| So, look, I hate the idea that any special interest that can raise a small pile of cash can get an amendment to the constitution on the ballot by hiring petition circulators rather than building a true grassroots effort. I hate the idea nearly as much as I do the idea that employers can pay their employees to engage in what appears to be grassroots political work, but on the company dime. But, the simple fact is that the Supreme Court has ruled that corporations are mostly people, and that money spent in political activities is free speech, so there's no point in complaining about that reality in one specific instance. And, that instance today are our six ballot proposals. The terrible truth of these ballot proposals is that most of the signatures that got them on the ballot were bought and paid for by signature solicitation companies. That puts basic government policy as articulated in the Constitution up for sale to the highest bidder. Michigan voters are the last line of defense against this kind of government for sale. Having seen the opinions of a wide cross-section of Michigan voters, this doesn't fill me with a hell of a lot of hope. Also, anyone familiar with the content of this site will know what I'm talking about when I say that the state's political media hasn't covered itself in glory by exploring issues in a way that informs people. Again, no one appears to be interested in whether the lapses that led to state and federal tax liens filed against Jase Bolger's business held clues to the fact that he might someday as House Speaker engage in an election rigging scheme. The point is that the state constitution is up for sale, I'm sorry to say. We did that when the Supreme Court equated money as speech. Now, it's okay to get mad that special interests are buying off democracy in a wave of money, because that's what is happening. What you don't have any business getting mad over, however, is that they're doing it entirely within the confines of the rules you set. You can't make the rules and then become angry that the players play within their confines. And, I'm sorry to say, that the way we've set the rules are that you speak when you spend. |
