Rick Snyder Recall Election Effort Clears First Hurdle In Michigan

April 29, 2011 8:25:37 PM

DETROIT, April 29 (Reuters) - A group seeking to force new Michigan Governor Rick Snyder into a recall election cleared a first hurdle on Friday when an election panel approved the proposed wording on petitions seeking voter support.

Michigan Citizens United would have to amass more than 800,000 signatures, or 25 percent of the votes cast in Republican Snyder's election in November, within a 90 day period to put the question to a vote at the next election.

Voters in Michigan can file a recall petition six months after Snyder's term began under Michigan law, unlike Wisconsin where petitioners must wait at least a year into new Republican Governor Scott Walker's term to start a recall bid.

Under Michigan law, the wording of the petition was put before an election commission in Washtenaw County as Snyder's residence of record. A representative of the governor did not immediately respond to the commission's ruling.

The Michigan group said on its website Friday that it wanted to gather 1.1 million signatures for its petition and noted that it would need to submit them by August 5 for the question to appear on the statewide ballot in November.

The group said it was part of a grassroots effort and its members "believe that Snyder's early performance proves he is not qualified to lead Michigan."

In part, the group cited as reasons for the recall effort Snyder's law that expands the powers of emergency managers named by the governor to rescue failing schools and cities. Those powers include the ability to break union contracts and remove locally elected officials.

Numerous Michigan cities and school districts are under financial stress after the severe recession and Snyder pointed to 23 school districts on Wednesday that have deficits of at least $1 million. Emergency managers are overseeing the Detroit schools and the city of Benton Harbor. (Writing by David Bailey; Editing by Greg McCune)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Christian09]

03:28 PM on 05/31/2011

I am from MI and live in FL. I have been talking to my relatives/friends about the recall. On facebook they are all still posting. "Timmy's got a tummy ache!" or "Snow again!" My God! What the HE double hockey sticks is wrong with you! Get moving or perish.

[DDWclearview]

01:53 PM on 05/15/2011

Some of what Mr. Synder has proposed and the Legislators have enacted may prove to be another GOP over reach. The Govenor and the Legislators will have problems getting re-elected, if not recalled. Big Business is again the recipient of Michigan Tax payers, esp. pensioner's. Good luck Govenor with reducing unemployment. Big Business will just spend that additional money on themselves. Who are you kidding.

[Euges]

11:27 AM on 05/08/2011

All this talk the right going to force these new managers on poor cities...but who is the first to talk about requesting one? Mayor Bing of Detroit.

http://wchbnewsdetroit.com/detroit/mildredgaddis/bing-threatens-to-request-emergency-manager/

[prettyinpink]

02:08 PM on 05/05/2011

Let me get this straight. If a local entity goes into bankruptcy and refuses to face reality, we are to protect the things that sent it there-wages and benefits of all are employed be said entity which compromise 80% of most budgets.

As usual liberals live in a fantasy world where any check to their power base is falsely promoted as an attack on democracy itself. It is not. The TAXPAYERS of this state have spoken. We are going to go from a high tax nanny state to one that encourages business and private employment growth. Why do you think that, despite our resources, there have been no new auto plants built here in 30 years? Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Hyundai, Mercedes, VW, all have US plants but none chose MI.

Regarding the hard choice of reducing unemployment, MI has borrowed 3 BILLION from the federal gov to pay extended unemployment. Should the MI taxpayers continue to borrow more?

Many of us are proud of Snyder for working to make MI competitive again.

[Barbara DeZan]

10:03 AM on 05/02/2011

GO Michigan....!!!!

Good luck in getting rid of this fascist.

He obviously learned his "governing" skill from "Mein Kampf" and old newsreels of the destruction and take over of countries and their people by the author....

[rosieee]

09:52 AM on 05/02/2011

Good luck Michigan in recalling your governor. I wish Wisconsin could do the same but we have to wait.Our governor as many did not run on what he has done since day one. The koch brothers and walker cooked this up. We waited ten years for the news last night. We will also wait out a year to recall Walker.

[greyK]

09:29 AM on 05/02/2011

"....then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me."

- Martin Niemöller

if Michiganders think the problem relates to "those people" they better think again. this Snyder guy is over the top and it's just a matter of time till it comes to everyones' front door if it hasn't already.

right Likely Voters who are trying to stave off GOP attacks on Medicare and Social Security?

[Gaylord P Farqua]

08:28 AM on 05/02/2011

Citizens of Michigan: Please support the recall of this Governor. The people of this nation need to send a message and start a tsunami of recall movements across the nation. Florida is another of the GOP/Tea Party dominated states. The Governor, Mr. Medicare Fraud, is working to cancel the Citizen's insurance company that is state run. He wants to put the citizens out to the "mercy" of private insurers. Citizens was created to protect homeowners who could not get insurance and is well in the black and making money. Look for moves like this in every GOP/Tea Party state.

[PhilipTaylor]

05:55 AM on 05/02/2011

End this guys painful RULE!

[liberalntex]

01:55 AM on 05/02/2011

I want to see the Tea Party elected officials go down in a blaze of glory, to let Wall Street and Karl Rove's rich folks, that the middleclass is fighting back. THE U.S. WORK FORCE WILL NOT GO BACK TO THE GILDID AGE WITH OUT A FIGHT !! YOU HAVE WON THE BATTLE BUT YOU HAVE NOT WON THE WAR!! In Texas yawl, we have to deal with the FOX NEWS WATCHER, you tell them that two thirds of Corporations do not even pay federal income tax, it's like spit'n on them. They get maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Love Being Liberal in Texas, really it's fun. LOL

[PLeven]

11:45 PM on 05/01/2011

Where do I sign?

[Jeany]

11:17 PM on 05/01/2011

Power to the people of Michigan. The man is a horror.

[southpawman]

03:22 PM on 05/08/2011

Power to the people of Michigan. Get rid of the KOCH?BAGGER

[Diana Theiss]

01:40 AM on 05/16/2011

Saturday, May 21, 2011 State capital
firericksnyder.org

[Raglimidechi]

10:50 PM on 05/01/2011

This is what democracy looks like. Buh-bye, Sny!

[greyK]

09:33 AM on 05/02/2011

I hear veterans who come home and are horrified by Gov's like Snyder and Walker. They keep saying how gut wrenching it is to protect the ideas of America and then seen this.

[dellastreet49]

10:16 PM on 05/01/2011

This is just madness. Is this what it has come to, politics by recall election? A state elects someone and before he can even start to govern there is a recall petition? I feel sorry for the state of Michigan.

[madbear]

11:07 PM on 05/01/2011

He didn't campaign as a tyrant, but the citizens now realize their collective mistake!!!

[zetacplus]

03:14 AM on 05/02/2011

He campaigned as a republican? What else do you need?

[sagefeldemeyer]

12:39 AM on 05/02/2011

Della dear,

Maybe you haven't noticed but there are a bunch of recently elected fascists sitting in the statehouses across america. Honest! Being a patriotic american, it's our duty to recall politicians who present a clear and present danger to the working people of this country. Apparently, the guv. of the great state of Michigan--don't forget the Motor City, is very dangerous.

Hugs,
Sage

[glockman]

07:52 AM on 05/02/2011

"it's our duty to recall politician­s who present a clear and present danger to the working people of this country"

So then when does the massive recall of nearly every sitting elected official begin? Both democrat and republican.

[ts400]

10:14 PM on 05/01/2011

800,000 votes in just 90 days?

Where's ACORN when the Dems need em?

All livin large in downtown 'Motor City"?

Detroit?

The laughingstock of the Nation?

Ever since Democrats and Unions took over decades ago and ran that poor city right into the gutter?

Citizens of Michigan better hope the recall is NOT successful-

All the Demobaggers and Unionbaggers know how to do is bankrupt urban areas and cities.

And tax-

And spend.

And make businesses leave.

[bigmadd]

10:42 PM on 05/01/2011

Sometimes it is better to not respond to ignorance. And I do beleave this is the case here.

[ts400]

12:11 AM on 05/02/2011

You can't spell properly and yet you have the audacity to suggest that I am the ignorant one?

You should be too embarassed to ever post to me again.

[sagefeldemeyer]

12:40 AM on 05/02/2011

I'm withya bigmadd!

[HaroldHeckubah]

01:09 AM on 05/02/2011

Did unions design the Pinto or the Vega or the Cordoba? Did unions decide to make gas guzzlers after the oil trouble in 1973 and 1979? Did any Big 3 CEOs have to move into cardboard boxes because of any particular contract? Were unions in charge of purchasing the materials they built with? The middle class rose with skilled union labor, and the middle class is declining with the fall of skilled union labor. Try connecting the dots, will you?Today, the starting wage at the Caterpillar plant in Illinois is $12 an hour. Think that guy is plowing enough mnoney into his local economy to keep businesses open? Just remember, every peg you knock down a big bad union worker is that much less money they have for YOUR products.