In the thousands of interviews conducted from this listening post over the years, no one, repeat, no one has ever used this phrase, “that kinda makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.”
And the honor, if you can call it that, goes to the seasoned and would be next governor, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
As off the wall as the statement is, given her line of work you could imagine what she was referring to. In charge of helping you to renew your driver’s license you could see her saying that if she was at a branch office and the dreaded “line” for a clerk stretched out into the street.
Or as the state’s highest election official, charged with running all elections on the fair and square, her hair might stand up if someone alleged that four million voted last year and all of them were dead!
Ah but alas nothing as dramatic as all that.
Rather this is all about the seemingly innocuous 501 (c) (4)’s.
What the hey?! Well if you are a high roller with political connections to big shots in high political places, the so called C-4’s are part of your daily lexicon because, as you are about to find out, they are the vehicle that allows folks with money to donate large wads of it to those elected officials who want it and the total beauty of the whole shebang?
NONE OF IT HAS TO BE DISCLOSED TO THE MEDIA OR PUBLIC.
As Ms. Benson put it the other day, “I don’t have a C-4 and I won’t.”
Yet she comments that the C-4 arm “maybe” was put on her in the past.
“There have been times when maybe people have said, “We need this to get done and, OK, by the way, is there a charity we can write for a C-4 that you have?” She reacts with, “you know that kinda of stuff makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. When that type of thing happens, it reveals to me how much we’ve got to do to address a culture of corruption in Lansing.”
To be fair, the recipients of this so-called Dark Money, might object to a blanket statement that all of this donating is part of the “culture of corruption” in our town.
But without full disclosure, darkness wins.
And even thought Madam Secretary is for full disclosure of all political contributions, along with countless other good government-types, some how the drapes are drawn keeping the sunshine out because the legislature has so far failed to pull them back.
Now the cynic might argue, there ya go. Why would lawmakers vote to disclose when it is so much easier to take a check from someone and not say anything to anyone. So is there influence peddling rampant in this system?
Maybe yes. Maybe no. And until lawmakers caught up the votes to removes those “maybes” everyone is on the honor system.
How’s the hair on the back of your neck now?
