Building Alternative Democracy in Pontiac

by Kenny Anderson

Hopefully, what is obvious and known now in Pontiac is this City is under the autocratic control of an ‘Emergency Manager’. Autocratic means the non-elective rule by one person, in the case of Pontiac the one-person ruler is Louis Schimmel, whose power was granted by the State of Michigan through Public Act 4, signed into law by the new Republican Governor, Rich Snyder. 

Section ‘EE’ of the Act highlights autocratic power, it reads: “Take any other action or exercise any power or authority of any officer, employee, department, board, commission, or other similar entity of the local government. The power of the Emergency Manager shall be superior to and supersede the power of any of the fore-going entities.”

So it has been written into law, the power of the Emergency Manager here in Pontiac is supreme and its supremacy is omnipotent for the time being. So it should be clear now that Pontiac is a non-democratic colonized City with no political and economic control; a Mayor and City Council stripped of salaries, reduced to mere symbolism; a City that’s under occupational law enforcement – the Oakland County Sheriff Department.

It should also be clear that residents of Pontiac have a choice, accept undemocratic democracy, or accept the responsibility of building an alternative movement for self-determined democracy. What’s clear to me is that some residents for whatever reasons will accept undemocratic democracy – autocracy; others will challenge the Emergency Manager’s rule through a court process; a waiting game of legal dependency; a process ultimately determined by ‘State’ and ‘Federal’ Supreme Courts dominated by Republicans.

For those citizens in Pontiac that believe in ‘democracy’and uphold ‘democracy’, they must take a Bold Stand against the legitimacy of an autocratic Emergency Manager rule of government, it’s ‘legal’ but it’s 'un-democratic'. Just as racist Jim Crow and segregation was the ‘law - legal’ in the South, it was ‘immoral’; Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Black Civil Rights movement took a ‘Bold Stand’ against it. Indeed, taking a ‘Bold Stand’ for alternative self-determined democracy here in Pontiac requires us to go beyond our fears and lack of confidence to take the initiative – responsibility and make the sacrifices change requires.

We must take a ‘Bold’ self-determined stand away from City Hall! The new decentralized City Hall must be our Homes, Churches, and Meeting Places. We must take a ‘Bold’ self-determined stand to create a new leadership structure comprised of a coalition of Black Block Clubs, Associations, Churches, and Community-based Organizations. We must take a ‘Bold’ self-determined stand to become Problem-Solvers, engaging in Resource Management and Development.

We must take a ‘Bold’ self-determined stand to provide education awareness empowerment communication to raise citizen consciousness. We must utilize alternative means of communication, such as web-conferencing, conference calls, email blasts, newsletters, and community forums. I believe sooner than later the Emergency Manager is going to pull the plug on televised City Council meetings.

As residents of Pontiac we must understand that democracy means much - much more that just casting a vote. Currently, just casting a vote will not change Emergency Manager autocracy in Pontiac because under Public Act 4 local elected officials have no power. However, a struggle for democratic self-determination can develop alternative citizen community power.

Through the process of democratic self-determination and activist-citizenry, democracy will be more capable and stronger on the other side of an Emergency Financial Manager.