MEA-MFT gears up against trio of initiatives

Note: Unfortunately, some Montana reporters insist on framing the CI-97 fight as MEA-MFT against CI-97.

While MEA-MFT has sof ar contributed the most money to Not In Montana: Citizens Against CI-97, many other groups are actively involved in the coalition.

We are being outspent 4 to 1 by the wealthy out-of-state libertarians pushing CI-97, but we will prevail.

MEA-MFT gears up against trio of initiatives

By MIKE DENNISON
Gazette State Bureau - August 12, 2006

HELENA - The state's largest employee union has spent another $170,000 on the fight against a measure to limit state government spending - but that's not the union's only political target this year.

MEA-MFT, which represents 16,000 teachers, other public employees and some private health care workers, has decided to fight two related measures that aim to limit government authority.

"They are all basically anarchist by design, to gut-shoot government, to make good government go away," said Eric Feaver, president of MEA-MFT. "This is an anarchist's dream."

MEA-MFT has been the lead opponent for several months of Constitutional Initiative 97, the ballot measure that limits the growth of state spending.

Opposing Initiative 98

Now it's officially opposing Constitutional Initiative 98, which makes it easier to recall judges, and Initiative 154, which allows property owners to file "takings" claims against the government if a government action allegedly devalues their property.

"We will do everything we can to defeat them," Feaver said Friday. "I think it's a wise investment, and we're going forward."

CI-97, CI-98 and I-154, which are on the November ballot, are being coordinated by Winifred rancher and political activist Trevis Butcher.

Butcher also is treasurer for Montanans in Action, a recently formed political group that is providing the vast majority of financing behind the three initiatives.

So far this year, Montanans in Action has spent $735,000 to help place the trio of initiatives on the ballot, including $102,000 in July. Most of that money has gone to paid signature-gatherers, who signed up enough Montana voters to qualify the measures for the Nov. 7 ballot.

No source revealed

Butcher won't reveal the source of Montanans in Action's funds.

Published reports have identified New York City real estate developer and Libertarian Howard Rich as a key supporter of property-rights initiatives like I-154. [and CI-97]

Judicial recall and spending-cap initiatives are under way in other states as well.

National groups such as Americans for Limited Government and Americans for Tax Reform have assisted these and similar measures nationwide this year. In fact, Americans for Limited Government provided money to help draft and begin the campaign for all three Montana measures.

Butcher said the opposition from MEA-MFT "illustrates their agenda against citizens having authority over elected officials."

"These initiatives put citizens in charge of their government," Butcher said Friday. "Obviously MEA doesn't want the voters of Montana to hold elected and government officials accountable."

Butcher said he's shocked MEA-MFT would oppose the property-rights initiative, because many of the union's members probably would support a measure that protects them from "eminent domain abuse and confiscation of private property."

MEA-MFT isn't the only organization opposing I-154, the property-rights measure.

A group called Property Owners Against I-154 formed last month, financed initially by a coalition of conservation and environmental groups.

The group reported raising only $4,400 during its first month, but it hopes to raise as much as $300,000 for the campaign against I-154, said Janet Ellis, director of Montana Audubon.

Ellis said I-154 will "change the quality of life in Montana" by snuffing out any land-use planning. It also may prevent state wildlife managers from adjusting big-game limits, because a landowner who has private big-game outfitting could object and say lowering game limits in certain areas devalues their property, she said.

"You don't have to substantiate your claim at all," Ellis said of the property "takings" language. "It's the grind-government-to-a-halt initiative."

MEA-MFT so far has contributed $224,000 to the campaign against CI-97, the spending-cap measure, including $170,000 last month. It also has donated thousands of dollars worth of staff time to fight the measure.

Feaver said the union will give to campaigns against CI-98 and I-154 as well, to counter the deep pockets that the supporters of all three measures apparently have.

"The folks who are promoting CI-97 and its ugly sisters have a whole lot of money," he said. "If they've invested more than half a million dollars getting these (on the ballot), I'd not be surprised they would spend (more) on the campaign."

Butcher declined to say how much more money Montanans in Action or other sources might spend on the initiative campaigns, but he said they're ready to battle their opposition.

"It's going to depend on what it takes to counter whatever propaganda that they're throwing out there," he said. "We want to make sure we're represented on these issues."