New Energy to Reinvent and Diversify Fund

Last updated

The New Energy to Reinvent and Diversify Fund or NERD fund was developed through State of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's office in 2011. Developed through a 501c4 organization, the purpose of the fund was to subsidize government expenses from unlimited anonymous corporate donations. The fund gathered $1.3 million in 2011 and another $368,000 in 2012. On October 21, 2013, it was announced that the NERD fund would close down. [1]

The NERD fund was used to support politically sensitive projects for the State of Michigan. Mlive reports "The fund has been used to upgrade an auditorium in the governor's offices, buy an alarm system for his house, pay travel expenses for his staff and cover living expenses for Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr". [1] Richard Baird, who assisted with several sensitive projects at the request of Governor Snyder, was paid through the NERD fund; Baird will instead be appointed transformational manager for the Governor's office. [2]

Controversy

Since its inception, the NERD fund was criticized for the anonymity of its donors. This criticism is the primary reason stated for closing the fund.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flint, Michigan</span> City in Michigan, United States

Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, 66 miles (106 km) northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 81,252, making it the twelfth largest city in Michigan. The Flint metropolitan area is located entirely within Genesee County. It is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Michigan with a population of 406,892 in 2020. The city was incorporated in 1855.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Public Schools Community District</span> Public school system of Detroit, Michigan

Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is a school district that serves Detroit, Michigan and high school students in Highland Park, Michigan. The district, which replaced the original Detroit Public Schools (DPS) in 2016, provides services to approximately 50,000 students, making it the largest school district in the state. The district has its headquarters in the Fisher Building of the New Center area of Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Snyder</span> American politician and business executive

Richard Dale Snyder is an American business executive, venture capitalist, attorney, accountant, and politician who served as the 48th governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Snyder previously served as the chairman of the board of Gateway from 2005 to 2007. He co-founded Ardesta, LLC, a venture capital firm, HealthMedia, Inc., a digital health coaching company, and is currently the co-founder and CEO of SensCy, a cybersecurity company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), formerly Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, is a principal department of the U.S. state of Michigan for environmental issues. The department was created in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Schauer</span> American politician

Mark Hamilton Schauer is an American politician who served as a U.S. representative for Michigan's 7th congressional district from 2009 to 2011.

The Michigan State Fair is an annual event originally held from 1849 to 2009 in Detroit, the state's largest city. In 2009 the governor declined to fund it because of other priorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Michigan gubernatorial election</span> American state election

The 2010 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm was prohibited by the state's Constitution from seeking a third term. This resulted in a large pool of candidates which was whittled down, when the May 11 filing deadline passed, to two Democrats and five Republicans. Both the Cook Political Report and the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report rated the election as leaning Republican.

Darnell Earley is an American public administrator and municipal manager. Formerly the city manager of Saginaw, Michigan and emergency manager of Flint, Michigan, Earley served as temporary mayor of Flint after the recall of Woodrow Stanley. Earley was appointed emergency manager of the Detroit Public Schools system in January 2015. He resigned that position in February 2016. In January 2021 he was indicted on felony charges regarding the Flint water crisis.

The City of Flint has operated under at least four charters. The City is currently run under its 2017 charter that gives the city a Strong Mayor form of government. It is also instituted the appointed independent office of Ombudsman, while the city clerk is solely appointed by the City Council. The City Council is composed of members elected from the city's nine wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pure Michigan</span> Tourism marketing campaign for the U.S. state of Michigan

Pure Michigan is as an advertising campaign by the state of Michigan to market the state of Michigan as a travel and tourism destination. It was launched in 2008 featuring the voice of actor and comedian Tim Allen, using the title song from The Cider House Rules as the background music in television commercials.

The official history of motion picture production in the U.S. state of Michigan dates back to the beginning of the Post–World War II baby boom. As of March 14, 2013, the Michigan Film Office website contains a list of 319, filmed in Michigan titles, beginning with This Time for Keeps, starring Esther Williams and in 1946, followed by Anatomy of a Murder, starring Jimmy Stewart and Lee Remick in 1959. Contemporary nationally known works filmed in the state include the drama Conviction (2010), starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell, Kill the Irishman (2011), starring Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken, HBO's series Hung was filmed, and is set in, Detroit, and the Discovery Channel's Motor City Motors (2009), formerly Monster Garage (2002-2006). Originally slated for Minneapolis, Minnesota, Clint Eastwood's film Gran Torino (2008) was filmed in the Detroit area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dayne Walling</span> American politician

Dayne Walling is an American politician who was the mayor of Flint, Michigan from 2009 to 2015. Although the Flint mayor's office is a nonpartisan position, Walling is a member of the Democratic Party.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), originally the Department of Commerce among other names, is a principal department in the Michigan executive branch that oversees employment, professional licensing, construction, and commerce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jase Bolger</span> American politician

James "Jase" Bolger served as the 71st Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from January 12, 2011 to the end of 2014 session. Bolger is a member of the Republican Party, and represented Michigan's 63rd house district from 2009 to 2014. After being term limited out, he founded a consulting firm, Tusker Strategies.

Financial emergency is a state of receivership for the State of Michigan's local governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Michigan gubernatorial election</span> American state election

The 2014 Michigan gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor of Michigan, concurrently with the election of Michigan's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Kevyn Duane Orr is an American lawyer who served as the emergency financial manager of the city of Detroit from 2013 to 2014 during the city's Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Orr is now a partner at the law firm Jones Day in its bankruptcy practice.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) is a principal department of the State of Michigan. The department oversees the state's programs for unemployment insurance, business growth, affordable housing, labor relations, and tourism, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency</span> Government organization

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) is a state government agency which is a part of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs that functions as the central coordinating point for Michigan veterans, connecting those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, and their families, to services and benefits throughout the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flint water crisis</span> Contamination by lead of water supply in Flint, Michigan

The Flint water crisis is a public health crisis that started in 2014 after the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan was contaminated with lead and Legionella bacteria. In April 2014, during a financial crisis, state-appointed emergency manager Darnell Earley changed Flint's water source from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to the Flint River. Residents complained about the taste, smell, and appearance of the water. Officials failed to apply corrosion inhibitors to the water, which resulted in lead from aging pipes leaching into the water supply, exposing around 100,000 residents to elevated lead levels. A pair of scientific studies confirmed that lead contamination was present in the water supply. The city switched back to the Detroit water system on October 16, 2015. It later signed a 30-year contract with the new Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) on November 22, 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 Oosting, Jonathon (October 21, 2013). "Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's NERD Fund to close amidst ongoing calls for transparency". Mlive.com. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  2. "Editorial: Good riddance, NERD Fund". www.freep.com. October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.