Legalizing Corruption – Michigan Killing Right to Work

If you cannot beat independent-minded citizens legally, then make the illegal legal and coerce them into supporting you – that seems the strategy of Democrats in Michigan, not just DC. In DC, we see felons set free, drugs made legal, due process suspended for snap impeachments. Now comes Michigan, about to kill “right to work” laws, forcing employees to pay union dues – for Democrat coffers. May they reap what they sow.

The concept of a self-licking ice cream cone is not new, but this Michigan law – which would rot America to the core if it caught on nationally – is about as close as you get to a political “self-licking ice cream cone.” Democrats have no policy argument for coercing union membership, but are about to do it.

In short, Michigan “democrats are preparing to repeal the state’s right-to-work law,” making this “one of few states ever to undo right to work,” creating a sequence of events that will include compulsory union membership and annual dues, legal action against those who do not comply with the legalized extortion, higher labor costs, unemployment, and a hammer fall on the Michigan economy.

But the biggest effect will be to reverse individual freedoms, distort election integrity, and create compulsory employee funding of the Democratic Party, Democrat reelections, and Democrat policies, higher taxes and environmental mandates to anti-girl trans and anti-dream CRT mandates.

In short, while Americans long for lower taxes, inflation, and crime, more employment, security, and parental control over education, fewer mandates and more liberties, what Harry Truman, John Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan called freedom, Michigan’s Democrats are taking their state backward, into darkness.

Specifically, “the State’s Democratic-controlled House” just passed a bill “to end right to work, which lets workers take a job without having to join a union” and Democrat “Senate leaders and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have said they’ll approve the bill,” making Michigan “the first state to repeal right to work since 1965.”

The real issue is not Michigan, which can certainly decide to institutionalize corruption, as the unions pump millions into Democrat elections and seek to lock in control over the future with this regressive, anti-freedom law.

The real issue is – as we look around corners – that the political left feels newly empowered, with Biden and spendthrift national leadership to do the unthinkable, coerce citizens with backward mandates, forcing the three-quarters who do not want this law – to do what the elites want.

Just as almost 80 percent of Black America does not disagree with IDs for voting, and are not incapable of presenting them – despite a president who condescends that voter ID’s are racist – most employed in business, teaching, trades, do not want to pay dues they do not want to pay.

Moreover, they resist use of those dues to perpetuate twisted policies and union leaders who live for themselves, not the tradesmen, teachers or students they purport to represent.

As local sources report, “The bill’s backers offer little rationale beyond aiding unions…” and “laughed as Republicans questioned the process and policy, arguing a repeal would make Michigan less competitive.”

Ironically, a “Survey-USA poll last month found that 74 percent of Michigan voters oppose repealing it,” but here is the spoiler alert. Leftist Democrats interested in their campaign coffers and the unholy union-Democrat alliance do not care.

To show how craven this State’s Democrat leaders are – and how they do not care what the people think – they “designed the bill to be referendum-proof,” putting in a million dollars so they can call it “appropriations,” thus skirting a ballot measure.

Beyond contaminating the political process with illicit largess and distorting the electoral process by diverting non-Democrat dues to Democrat coffers, the bill will hammer the Michigan economy, likely chasing employers to other states. 

Thus, bans on “forced union membership helped Southern states attract auto and other manufacturing jobs from the Midwest, and in turn inspired Midwestern states to get on board with the policy,” when earlier, “Indiana and Wisconsin joined Michigan in adopting right to work.” That was 2012, and it helped all economies.

Never mind, however, Democrat politicians see a cash cow – and a way to take money from non-Democrats and give it to Democrats, so onward they march. Last year, Michigan Democrats reportedly took “more than three million dollars from the state’s five biggest unions,” and now they can count on a bigger haul.

Who loses? Just the average citizen, who has fewer job prospects, must suffer a draw on their paycheck and in turn is used by Democrats to push policies no one wants, except those who personally profit. That is the definition of “legalizing corruption” – how better than to kill “right to work?” May they reap what they sow.

Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.