Eric O’Keefe

Taxpayers in Michigan today filed 15,498 signatures to meet the 8,724 signature requirement to place the recall of House Speaker Andy Dillon before the voters in his district. Dillon pushed a $1.4 billion tax hike through the Michigan legislature last year, as the state’s taxpayers were already suffering from the worst economic performance of any state in the union.

Dillon’s big government allies say that his constituents love him and don’t want a recall. But they fought on the street to deter circulators and signers with paid blockers; they have fought in the courtroom, and claim they will keep fighting to prevent a vote. And speaker Dillon today said that there is no support for a recall in his district; but when a reporter asked why he was going to court to prevent a vote, he said “Recall elections are unfair. You have to run against yourself” because you don’t have an opponent.

Actually recalls are rare — and fair. They generally happen only when politicians act with extreme disdain for taxpayers. Though sometimes - as in the current Jeff Denham recall in California — they happen when Big Labor wants to punish someone for opposing their pursuit of taxpayer money.

This entry was posted on May 1, 2008 at 7:16 pm and is filed under Andy Dillon, Michigan, Recall.