Leid Stories - 11/14/13

Post-Election Detroit Resumes Life As A U.S. Colony

 

 A new mayor, a new City Council, but neither has the power to do much of anything in “colonial” Detroit, under direct management of a state-appointed overseer. For now, democracy is largely a ceremonial exercise – a casualty of a pitched battle between the state and the people that cannot be resolved by committee.

 

Detroit is $18 billion in debt and bankruptcy is the only way to get out of the hole, says Gov. Rick Snyder. While it seeks permission from the court to declare bankruptcy – it would be the largest municipal collapse in U.S. history if granted – Snyder has authorized emergency manager Kevyn Orr to call all the shots for day-to-day governance of the city.

 

Abayomi Azikiwe, a community organizer and editor of the Pan African News Wire, explains how post-election life is being lived in the colony.