Michigan Dems Urge Snyder to Condemn 'Misleading' Prop 2 Attack Ads

As Gov. Rick Syder was bringing his to voters in Sterling Heights Thursday, Michigan's eight Congressional Democrats were signing a letter urging him to condemn many of the ads attacking one of the proposals he too opposes.

Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow and U.S. Reps. John D. Dingell, John Conyers, Dale Kildee, Sander Levin, Gary Peters and Hansen Clarke submitted the following letter to Snyder asking him to set aside his personal beliefs and urge those running "false and misleading" campaign ads against Proposal 2 to take them off the air.

The Honorable Rick Snyder
State of Michigan
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, MI 48909

Dear Governor Snyder:

We support Proposal 2 to protect collective bargaining because it gives Michigan workers a voice for fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions. While we understand you disagree with us on Proposal 2, we are writing you respectfully to ask that you condemn the false and misleading statements inundating the airwaves against Proposal 2, and to ask you to urge those running the “No” campaign to take these ads off the air now.

You have stated often the need to try to unite Michigan. These false ads dangerously deepen divisions within our state, and necessitate your action to stop them now.

These ads urging “No on 2” are built on a mountain of falsehoods. Protecting Michigan Taxpayers (PMT) has based its arguments on an opinion of the Attorney General that the Court of Appeals over-ruled last August.

Just yesterday, opponents of Prop 2 misled voters again in their latest 30 second TV ad. The ad, “Dangerous,” misrepresented statements printed in the Detroit Free Press by an opposition spokesman. After being confronted with the facts, the ad’s sponsor, PMT, has refused to take the ad down.

Other TV ads falsely claimed that that Proposal 2 would “make it harder to get convicts thrown out of schools,” “could prohibit schools from removing employees with criminal records” and “would eliminate safety rules for school bus drivers.”  These pernicious claims do a deep disservice to Michigan, present and future.

You are currently touring the state, encouraging people to vote no on Prop 2.  As we stated, we disagree with you. But we hope you do agree that on November 6th, voters will make a critical decision on a bed-rock issue, and that their decision should be based on the truth, not falsehoods. We hope your sense of decency will encourage you to urge the “No on 2” campaign to terminate their dishonest claims and to avoid similar conduct in the final days of the election.

Sincerely,

Sen. Carl Levin
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
Rep. John D. Dingell
Rep. John Conyers
Rep. Dale Kildee
Rep. Sander Levin
Rep. Gary Peters
Rep. Hansen Clarke