Apparently, Howell Public School Board member and head teabagger Wendy Day’s ballot group is aware it’s violating school district rules by holding a petition drive kick-off event tonight at a school district facility.
The latest promo that appeared in the local newspaper is now calling it a “townhall meeting.” That or the newspaper is helping them because the ballot group, called "Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom,” is still calling it a petition kickoff on its web site. A better name would be Freedom From Life-Saving Care. This is, by the way, is the third straight day the promo for this event has appeared either in the newspaper or its web site, yet it lets the person who authorized my tax dollars to support a political position many people do not support off the hook.
The so-called “Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom” is planning a petition drive kickoff for 6:30 p.m. tonight, Monday, March 29 at the Howell Freshman Campus cafeteria - 1400 W. Grand River Ave. 48843- to exempt Michigan from the historic health insurance reform law signed into law by President Obama last week and place the constitutional amendment on the ballot.
School District policy prohibits district facilities and equipment from being used for political purposes, and this is clearly a partisan political rally. HPS Assistant Superintendent Rick Terries authorized the event because he says it is considered an “informational meeting.” The problem with that logic is that it’s information for launching a petition drive, or, in other words, it’s a one-sided political event.
I have already called and complained, but have got no answer. Call Mr. Terries at (517)548-6357 to respectfully lodge your complaint over tax dollars being used to advocate for a political position.
4 comments:
Yeah--imagine Howell Public Schools hosting an "informational meeting" on how to get our military out of Iraq. Or a little kaffeeklatsch on reforming predatory bank lending. Or perhaps a just-to-get-the-word-out gathering to discuss reshaping the tax gap between the wealthy and the working class.
We all know why Howell (a school which had the world's most restrictive policy on choral music literature, for Pete's sake) is allowing this meeting to go forward. And her name is School Board Member.
Just found your blog, Kevin. I'll be back.
Thank you Nancy. I don’t think we can stop this, but we can keep putting the truth out there to friends, relatives and neighbors.
I don't know about you two, but I plan on attending just to see what's up.
So does Howell Schools have a policy against hosting political events or not? If they do, this just reeks of imposed privilege on behalf of board members and admin.
I have a meeting at the HS pool at 6, but I hope to be there before it’s over. Glad you will be there. Bring as many people as you can.
As for the political meeting, I just talked to Rick Terries about an hour ago, and he is really skirting the policy. He said if the petition drive was successful, it would be a political meeting, but somehow getting there is not. In other words, launching the petition drive is not political, but it’s only political if the petition drive is successful.
It makes no sense.
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