Utilities pour millions into defeating Mich. ballot proposition
Clean Affordable Renewable Energy (CARE) for Michigan has raised $24 million to defeat the measure, while Michigan Energy Michigan Jobs, which supports the measure, has raised roughly $12 million.
Citizens Protecting Michigan’s Constitution, a business-backed group that is against three ballot proposals, has spent about $1.4 million fighting Proposal 3.
CARE has received large contributions from Jackson, Mich.-based Consumers Energy and Detroit-based DTE Energy. About 10 percent of its funding came from out-of-state sources, such as the American Natural Gas Alliance, several electric utilities based outside Michigan, and some rail and transportation companies.
“They’ll do anything to protect the status quo — even teaming up with corporate polluter Enbridge,” said Proposal 3 spokesman Mark Fisk.
Enbridge Energy gave $10,000 to the anti-Proposal 3 campaign. The utility was responsible for a 2010 oil spill in the Kalamazoo River.
Supporters of Proposal 3 are funded by largely out-of-state organizations such as the League of Conservation Voters, the Green Tech Action Fund, BlueGreen Alliance and American Wind Energy Association. A New York-based retired hedge fund manager, Julian Robertson Jr., contributed $1 million.
The Michigan League of Conservation Voters contributed $3.1 million, but most of that group’s money came from the national organization based in Washington, D.C.
“This proves that their campaign is indeed funded by out-of-state special interests in an attempt to hijack our constitution,” CARE spokeswoman Megan Brown said in reference to the campaign finance reports (Melissa Anders, MLive.com, Oct. 26). — RE