Opponents of Proposal 2 Deceive and Intimidate Working Families

LANSING — Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer today addressed the dishonest tactics and misleading ads by the corporate special interests against Proposal 2 to Protect Collective Bargaining.

Just yesterday, Protecting Michigan Taxpayers was caught red-handed misleading voters again in their latest 30-second TV ad. The ad, “Dangerous,” misrepresented statements printed in the Detroit Free Press by an opposition spokesman. After being confronted with the facts, the ad’s sponsor, PMT, has thus far defiantly refused to take the ad down.

Citizens Protecting Michigan’s Constitution (CPMC) and Protecting Michigan Taxpayers (PMT) purchased nearly $25 million worth of ads attacking Proposal 2. The ads are filled with lies, misleading information and fear mongering.

“The dishonest tactics by PMT represent a pattern of lies from corporate special interests that want to silence the voice of working families and eliminate the fundamental right to collective bargaining,” said Brewer. “These fear-mongering and false ads are funded by corporate special interests like Dick DeVos, who benefit when workers’ rights to negotiate for fair wages, benefits and safe working conditions are diminished.”

On Friday, PMT engaged in the lowest form of intimidation, bringing a complaint against the Michigan Parent Teacher Association (PTA), challenging their tax status for endorsing Prop 2. These bullying tactics were denounced by the Michigan Nonprofit Association, which stated, “PMT’s leaders were clearly either ignorant or dismissive of the law. 501(c)(3) organizations are entitled to lobby for or against ballot proposals, and any competent attorney would be able to explain this.”

When the campaign began, these groups falsely claimed Proposal 2 would make it harder for school districts to remove employees with criminal records, implying it would protect child pedophiles.The groups then made more false statements that Proposal 2 would repeal laws that require criminal background checks for school employees and eliminate school bus driver safety standards, lies that have been exposed by third-party fact checkers and law enforcement professionals.

The opposition’s lies stem from a politically motivated letter issued by Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette that was based on faulty legal reasoning. Attorney General Schuette claimed Proposal 2 would repeal more than 170 laws and take away legislators’ authority. This letter was the basis of the attorney general’s challenge to Proposal 2 being on the Nov. 6 ballot. The Michigan Court of Appeals rejected the argument.

Collective bargaining gives firefighters and police officers a voice to negotiate for life-saving equipment, protects nurses who speak up about a patient’s care and gives teachers smaller class sizes so they can better educate our children.

Yes on Proposal 2 protects the fundamental right to collective bargaining.

Source: Press Release – Michigan Democratic State Central Committee