by Amy Kerr Hardin
Michigan is rife with right-wing gaffes this summer.
As if the Courser/Gamrat affair weren’t enough to entertain the electorate, we also have the anticipated perennial dose of BS from the “research” organization, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, to amuse us — with apologies though, it completely lacks a good sex scandal, and yet… remains utterly comical.
After the MCPP’s historic lawsuits of recent years, with threats of additional litigation piling on against the Michigan Education Association over the particulars of their teacher “opt-out” policies, we now find some small humor in the ongoing story through an apparent error on the part of MCPP operatives.
Once again, “Opt-Out August” is upon us, bringing with it a barrage of propaganda directed at those few naive public school teachers urging them to drop their MEA membership. The folks at MCPP try to make this look as painless as possible, providing an online form with instructions and encouragement on how, where, and when to submit the request. Here’s their latest social media blitz:
Last week, Dan Armstrong, spokesperson for the MCPP went on the Vic McCarty WMKT Show podcast to complain about a shocking change in the MEA opt-out policy. Apparently earlier this year, the union consolidated their procedures and directed their members to use a new P.O. box specifically set up for that purpose. Because the requests are time sensitive, the organization sensibly didn’t want them landing randomly in local mailboxes all over the state and possibly not being forwarded in a timely manner. They made the address change in the springtime, and provided the information on the “members only” page of their website:
But, it seems the “researchers” at MCPP didn’t get that memo, and thus failed to pass along this key piece of information. Armstrong told McCarty “we found out just last week”, and he went on to stutter “I don’t know if they just recently commandeered this, this P.O. Box.” (An interesting choice of words by Armstrong — “commandeered.” So, did the MEA acquire the P.O. box at gun point?)
Continuing to blame the MEA for the MCPP goof-up, Armstrong conceded that they have now helpfully changed their forms so those using them “will have the correct address.”
McCarty further nudged Armstrong to reveal if the MCPP might attempt to seek “legal remedy.” Although, the MEA has done nothing wrong in asking members to follow a prescribed procedure for opting out, Armstrong was quick to assure that “look, we’re no strangers to lawsuits.” He continued his argument by referring to the P.O. box information as being somehow “hidden” on the website, and therefore a reason for potential litigators to emerge. McCarty then prodded to know if there was a “lawsuit in the offing”, with Armstrong affirming that, yes, “there’s a likelihood of that.”
From the earliest days of the Right-to-Work initiative, the folks a MCPP have persisted in taking it to the edge.
The MEA just released an August 2015 report on the MCPP campaign against public sector workers. Not surprisingly, the Mackinac Center is heavily funded by the Dow, DeVos, and Prince families. The self-described non-profit “research” organization, seems to direct the bulk of its substantial resources to attacking the concept of collective bargaining, with a special animus directed at the MEA. In a leaked 2011 email, from the MCPP to a former Michigan Republican lawmaker, Tom McMillin, they boldly stated their goals:
That sure doesn’t look like any form of scholarly research we know of.
Christopher Klaver of Gongwer News Service opined today on the possible impact of the anti-union movement under Michigan’s Right-toWork law.
Though there are some organizations that would like to see it (you know who you are), it is unlikely that state employee unions will disappear. As the teacher unions have experienced, they are likely to lose some members, but, also as the teacher unions have experienced, they are likely to retain enough members to remain forces in setting wages and benefits for employees.
Though the long view remains uncertain, it’s still fun to take a little swipe at the MCPP’s bumbling attempts at their dream of a union-free public sector. Sorry, Mackinac Center kids — you’re out in the hall on this one. Just because you didn’t do your “research” on the correct mailing address, doesn’t mean the MEA is at fault. Litigation would surely highlight your negligent hand in the misdirection of opt-out candidates.
