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February 29, 2012

Imagine Reevaluation of Political Philosophies...

Justin Katz

... It may be more difficult than it seems.
If dislike of dictators
Is contingent on progressive dreams

Over on the Current, I express restrained hope that some noise on the Left about Central Falls' receiver will spur reconsideration of liberals' long-running centralization project.

I note, too, that Anchor Rising's unease with the entire municipal receivership program goes back to a May 2010 post by Andrew.

Comments

These towns put themselves into "dictatorship" by their own corruption and cronyism.
Don't want a dictatorship? Bite the bullet and change the whole system into one that is sustainable OR...
raise the taxes to whatever obscene level is needed to fund the Democratic kleptocracy.
Short of that, deal with the dictatorship just like Greece is doing now.

Posted by: Tommy Cranston at February 29, 2012 2:26 PM

Without doubt, recievership is the seizure of electoral powers and denial of the franchise. But haven't the CF voters abdicated? Still, if we believe that certain rights were "endowed by the Creator", does poor use, or no use, result in a loss? I don't think it is subject to "adverse possession".

Perhaps all it needed was a good newspaper. Perhaps voters who cared.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at February 29, 2012 8:33 PM

Democracy isn't necessarily a good thing on any scale or in any environment. This is recognized by Chapter 9 Bankruptcy law. Such a corrupt and badly damaged city will either be reorganized by a "dictator" receiver or a "dictator" bankruptcy judge. My preference is the latter since the unions will be unable to scream unfairness and blame it on a "conservative, corporate-controlled state" or whatever, but it all leads to the same place in the end, which was decided the moment the city signed its unsustainable, irrevocable union contracts.

Posted by: Dan at March 1, 2012 9:16 AM

Consult section 904 of the Federal bankruptcy code. A judge doesn't have nearly the scope dictatorial powers that have been assigned to a Rhode Island "receiver".

Beyond that, authoritarian government is not the pathway to guaranteed efficiency that some folks seem to think it is.

Posted by: Andrew at March 1, 2012 11:16 PM