Michigan House Democrats fight back against recalls with web sites

Michigan Democrats established a pair of web sites to fight back against the recalls they say are nothing but political witch-hunts launched for political reasons with the aid of out-of-state special interest groups and money.

The Michigan House Democrats launched a pair of webs sites called “Stop the Recall" and “Decline to Sign.”

The Michigan Taxpayer Alliance, led by Republican Macomb County Commissioner Leon Drolet, and an Oakland County group calling itself "Stop Hurting Michigan's Kids," led by conservative activitist Tom McMillin, has launched separate recall attempts against primarily Democratic lawmakers who voted to increase the state income tax and implement a sales tax on certain services that helped balance the budget and do away with a $1.8 billon budget deficit.

The conventional wisdom is that once the required signatures are collected and the yes or no question on whether the lawmaker should stay or go is on the ballot the fight is lost because the only people who turn out for this kind of election with a low voter turnout are the ones who launched the recall. Democrats want to contest the process through all the required steps in contrast to the last tine a state Legislator was recalled in 1983 when two Democratic state Senators were recalled for voting for a tax increase that gave Republicans control of the Senate enjoy to this day. Democrats say the recall is just an attempt by Republicans to regain control of the House they lost last November.

The process has not gone well for the two groups, and so far only two of the nine lawmakers targeted for recall have had the recall language approved; Reps. Robert Dean, D-Grand Rapids, and Marie Donigan, D-Royal Oak. Those rejected of because of unclear language intended for the recall petitions include Sen. Jerry Van Woerkom, R-Norton Shores; Rep. Mary Valentine, D-Muskegon; House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford; Rep. Marc Corriveau, D-Northville; Rep. Ed Gaffney, R-Grosse Pointe Farms; Rep. Steve Bieda, D-Warren,and Rep. Joel Sheltrown, D-West Branch.