-By Warner Todd Huston
News has emerged that a Michigan public school illegally used its automatic phone calling system to call the homes of every student to urge parents to join the recall effort against Republican Governor Rick Snyder last month. To imagine that they can illegally use public school facilities for a partisan, left-wing political effort, this is the arrogance of left-wingers in our mis-educational system writ large.
It is certainly illegal for a school to put it’s telephone alert system for partisan political use, but that is what happened nonetheless. Here is what the message said:
This is a message from the Lawrence Public Schools (inaudible) alert system. This is an informational item and not directly associated with the school. Concerned parents interested in cuts to education . . . we’re here to inform you that there is information about the problem. Also, be advised that there is a petition to recall Governor Snyder. If you want, stop by Chuck Moden’s house right by the school June 7th/8th between 3:30 and 4:00 pm. Thank you. Goodbye.
(To hear a recording of the message, click here.)
The school robocall system is supposed to be used to alert students and parents to school closings due to weather and other school business but not to push partisan political efforts.
Lawrence Public Schools Superintendent John Overley told Michgan Capitol Confidential that it wouldn’t happen again. But it shouldn’t have happened at all. According to Robert LaBrant , senior vice president of political affairs and general counsel for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the action by the district violates, “Section 57 of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act.”
LaBrant imagines that any finding of a violation would bring a fine to said persons of up to $20,000.
But all that aside, it is the arrogance of these leftist union hacks to imagine that they have the right to use the tools given them for the education of our kids for partisan political attacks on those they don’t like. It is an outrageous misuse of resources that all citizens, left-wing and conservative, pay for.
Left-wingers, however, feel that government is theirs and theirs alone and they see nothing wrong with violating laws as long as their agenda is furthered. This is yet another example of why government employees should not be allowed to unionize.
Obviously, the health and welfare of the union was more important to this school than the integrity of their education.
____________
“The only end of writing is to enable the reader better to enjoy life, or better to endure it.”
–Samuel Johnson
Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer. He has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and before that he wrote articles on U.S. history for several small American magazines. His political columns are featured on many websites such as Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com, BigHollywood.com, and BigJournalism.com, as well as RightWingNews.com, RightPundits.com, CanadaFreePress.com, StoptheACLU.com, AmericanDaily.com, among many, many others. Mr. Huston is also endlessly amused that one of his articles formed the basis of an article in Germany’s Der Spiegel Magazine in 2008.
For a full bio, please CLICK HERE.