Ecology Center spokesman says Partners For Transit is financing its own websites, phone banking, field and transit campaign organizer in support of AAATA’s May 6th millage request. Partners For Transit official says that group “has no funds.”
FRONT GROUPS are a tool used frequently by conservative political organizations, operatives and large corporations to manipulate public opinion. Websites are created behind which the corporation or political group hides while providing “information” to those who visit the sites. “Front groups” link and re-link to their own “fronts.” Front groups Retweet their own Tweets in an effort to establish credibility.
The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) describes front groups: “A front group is an organization that purports to represent one agenda while in reality it serves some other party or interest whose sponsorship is hidden or rarely mentioned. The front group is perhaps the most easily recognized use of the third party technique.”
The third party technique is described by the CMD as, “putting your words in someone else’s mouth.”
Amanda Little works for the PR firm Burson-Marsteller. She said: “Developing third party support and validation for the messages of the corporation is essential. This support should ideally come from medical authorities, political leaders, union officials, relevant academics, fire and police officials and environmentalists.”
The goal is simple: unsuspecting visitors to “front group” websites, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts are fooled into believing that the “front groups” are independent, credible and, above all, controlled by third parties.
For instance, in early-February the Republican National Congressional Committee owned up to having launched 15 websites that appear to be official campaign sites for Democratic candidates. The NRCC’s digital team came up with what the group believes is a great idea: get out the Republican message through fake Democrat sites.
CNN broke the story on February 6, 2014, and NRCC press secretary Daniel Scarpinato told CNN, “I think that sites are clear in terms of the disclosure and the content where were coming from.”
The same, however, cannot be said of two websites, two Facebook pages and two Twitter accounts associated with a purportedly “grassroots” group called Partners For Transit launched at the end of February in support of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority’s (AAATA) May 6 millage proposal.
In reality, the “grassroots” campaign in support of a tax hike to fund AAATA’s 5-year transit plan is being managed by a full-time paid lobbyist who has “years of experience in political campaigns,” according to her bio.
Paid Lobbyists Manage “Grassroots” Campaign In Support Of AAATA Millage Proposal
In a February 26 interview about the AAATA millage campaign, Alexis Blizman was identified as “the Manager of the More Buses campaign” but not as an employee of the Ecology Center. Blizman, a lawyer, was hired in 2011 as the Ecology Center’s legislative and administrative lobbyist at local, state and federal levels. According to the Ecology Center website, “Blizman has worked on numerous legislative campaigns in southeast Michigan since the early 1990s, developing strategies, recruiting volunteers, raising money and drafting messages and campaign materials.”
While it is clear the Ecology Center employs Blizman, it isn’t clear who funded the websites, Facebook pages and Twitter account updates done on behalf of Partners For Transit and More Buses Now. Phone banking is being done at the Ecology Center, according to volunteer recruitment notices posted to Twitter from @MoreBusesMay6.
While an Ecology Center spokesman denied that AAATA is funneling taxpayer money to the Ecology Center for use in the campaign, Charles Griffith, Chair of the AAATA’s Board of Directors, is employed by the Ecology Center. Sources close to the campaign say Griffith has been closely involved in planning the Partners For Transit millage support campaign. Griffith was appointed to the AAATA Board by John Hieftje, and made Chair of the AAATA Board in October 2013.
On March 4 The Ann Arbor Independent asked an Ecology Center spokesman about the Ecology Center’s financial involvement with both Partners For Transit and More Buses Now. In response to the question of “how much money for lobbying the Ecology Center has given the PFT committee and MBN” the Ecology Center spokesman said via email: “The Partners for Transit ballot committee is paying for its campaign entirely from private donations.”
The same day the Ecology Center spokesman made that assertion, Partners For Transit ballot committee record keeper Carolyn Grawi told The Ann Arbor Independent, “We don’t have any funds.” She sent a subsequent email asking that questions about her ballot committee’s finances be directed to Ecology Center Executive Director Michael Garfield.
Yet, at the bottom of the More Buses Now website is the required campaign finance disclosure statement that informs the public who is paying for the lobbying site: “Paid for with regulated funds by Partners for Transit Ballot Committee P.O. Box 7545, Ann Arbor, MI 48107.”
Carmencita Princen, the Partners For Transit committee’s official treasurer, said she had “no idea” whether her own ballot committee had any money.
“Fundraising is being done by other people,” Princen said, who then asked to end the conversation.
Martha Valadez is a part-time transit organizer for the Ecology Center. On March 5, Ms. Valadez told The Ann Arbor Independent she is the “transit campaign organizer” for Partners For Transit and the “field organizer” for More Buses Now.
When asked if the two online resources were controlled by the Ecology Center, Valadez refused to answer.
On March 6, Carolyn Grawi—speaking on behalf of Partners For Transit—told The Ann Arbor Independent, “I’m not the person writing Martha’s check.”
Martha Valadez is listed as the email contact at PartnersForTransit.org and she responded to a phone message left at the MoreBusesNow.org contact number. When pressed to reveal who was paying her for her work on the More Buses Now and the Partners for Transit campaigns, Valadez declined to answer.
Valadez told The Ann Arbor Independent that various members of the Partners For Transit “steering committee” were providing volunteers and staff to oversee the various Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and websites created to support the AAATA’s millage proposal.
Carolyn Grawi said that the Center for Independent Living, where she works (listed as a “steering committee” member on the PFT website), had not provided staff or volunteers for the campaign.
Only the Ecology Center appears to have staff working to support the AAATA’s campaign for a higher transit millage. The Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice has provided volunteers. The ICPJ’s Executive Director is Ward 5 City Council member Chuck Warpehoski. Warpehoski’s wife Nancy Shore is employed by the AAATA. Council member Warpehoski, said a source close to the PFT campaign, attended PFT campaign organizing meetings, along with Carolyn Grawi and Ecology Center employees Martha Valadez, Alexis Blizman and Charles Griffith.
Front Group Online Resources Being Used To Attack Millage Opponents
Not only are the Partners For Transit and More Buses online resources being used to put the AAATA/Ecology Center’s words “into other’s mouths,” the Ecology Center-controlled online resources are being used to attack residents who oppose the AAATA millage.
In a February 26 interview, Martha Valadez said those opposing the proposed millage: “…just refuse the truth and, instead, produce false information, stirring up fear.”
The Partners For Transit website attacked residents opposing the millage, “…‘Better Transit Now’ formed to oppose the AAATA’s May 6 Transit Improvement Millage. Their choice of name, (is) clearly created to deceive and confuse the public…”
Such dissembling and attacks are common tactics of front groups, according to the Center for Media and Democracy.
Alexis Blizman did not return a phone message requesting a comment.
The Ann Arbor Independent asked AAATA CEO Michael Ford about Charles Griffith’s involvement with the Partners For Transit group. The newspaper also asked Ward 5 Council member Chuck Warpehoski about his involvement with the Partners For Transit group in light of his wife’s job at AAATA. Neither man had responded prior to the newspaper going to press.
Better Transit Now is a group comprised of Ann Arbor residents who support enhanced bus service within the city.