“Michigan Governor Rick Snyder plans to name an emergency manager to handle Detroit’s fiscal crisis, stripping power from local officials. Detroit has a budget deficit of about $327 million and more than $14 billion in long-term obligations, reports Bloomberg. Starting later this month, a manager will have the power to cancel labor contracts, cut spending and sell assets. This all is, of course, an attempt to prevent what could be the largest U.S. municipal bankruptcy. Snyder will act to protect Detroit’s debt holders. However, the best thing that could happen to Detroit is for the city to declare bankruptcy and start fresh, rather than a Motown version of eurozone-type austerity.”
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/03/michigan-governor-declares-emergency-in.html