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The Mackinac Center for Public
Policy has a web site entitled the Education Report to influence
teachers and young minds. They also sponsor debate workshops
and scholarships for high school students. The
latest topic was Alternative energy subsidies: Yes
or no? (Wonder if
the debate was biased?).
475
students took part in the workshops, held in Livonia, Adrian, Grand Rapids and Traverse City. Students
were also invited to participate in an essay contest on this topic for one
of four $1,000 college scholarships.
Note the article Schools Should Stick to Basics
and Resist Green Fad by Russ Harding which
states
In a message dated 2/25/2009 1:24:05 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
ldnum@umich.edu writes:
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Enviro-Mich
message from Larry Nooden
<ldnum@umich.edu>
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It
seems important to understand how special interests bent on personal
gains
no matter their impact on others are operating. As this case
illustrates, their impacts trickle down all over us.
Those
interested in conservation, the environment or even democracy need to
play a more active role in getting the whole story out there in
public
view.
Most remarkable is the cloak of religion and freedom
that they wear, and
this deceives many. Even though, these activities too
often translate our
into 'antisocial' (contrary to the common good), they
are embraced by
religious groups contrary to their religious mandate to
act prosocialy
(Norenzayan A and Shariff A [2008] The origin and evolution
of religious
prosociality. Science 322:58-62). Unfortunately, as our
news media fade,
and special interest money pours into talk show hosts and
political
infomercials coming out out of "think tanks" like
our own Mackinac Center
are increasingly controlling public opinion and
being accepted as the
'whole truth'.
WC Fields said it quite well:
you can not fool all the people all the time,
but you can fool enough to
make quite a good living. I would only modify
this to say that with
enough political and news media power, you can make
great fortunes.
But then, many people have been convinced that it is
'unAmerican' to
question this.
So, what can be done? Supporting public
broadcasting seems like a start,
although they need to reminded not to be
swayed by sponsors like the
National Mining Association and
Microsoft.
--On Tuesday, February 24, 2009 7:57 PM -0500
MICHDAVE@aol.com wrote:
>
>
> In a message dated
2/24/2009 4:17:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> ldnum@umich.edu
writes:
>
> This is part of an emerging and concerted push from
special interests to
> use the economic crisis (that they and their
political ilk have created)
> as
> an excuse to by bypass/overrule
environmental protections.
>
>
>
> It's the perfect
storm:
>
> Like the conservative think tank, Mackinac Center
in Midland, CIVPROS
> contributors are " confidential". The
Mackinac Center is where Russ
> Harding landed at the end of the Engler
administration
>
> Also worth noting that Midland Co is home to
John Rappanos. Who never met
> a wetland he liked.
>
> And
Midland is home to a number of elected officials who want to
> eradicate
the "facility" designation under Part 201 Act 451--- which
> defines
properties and parcels which Dow Chemical is responsible to
> address
for their release of a smorgasbord of chemicals including dioxins
> and
furans.
>
>
>
> Michelle Hurd
Riddick
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