Michigan judge halts Detroit bankruptcy because it dishonors Obama

Angela Corey should have tried this argument with Judge Nelson. 50/50 shot, no?

Alternate headline: “Government in Detroit somehow worse than thought.”

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Aquilina, who granted the restraining order, clearly was irked.

Prior to her ruling on Friday, she criticized the Snyder administration and Attorney General’s Office for what appeared to be hasty action to outflank pension board attorneys.

“It’s cheating, sir, and it’s cheating good people who work,” the judge told assistant Attorney General Brian Devlin. “It’s also not honoring the (United States) president, who took (Detroit’s auto companies) out of bankruptcy.”

Aquilina said she would make sure President Obama got a copy of her order.

“I know he’s watching this,” she said, predicting the president ultimately will have to take action to make sure existing pension commitments are honored.

“I know he’s watching this.” She’s essentially threatening to tattle on the governor by faxing a copy of her order to Our National Father, whose dignity is on the line as the fate of America’s most notorious experiment in pure progressive government is decided. They should be grateful she didn’t hold them in contempt under the Dishonoring Obama clause of the Constitution.

Two things. One: The left has spent much of the day grumbling on Twitter that it’s not fair to make fun of Obama for saying repeatedly last year that he prevented Detroit from going bankrupt when what he meant by “Detroit” was the auto industry, not the municipal government. Aquilina doesn’t seem to find that distinction important. Obama held himself out as the city’s economic savior; to allow it to declare bankruptcy now would make a liar of him, and we can’t have that. Or maybe … she doesn’t grasp the distinction at all?

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She also ordered that a copy of her declaratory judgment be sent to President Barack Obama, saying he “bailed out Detroit” and may want to look into the pension issue.

That’s from the Detroit Free Press, which helpfully notes that she “has a Democratic background.” Two: The legal basis for the decision is that the Michigan Constitution doesn’t allow the state to reduce public-employee pensions (of course), even though public-employee pensions are what’s driving the bankruptcy. Some bankruptcy experts disagree, but if that ruling stands on appeal, presumably the only solution is a bailout. You don’t think Our Father would go for that, do you? How about congressional Republicans?

Go look at the graphic Veronique De Rugy posted at the Corner.

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David Strom 3:20 PM | November 15, 2024
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