| The man once called the least accurate member of the Lansing press corps, rumpled newspaperman Jack Spencer, digs up yet another harrowing example of an institution of higher learning trying to renegotiate labor contracts before Right to Work becomes law. As we all now, Right to Work had to wait 90 days to take effect because they didn't have enough votes for Immediate Effect, and Michigan law requires that timeframe so that the citizenry can act to have the law placed on hold through a ballot initiative. In this case, that was made impossible because the Legislature abused a provision preventing citizen initiatives on bills with appropriations (the appropriation was used in a way that tarnished a different, successful tourism campaign). From CapCon: "I think based on the potential effect this might have on their appropriations, Macomb Community College officials should be concerned," said. Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, chair of the House Oversight, Reform & Ethics Committee. "The legislation that applies to community colleges holds them accountable in the same way that universities would be held accountable."
Here's the thing ... the state's universities are accountable, just not to the Legislature. They're accountable to elected university boards. This is pretty clearly laid out in the state constitution, and it was done that way to prevent the Tom McMillins of the world from interfering in how the universities operate. The Legislature, our very own ongoing experiment of the Dunning-Kruger effect, has arrogated itself an oversight role that by design of the state constitution it isn't supposed to have. The least informed people on the planet are the last people who ought to be dictating policy to institutions of higher learning. |
