Michigan Proposal 2 - News Flashback: Gov Romney Supports Michigan Public Employees Right to Collectively Bargain

A little known fact: Gov. George W. Romney signed into law PERA – The Public Employees Rights Act in 1965 – that protected the right of collective bargaining in Michigan.

Michigan Govenor George W. Romney Signs the PERA Act in 1965 - Michigan Teachers Stand at His Side

The critical question for today on the eve of the 2012 Presidential election is: If you, Mitt Romney, are so committed a Moderate Republican like your father George, and as wife Ann has touted in these last weeks throughout Michigan and Ohio: Why are you not fully in support of your father’s legacy as a Collective Bargaining Rights statesman?

Young Teachers watch Gov. George Romney signs PERA into law (1965)

Representative s of Public Employee Unions look on as Gov. George Romney signs PERA (1965)

For more depth on George W. Romney “an example of ethical leadership” look up: DOCUMENTARY on George W. Romney by BYU-TV October 1, 2008.

PROVO, Utah – Oct 1, 2008 – "The Romney Code: The Life and Ethics of George W. Romney" will premiere on BYU Television Monday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. MDT. The premiere will include the 30-minute documentary followed by a special 30-minute discussion with Romney family members. An advanced preview of the documentary will air on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 12:30 p.m. between sessions of general conference.

Airing as part of "LDS Lives", a series on influential Mormons, "The Romney Code: The Life and Ethics of George W. Romney" takes viewers from Romney's childhood through his business and political careers to the volunteerism efforts that capped his life.

Director Ethan Vincent weaves interviews with Romney's children, colleagues and historians with photographs, video and voice recordings of the man to tell a visually compelling story. Vincent says the documentary will help audiences see Romney's diverse influence and unique approach to politics as three-term Michigan Governor.

"What he did supersedes the way politics are done today," Vincent says. "Now you are either a republican or a democrat, but he was able to collaborate effectively on both sides."

Brigham Young University's Romney Institute of Public Management, was named for George W. Romney in 1998. The Romney Institute offers a master's degree in public administration and seeks to prepare young people for careers in public service. (Emphasis added)

Source: “BYU-TV to Premiere George Romney Documentary” Brigham Young University - Marriott School (October 2008)

Reed Larson of the John Birch Society: Long History of Working with the LDS on "Right to Work (for Less)" Laws

   

Church of Latter Day Saints or Mormon Church and the John Birch Society A Perspective: Radical Counterpoint to George Romney: Mormon’s & the Rise of the John Birch Society in America Excerpted from "How Mormon Leaders Built the John Birch Society":

“The Mormon Church has always staked out positions among the political far right. In the 1920's Reed Smoot, the first Mormon senator and the most powerful LDS leader in politics at the time, was good friends with Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. By passing the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill, Hoover sent America into the Great Depression. The Mormon hierarchy sided with the most reactionary conservatives to oppose FDR and Democrats trying to pull America out of the economic abyss. Mormon president/prophet Heber J. Grant, "detested the Democrat's New Deal policies." (The Mormon Corporate Empire, p.37)”

(Break)

“When Joseph McCarthy went on his anti-communist crusade claiming communists had infested the State Department, his first stop was Salt Lake City, where he flew in and "participated in a Lincoln Day banquet held at the Newhouse Hotel." Presumably McCarthy met with First Counselor J. Reuben Clark Jr., the staunch anti-communist "whose many years of service in the State Department gave him a broad exposure to world politics." It was (during) his visit to Utah that McCarthy settled on the number 57 as the number of communists in the State Department.”

READ original posting “How Mormon Leaders Built the John Birch Society” by Baracks Backers (DailyKos October 2012)

In 1984 Reed Larson gave an exclusive interview to the John Birch Society publication, Review of the News. The interviewer was John Rees, who had been an editor for Western Goals Foundation publications.

Described as a “Fighter for Worker Rights,” Larson was asked about the power of labor unions. This additional anti-union information from the Mormon backed John Birch radicalism. From the interview of right-winger Reed Larson:

JBS: You are talking about political power.

[Reed] Larson: I think union officials should enjoy the same rights and freedoms as everyone else, but no more. That’s the problem. Today they are specially privileged individuals. In fact, as Nobel-laureate Friedrich Hayek has put it: “We have now reached a state where unions have become uniquely privileged institutions…. It cannot be stressed enough that the coercion that the unions have been permitted to exercise contrary to all principles of freedom under the law is primarily the coercion of fellow workers.” That’s the problem which our National Right to Work Committee is out to solve.

Tremendous political power has been put in the hands of union officials; and that power, almost without exception, is used on the side of collectivism, more government, less individual freedom, and greater control of the individual.

A look at the current positions of the nation’s largest union the National Education Association - shows that the union position in the philosophical spectrum has changed little.
(Emphasis added)

There you have it, a little history.

Related Slates:
George W. Romney’s Franken-Son: Mitt & His ‘Noble’ Lies (October 2012) - Middling Mitt Romney Not of His Fathers'Sterling Civic Michigan Mettle (Gaskell & George Romney) (June 2012) - For Mitt Romney, Billy Graham ‘Sells Out’ His Faith &Jesus for Political Advantage (October 2012) - The Crushing Blow to Mitt’s Quix-Toxic Quest: ‘Good Samaritan’or ‘Corporate Bandit’ (October 2012) or all posts on Mitt Romney or George Romney.

Cross-posted to Kos.

Mackinac Center: Dancing On the Deck of Michigan's Titanic

It is as though the elite/high society passengers and crew on the Titanic were ideological "true believers" convinced that that ship, like Michigan's ship of state, is "unsinkable" no matter what kind dangers or sea condition the ship faces. 

The big shots announce that there is "no danger" just trust in their navigation and professional judgment, and proceed to pass around the Champagne casks and party-hardy. They play "Happy Days Are Here Again" as they arrogantly ignore the blind leadership of the Captain and believe the ship will survive any harm they or the ship can encounter. Just stick to the outline we have published sings out the Nerd, Michigan has entered the final chapter of the "Engler Revolution."

As this day unfolds the bubbly will be flowing over at the Mackinac Center. It's there unbelievable day of triumph The "againer geeks" have succeeded in bringing down Michigan.

The Party is on.
First Mate Frank Beckmann reports from the engine room: "...business leaders who have been briefed on the preliminaries call it a night-and-day difference in approaching Michigan's budget issues and economic environment. They complimented the candor and even courage of the administration to off what they termed "BOLD AND DRAMATIC" CHANGES that stand in stark contrast to what one business leader called the "anti-business" environment in Illinois.

'But these business leaders told me they're not surprised since the administration is led by Snyder (experienced CPA-CFO-CEO) and Lt. Governor Brian Calley (pro-business banker and ex-chair of Tax Policy Committee), who is taking the lead on a lot of the policy discussions.

'In the end, this will be a controversial proposal that will challenge conservatives to live up to their stated beliefs. But it's a grown up plan that's developing and has business leaders excited for the first time in recent memory over what state government is actually doing to stimulate business growth."

As this radical ignore the culture and the quality of life "navigation plan" their ideology has brought us to clash with "icebergs" of public resistance and anger.

True to the timeless tragedy: The common man, the working families, locked in steerage-the bowels of the sinking ship of state-won't be offered life boats. After all if the boat sinks, the myth goes, IT'S THEIR SOCIAL WEIGHT THAT TOOK IT DOWN.

Up on the promenade, it's Mackinac Center dancing jigs and giving high 5's all around!

Here's the MacCen score card, print it out and check off each item (hole in the hull) as the MacCen Grinch geeks pop another magnum:

1.) Eliminate the Michigan Business Tax- replace the money it raises with cuts in government spending.
2.) Pass Right-to-Work legislation. There may be no greater single economic development policy that Michigan could adopt.
3.) Rein in the Department of Environmental Quality. (Maintaining Michigan's high standards, means businesses) "won't be doing business or creating jobs in Michigan, period. It's a 100 percent tax rate."
4.) (Stop) the state promising millions of dollars in targeted tax credits or subsidies to slick operators in sexy industries who promise to "create" jobs.
5.) Bring public sector employment benefits in line with the private sector (Using the tools honed and revised by MacCen as to that "private sector" benchmark is.)
6.) Make public pay equal to "private" pay: Michigan Public vs. Private "hourly" compensation.
7.) Resend Gov. George Romney's signing of the Michigan Public Employment Relations Act, eliminate collective bargaining for public employees.
8.) Cut state government work force
9.) Change state revenue-sharing formula
10.) Let private firms run some prisons
11.) Eliminate the earned income credit
12.) Allowing for income tax exemptions for government retirement benefits, including pensions and proposed extension of those exemptions to private sector pensions is "unfair" as viewed by LaFaive.

The Mackinac Center has recommended hundreds specific ideas to save the state more than $2 billion a year. Most of them involve getting government out of certain activities, or eliminating costly privileges to certain groups. "101 Recommendations to Revitalize Michigan."

Michael D. LaFaive: "The solution to Michigan's problems is simpler than (people) are willing to admit."
Do it our way!

Interpretation: Just do as my Mackinac Center dictates you must.


Original Post.