Phil Mastin recall (1983)
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Phil Mastin, a Democratic state senator from Pontiac, Michigan was the first-ever Michigan legislator to be recalled from office by his constituents.[1] He was
serving his third term in office when the recall occurred. The election to recall him took place on November 22, 1983. 26,700 people voted to remove Mastin from office, while 15,990 voters wanted to retain him. Sen. David Serotkin, D-Mt Clemens, was recalled eight days later, on November 30.
The recall effort against Mastin was part of a tax revolt that developed in the state in 1983 after the state legislature passed, and Governor James Blanchard (D) signed, a $675 million state income tax hike. Adjusted for inflation, that tax hike in 2008 dollars would be a bit more than $1.4 billion. In his election campaign for governor, Blanchard had promised that he would only turn to a tax hike as a last resort. However, he proposed the 38% state income tax hike before serving a full month in office. Democrats held both chambers of the state legislature when the tax increase was enacted.
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Recalling Mastin
In order to put the question of recalling Mastin on the ballot, recall organizers turned in 28,360 signatures on July 26, 1983. The signatures were collected within 90 days and were 42% more than the minimum necessary to force a recall election.
The leader of the recall effort was Dan Powers. In 1983, he was a 25-year-old GM assembly line worker from Sterling Heights. He presented Sen. Serotkin, his senator, with a statement signed by 6,000 constitutents opposing the tax increase before it was enacted--to no avail. The name of the recall organization was "Citizens Against Unnecessary State Expenditures".
The campaign strategy adopted by Mastin and Serotkin to ward off the recall was to persuade their constituents that one vote on one bill should not decide their fate. Mastin said, "There have been a number of things that I’ve done that have sort of built a total, broader record that I hope the people will judge me by."
Mastin recall supporters rejected this line, urging constituents to focus on the tax hike. Mick Steiner, head of the Mastin recall effort, said, "I am a capitalist and I feel that Blanchard, Mastin and the others are a bunch of socialists. They want to take from the haves and give to the have-nots."
Political aftermath
Republicans won both of the special elections to replace the recalled senators and took a 20-18 majority control of the senate on Feb. 6, 1984. A little-known Republican state senator, John Engler, became the Senate Majority Leader and the primary political rival to Gov. Blanchard. Seven years later, in the 1990 campaign for governor, Engler narrowly unseated Blanchard in an upset election still shadowed by the events of 1983.[2]
After the recall, Mastin went to work in government relations. He established retraining programs to help workers displaced by plant closings or layoffs.[3]
Lessons from James Blanchard
Commenting on the 1983 recalls in 2007, Blanchard told a supporter, "Everybody recognized that something had to be done about revenue, even though a lot of people were mad about the tax increase. The big political mistake was not going after the recall petition drive once it got started - challenging the signatures and so on. Once the recall got on the ballot, Mastin and Serotkin were toast."[4]
Right after the 1983 recall, speaking to the New York Times, Blanchard described the successful recall of Mastin as "a great political tragedy".[5]
External links
- Michigan tax revolts, 1983 and today
- Peaceful revolutions and recalling politicians
- Recall 1983? The History of Michigan's Great Taxpayer Revolt
- Excising the ghosts of the '83 senate recalls
References
- ↑ New York Times, Michigan State Senator Recalled Over Tax Issue, November 23, 1983
- ↑ Detroit News, Recall activists mobilize, October 2, 2007
- ↑ Oakland Press, Ex-senator: 'There's life after recall', October 13, 2007
- ↑ Center for Michigan, 'No-tax' absolutism doesn't help state, May 4, 2007
- ↑ New York Times, First legislator recalled in Michigan, November 27, 1983
