City Council asking what role they have in post Kevyn Orr Detroit
Detroit City Council was back in full session Tuesday for the first time since Governor Snyder named Kevyn Orr emergency manager.
BOTH WARRANTS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW. Carmen: THE POWER OF THE PULPIT IS ORGANIZING TO FIGHT THE APPOINTMENT OF AN EMERGENCY FINANCIAL MANAGER IN DETROIT AND THE LAW THAT AUTHORIZES THAT APPOINTMENT. THE COUNCIL OF BAPTIST PASTORS WILL JOIN IN THE LAWSUIT TO BLOCK THE EFM APPOINTMENT CLAIMING THE PROCESS IS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC. WE CAN ILL-AFFORD TO HAVE THE CITY OF DETROIT BE A SUCCESS STORY FOR THOSE HELL BENT ON OUR DISENFRANCHISEMENT THROUGH A DISREGARD FOR HOME RULE AND THE ABOLISHMENT OF VOTING RIGHTS. Carmen: AND JESSE JACKSON CALLED FOR PROTEST AGAINST THE EMERGENCY FINANCIAL MANAGER APPOINTMENT AND FOR THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO TAKE ACTION. Devin: THE DETROIT CITY COUNCIL WAS BACK IN FULL SESSION FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE GOVERNOR NAMED KEVYN ORR AS EMERGENCY FINANCIAL MANAGER. COUNCIL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ROLE, IF ANY, IT WILL HAVE AS OF MONDAY. WE BRING IN OUR BUSINESS EDITOR ROD MELONI IN DETROIT. Rod: THEY'RE HOLDING ON TO A LOT OF HOPE THEY CAN HAVE A ROLE. ONLY SIX OF NINE MEMBERS SHOWED UP, TWO OF THE MOST VOCAL AGAINST THE EMERGENCY FINANCIAL MANAGER WERE NOT THERE. BUT COUNCILMEMBERS WERE SAYING, LOOK, WE'RE STILL RELEVANT AND TRULY BELIEVE THEY CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ROLE. THE PEOPLE HERE KNOW MASSIVE CHANGE IS ON ITS WAY, ACROSS-THE-BOARD CUTS COMING. THE EMERGENCY FINANCIAL MANAGER HAS THE POWER TO PAY THEM OR NOT. I DON'T KNOW WHY HE WOULD NOT, BECAUSE WE COME TO WORK EVERY DAY AND WE WORK EVERY DAY. AND PEOPLE THAT WORK GET PAID A SALARY, SO I EXPECT THERE WILL BE A SALARY. Rod: AS DOES DETROIT CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT CHARLES PUGH. AND HE BELIEVES DETROIT IS TOO LARGE FOR ONE PERSON TO RUN, WHICH LEAVES A LOT FOR COUNCIL TO DO OR CAN RENEGOTIATE BONDS, PENSIONS AND HEALTH CARE RETIREE DEBT. AND LABOR NEGOTIATIONS AND LABOR RESTRUCTURING, HE'S NOT GONNA HAVE TIME FOR DAILY OPERATIONS OR THOSE DECISIONS OR TO BE BRIEFED ON THOSE DECISIONS AND EVEN ATTEMPT TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, SO I THINK HE SHOULD LEAVE THAT TO US. Rod: PUGH MIGHT BE ON TO SOMETHING. BECAUSE GOVERNOR SNYDER BELIEVES KEVYN ORR HAS TO BALANCE THE BOOKS AND PREPARE FOR A POSSIBLE BANKRUPTCY. IF PEOPLE ARE GONNA GO THROUGH BANKRUPTCY, YOU WANT TO DO IT IN A THOUGHTFUL DELIBERATE WAY. IT'S NOT A PARALLEL PROCESS, A LOT OF STEPS IN TERMS OF BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE TABLE AND HAVING DISCUSSIONS ARE PART OF THAT NORMAL PROCESS. Rod: KEVYN ORR KNOWS HE HAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO. THE FIRST THING HE'LL DO IS FIGURE OUT WHERE THE RESTROOMS ARE. HE DOESN'T GET THERE TILMON. AND THEN HE HAS TO GO ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF FIGURING OUT WHERE THE BOOKS ARE. SO WE'LL SEE WHERE HE COMES DOWN. HE HAS SAID HE WANTS TO PARTNER WITH CITY COUNCIL AND WE'LL SEE IF HE HOLDS UP TO THAT END IN THIS FASHION. Devin: WHAT ARE THE COUNCILMEMBERS SAYING ABOUT GETTING TO MEET WITH KEVYN ORR? Rod: THERE'S A CLAMOR FOR EVERYONE IN CITY GOVERNMENT TO GET AN AUDIENCE WITH MR. ORR, AND THEY HOPE TO GET IT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. HE'LL BE IN MONDAY, SO MAYBE THEY'LL GET THE OPPORTUNITY THEN. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CITY COUNCILMEMBERS ARE SAYING IS THEY WANT TO HELP MR. ORR GET BACK TO WASHINGTON, D.C., AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN AND THINK A CONSENT AGREEMENT WILL BE AT THE END OF THIS BECAUSE HE CAN'T GET EVERYTHING DONE IN HIS TIME HERE. SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW EVERYBODY WORKS TOGETHER.
