Search

Michigan citizens group established in support of proposal B relating to the reform of public school financing on the 1989 state ballot. Reports, surveys, minutes, correspondence, and audio and visual materials.

The records of CRTR consist of one foot of materials from the campaign office dating from 1989. The materials consist of reports, surveys, minutes, and correspondence. Most of the reports and surveys were not produced by CRTR but by other organizations that were concerned about school taxes. These records were kept by CRTR mostly as reference materials to assist them in their campaign. The correspondence and committee records were produced by CRTR but are very few in number.

This record group also contains some audio and visual materials. The cassette tape found in the folder labeled program tape is part of a slide presentation made by CRTR. The visual material is a video cassette of a commercial opposing the passage of Proposal B and is narrated by L. Brooks Patterson.

Douglas Ross (1942- ) is a Michigan political figure. He has been active in many political organizations and the Democratic party and served as Michigan Director of Commerce and United States Assistant Secretary of Labor. He also ran, unsuccessfully, for governor of Michigan in 1998. Ross' main concerns are economic policy and education. He currently runs a charter school in Detroit, Michigan. The papers cover most of his career, especially as Michigan Senator and at the Department of Labor, and include his notes and articles, correspondence, publications, and videotapes.

Organization formed in opposition to the Voter's Choice Amendment, an amendment to the state constitution to roll back taxes to their 1980-1981 level. Scattered minutes, agendas, mailings, and collected material relating to the Committee's political activities.

The Promote Michigan Committee collection provides some insight into how a professionally organized, well-funded, broadly based campaign successfully opposed tax reduction. The records are arranged alphabetically by type of material. The agendas, minutes, and correspondence provide some sense of the day-to-day functioning of the committee, but they are neither detailed nor complete. The background materials and press releases discuss the issues involved in tax reduction and amply delineate various groups' arguments against Proposal C.

Of special interest is Ray Brennan's review of the Committee's actions, "Keep our Comeback Alive." This is a report on the campaign's context, strategy, literature, finances., and results, and it is helpful in capturing the essence of the 1984 campaign. To gain the broader historical perspective on efforts to combat tax reduction in Michigan, one should also consult the League of Women Voters records and the Charlotte Capp collection.