Teabagger effort to deny people health care dies a natural death

There will be no citizen initiated ballot questions when voters go to the polls on November 2, and as expected, the effort of Michigan teabaggers to stop 32 million Americans with no health care insurance from getting it with a petition drive to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to exempt Michigan from the historic health insurance reform law failed miserably.

In fact, none of the groups collecting signatures in hopes of putting an issue or constitutional amendment on the ballot in November turned in signatures before Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline. It just proves that the tea bagger “movement” is as much a creation of the media, and it proves the people who scream the loudest get the most coverage.

In addition to the failure of the Lansing-based tea bagger group called “Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom” headed by Howell School Board member and founder of the anti-gay hate group “LOVE” Wendy Day, a group hoping to establish more casinos and a group hoping put the Fair Affordable Insurance Act on the November 2010 ballot failed to get enough signatures.

However, two constitutional amendments initiated by the Legislature will be on the ballot in November. One will be on whether to convene a state constitutional convention and a proposal to bar those convicted of felony crimes that violate the public trust from running for office for 20 years.

The tea bagger effort was little more than an exercise to build a mailing list of Republican supporters for the November election and to bash the President. The group has scheduled a press conference for noon today on the Capitol steps, and Day’s Facebook page said they will talk about “results and plan.” I’m sure one “plan” will be to go out and work against Democratic candidates.

Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend, so I’ll have to read the account of what went on in Gongwer. I know one thing for sure; Day will not step out of the spotlight very easily.

Today at 5 p.m. is also the last day to register for the August 3 primary election. If you are 18 or will be 18 by Aug. 3, you can register at any Secretary of State office or your local clerk’s office. The last day to register for the Nov. 2 election is Oct. 4.

HC petition language goes before board of Canvassers

The petition drive to deny 32 million Americans with no health care insurance from getting it and placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot to exempt Michigan from the historic health insurance reform law will face a severe test on Friday when the Michigan State Board of Canvassers meets to approve the petition language.

The problem is the teabaggers have been collecting signatures since a round of “kickoffs” were held late last month. Collecting the signatures of 380,126 registered voters before July 5 will be tough unless they have lots of insurance lobby money to spend, but all those signatures already collected could be invalid if the board dos not approve the petitions.

The fact that the petitions have not been approved before they were circulated has led many political pundits to believe the teabggers are simply building a Republican fundraising list.

The Board of Canvassers will meet at 10 a.m.. Friday April 16 in Room 426 of the Capitol in Lansing, and the meeting is open to the public.

HC petition drive is just building a Republican mailing list

There is no doubt that the petition drive to stop 32 million Americans with no health care insurance from getting it and placeing a constitutional amendment on the ballot to exempt Michigan from the historic health insurance reform law is a Republican effort to stop the President from getting a victory, and Howell School board member and head teabagger Wendy Day provided more evidence of that with an email to supporters.

Republican politicians from Mike Rogers and “Mad Thad” McCotter to Michigan Attorney General and Republican Gubernatorial Candidate ‘Manoogian’ Mike Cox and Senate candidate Joe Hune have been appearing at teabag events courting the fringe that controls the Republican Party.

Because the petition language was not approved by the Michigan State Board of Canvassers before signatures were collected, this is clearly not a serious petition drive. To place the constitutional amendment before voters in November, they must collect the valid signatures of registered voters equal to 10 percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for governor in the last election, and that comes out to the signatures of 380,126 registered voters just to place it on the ballot.

Political pundits like Joe DiSano and Joe Munem said because the language has not been approved, the petition drive is little more than an exercise to build a mailing list of Republican supporters for the upcoming election. Day’s email confirms that.

“The Republican Party has pledged to help us by working to collect 100,000 signatures,” Day wrote in an email. “The GOP Fix-it Centers are willing to serve as drop off locations as well as places to pick up petitions.”

Proposed diversity group will give hatemongers something to rally them

There may be something forming in Howell Public Schools that may divert the HPS school board member and head teabagger Wendy Day from her petition drive to deny life-saving health care insurance to millions of Michigan residents.

The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus is reporting that a small group of administrators, teachers and students is forming a diversity group at Howell High School with the mission of promoting diversity within the district.

Apparently, they participated in a U.S. Department of Justice diversity program last fall.“The group's goal is for the entire district — and its image to those outside the county — to become focused on an environment that respects all people, regardless of race,ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other differences that traditionally separate people.”

That decision to include “sexual orientation” may draw the attention of Day and other like-minded bigots.

Apparently, “the U.S. Department of Justice and Howell Public Schools came together this school year in response to an April incident in which two students were suspended for using school computers to create an Internet hate group” on Facebook. The group “included 30-plus members, most of whom were Howell High School students. The group's Web page displayed racial slurs and a picture of the Confederate flag.”

Livingston County has a history of intolerance and racism, primarily because former Klan Grand Dragon Robert E. Miles lived in Cohoctah Township, just outside of Howell, until he died in 1992. That perceived racism has been reinforced with things like the appearance of hatemongers like Ann Coulter and the popularity of Astroturf “tea parties” in the county.

It was diversity that plagued the county with Day and brought her to prominence. Day is a founding member of a defunct anti-gay hate group called the LOVE (Livingston Organization for Values in Education) PAC that sprang up in the spring of 2006 in response to a diversity flag they mistakenly claimed was a gay pride flag that “promotes and endorses homosexuality.” The so-called “LOVE group claims it wanted to bring traditional values back to the schools, but their traditional values turned out to be code words for intolerance, discrimination and fear.

The group bit off more than it could chew when it tried unsuccessfully to ban books, but it did get Day elected to the school board.

It remains to be seen if this will draw the same attention as the diversity flag.

Coverage of petition drive illustrates how conservative the corporate media has become

The coverage from my local newspaper of the preview of the kickoff of a petition drive to stop 32 million Americans with no health care insurance from getting it and placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot to exempt Michigan from the historic health insurance reform has been slanted to favor the teabaggers, but the coverage of the actual political rally was even more slanted.

The paper claims 200 people showed up at the “tea party Monday night at the Howell Freshman Campus cafeteria. Whether it’s 150 or 200, it’s certainly not much considering how conservative Livingston County is, this is supposed to be a statewide effort and all the free promotion it got. There is no doubt the corporate media is conservative.

As a former reporter, it was often the headline that got me in trouble, and it’s the copy editors that usually write them. That may be the case in today’s edition of the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus.

At the top of the page above the fold on the front page is a bold headline above three separate stories that says, “Animosity over health care grows.” Under that bold headline are three separate stories with smaller headlines:
“About 200 show up at meeting to learn about opting-out amendment.”
“Brick Smashes GOP office in Howell area.”
“Proposals in Senate call for right to choose.”

All three are inaccurate, and the vandalism at the GOP “Fix it” office has nothing to do with animosity. The name of the office is accurate. After all, they broke it, they should fix it.

I have written a lot about the petition drive, but what really struck me last night was the fact that law already allows states to opt out.

The constitutional amendment that was rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate gives you less options and choices for health care.

The story at the GOP office in Genoa Township really bothered me. It gives the false impression that the vandalism had something to do with health care. There is no proof of that. I live no more than two miles from this office, but I have never been able to see it since they opened it in November as I drive by Grand River Avenue.

It’s kind of funny that the announcement came from the state party. According to the article, “A brick hurled through the window of the Michigan Republican Party’s office in Howell(sic) has the words ”Long Live the USA” and “God Bless the USA” scrawled on it,according to Livingston County Sheriff’s investigators.”

The first point is the Sheriff’s office should not be in investigating it, and it should be handled by the Michigan State Police. Livingston County Undersheriff Mike Murphy is also the chair of the Livingston County Republican Party.

The article says “Both Democratic and Republican officials nationally have reported threats of violence in the wake of passage of national health care reform bills. Venable’s news release cites recent vandalism at the campaign office of House Republican Whip Congressman Eric Cantor and the Albemarle County, Va., Republican Party headquarters.”

That is simply not true. The police have said the shot fired near Cantor’s office was just a random shot, and it had nothing to do with him denying access to health care for 32 million people. He lied. So-called Republican leaders have not only ginned up the violence with their rhetoric, but they refuse to speak out against it. Democratic leaders have not incited people to violence.

One thing I heard last night at the “tea party” and at others was “we want our country back.” I never heard that back in the early part of this decade when Republicans controlled all three branches of the federal government and all three branches of Michigan government. We wanted control back, and we got it because government was being ran so badly. But no one had our country, and no one has it now. It kind of makes you wonder what they mean, but when you consider teabaggers are now being called the tea klan, then you begin to understand who they want it back from.

HC petition drive kickoff turns out to be another Republican tea party

The kickoff of a petition drive Monday night to stop 32 million Americans with no health care insurance from getting it and place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to exempt Michigan from the historic health insurance reform law signed into law by President Obama last week was little more than a “tea party.”

Howell School Board member and head teabagger Wendy Day led the event at the Howell Freshman Campus cafeteria, and it was little more than the typical rhetoric bashing Democrats and the president we have seen at the racist, Astroturf “tea parties.“ the only thing missing was the racist signs.

“Some people say Obama broke his oath of office to protect the Constitution,” Day said. “This is a peaceful way for people to express their frustration.”

Day is the treasurer of the ballot committee called "Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom.”

Constitutional Amendments require the valid signatures of registered voters equal to 10 percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for governor in the last election, and that comes out to the signatures of 380,126 registered voters just to place it on the ballot. They have to turn those signatures into the Secretary of State no later than July 5.

“This petition has been legally vetted by the Goldwater Institute,” Day said. “It has been preliminary approved by the (Michigan State) Board of Canvassers.”

I doubt that statement is true, and the board has not approved the language. Every signature should be challenged on that basis alone.

I missed the first hour of the partisan campaign event because I had to work, and I was only able to catch the last 45 minutes. Day took questions from the approximately 150 people, but most of it was just the usual rhetoric and lies we have heard in the past. Day said the best place to get signatures was at Republican events, like a “tea party.”

“Go to one tea party; go to two,” she said.” We can get plenty of signatures. The tea party express is coming through.”

If you needed any more proof that this was a partisan Republican event, you just needed to see the Republican politicians in attendance. Most of them are running for office, and I lost respect for some I once had respect for, despite our political differences.

Those I personally saw were Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, - who is running for U.S. Congress in the seat vacated by “Twitter” Pete Hoekstra and who introduced the amendment under discussion that was rejected in the Republican controlled Senate - Rep. Bill Rogers, R-Brighton; Rep. Cindy Denby, R-Fowlerville; former Republican House Speaker Rick Johnson, R-Leroy; and Senate candidate Joe Hune; and of course some guy from the rightwing think tank Mackinac Center.

Like I said in past posts, this clearly violates the school district’s policy on allowing district facilities to be used for partisan political events. I talked to HPS Assistant Superintendent Rick Terries - who authorized the event - 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.

This masquerade has little chance of succeeding, but that does not mean we should not fight it. We have spent a year fighting to reform the broken system, so what’s three more months.

Teabaggers trying to spin partisan event as nonpartisan

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.

Stop teabaggers from denying Michiganders access to life-saving health care

Apparently, Livingston County is going to be “ground zero” or teabag central for the petition drive to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to try and deny thousands of Michigan residents access to life-saving health care.

A ballot group called “Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom” is planning a petition drive kickoff for 6:30 p.m. 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.

The group is led Howell Public School Board member and teabagger Wendy Day. An article in today’s Livingston County Daily Press & Argus is little more than a promo for the event, and I’m sorry I suggested it to my former colleague. It’s ironic that just a few feet away from where Day voted to strip health care from more than 30 Howell school bus drivers she wants to rally people to deny it to thousands of Michigan residents.

This partisan political rally clearly violates district policy about using district facilities and events for political purposes, and this is a partisan political rally. The reporter never got an answer from Assistant Superintendent Rick Terres on why this is not a political rally advocating for a position. There is no way it can be “considered an informational meeting, which isn't prohibited in the district's building-use policy, according to the article.

Where is the other side if it’s an “informational meeting?”

“A prior district policy prohibited political campaigning in district buildings, though Day's event doesn't fall in that category, Terres said.
That policy was revised in 2008 to allow candidate forums for local, state and national political races. The change was made after a Daily Press & Argus candidate forum scheduled at a district building was canceled by district officials, Terres said.”

Again, this is a political rally, and it is not in any way a political forum. Now, if a representative from both sides of the issue held a debate, then it would meet the criteria for a forum or informational meeting. Clearly, it doesn’t. It’s a partisan political rally, and I don’t want my tax dollars as a homeowner in the HPS district to be used to try and kill something that is needed so much.

So, if you’re not doing anything Monday evening, please attend to show your support for the 32 million people who will receive health care coverage under this bill. If you can’t make it, call the person who made the decision to allow taxpayers funds to support a partisan position. Call Associate Superintendent Richard Terres at (517) 548-6357 to lodge a complaint.

Teabaggers led by school board member kickoff petition drive, again

Teabaggers led by Howell School Board member Wendy Day are launching a petition drive to stop 32 million Americans with no health care insurance from getting it and violating Howell Public School policy in the process.

Subscription only MIRS is reporting Day and a ballot committee called “Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom” is planning a petition drive kickoff for 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Howell Freshman Campus cafeteria to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to exempt Michigan from the historic health insurance reform law signed into law by President Obama last week.

This is the same amendment the Senate Republicans tried to pass on March 16, but it fell two votes short of the two-thirds majority it needed to get on the ballot. It’s also the same petition drive extreme rightwing Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, launched on March 22 outside William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Apparently, teabaggers like kickoffs.

Like McMillin, Day has not had much success in petition drives. Day took the unusual step of launching a recall attempt against three of the four Howell Public School Board members who voted to fire the Superintendent. That attempt against her fellow board members failed miserably.

It’s ironic that the petition drive is taking place at the Freshman Campus, 1400 W. Grand River Ave. It also houses both the district’s administrative offices and board office. District policy bars facilities and equipment from being used for political campaigns. That was illustrated in April 2007 when the district canceled a forum for school board candidates, and cited the district policy that states, “District facilities and equipment shall not be used or made available for political campaigns.”

That was simply a nonpartisan forum so voters could hear from candidates, and this petition drive is extremely partisan.

Constitutional Amendments require the valid signatures of registered voters equal to 10 percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for governor in the last election, and that comes out to the signatures of 380,126 registered voters just to place it on the ballot. The Michigan State Board of Canvassers must first approve the ballot language before any signatures are collected. Once language is approved, the required signatures must be collected in six months and there can be no more than 90 days between the first and last signature. Any signatures collected before the board of canvassers are invalid, and that, to my knowledge has not happened.

However, the ballot committee, “Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom,” was filed with the Michigan Secretary of State on March 22, and Day is listed as the treasurer.

MIRS reported “Day said the Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom is in the process of rallying liberty groups across the state to pass around petitions for this effort.”

Republicans get even more desperate in their attempt to deny people health care

Apparently, Republicans in Michigan are not happy that 32 million Americans with no health care insurance will now have it, health insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny people coverage because of preexisting condition, the federal budget deficit will be cut by $138 billion over the next decade, seniors on Medicare will pay less for their prescription drugs and young adults will be able to remain on their families' insurance plans until age 26, and they are launching a petition drive to kill the historic health insurance reform bill passed on Sunday.

The Detroit News is reporting that rightwing and teabagger state Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, is helping launch a petition drive to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot designed to exempt Michigan from the historic health insurance reform law. McMillin did not have much luck with the last petition drive he was involved with the failed recall attempt in 2007, and this one will fail, too.

This is the same political stunt the Senate Republicans tried week that failed to get enough votes.

McMillin announced the petition drive outside William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak today. Ironically, hospital officials made it a point to say they do not support the petition effort and support health insurance reform. Constitutional Amendments require the valid signatures of registered voters equal to 10 percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for governor in the last election, and that comes out to the signatures of 380,126 registered voters just to place it on the ballot.

I watched the publicity stunt on WDIV TV news, and they were already collecting signatures. Those signatures do not count. The Michigan State Board of Canvassers must first approve the ballot language before any signatures are approved. Once language is approved, the required signatures must be collected in six months and there can be no more than 90 days between the first and last signature.

Even if they collect enough signatures and it won at the ballot box, it’s unconstitutional. It violates Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, known as the supremacy clause.

In a move that is even more pure, election politics and pandering to the fringe teabaggers that have become the Republican Party, Michigan Republican Attorney General and Gubernatorial candidate “Manoogian” Mike Cox plans to file a legal challenge to the health insurance reform law’s constitutionality, contending that it violates the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

To help fight off this misinformation campaign, make a contribution to Progress Michigan. They have identified a donor who will put up a dollar to match every dollar you give up to $10,000 to help in the fight to protect the health care reform we all fought so hard to achieve.

Just say no to complex ballot issue

Reform Michigan Government Now turned in almost 500,000 signatures to the Secretary of State on Monday to place the ballot proposal on the November ballot that will make a number of changes to the structure of state government.

Right-wingers have come out against this petition drive, and even though some of their reasons for opposing it borders on the hysterical and ridiculous, I agree with some of the reasons for opposition, and if it makes it on the ballot I will vote against it. According to the group's new web site, the proposal will “Reduce the salaries of executive branch, end free lifetime health care for lawmakers and bring their retirement benefits in line with other state workers and increase transparency by requiring elected officials to disclose their income and assets every year. I agree that those things need to be looked at, but it does much, much more than that.

It would also cut the Supreme Court Justices to five members, from seven, reduces the Court of Appeals by seven members and adds 10 circuit court judges. There is no doubt the Supreme Court is firmly in the pocket of insurance companies and big corporations, but what needs to change is how Justices are selected.

The House would be cut to 82 members from the current 110 and the Senate to 28 from 38 and half of the Senate seats would be decided at each election.

New reapportionment requirements would be established, including the creation of at least four Senate and nine House swing districts in an attempt to produce more competitive elections; districts would be drawn by a nine-member commission, with six votes required to approve any plan; it would not be subject to change or repeal by voters, the legislative or executive branches and judicial review would be limited.

Elections would be overseen by an autonomous nonpartisan agency.

The number of allowed departments would be cut to 18, from 20, and no more than 200 boards and commissions would be permitted.

Many of these proposals I agree with, some I don’t and some I simply do not have enough information on to make a decision. Neither will voters. These complex proposals, at the least, should be taken one at a time. Frankly, I am not a fan of legislating by petition. We elect people to represent us in our representative democracy, and they make laws after plenty of debate, analysis by nonpartisan agencies, committee hearings and debate on the respective House or Senate floors. To me, that’s the best way to make laws and policy.

I’m also not crazy about the petition drive itself. I do not believe the baseless charges of fraud make by the Republicans, but the fact is there was not a lot of publicity, openness and visibility of the drive. I’m pretty politically active, and I never saw a petition.

I urge people to vote no if this makes it on the ballot, and instead to call for a state Constitutional Convention to address some of the important issues brought out in the petition.

Petition drive to eliminate state income tax in favor of an increased sales tax kicks off

LANSING -- Saying Michigan was broken, state Rep. Fulton Sheen, R-Plainwell, held press conferences across the state to kickoff the petition drive to place an amendment to the state constitution on the November ballot that will allow implementation of the Michigan Fair Tax Proposal.

The Fair Tax Proposal would completely eliminate the recently enacted Michigan Business Tax (MBT), personal property tax, the 6-mill business education tax and the Michigan Income Tax in favor of a 9.75 percent sales tax on goods, food and services purchased in Michigan. That's a 3.75 percent increase from the current 6 percent sales tax. Business-to-business transactions would be exempt.

"Michigan is broken," Sheen said. "At this point in time we have a 7.6 percent unemployment rate while the nation is at just 4.6 percent. The entire national economy is headed for trouble, and that will have even more of a negative effect on Michigan."

The Houston-based Americans For Fair Taxation (AFFT), formed in 1995, is helping finance the ballot initiative with an eye on making the system national. But Sheen is pushing the Michigan Fair Tax Proposal Committee. AFFT has close ties with Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. The former Arkansas governor is a big promoter of the tax plan, and the group has a large presence at his events, handing out literature and other activities. AFFT's former Chief Operating Officer recently left AFFT to work on the Huckabee campaign.

The committee held press conferences in Lansing, Pontiac, Flint and Grand Rapids Tuesday, and the committee has to collect the signatures of 381,000 registered voters before the 90-day window expires on July 7. The committee hopes to collect up to 500,000 signatures to be safe and to withstand any possible challenges.

"Today is an important day, an historic day," said Rep. Rick Shaffer, R-Three Rivers. "It's going to have a snowball effect, pardon the pun. When people see the benefits of the fair tax, people will support it."

Sheen introduced House Joint Resolution L on May 8, 2007 with 36 Republican co-sponsors, and the resolution was referred to the House Committee on Tax Policy where it is awaiting a hearing. Sheen said he introduced the resolution three years ago because the Legislature said one of its goals was to reform the tax system to make it more streamlined and simple.

The resolution has little chance of getting any traction in the Democratic-controlled House, but no proposal has been introduced in the Republican-controlled Senate.

"What we have when the governor will not listen and the Legislature will not act, then way to go is the ballot proposal," Sheen said. "Why is it in Michigan the very same thing it wants to attract it taxes, jobs."

Sheen said Michigan residents make all of their purchases with after tax dollars, but with the fair tax proposal all purchases will be made with pre-tax dollars. He said although the sales tax increase is 3.75 cents for every dollar, taxpayers will instead keep 4.35 cents from every dollar. All Michigan residents would receive a monthly rebate to offset the additional items that will be taxed, such as food and services that are not now subject to the sales tax.

Sheen said the sales tax would also cash in on Michigan's vibrant tourism industry because a large amount of our tax burden would be picked up by non-residents who spend money here on goods and services while on vacations.

"Every person who comes here to fish, hunt or boat will pay the tax," he said. "We will export out tax."

Ballot questions could swamp November ballot

It appears the November ballot will be crowded with numerous ballot proposals that range from the popular to bordering on the ridiculous.

On Monday the Michigan State Board of Canvassers approved the language for form for six ballot proposals. That’s in addition to two that were approved in December and one that has already collected enough signatures to go on the ballot to bring the number to nine possible ballot proposals facing voters on Nov. 4.

The four-person partisan board approved the petitions for language only, and that allows the committees to begin collecting signatures. The language is good for 180 days, and petitioners have 90 days between when the first and last signatures are gathered to turn the petitions in to the Secretary of State.

Those petitions approved Monday include The Michigan Fair Tax Proposal Committee, which is proposing to replace three of the state's major taxes with a 9.75 percent sales tax. It would replace the state income tax, the new Michigan Business Tax and the state personal and real taxes on business property for school funding. The current sales tax is 6 percent. The ballot committee has planned a series of press conferences around the state on February 12 to pass out petitions, and they will be held in Pontiac, Flint, Lansing and Wyoming.

The Stem Cell Research Committee is pushing a proposal that would allow the use of stem cells from donated human embryos less than 14 days old. The embryos would have to have been created for "fertility treatment" and would otherwise have been discarded. The person seeking the fertility treatment would have to give written consent for the embryos to be used for research.

The Proportional Senate Committee would expand the Senate to 50 members at-large statewide instead of having Senators representing districts, with each having a vote proportional to the popular vote each received during the election.

The Personal Education Account Committee would require lawmakers to provide every child with "funding to support education on a per pupil basis which shall be controlled by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of each child respectively."

The Committee to Turn Michigan Around would require that legislative sessions end by May 31 each year, with no more than 100 regular session days. The governor, Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House could call a special session each year of no more than 15 days.

The People's Choice Tax Repeal had language approved Monday after being rejected in December. It would amend the state constitution to mandate an election if the Legislature creates a new tax, continues a tax, reduces a tax deduction or tax credit, or increases the effective rate or base of tax.

Those petitions approved in December include Madison Heights-based Health Care for Michigan that would amend the state constitution to require the Legislature to pass laws to ensure that "every Michigan resident has affordable and comprehensive health care coverage through a fair and cost-effective financing system."

Saginaw-based Part-Time Legislature Ballot Question Committee was also approved in December. It calls for a part-time Legislature; calls for cutting the salaries of lawmakers from $79,650 to $40,000 a year with a 1 percent deduction for each day absent; eliminates post-service pensions, retirement benefits, medical or life insurance; sets the legislative session from March to July; limits special sessions to just 20 days per year and requires the governor to submit a budget within the first three days of session.

The Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care has already collected enough signatures to place the question on the ballot to allow the medical marijuana.

Health Care petition drive looks to nonprofits for help

Health Care for Michigan is looking to Michigan’s progressive, nonprofit and human service community to help with its petition drive to force a ballot initiative to require health care for all residents.

Health Care for Michigan is already a coalition of labor, religious and activist groups, but it wants to get more petitions into the hands of people by going to the numerous organizations and advocacy groups out there.

The coalition wants to amend the state constitution to require the Legislature to pass laws to ensure that "every Michigan resident has affordable and comprehensive health care coverage through a fair and cost-effective financing system." In order to do that, they must collect the valid signatures of registered voters equal to 10 percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for governor in the last election. That comes out to 380,126 signatures that must be collected by July 7 to put the measure on the November general election ballot.

“Part of my job is to get petitions to the various groups out there and have them returned them to me,” said John Freeman, chairman of the of the ballot committee.

The petition drive really got going during the Jan. 15 Michigan Presidential Primary election, and it was the best opportunity to get that many registered voters in one place.

“We had people on the street during election day,” Freeman said. “They were all registered voters, so it was a good opportunity to get the signatures we need.”

Ballot question petitions get the OK

LANSING - The Michigan State Board of Canvassers gave approval Wednesday to a pair of initiative petitions seeking to place questions on the November 2008 General Election ballot but rejected a third.

The petitions presented to the four-person partisan board previewed a crowded General Election ballot next November, and the petitions submitted call for the Legislature to pass laws to “ensure that every Michigan resident has affordable health care coverage,” a petition calling for a part-time legislature and a petition requiring a state-wide vote on every tax increase. The board also set the deadline to challenge signatures already collected to allow the use of medical marijuana on the ballot.

Erane Washington-Kendrick, the Democrat chair of the board, stressed that approval does not mean endorsement of the proposal; only that the petitions meet requirements of font size and form, and approval is simply a courtesy that means the petitions cannot be challenged later for improper form once the resources have been expended to collect signatures.

Petitions drives enacting legislation have become a part of the political scene in Michigan, and the proper collection of signatures has come under recent scrutiny by both the board and Michigan courts. In an unrelated discussion about giving the University of Michigan access to old ballots for a research project, Republican board member Lyn Bankes said fraud was used to gather signatures for Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI) that was placed on the November 2006 ballot, but the courts never ruled on that fraud in allowing Proposal 2 to go on the ballot.

“Some of these (petitions) are so silly there will be paid signature gathers,” she said. “I can see fraud involved in that, and we are not equipped to handle that.”

The board gave approval to the petition submitted by Madison Heights-based Health Care for Michigan that would amend the state constitution to require the legislature to pass laws to ensure that “every Michigan resident has affordable and comprehensive health care coverage through a fair and cost-effective financing system.” Constitutional Amendments require the valid signatures of registered voters equal to 10 percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for governor in the last election, and that comes out to the signatures of 380,126 registered voters that must be collected by July 7, 2008.

The petition submitted by the Saginaw-based Part-Time Legislature Ballot Question Committee was also approved. It calls for a part-time legislature, calls for cutting the salaries of lawmakers from $79,650 to $40,000 a year with a 1 percent deduction for each day absent; eliminates post service pensions, retirement benefits, medical or life insurance; set the legislative session from March to July; limits special sessions to just 20 days per year and requires the governor to submit a budget within the first three days of session.

The same group calling itself the People's Choice Tax Repeal Committee had its petition rejected. The board said the petition was too wordy and hard to understand. However, that does not mean the signature collecting cannot go forward, but the petitions would be easier to challenge and throw out later on.

“That’s a lot of verbage to read even if it meets the 8-point (font size) requirement,” said Shelly Edgerton, the Republican Vice-Chair of the board.

The petition would amend the state constitution to mandate an election if the legislature creates a new tax, continues a tax, reduces a tax deduction or tax credit or increased the effective rate or base of tax.

The board also set the deadline to challenge signatures already collected by Citizens for Compassionate Care to allow the use of medical marijuana. The deadline is 10 days after a sample of 500 names is drawn, and the board expects the drawing of the representative sample to take place about mid-January. The committee has already submitted about 475,000 petition signatures to put the issue on the ballot. Because it is an initiative and not a constitutional amendment, only 8 percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for governor must be collected, which comes out to 304,101 signatures of registered voters.