Tag: SEIU

High-dollar political donors associated with Michigan's labor movement are encouraged and instructed on how to hide limitless, undisclosed campaign contributions in secret slush funds, according to a leaked letter and PowerPoint presentation being distributed by Andrew Nickelhoff, the union lawyer behind Proposal 2 and 4.

The leaked private letter and PowerPoint stands in stark contrast to hypocritical public statements from supporters of Proposal 2, Nickelhoff's employers, who have insincerely and hypocritically called other organizations "shadowy."

"The scheme by Proposal 2 and 4's attorney to solicit secret, undisclosed campaign contributions is another example of Prop 2 supporter's continuing pattern of deception and hypocisy," said Nick De Leeuw, Spokesman for Citizens Protecting Michigan's Constitution.  "Nickelhoff infamously told voters they'd simply have to "guess" what his deceptive ballot proposal would do; now he is caught instructing donors how to hide their contributions."

In a letter dated May 9 and distributed to potential donors, Nickelhoff solicited and outlined in detail how high-dollar donors could contribute potentially millions of dollars to a secret slush fund without ever disclosing their identity.

Using the "Keep home care safe" canard, these rotten thieves are literally asking for permission from Michigan voters to steal from those who can least afford it.  They are asking voters to endorse a harder life for the handicapped, the unfortunate, and looking to kick them when they are down. A yes vote would be akin to removing the wheels from a paraplegic's chair.

Under Jennifer Granholm, they (the unions and her administration) did it, and Snyder's failure to FIRE former head of community health Olga Dazzo right away gave these reprobates the courage to keep this farce alive through court action.  In the meantime families of those afflicted with debilitating conditions must suffer a little longer. The mass fraud her administration perpetrated, ought to have seen our former governor and her toadie lt. behind bars.

Its that bad.

Just imagine, life is clicking along fine, then something happens to a family member. Something that takes their ability to provide for themselves, or even perform the most rudimentary tasks.  A decision is made to either institutionalize them, (at great cost to the taxpayer typically) OR a career is suspended, and a job is given up by a family member to personally handle the situation.

We have made the decision as a state that we will provide that safety net, as it meets the definition of truly needy. IF we are going to provide assistance, that is an appropriate use. The better alternative for taxpayers is chosen.  Keeping folks in their homes is by far less expensive, and offers the afflicted a dignity seldom found in the institutional environment. As family members take on those responsibilities, it quite obviously comes at a cost.  A stipend is provided by the state to pay those family members for the loss of income they incur.

Then someone walks in the door and steals the silverware.

Buh-bye now.

This state has had its share of pitiful directors and leftover meat puppets from prior administrations.  Though selected by the incoming Snyder administration, Dazzo was clearly designed to fit in with them.  I had written before:

"In January of 2011, Maura Corrigan, former Michigan Supreme Court Justice, and the newly installed DHS director, rightly declared the child care workers were NOT employees of the state, ending their nightmare, but the Director of the Department of Community Health Olga Dazzo had no such plans.  This required further legislative action to clarify the status of the contractors."

Of course Snyder could have done more as well, but at least Maura had the sense of what is proper, and didn't need the prod that would never be forthcoming from our falling over left get-along RINO chief executive.  Now Olga is leaving:

"LANSING, Mich. - Gov. Rick Snyder today accepted the resignation of Department of Community Health Director Olga Dazzo, who has decided to return to the private sector. The governor named former Director James K. Haveman, Jr. to lead the agency. Dazzo was appointed by Snyder in December 2010.   "

I doubt we've seen the last of her though.  It wouldn't surprise me if in her future "private sector" endeavors, she doesn't wind up financially interested in some health care exchange contracts.

"Private individuals do not transform into government employees simply by participating in taxpayer-funded programs like Medicaid," said Schuette. "We will fight to defend state law prohibiting the withholding of public union dues from private citizens who provide home help to the disabled."

On May 29, 2012, SEIU Healthcare Michigan filed a lawsuit to challenge 2012 P.A. 76, legislation to amend the Public Employment Relations Act to reflect the original intention of the Legislature to exempt certain private individuals from being forced into public employee unions. And on June 20, 2012 U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Edmunds ruled in favor of SEIU Healthcare Michigan, ordering the State of Michigan to continue collection of union dues from payments processed for Medicaid home help providers under an agreement with the Michigan Quality Community Care Council, a creation of the Granholm administration and the SEIU to steal from the poor and fill union coffers.

This week Schuette filed a motion to request a stay of the Judge's order requiring continued collection of dues while the appeals process proceeds.  Schuette will file an appeal of the Edmunds' ruling granting the SEIU's motion preliminary injunction with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit later this month.

Illegal scheme continued despite law explicitly stating providers are not government employees

MIDLAND -- Michigan's 60,000 home health care aides should no longer have so-called union dues skimmed from their subsidy checks as a result of an informal but binding opinion letter issued today by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. The opinion was issued in response to a request by Rep. Paul Opsommer, R-DeWitt, six weeks after Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation ending the stealth unionization. The Service Employees International Union has taken some $30 million from the state's most vulnerable residents over the last six years, including more than $680,000 since the scheme was outlawed.

"This episode demonstrates how government-sector unions often act in ways that benefit themselves at the cost of taxpayers and their shanghaied members," said Mackinac Center Legal Foundation Director Patrick J. Wright. "The independent contractors and family members who provide aid to the developmentally disabled were never government employees and should not have been paying dues in the first place."

The poor and disadvantaged have been paying into a merciless system of political payback set up by Jennifer Granholm, and advanced through a series of tricks.  Authorities created under legislation passed during her tenure became the basis for the presumed voting in of a union for unsuspecting home health care workers and the money vacuum was turned on high. And it apparently continues.

Despite a bill being signed in to law by Gov. Rick Snyder that ends the "home health care dues skim," money is still being collected from worker paychecks.

With May on the horizon, it is hoped "dues skim" will officially be brought to an end. Until then, the Michigan Capitol Confidential's skim-tracker will not be turned off.

It most certainly was to begin with, but even the guy with the pen looked the other way while Department of Community Health Olga Dazzo allowed the scam to continue.  Maura Corrigan at least got it right away with regard to the day care workers. The theft from those who had no idea how the unions were allowed to reach into their pockets and literally take the bread from their mouths continues to this day apparently.  Even with the recent legislation designed to stop it:

"The "skim" has been going on for about six years and the SEIU has taken in more than $29 million. Since the bill was signed by Gov. Snyder on April 10, more than $215,000 has been taken from paychecks.

However, a recent disclosure report by the union indicates that count could actually be on the low side. Every dollar the union receives from the "skim" can be used for political purposes. It now seems likely that many of the dollars will go toward the SEIU effort to lock the "skim" permanently into Michigan's constitution through a ballot proposal."

Michigan has been fighting a battle that should never have been fought.  It is nearly over now, and after nearly $30,000,000 has been taken from the pockets of those who could least afford the theft, the Senate leader has relented and allowed the vote, and subsequent passage of SB1018. Because the house version of the bill HB 4003 is so similar, it should be expected to reach the governor's desk nearly immediately.

The scam came as a result of an inter-local agreement arranged by the former governor's office, and the hokey work around in defining employment based on contract labor.  Unions, and their willing accomplices in state government ceded the rights of the independent contractors who provide care services to a previously unknown place as employees of the state.  This allowed for the vote establishing a union to represent the new "employees" and begin withdrawing dues from their contract payments.  Child care workers, and home health workers were all affected if they received payment for their services from the state of Michigan.

Nearly all of them had no idea what was going on until the money was being held back.

In January of 2011, Maura Corrigan, former Michigan Supreme Court Justice, and the newly installed DHS director, rightly declared the child care workers were NOT employees of the state, ending their nightmare, but the Director of the Department of Community Health Olga Dazzo had no such plans.  This required further legislative action to clarify the status of the contractors.

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