In a column on that liberal Michigan blog Grebner, a Lansing area political consultant and lefty list master brings up some interesting points.  Credit where credit's due.  He points out that a proposed amendment in 2006 required 320,000 some odd signatures, submitted 504,000 and was still disqualified.  There were over 180,000 signatures bounced.  He suggests that this effort, which requires a larger number of valid signatures (360,000) would realistically call for the submission of 600,000.  

Yesterday we learned that Progressive Campaigns, Inc is paying circulators $1.50 per signature.  And heaven knows the company is taking their cut.  They've renting office space, paying for staff and the mass production of an eight page, twelve column fold-out petition.  You don't exactly Xerox those on standard legal paper at your local supermarket.  Figure conservatively we're talking $2.00 per signature.  That's $1.2 million right there.

Then there's the actual drafting process.  Someone had to hire lawyers to come up with those twelve columns.  To scour the Constitution for the requisite sections and to draft language to change each without forgetting to dot an i or cross a t.  RMGN didn't bother to submit their language to the SoS for approval either, running the risk that even with enough valid signatures the language could get tossed on the slightest legal technicality.  So whoever paid for it has plenty of faith in what must have been high priced lawyers who drafted it.  Tens of thousands of dollars worth of legal and consulting fees just to get the language.

And with that kind of investment there's bound to be millions waiting for the actual campaign.  

So who's behind it?

Tough to say.  Mr. Nye refused to speak with the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun when they first contacted him in late April.  He directed media calls to well known Barry County lefty Joe Lukasiewicz and named him the "spokesman."  Joe still hasn't returned the Sun's calls.

Neither of the men returned calls yesterday to MIRS or Gongwer.  I've tried myself a half dozen times at each number and the closest I came was a woman at the Lukasiewicz household who told me she didn't know when Joe would be home but that she'd ask him to call me back.  That hasn't happened.

It's safe to assume, though, that the sugar daddy isn't Harland Nye.  Yesterday evening I spoke with a handful of GOP activists in Barry County.  Harland is an eighty year old former band director and is married to Nyla, eighty-one.  Several folks suggested Nyla's family are chicken farmers by trade.  And a quick look at campaign finance reporting documents suggests they aren't setting any donation records.  Harland's donated $35.  Total.

Lukasiewicz is on the books for just over $300 total.

My best guess still bears the name "Stryker."  MIRS contacted John Stryker's spokeswoman yesterday who informed them that her boss is "not involved."  No word on his multi-million dollar special interest political action committee, though.  The Coalition for Progress certainly has the resources to fund this sort of undertaking and it's worth noting, John's isn't the only name in the donation records.  His sister Pat is also a big-time donor to the radical lefty group.  If John's not involved, could it be Pat?

The most interesting guess comes courtesy of Mr. Grebner on "the site which must not be named."  He posits:

Yes, but I think the MDP is at the bottom of this.

If Mark Brewer isn't involved, I'll be surprised.  The attempt to eliminate Cliff Taylor's majority on the Supreme Court, via the initiative process, just FEELS like Brewer.  So - I think - when we meet this conspiracy, it will turn out to be US.

On that last point he and I certainly do not disagree.

Have you had any run-ins with these petition circulators?  Have they lied to you like they appear to be lying to everyone else?  Don't be a stranger now!  And keep your eyes peeled.  If you bump into anyone circulating this road-map sized petition shoot me a note ASAP with the when and the where!