Michigan’s Mackinac Center. What is a think tank? And what is just a bunch of cranky old union haters with Koch brothers’ money?

I don’t have a problem with a bunch of people who have friends with deep pockets calling themselves a think tank and hustling a paycheck out of it..

As for myself. I have always had to actually work for a living. I’m kind of proud of that. But that’s me.

However, if calling yourself a think tank is just a scam, a cover for old-fashioned political lobbying, that’s different. I’ve got nothing against lobbyists. The IEA has them, and my only problem with them is that they lobby for things like Senate Bill 7 when they should have lobbied against it. But I pay dues money to have my Association lobby. Although they call themselves Government Relations, nobody confuses IEA Government Relations for a think tank.

Lobbyists do have an image problem. They kind of have a dubious rep. That’s mostly the fault of oil company lobbyists and pharm industry lobbyists and Wall Street lobbyists who are kind of scummy. But there are lobbyists that represent the disabled and the elderly and people concerned with childhood diseases.

The Muscular Distrophy Society doesn’t hire a think tank to get more federal funding.

In Michigan it’s a different story.

Those who want to destroy teacher unions and lobby the Michigan legislature to outlaw the Michigan Education Association don’t call themselves lobbyists. They call themselves the Mackinaw Center for Public Policy. They call themselves a think tank. But that’s crap.

This allows them to sound cool and avoid paying taxes that lobbyists would pay. The Mackinac Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit that, according to their most recent filings with the IRS, does not engage in lobbying activities.

Oops.

Today the Grand Rapids Press revealed emails (Ironic given the Mackinac Center’s connections to my stalkers in the Education Action Group. They FOIAed my work emails last February) between the Mackinac Center and State Representative Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills) in which the Center’s senior legislative analyst, Jack McHugh, lobbies for ending collective bargaining for Michigan’s public sector employees and “no more MEA.”

So, let us be clear. Ducks quack. Lobbyists lobby. Think tanks…go “hmmmm.” I think.