Vote YES on Proposal 2 by Tuesday, November 3.
Most Michiganders experience power outages for days at a time on an annual basis, often during or in the wake of extreme weather. The last thing families need when grocery bills are already sky-high is to throw out hundreds of dollars of food in their refrigerator because DTE can’t keep the power on. Michiganders have some of the worst utility reliability in the country for the highest costs, and the longest power outages on average of any state in the nation. The pinch Michiganders feel when it comes to paying their utility bills is just the start of the affordability crisis. Michigan families are juggling rising healthcare costs while owning a home remains out of reach, and the steady increase in grocery prices while costs of childcare are crippling for too many families.
This is why Michiganders need to vote YES on Proposal 2 on or before Tuesday, November 3.
DTE and Consumers Energy are “regulated” utility monopolies in Michigan, meaning that their rates are governed by the state and they don’t face any competition providing energy to the overwhelming majority of Michiganders. If our lawmakers set standards for utilities and are responsible for coordinating their government contracts, why are utility prices so high and service quality so low?
Well, here is the kicker: DTE and Consumers Energy are some of the biggest campaign contributors to lawmakers from both political parties in Lansing. That’s right. The very corporations that Michigan’s elected officials are supposed to regulate are also some of their largest campaign donors. When utility monopolies spend millions on campaign contributions, they effectively buy favorable decisions from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) and lawmakers, shielding them from accountability while ratepayers foot the bill. Lawmakers in Lansing should be working on behalf of their constituents, not doing the bidding of their corporate sponsors.
That’s why Michiganders for Money out of Politics (MMOP) is working to reduce corporate influence and money in Michigan politics by bringing more transparency and guidelines to our election finances. This is on the November 3 General Election ballot as Proposal 2, and we urge Michiganders to vote YES. Michigan’s democracy should not be for sale to the highest bidder!
Proposal 2 goes farther than just prohibiting monopoly utilities, like DTE and Consumers Energy from contributing to the politicians meant to regulating them; Proposal 2 will also ban corporations holding more than $250,000 a year in government contracts, like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, from donating to state officeholders, candidates for local or state office, and political party committees. These contributions aren’t just general political support—they are investments by corporations to block consumer protection legislation, keep regulatory oversight weak, and prioritize corporate profits over real people. Voting Yes on Proposal 2 will end the pay-to-play politics that are corrupting the policymaking process in Michigan and making life so expensive for every day Michiganders.
Proposal 2 also requires political ads, including online ads, to disclose who paid for them. Shining a light on these “dark money” contributions will stop big donors from hiding. Voters deserve to know who’s paying to influence Michigan’s elections and buying access to our lawmakers.
Elected officials are supposed to work for us, the voters, not the big corporations bankrolling their campaigns. If sports teams and racecar drivers have to wear their sponsors on their jerseys to disclose to viewers where their support comes from, then it makes sense that megadonors spending to sway our elections should have to disclose their campaign spending and which lawmakers they’re doing it on behalf of.
It’s past time to get money out of Michigan politics. Make your plan to vote YES on Proposal 2 and cast your ballot on or before Tuesday, November 3.
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Christy McGillivray
Executive Director, Voters Not Politicians
MopUpMichigan.org
Paid for with regulated funds by Michiganders for Money Out of Politics Ballot Committee, 23133 Woodward Ave #196, Ferndale, MI 48220
