Letter: Special interests back Harsdorf, not other way around

I recently received a robocall from an organization called “The American Federation for Children.” The recording informed me that special interest groups are trying to recall Sheila Harsdorf because she thinks that public workers should contribute to their pensions, and that I should refuse to sign the recall petition.

I looked up “The American Federation for Children.” It is a Washington, D.C.-based organization whose mission is to promote school voucher programs.

In other words, it advocates for the use of tax dollars to send children to private schools. It lists six people on its board of directors, not a single one from Wisconsin.

The founder of the group and chairman of its board is Betsy DeVos, a Michigan multimillionaire. Ms. DeVos has poured a significant amount of her personal fortune into this group.

Sheila Harsdorf has said the recall effort against her is fueled by “out-of-state special-interest groups” (RF Journal, March 10 and 17). Take the time to look at the recall, and one will see that it is a grassroots effort fueled by Harsdorf’s constituents.

The recall papers for Harsdorf were filed by a Hudson resident. Members of my family — all of us constituents — are active in the recall effort. Not a single one of us is affiliated with a “special-interest group.”

Personally, I have many reasons to support the recall. Not a single one has to do with pensions of public sector workers.

Every voter should make the effort to look and think beyond the quotes, the sound bites, and the robocalls.

Ask yourself this: Why is an out-of-state special-interest group — whose mission is to take tax dollars away from our public schools and give them to private schools — working on behalf of Harsdorf in fighting this recall?

Tags: opinion, letters, politics, kinnickinnic