Press Releases

Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Congressman C. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an investigation into emergency managers in Michigan. Reps. Conyers and Peters issued this statement following their transmission of the letter to the GAO:

John Conyers, Jr.:  “It is difficult to identify a single instance where an emergency manager has succeeded in turning around the financial fortunes of a city or jurisdiction. The history of the emergency manager law in Michigan is replete with fiscal mismanagement and conflicts of interest.  In the absence of any sort of checks or balances at the state level, it is vital that the GAO examine the law and its impact, particularly the impact on federal funding.”

Gary C. Peters:  “By focusing only on short-term budgetary patches, emergency managers have failed to address the long-term systemic issues confronting older urban areas. The consistent record of poor results we’ve seen from emergency managers is why I’m joining with Congressman John Conyers in calling for a GAO review.”

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The letter sent to the Government Accountability Office is attached to this press release. The March 2012 letter to Governor Snyder, which is referenced in the attached letter, can be found here.