Snyder On WWJ: Talks EFM Bill And More
SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - Just 12 hours after signing legislation giving broad new powers to emergency financial managers appointed by the state of Michigan, Governor Rick Snyder said he didn't want to "speculate" on the number of managers that could be appointed to run struggling cities and schools.
"If you look at the numbers we already have, you're talking a handful of situations, so that's where people are taking things out of context without looking at all the numbers because if you look at what we have today it's a fraction of one percent of our jurisdictions that have ever fallen into this circumstance," Snyder said during a live interview Thursday morning on WWJ. "A major part of the legislation that was passed was actually geared to create an early warning system to work with communities where they can develop plans to ever keep them out of getting to that status."
Snyder says the early warning system was missing from prior legislation.
Some opponents of the legislation said the legislation would take away collective bargaining rights of workers. To that, Snyder said he's happy to work through the collective bargaining process with state employees.
As for protests that have brought more than ten-thousand people to Lansing in the last two weeks, Snyder said "it's part of democracy."
"I respect people for sharing their opinions," Snyder said adding it was "very difficult" going through the budget process and recommending cuts.
Snyder said most people will not see a 30% tax increase as mentioned in an analysis by Crains Detroit Business.
