UnAmerican Republican attacks on Black elected officials: Here is a rebuttal of Laura Berman’s article on proposed lease of Belle Isle by the State, which in many ways is a gift , not a lease

UnAmerican Republican attacks on Black elected officials  The history of Republican attacks on Black elected officials by unAmerican, unpatriotic , extra-Constitutional means: depriving President Obama of Supreme Court appointment, Detroit, Flint, etc. Emergency Financial Dictator (taxation without representation is tyranny) examples. From: c b Date: October 4, 2013 at 3:40:25 PM EDT To: charles brown Subject: Here is a rebuttal of Laura Berman’s article Here is a rebuttal of Laura Berman’s article on proposed lease of Belle Isle by the State, which in many ways is a gift , not a lease. First, if anybody in this situation is comparable to the Tea Party Republican Senator Eduardo Cruz of Texas, it would be Governor Snyder. He has been carrying out the Michigan Tea Party’s agenda of usurping Detroiters fundamental right to have their elected officials run the City.  The proposed Belle Isle deal was agreed to by Snyder and the Emergency Manager, who serves at Snyder’s pleasure. Hardly an arms length transaction; and the City’s interests are vulnerable to being pushed aside in favor of those of the State. Council woman Watson’s analogy to being taken advantage of by force is quite apt. Governor Snyder is the real demagogue by the prevarications and half-truths he has used to justify Emergency Management takeover of Detroit, of which the Belle Isle gift to the State is just one part (The proposed deal does not provide for the State to pay fair market value to the City, so it is more of a gift than a lease in the legal senses of those words.).  The mixed metaphor of “pulpit and hothouse” is a bit overwrought and , again, wrong. Watson merely speaks the truth before God in exposing the sweetheart deal between the Governor and a gubernatorial appointee.  The proposed Belle Isle lease specifies no amounts to be allocated by the State to the City of Detroit.  A lawyer paid to protect the City’s interests would not meet his or her fiduciary duty to the City if the lease payments amounts are not in _writing_ in the document. Because , the lease lacks these figures, the agreement is more of a gift than a lease. ^^^^^^^ Ms. Berman reveals her contempt for the People of Detroit by her caricature of them as “dug-in” and “clinging”. They’re just living here, trying to make ends meet , and enjoy life some by doing things like picnicking on Belle Isle.   With the imposition of a literal ,not figurative , tyrant over the city , usurping the powers of Detroiters to elect those who steward their tax dollars – taxation without representation is tyranny in the famous words of the American Revoluton– the State is indeed acting like an evil invader. The City of Detroit did not vote for Snyder in their majority.  In usurping Detroiter’s fundamental rights of self-governance, and seizing and diverting to non-Detroiters our jobs, wages, benefits, assets, property and anything and everything of value, the Governor represents interests other than those of Detroiters against Detroiters. Evidently, Ms. Berman is ignorant of the fact that the City has a Master Plan for revitalizing Belle Isle from several years ago. All the State of Michigan has to do is return to Detroit some of the tax money Detroiters pay to the State , and the Master Plan for Belle Isle can be executed by the City itself. What has the State of Michigan done for the People of Detroit in the last twenty years ?  Not much. Which is why many Detroiters have no trust in the State’s promise to fix-up Belle Isle for Detroiters ; and suspect the plan is to change the demographics of those who enjoy it. And Detroiters do much enjoy it as it is today, though no one would mind improvements pursuant to the Master Plan. In summary, Ms. Berman’s column misses the mark badly in her thoughts about the proposed Belle Isle deal. In fact , her little verse is pretty much the reverse of the truth, before God