Prop 2 Supporters Putting Out Questionable Info

The proponents of Proposal 2 have been less than forthright lately in their bid to lock into the Michigan Constitution collective bargaining privileges and the ability for union contracts to override state laws.

First, for weeks, the group “Protect Working Families” (formerly “Protect Our Jobs”) listed on its website the “fact” that states outlawing government unions performed “among the worst in the nation” on standardized tests. The problem? Not only was that false, but the five states mentioned all score higher than Michigan on the most widely taken test.

After Michigan Capitol Confidential's article documenting this information, the group removed it from their website. (If you click the article above, you can see a screen shot.)

The next example also comes from the group's website, where they list 598 small businesses as “Main Street” supporters. Despite the fact that they list fewer than 600 businesses (three-tenths of 1 percent of the total companies in Michigan), a spokesperson for the group has said repeatedly on the radio and in media interviews that they have "about 1,000" businesses supporters.

The problem? Many of those businesses did not agree to be on the list and disagree with Proposal 2. One company called immediately to have its logo taken off the website "because that’s absolutely not our position."

These examples aren't nit-picking fact checks dealing with exaggerations or logical fallacies — though “Protect Working Families” has been called out on that as well. The above are blatantly incorrect.

Michigan residents should have the facts when voting on ballot proposals that would overhaul the state's political system.

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