Mackinac Center President Invites Bob King to Debate ‘Protect Our Jobs’ Ballot Proposal After UAW Chief a No-Show at Policy Conference Debate

For Immediate Release
Thursay, June 7, 2012
Contact: Michael Jahr
Vice President for Communications 
989-631-0900

MIDLAND — Mackinac Center for Public Policy President Joseph G. Lehman today extended an open invitation to UAW President Bob King to publicly debate the “Protect Our Jobs” ballot initiative one or more times between now and Election Day. Lehman and King were scheduled to debate the issue on May 31 at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference, but organizers said King cancelled a few days before and the “Protect Our Jobs” campaign sent a substitute. (You can watch a video of that debate and read the text of Lehman’s comments here.)

“As we are both aware, the outcome of this proposal will have a major impact on state, local and school policies for decades to come,” Lehman wrote in his letter to King. “I believe voters would be well served by a forthright and public debate between us as they make up their minds in the coming months.”

Lehman said Tuesday’s failed recall attempt of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker puts the union-backed amendment front-and-center among the many ballot questions voters could face in November.

“Gov. Walker’s margin of victory shows that taxpayers are yearning for leadership on this issue,” Lehman said. “This radical constitutional amendment would benefit the 3 percent — the number of government union employees in Michigan — who want to shield themselves from the economic realities the 97 percent of us face.”

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