THIS is not unexpected but, in my mind, chilling.

Gov. Rick Snyder is expected as early as Friday to begin the process to appoint an emergency manager for the city of Detroit, the Free Press has learned. Snyder is expected to call for a financial review, the first step in state intervention. Both Mayor Dave Bing and Detroit City Council have refused to initiate such a review. Bing and Snyder had a conversation Wednesday, and Snyder informed the mayor he intended to start the emergency manager process. [...] Bing has repeatedly said he does not believe an emergency manager is necessary. Bing said a plan to shave $102 million off this fiscal year’s budget – through at least 1,000 employee layoffs and union concessions – would provide some financial stability.

Bing may have said repeatedly that he "does not believe an emergency manager is necessary" but he has also used the threat of one (all while offering his own services in that regard [nudge, nudge, wink, wink, saynomoresaynomore]) as a cudgel to beat unions over the head with.

In terms of Emergency Managers being assigned to Michigan cities, Detroit is the plum. The amount of money flowing into Detroit to help solve its myriad problems is astonishing. An EM having the keys to that till and the ability to redirect those monies to private companies under the guise of "cost savings" is not to be taken lightly. With no accountability to the local voters & taxpayers, this could be a windfall for companies that make their living providing outsourcing services to municipalities.

Not unexpected, but very, very chilling.

Cross-posted from Eclectablog.