The Rev. Jesse Jackson calls on Michigan residents to fight what he calls Gov. Rick Snyder's 'draconian policies'
The Rev. Jesse Jackson addresses an audience at the New Hope Baptist Church in Ann Arbor on Monday afternoon.
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
The Rev. Jesse Jackson made a stop in Ann Arbor this afternoon to urge residents to organize and fight back against what he labeled Gov. Rick Snyder’s “draconian cuts” and policies.
It was one of Jackson’s three stops in Michigan throughout the day and he is scheduled to meet with state legislators in Detroit tonight. His purpose, he said, is to develop a coalition against Snyder’s policies like that in Wisconsin opposed to Gov. Scott Walker's policies.
Jackson told an audience of about 50 gathered at the New Hope Baptist Church to pay close attention to Benton Harbor, which recently had its elected officials' power stripped by an emergency financial manager.
It was one of the first cities to be affected by a new state law allowing emergency financial managers to dismiss locally elected officials. City leaders in Benton Harbor can now only call meetings, adjourn them and approve minutes. Jackson questioned why the United States is fighting a war against "one-man rule" in Libya, but allows it in Michigan.
“We don’t like one-man rule, except in Benton Harbor,” he said. “The government in Michigan government is training one-man rule. We are setting up here what we are fighting there. Your vote for elected officials doesn’t count, and that is decimating democracy.“
He said he doesn’t see the level of organized opposition that he saw while working with protesters in Wisconsin and warned the audience that Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Detroit could be taken over by an emergency financial manger next if there isn’t a legal and political fight. He called Benton Harbor a test ground to see how people will react.
“The only difference between Michigan and Wisconsin is they’re fighting back,“ he said. “What’s happening here is worse than Wisconsin, but here there is no resistance."
The difference between Michigan and Wisconsin, Jackson said, is that Michigan lacks Wisconsin's political drama and national media attention. He said Walker is “the poster child for pervasive state rights” and “attacks on collective bargaining,” while Snyder is more of a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Jackson said Snyder proposing cutting taxes for the wealthy and businesses while shifting the burden to the poor is unacceptable and called on residents to act. He zeroed in on student loan debt, which he pointed out is now greater than credit card debt in the United States. Jackson called the issue “credit slavery.”
The Rev. Jesse Jackson greets Ypsilanti Council Member Ricky Jefferson.
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
When asked what he proposed doing about student loans by an audience member, Jackson said the government needs to consider debt forgiveness. He said raising tuition and cutting public schools' budgets makes receiving an education more difficult, which he likened to what was done to slaves and poor people prior to the Civil War.
In response to a question about how to get African Americans to vote more, Jackson said they are voting, but not “on the levels that are corresponding to our needs.”
He said people of all races must fight as they did during the civil rights fight of the 1960s and form an “activist alliance" in opposition to Snyder.
“What can we do? We can fight legally. This must stand the test of constitutional challenge,” he said.
Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
Joslyn
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 11:14 a.m.
ditto on Jackson being a shakedown artist Bah humbug!
aawolve
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 : 5:06 p.m.
LOL, the endorsement they never wanted.
concerned
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 9:03 p.m.
The Govenor just nullified every vote made by the citizens in a city in the State of Michigan. I'd worry alot less about your personal feelings about Rev. Jackson and what just happened to this city. Is corporate interest involved. Oh I think so. The next city, township, or school district could be yours.
bedrog
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 5:41 p.m.
I'm a liberal democrat ( mostly) but can't stand J.J....... Ever since his 'hymietown' remark in the 80's , for which he promptly forgave himself, he's been a large pain in the patoot and a legend mostly in his own mind.
leaguebus
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 4:22 p.m.
It makes sense that Mr Jackson is here, someone needs to try to wake up the disappearing middle class. Nationally the upper incomes received a $1 T boost from tax cuts. Snyders $2B tax cut for corporations and his raising taxes on lower incomes continues the trend that with government help, the rich get rich and the middle class and poor get poorer. The new census data finds that the ratio between the top 20% in income who make 49.4% of all money made and the people below the poverty line who make 3.4% of all income, is 14.5 to 1. This ratio is double that when it was first used by the census in 1967. At the same time we have the largest gap between rich and poor of all the western industrialized nations. When is enough money enough? Sure, cut education, its not the rich that suffer when tuitions go up at our Michigan Universities or our public schools get taken over by emergency managers who lay off more teachers and cut their pay by getting rid of their unions. Or emergency managers that take over our cities and lay off public safety personnel and cut their pay by decertifying their Unions. What happens to the wealthy when this happens? They send their kids to private schools like Greenhills and they install expensive alarms to guard their houses. While I agree that Mr Jackson is not the best role model for a Martin Luther King replacement, he is at least out there and gets good press, no one else is.
bedrog
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 6:53 p.m.
he gets press...but usually not all that good.
JSA
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.
Good ol Jesse. Plenty of hot air and not a single idea to be had. Has he fathered any more children out of wedlock lately?
f4phantomII
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 3:39 p.m.
I hate to pile on, but in this case I'll make an exception. Jesse Jackson is an insufferable, irrelevant, charlatan and gas bag. Why anyone listens to one word he says, let alone publishes it, is a mystery to me. If he says Governor Snyder should be recalled, I'll send him money for his reelection.
Mick52
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 2:59 p.m.
I heard on the news today that Mayor Dave Bing is going to take advantage of the new emergency manager law for Detroit. Is Rev Jackson vilifying Mayor Bing too?
Roger Roth
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 2:04 p.m.
@Subroutine How can you be so accepting of your notion that "it will cost you and it will cost me" when banks and corps and the MIC have already made, and continue to make, a killing at your and my expense??????? Is there no longer any self-respect? This is exactly what is wrong in this conversation and in this country. People won't even consider shedding decades, if not centuries of middle class brainwashing by the rich and powerful. Alas, there really is no hope, unless, perhaps, middle class people install EFMs in the federal and state governments, and I don't mean blowhard politicians. That's where they're sorely needed.
Roger Roth
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 7:19 p.m.
I rest my case.
Mick52
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 3:05 p.m.
I cannot understand your thinking. I am middle class, always have been. I do not feel, or ever will feel, that banks and corporations are making a killing at my expense. In fact, if anything, corporations have improved my life. I use a credit union, not a bank, and I urge others to do so too. I am not brain washed either and have never felt the rich and powerful have any affect on me.
Dog Guy
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
Jackson's major known income is from threatening racial boycotts against corporations until his Rainbow Coalition is paid off. The publicity on his adultery alone removed any moral authority he might have had. What is left is a hired false prophet.
Wolf's Bane
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:44 p.m.
Snyder will be recalled, but can we do without the great Rev. Jackson coming by and stating the obvious!!! This is akin to telling baby dolphins that BP dumped a whole bunch of oil in the Gulf. They already know it because they're swimming in it!!!
Mick52
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 2:58 p.m.
Would you like to purchase a "Recall Snyder" sign for your front lawn? During the Bush administration, I made a fortune selling "Impeach Bush" signs, selling them to people too incompetent to understand no impeachable offenses were committed. For an extra $10 you can also get a "Go back to what we were doing. It wasn't so bad" sign.
CONCERNED CITIZEN
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.
Go back to whereever you came from....notice how he always shows up when there is a possibility of bringing race into an argument....
G. Orwell
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:44 p.m.
I am not thrilled about some of Rick Snyders plans. However, let's give the man a chance. He's only been there a few months. There is no way Snyder is going to be able to satisfy all groups when trying to balance the budget. How come no protests in Ann Arbor over Obama starting yet another war? If Bush had done it, all the progressives in Ann Arbor would be up in arms. Another few hundred million dollars for a war to steal yet another country's oil. War under Bush is bad, war under Obama is okay. Is that it? Jesse Jackson should be marching on Washington DC to stop the wars and mounting debt that affects all Americans. Particularly minorities and the poor.
ViSHa
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:43 p.m.
maybe he is waiting for ann arbor council to weigh in on it, lol.
snoopdog
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:34 p.m.
Thanks for coming to Michigan Jesse, every time you step foot here it brings more votes to the conservative movement. I cannot call you a Rev. because that would be a slap in the face to those who truly are men of God. Good Day and Good Riddance
braggslaw
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 11:03 a.m.
my last comment was deleted here is the link, jesse has no integrity-funneling cash from his orgs <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jesse-jackson-amends-tax-returns-to-reveal-payments-to-his-mistress-695394.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jesse-jackson-amends-tax-returns-to-reveal-payments-to-his-mistress-695394.html</a> "the civil rights campaigner Rev Jesse Jackson released financial documents yesterday for two of the charitable organisations he runs and said he was amending his tax return to include payments made to his former mistress, Karin Stanford." <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=124046&page=1" rel='nofollow'>http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=124046&page=1</a>
Bill
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 9:52 a.m.
I agree with one of the comments that I usually have no use for Rev. Jackson. On this point he is right on. How can one man take away the power of elected officials? That is not democracy!!!
The Ben
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 9:29 a.m.
Thanks Jesse Jackson! I was starting to wonder if Rick Snyder was taking us in the right direction. Now that you've taken the opposing side, I am absolutely convinced that he IS taking us in the right direction.
walker101
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 5:25 a.m.
When asked what he proposed doing about student loans by an audience member, Jackson said the government needs to consider debt forgiveness. How about adding mortgage and auto debt along with any credit card, sound good to me. I wonder who'll pick up the tab on those?
walker101
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 5:20 a.m.
I wonder what he'll say in Detroit, probably wants Kilpatrick back. Mayor Dave Bing is cutting back 10 fold in comparison to slick Rick and I bet he won't make any mention about"draconian cuts".
Jay Thomas
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 3:07 a.m.
"He said raising tuition and cutting public schools' budgets makes receiving an education more difficult, which he likened to what was done to slaves and poor people prior to the Civil War." Perhaps Jackson should talk to the mostly liberal university administrators and tell them they are reimposing slavery?
Jay Thomas
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 3:03 a.m.
If asking people with pensions to pay tax is "draconian" then most of our retired population (who are without pensions and draw money from other retirement sources) has been living in a draconian nightmare all along for having to pay tax. :P
macaroniman
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 3:51 a.m.
If you look at what has just happened to Benton Harbor, what is about to happen to Ecorse, what is certain to happen to Pontiac, and what is in the process in Detroit, draconian is pretty much the word to use: Draconian is described as "rigorous; unusually severe or cruel" by Dictionary.com. Cutting upwards of $1000 per pupil for some schools will lead to the closure of entire districts. Take Warren, for instance: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3e9rqx3" rel='nofollow'>http://tinyurl.com/3e9rqx3</a> I think sever is certainly just one way of describing what may be coming our way. I agree that Jesse Jackson brings negative press, but I have to say that he seems to be speaking the truth here.
USRepublic
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 2:41 a.m.
I don't give a crap what the Reverend says... Please tell me what his girlfriends say......they have the higher moral authority!!! Give me a break.
tiredofmess
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 2:33 a.m.
One thing for sure 1 person did not learn anything from his former pastor what a shame. This is a very serious matter and should be dealt with in a professional sincere way not having a outside voice take the lead. Where is Verg ??
TT
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:50 a.m.
Hard to assign much credibility to an individual that has made a career of selling out and enslaving his own people while getting fat off the spoil. You really have to ask yourself why there is no outrage coming from this predatory leach over the state of fatherless African American families , huge numbers of children who fail in school even if they attend and the genocidal slaughter of children of his race in the hundreds of thousands by predominantly white organizations with his eager apporval. Not a wimper about any of this and so much more. I think the reverend should take a moment to consider his own after life when his people will see him for who he really is.
GoblueBeatOSU
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:46 a.m.
oh great....just what we need around here. The expert of experts on grabbing headlines. Give the man credit, he knows how to get his name in the news. Doesn't provide much insight, but gets his name in the news. Why can't he just stay in Illinois? We don't need him here. Michigan residents are smart enough to make their own decisions without some headline grabber from Illinois telling us what to do.
Will
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:45 a.m.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson is a polarizing political figure rather than a unifying one; however, he is right about what is happening in Michigan. Snyder has designed things so that virtually all school districts will have to have an emergency financial manager appointed by him since all districts are now in a crisis financial. The schools are not in financial difficulty because teachers are being paid too much in salaries and benefits (most of them have masters and doctorates); they are in financial hardship because the funds and the taxes paid by hard working Michiganders that are supposed to go to education have been dishonestly diverted to other governmental programs! If funds weren't taken from the lottery and the state educational fund and 'diverted' towards other programs, schools wouldn't be in a financial crisis. All of us should be demanding that our students received the same funding and quality education programs maintained by private schools. We're playing the lottery at record numbers and paying taxes. We must demand that Snyder give our money to the schools as we intended/thought it was going. Snyder keeps sneaking cookies out of the school cookie jar while complaining that the jar has been emptied by others.
Momma G
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:43 a.m.
Let's give our Gov. a chance and see what his changes end up doing for our state. I might pay more, but if it will help get our state out of the financial crisis the previous Gov. helped to get us into, fine! Let's also start buying USA instead of China and Taiwan products and put American's back to work. The whole country needs to get rid of "tenure" and put "merit" pay to work. We have too many people who think the country, workplace, etc., owe them! Where did "work ethic" go?
Ricebrnr
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:05 p.m.
Unfortunately due too human, nature work ethic and hand out will always be polar opposites. Mr Jackson knows full well but continues to extort hand outs...to who's benefit? To who's detriment.
macaroniman
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 3:43 a.m.
Study after study has shown that merit pay is a very tough thing to figure out. No one has been able to sort out how to properly evaluate the effectiveness of a teacher, so it is even harder to figure out what to pay people more for. Judging a teacher based on the standardized test score of their students just doesn't work. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3etlct6" rel='nofollow'>http://tinyurl.com/3etlct6</a> In fact, credible studies have shown that merit pay undermines student learning: <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404173245.htm" rel='nofollow'>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404173245.htm</a> Going back as far as the 1700s in England, studies show that merit pay undermines student learning: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/4spqbr3" rel='nofollow'>http://tinyurl.com/4spqbr3</a> Also, under some systems, good teachers are punished: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3nmdkkd" rel='nofollow'>http://tinyurl.com/3nmdkkd</a> It's just not as easy as it sounds. Also, what about the empirical evidence that demonstrates that, in fact, unionized teaching forces are some of the best in the country? Maryland is a unionized state and often outperforms all states in testing. In addition, if you disaggregate NAEP data, it shows that American students have made enormous gains in reading comprehension over the past 20 years. I also often hear people say that Americans are falling behind other countries in terms of education. For one thing, that isn't yet true. Again, if you disaggregate the data, we perform close to the top in everything we are tested on. Also, Americans still, by far, hold and create more patents than any other country in the world. I think our education system is doing rather well. We are just being told lies so that people are okay with the oncoming privatization. Only with the upcoming cuts and the further promotion of neo-liberal economic policies do we risk falling behind. I agree that we should buy American. We should also support our education system by "buying" it too.
Barn Help
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:27 a.m.
What no cut for JJ (poor baby) No more hand outs for you not even a free lunch Ya may have to move on Mr. Jackson Keep it up slick Ric Show them who is the BOSS NOW
joe.blow
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 1:12 a.m.
Right, like he's still relevant. Nothing like a hypocrite.
tiredofmess
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:54 a.m.
Shaking hands with another pulpit politics champ and we wonder why ypsilanti is in trouble!
Ricebrnr
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:41 a.m.
Since my previous comment was a bit too raw for AA.com... And we should all listen to a lying, two timing, hypocritical, extorting horrendous self serving "man of God",why? How he does not spontaneously combust will be forever a mystery to me but I have no doubt his God will have an interesting conversation with him in time... <a href="http://www.thegrio.com/politics/slideshow-rev-jesse-jacksons-top-10-most-controversial-moments.php" rel='nofollow'>http://www.thegrio.com/politics/slideshow-rev-jesse-jacksons-top-10-most-controversial-moments.php</a>
A2comments
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 10:33 a.m.
Thanks for supplying the link so people can see what Jesse Jackson really is.
beachbaby
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:32 a.m.
Just as there is Godwin's Law, there should be Jackson's Law. When Jesse Jackson shows up, the side he is taking has lost.
Diagenes
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:21 a.m.
Mr. Jackson has made a sizable income advocating for the welfare state. Its unfortunate that the policies he advocates results in more poverty, hopelessness, and dependency. I would have respect for him if he called for women not to have children out of wedlock, for children to stay in school and graduate, and for people to be self relient not dependent. Instead he calls for more of the same that got us in the mess we are in.
beachbaby
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:31 a.m.
i think he would get a lot of guff if he told women not to have children out of wedlock, if you get my drift.
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:12 a.m.
Y'all are too sensitive! Seriously. You deleted my last comment.....why? Anyway, I'll try to be more polite this time. Normally I disagree with most everything that Mr. Jackson says. I find him to be intentionally divisive and an attention grabber/media hound. (See? No "w" word!) But, in this instance, I do agree with him. I think Snyder needs to be recalled and I will definitely be proud to sign the recall petition. I think he's going to set Michigan back by years, instead of moving us forward. And, I'd like to see him booted out of office.
Mick52
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 2:53 p.m.
Backward is where we were going during the failed Gov Granholm administration. Hopefully if we still go backward, and we might because what Gov Snyder is doing should have been done at least four years ago, at least it will be at a slower speed and not racing backward.
local
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 11:07 a.m.
Eagleman, the democrats didn't necessarily make gas prices go up to 4 dollars a gallon the first time around. The democrats didn't let wall street run buck wild with mortgages, which helped cause the high unemployment. And in Michigan, the auto industry took a crap, thus causing more unemployment. Not sure this was strictly a "democrat" thing. I will sign the recall because when a one man show gets to decide what he takes over, that isn't how our government was set up. If you like the one man show mentality, go visit Cuba for a while, that is how they do things there.
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 10:59 a.m.
I don't think I'm hysterically calling for anything. My vote is a very deliberate, well-thought out one. We may disagree, but just because I want Mr. Snyder recalled doesn't mean I'm hysterical. As to the rest of your post, I won't bother to debate with you. We obviously don't see eye-to-eye and anything I say to you will be shrugged off. You have your opinion, I have mine. Democracy is awesome like that!
eagleman
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 5:10 a.m.
Why? So we can go back to the WONDERFUL policies of the Democrats? They had held power for most of the past decade and that got us high unemployment, a brain drain, and declining tax revenue. Going by the facts, the Democrats have already succeeded in setting us back years. If you TRULY care about Michigan( I doubt that) you'd at least give different ideas a chance before hysterically calling for a recall. If his plans fail, we boot him. I also think you are being terribly short-sighted. If you do try to recall him , you don't think the Republicans will try the same with any democrat who win? You will surely torpedo any plans you want to develop by doing this.
talker
Mon, Apr 18, 2011 : 11:41 p.m.
We need to take his warnings seriously. With the attacks aimed at Madison and Columbus, people in Ann Arbor need to pre-empt attacks on our Constitutional rights.
Ricebrnr
Tue, Apr 19, 2011 : 12:06 a.m.
Lol every country that has that right takes all the others in trade. That old saying about no free lunch? Doesn't apply to sheep of course.
Moscow On The Huron
Mon, Apr 18, 2011 : 11:52 p.m.
Don't you know? The right to free handouts for life.
Ricebrnr
Mon, Apr 18, 2011 : 11:49 p.m.
Please elaborate, which Constitutional Rights are you referring to?
Moscow On The Huron
Mon, Apr 18, 2011 : 11:28 p.m.
Just what we need around here, a washed-up shake-down artist. This guy is a waste of space.
Dorchester
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 : 2:15 p.m.
Sounding the alarm of constitutional rights being taken away in Benton Harbor is a shake down? Perhaps an EFM should go to your town, your house and take away your rights.. You know ..your computer, guns and thoughts.
Subroutine
Mon, Apr 18, 2011 : 11:16 p.m.
"What's happening here is worse than Wisconsin, but here there is no resistance." Because here we are way worse off and are intelligent enough to know that things need to change. We know it will be painful and it will take time. It will cost me, and it will cost you, but it has gotten so bad here that this is what it takes.
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Apr 18, 2011 : 11:01 p.m.
Surely Republicans are financing his visit. Every time he opens his mouth, voters move from independent to the Republican side of the fence.