Dem Candidate Tim Johnson Says Tea Party Group Abuses Taxpayer Resources

A tea party group is abusing public resources with a mailing that it sent out in support of a candidate for the 42nd State House, says Democratic candidate Timothy B. Johnson.

Johnson pointed out Monday that the mailing from Americans for Prosperity Michigan in support of Republican Lana Theis urges voters to call her at her office at the Brighton Township Hall to voice their support for her position on road funding.

“Tea party groups have done a lot of complaining about government waste and abuse, but in this case they are the ones who are abusing taxpayers by helping Lana Theis campaign from her taxpayer-supported office at the township hall,” Johnson said.

“Not every candidate for public office has the privilege of using a telephone in the township hall to field calls from prospective voters. I have to pay for my own phone and her campaign should pay for hers, too. Lana Theis should ask Americans for Prosperity to stop sending out its mailings with her office number and she should have someone else answer these calls and ask voters to call Theis’ campaign phone instead.”

In addition, Johnson said, Brighton Township residents with official business to conduct may find township lines clogged up with political calls.

The mailing in question claims that Michigan has plenty of money to fix the state’s roads and opposes a gas tax increase. It features a picture of Theis and says, “Call Lana Theis at (810) 229-0556. Thank her for supporting better roads and low taxes.”

Theis is Brighton Township treasurer.

Johnson is the Democratic candidate in the 42nd House District, which covers the townships of Brighton, Green Oak, Genoa, Hamburg, and Putnam, plus the city of Brighton. He can be reached at 313-600-1103, which is NOT paid for by taxpayers’ dollars, after work hours (4 p.m.)