SEIU siphons 'dues' from Mich. Medicaid payments

Washington Examiner ^ | 11/11/11 | Joel Gehrke Commentary Staff Writer

[Nachum]

If you're a parent who accepts Medicaid payments from the State of Michigan to help support your mentally-disabled adult children, you qualify as a state employee for the purposes of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). They can now claim and receive a portion of your Medicaid in the form of union dues.

Robert and Patricia Haynes live in Michigan with their two adult children, who have cerebral palsy. The state government provides the family with insurance through Medicaid, but also treats them as caregivers. For the SEIU, this makes them public employees and thus members of the union, which receives $30 out of the family's monthly Medicaid subsidy. The Michigan Quality Community Care Council (MQC3) deducts union dues on behalf of SEIU.

Michigan Department of Community Health Director Olga Dazzo explained the process in to her members of her staff. "MQC3 basically runs the program for SEIU and passes the union dues from the state to the union," she wrote in an email obtained by the Mackinac Center. Initiated in 2006 under then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich., the plan reportedly provides the SEIU with $6 million annually in union dues deducted from those Medicaid subsidies.

[Mouton]

Since part of this money flows from the Fed G, why is this not theft from a federal program?

[reg45]

Medicaid is for people in need, not for union thugs.

[blueyon]

Question is what are the people and publicans going to do about this,,,,,,,,,,,,,roll over, bend over, or stand up and fight this wrong

[reg45]

If all the people who were assimilated - like being a Borg - were to vote to decertify the SEIU ...

[RWGinger]

a new type of Union Thuggery

[blueunicorn6]

This is desperate behavior. Starve the Dems of money, and they shrivel up and blow away.

[cripplecreek]

This was legally ended back in February or so but no one has stopped the payments. The problem is that after an initial push and election, the people go back to sleep.

[muawiyah]

I know how I’d get the money back from SEIU ~

[Logical me]

And why do most of us think the time for Unions are over. They should be declared unfit to organize in any form in America.

[AlexW]

While I think ALL unions are nothing more then organized crime, the SEIU has to be the lowest of the low.

[chris37]

If this isn’t government sponsored racketerring and organized crime, I don’t know what is.

I’m sure Eric, The Black, Holder will get right on it, and I’m sure the brave GOP will stand up against it.

/s.

[John S Mosby]

If it was ended then it should end. How can activists point this out and end it? This is simply beyond insane...family caregivers of their OWN child are considered SEIU worthy of dues? Outrageous!! And, unconstitutional either in the state or US law.

[EagleUSA]

We know where this comes from. And those responsible should be prosecuted. This is money laundering, and theft of taxpayer dollars which end up in Democrat campaign piggy banks.

If we had a Repub party, they would be ALL OVER THIS!!!

[cripplecreek]

family caregivers of their OWN child are considered SEIU worthy of dues? Outrageous!! And, unconstitutional either in the state or US law.

Unfortunately its not uncommon. I believe Missouri is the most recent state where it happened.

[BfloGuy]

This was the most infuriating thing I've read all day. Public unions should be outlawed -- actually, all unions should be outlawed -- but we can start with government.

[cripplecreek]

If we had a Repub party, they would be ALL OVER THIS!!!

LOL Republicans are the ones who did this. This all came into being as a result of a bill sponsored by our former Michigan senate majority leader (Jason Allen (R)) and our current majority leader Randy Richardville (R).

For those who don't remember, Jason Allen was narrowly defeated by Dan Benishek in the primary race to fill Bart Stupak's 1st district seat. I remember FReepers telling me that it didn't matter which one won because "any republican is better than any democrat".

Some more background with more stories linked at the bottom of the page.

Parents Forced to Pay Union Dues, Lawmaker Rakes In Health Care Money

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Nachum.

[cripplecreek]

Why just voting republican isn't enough.

GOP Senators, SEIU Taxpayer Giveaways, Campaign Cash and More, OH MY! (from 2009)

On Aug. 5, 2009, Sen. Jason Allen, R-Traverse City, introduced Senate Bill 731, which would give statutory cover to a scheme transferring approximately $6.6 million in taxpayer money annually to the SEIU government employee union, one of the parents of ACORN. This is accomplished by creating a shell government "employer" for some 42,000 individuals who are actually hired by elderly or disabled Medicaid recipients to provide personal care services in their homes. A Mackinac Center lawsuit is pending regarding a similar arrangement imposed on home day care providers.

Wendy Day of Common Sense in Government has reported on Facebook that Allen was the recipient of a $2,000 campaign contribution from the SEIU on June 22, six weeks before SB 731 was introduced. In another post she hints that introducing and passing the bill was part of a quid-pro-quo between Senate Republicans and the SEIU for union support of former state representative Mike Nofs in a November 2009 special election, which state Republican Party Chair Ron Weiser had characterized as among the party's top priorities. Day observes that the SEIU endorsed Nofs on August 22nd, two weeks after SB 731 was introduced, and sent four full-time workers to help on his campaign.

[neverbluffer]

If they are treated as a state employee, than the law says the must be also paid at least minimum wage?

Then, they should also claim state retirement benefits as an employee!