Bill Sizemore's Measure 59 and defenders

The proof that John McLaughlin is just shooting off his mouth defending Bill Sizemore's Measure 59 is that he accuses public employee unions of illegally diverting public funds, but he is unwilling to formally press charges through the Oregon Dept. of Justice. McLaughlin may find himself the defendant in a lawsuit if he continues to make such irresponsible and defamatory statements.

McLaughlin and his friends who frequently post on Townsquare Forum are just carrying water for Sizemore in this effort to use the public referendum process to reduce public employee unions' ability to fund political campaigns. Such partisan manipulation of Oregon's initiative system is causing many citizens and elected officials to consider reforming the process .

The truthfulness of the M-59 supporters' statements can be judged by their misrepresentation of the law they propose to pass. Mr McLaughlin states M-59 would prohibit withholding of money for political purposaes unless the worker gives permission. He raves on to the conclusions that the union opposes M-59 because the union "gangsta" bosses know the member/workers won't give the deduction permission - because the members don't support the politics of the union bosses.

However, the truth is, Measure 59 would flatly prohibit the withholding, worker permisson or not, of funds to be used for political purposes. Here's a quote by the official Explanatory Statement Committee of the Oregon Elections Division which drafted the description to be placed in the official Voters Pamphlet taken from the Secretary of State's website :

under Measure 59 it will be illegal:
"To recognize a public employee's request to payroll deduct part of the employee's wages and transfer that deducted money to an organization that uses all or part of that money to support or oppose candidates, initiatives or ballot measures."

Thanks also to the Explanatory Statement Committee, the public now knows Measure 59 would make it illegal for the Oregon Voters Pamphlet to include statements supporting or opposing measures and candidates. Silencing the public employees' political voice and the voter's pamphlet would diminish the public debate - and to this extent should favor Mr. McLaughlin and his friends' political agenda.