Rachel Maddow; MI Test Site of New Republican Strategy of Autocracy!

[ttystikk]

I don't live in Mighigan, but I was watching The Rachel Maddow Show last night and was absolutely stunned by what the State Legislature is up to in this fair state, and it has national implications if it's allowed to succeed: (thinking I got the deets right, please correct me if I'm off anywhere here)

18 months ago, the Republican dominated State Senate passed a new admendment to the state constitution that allowed for bills to 'take immediate effect' if so agreed by a roll call of a 2/3 majority of both House and Senate. Up until now, it seems that all bills pased and signed have an 18 month waiting period for affected parties to gear up to comply, and for those opposed to organize a response.

Since then, they've used their majority- but, tellingly, NOT a 2/3 'supermajority'- to enact a sweeping series of changes to Michigan state law, right in line with Republican party ideology. What's interesting about this is that up until the end of March, they had no authority to do so- yet, it's been going on. They've passed dozens of bills over the unified objections of elected Democratic representatives, each one then followed by a roll call vote, which is a very informal look-see at raised hands in the chamber to see if there's a 2/3 majority. The Speaker glances around, 'counts' the necesssary votes- sometimes in seconds- and then gavels in the law for 'immediate effect'.

The net result of this series of procedural tactics has been to completely shut out any ability by the Democrats in the body to halt, or even delay the passage of a whole slate of right wing leaning new laws, each passed with 'immediate effect'.

I bring this to your attention because the Republican party has made no bones about its militantly anti-drug stance, including the repeal of any and all medical marijuana legislation. I fear your status as a medical marijuana state is therefore in serious jeopardy, and indeed it could be voted upon, and police come knocking at the doors of caregivers and dispensaries alike that very same day, arresting anyone who has anything to do with the industry.

For your own safety and information, I urge you as interested parties to look into this blatant usurpation of power and protect yourselves accordingly...

 

[oscar169]

I live here in Michigan, I to was watching on MSNBC & was like what the Fuck, I'm going to be following this in the news to see what happens.....:mad: oh & yeah they are well on their way to fucking up the MMJ laws also.

 

[ttystikk]

I live here in Michigan, I to was watching on MSNBC & was like what the Fuck, I'm going to be following this in the news to see what happens.....:mad: oh & yeah they are well on their way to fucking up the MMJ laws also.

This is the kind of thing that complacency on the part of the citizens leads to; increasingly blatant power grabs until you wake up one morning and realize you're no longer a free citizen in your own country. It's happened all throughout the world and there's no reason it can't happen here if we the people don't scream loudly and put a stop to it.

I'm concerned because if they get away with it in just one state, then Republican led legislatures across the country- most especially Texas, but certainly not limited to them- will take this as an acceptable precedent and begin doing the same thing. That would mean the end of Democracy as we know it, and I really don't think I'm understating the case.

I don't care about 'civility' in politics; if you can't handle the heat, then stay out of the House- and the Senate. What I DO care about is the threat of autocracy in my country. Republican thinking in the past few years has been swinging so far to the right wing of the political spectrum as to begin sounding like fascist regimes of times past, and that bodes ill for everyone. Even Republicans. After all, the inevitable backlash would be wicked...

 

[Lowman]

Another recall effort is underway in Mi. This time with proper language in the petition. If you look around the country and check every state that has a new GOP gov in place.....they are all passing as many laws as they can to instill their bully agenda. It's scary to say the least.

 

[ttystikk]

I started talking about republican fascism a couple of years ago, and everyone I talked to about it poo-poo'ed me and said I was overreacting. Now, I hear that same word coming from the lips of all sorts of people. Seems I wasn't out on the fringe; I was just ahead of the curve.

I voted for Mr. Obama, thinking he would roll back some of the more egregious parts of the Patriot Act, etc. No such luck. Someone here on the farm, it may have been Squiggly, said that expecting governments to volunarily give up power is futile, and I agree with him. The question is, how do we the people take back our country from the jack-booted Federal thugs currently running it?

 

[Lowman]

First thing that must happen...and I don't know how, is to eliminate Lobbying. Corporations are buying our politicians so they make laws that only benefit corporations.

 

[ttystikk]

First thing that must happen...and I don't know how, is to eliminate Lobbying. Corporations are buying our politicians so they make laws that only benefit corporations.

Step one to this outcome could be accomplished by ending, once and for all, the legal weasel of 'corporate personhood.' Corporations are of course not people, and to the extent that they're allowed any constitutional protections is to afford them a status they do not need or deserve- and have proven themselves very capable of abusing.