More Photos
Click thumbnails to enlarge
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder speaks at the CARE House of Oakland County's new 14,000 square-foot facility on Woodward Avenue during the Grand Opening in Pontiac, April 15 2011. (Oakland Press Photo: Vaughn Gurganian)
L. Brooks Patterson
Oakland County Democratic Party Chairman Frank Houston wants to see the emails and communications between Gov. Rick Snyder and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County Clerk Bill Bullard and others.
Royal Oak attorney David L. Richards, with Houston's support, filed Freedom of Information requests late Wednesday ? the day of the governor?s second State of the State address ? seeking ?all documents, hard copy or electronic referencing or including the word ?redistricting? or ?redistrict? in communications by:
? Patterson, including his staff and office;
? Bullard, including his staff and office;
? Oakland County Commission Chairman Mike Gingell;
? Jim Theinel, chairman of the Oakland County Republican Party;
? State Rep. Bradford Jacobsen, R-Oxford;
? Any Republican Oakland County commissioner; and,
? Any lobbyist for Oakland County.?
Houston said he believes Patterson used the former lobbying firm of Snyder?s Chief of Staff Dennis Muchmore to get support for a law signed by the governor in late December that reduces the size of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners from 25 to 21 members and allows the current county commission, controlled by Republicans, to draw new districts in advance of this year?s elections. Continued...
Houston has challenged the new law in Ingham County Circuit Court.
?I?m confident that if Brooks Patterson and Gov. Snyder share with the public the conversations they and their staff had behind closed doors, it will show that the redistricting bill was nothing more than an outrageous political favor for Brooks and Oakland County Republicans, paid for by taxpayers,? Houston said.
?As an Oakland County taxpayer, I am concerned that our county executive potentially spent county resources to lobby for a change in redistricting laws so he can ensure a gerrymandered Republican majority on the Oakland County commission,? Houston added. ?I expect our tax dollars to be spent providing critical services for Oakland County residents, not enabling Brooks Patterson to give out county commission jobs to his friends.?
Patterson said Thursday he hasn't seen the information request but rejected an idea of a political conspiracy surrounding the new law. ?It's hardly a cabal in progress here,? he said.
?Everything the Legislature did was legal, transparent, and public as opposed to what the Democrats do when they forge signatures on petitions to influence elections,? Patterson said, referring to two former county Democratic Party workers who were sentenced recently on charges relating to election fraud in 2010.
As an elected executive, Patterson said part of his job is political.
?Mr. Houston should understand that,? he said. ?My job is to support legislation across the board from health to publc safety. That's a ridiculous charge.?
Houston is also chairman of the five-person Oakland County Reapportionment Commission, which had a Democratic majority and drew 25 new county commission districts last year.
Legal challenges to those districts by Republicans were rejected.
Oakland County Commissioners Thursday morning kicked off the new redistricting process to draw 21 new seats amid protests from the 10 Democrats on the 25-member commission. Continued...
Democrats unsuccessfully tried to block a resolution to begin the new redistricting process in a 15-10 party line vote.
Several Democrats have filed to run for office based on the 25-district map approved by the apportionment commission while the legal challenge to the 21-district law continues.
Contact Charles Crumm at 248-745-4649, charlie.crumm@oakpress.com or follow him on Twitter @crummc and on Facebook. More information is at oaklandmichiganpolitics.blogspot.com. Keep up with the latest in local news by texting OPNews to 22700. Msg & Data Rates May Apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.
Source: http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/01/19/news/doc4f18120ab4ad6338945194.txt
broncos jets jessie james clayton kershaw osu basketball dale sveum jets broncos thursday night football
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.