Early this week, I reported that the Michigan Education Association (MEA), the union for Michigan teachers, was getting involved with various recall efforts around the state. After hearing from Chris Bowers at Daily Kos, I pulled my punch a bit with this update:
UPDATE: As Chris Bowers from Daily Kos indicates, the MEA has not officially endorsed the recall of Rick Snyder. As you can see below, their language seems to indicate that they are but it is vague enough that a true endorsement isn’t implicit. I’ll update with more information as I get it.
Well, THIS is your update. The MEA WILL be getting involved with the recall of Governor Rick Snyder along with a number of other GOP lawmakers. From an email I just received from Chris Bowers and Daily Kos:
The Michigan Education Association has joined the recall effort. The MEA just set up an action page for their 155,000 members to get involved in all the ongoing citizen-led recall efforts, including our campaign to recall Rick Snyder.This would never have happened if 4,000 volunteers like you hadn’t stepped up and started the recall efforts on your own. They are following your lead, and more will join if we keep fighting.
We must capitalize on this breakthrough by gathering as many signatures as possible in the statewide recall petition signing event tomorrow. Wherever you are, there is an event near you. Find your local events on Facebook or at FireRickSnyder.org.
We can, and will, recall Rick Snyder. Keep fighting.
Chris Bowers
Campaign Director, Daily KosPS: At Daily Kos we just hired one of the best field organizing firms in the country, Field Works, to help coordinate the 4,000 volunteers and 80 county captains making the recall happen in Michigan. Field Works will be with us for the rest of the campaign, and Daily Kos is picking up the tab.
Here is a list of the recalls the MEA is getting involved in:
- Statewide – Governor Rick Snyder
- House District 63 – Speaker of the House Jase Bolger
- House District 57 – Rep. Nancy Jenkins
- House District 79 – Rep. Al Pscholka
- House District 84 – Rep. Kurt Damrow
- House District 97 – Rep. Joel Johnson
- House District 102 – Rep. Phil Potvin
- Senate District 12 – Sen. Jim Marleau
- Senate District 31 – Sen. Mike Green
- Senate District 33 – Sen. Judy Emmons
- Senate District 35 – Sen. Darwin Booher
Chris Bowers also made this comment in a Daily Kos thread:
We are going to put a strong organization in place, post large signature numbers, and prove to them that this is doable. If that means we have to refile the recall paperwork in August and try again, so be it. One way or the other, the recall will succeed.
The current effort has just under a month to go. However, I am very pleased to see that, if the first petition drive isn’t successful, there will be another.
Be sure to check out the MEA’s Action Page for more details. Here’s a bit of what you will find there:
Throughout the summer, MEA will be actively working on a variety of recall efforts that have begun around the state. We are urging members to get engaged in these efforts locally and actively participate in removing lawmakers from office who are consistently putting their corporate special interests ahead of students and Michigan’s working families.This activism will continue throughout the fall and into 2012, when MEA enters the final phase of our Crisis Plan – electing leaders in the 2012 General Election who will end these attacks and focus on creating jobs, supporting public education and saving the middle class.
Let’s do this!
