no such thing as a democratic society without the equality of access that only public institutions can provide.
          The teachers in Chicago moved the forum to a location best suited to discuss an issue absolutely vital to democracy--the streets. Their action must not be forgotten as the public sector continues its struggle for survival.

       Vocal commentators in the above track include Karen Lewis, President of the Chicago Teacher's Union, and author/journalist/activist Chris Hedges.