I received the following email from my stepmother. Now - I will admit that she is not familiar with snopes.com, and has occasionally sent me various untrue wild-eyed emails. But this is what was forwarded, and it sounds plausible:
Please consider voting "no" on question 3! Caroline has worked in the trenches for pro-child legistlation.
[and Caroline's email] Hi Everyone,
Don’t be fooled by question three on the ballot. It seems tantamount to opposing motherhood and apple pie to vote against this question, but again-don’t be fooled. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) got this on the ballot to take advantage of small business owners who are providing childcare in their homes. It purports to advocate for improving the quality of childcare in these homes without additional money or taxes, by getting itself designated as the sole agent to negotiate with the state on behalf of the providers of care.
As a childcare professional for the past 24 years, I can state that quality costs money. I can also say the network of 15 homes that I work with was shocked to see this question on the ballot-it was initiated by the SEIU, not providers, as part of national campaign to line the coffers of the union. The Mass Department of Early Education and Care has stated its opposition to this initiative out of fear that current regulations, which are minimal, could become bargaining points, decreasing hard won quality initiatives. As an advocate for increased quality and increased salaries for childcare workers, I can also say that in my work at the state house, I have never run into members of the SEIU. The only organization that has achieved any increases in childcare rates has been MADCA, the Mass Association for Early Education and Care.
Info on Question #3
Please consider voting "no" on question 3! Caroline has worked in the trenches for pro-child legistlation.
[and Caroline's email]
Hi Everyone,
Don’t be fooled by question three on the ballot. It seems tantamount to opposing motherhood and apple pie to vote against this question, but again-don’t be fooled. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) got this on the ballot to take advantage of small business owners who are providing childcare in their homes. It purports to advocate for improving the quality of childcare in these homes without additional money or taxes, by getting itself designated as the sole agent to negotiate with the state on behalf of the providers of care.
As a childcare professional for the past 24 years, I can state that quality costs money. I can also say the network of 15 homes that I work with was shocked to see this question on the ballot-it was initiated by the SEIU, not providers, as part of national campaign to line the coffers of the union. The Mass Department of Early Education and Care has stated its opposition to this initiative out of fear that current regulations, which are minimal, could become bargaining points, decreasing hard won quality initiatives. As an advocate for increased quality and increased salaries for childcare workers, I can also say that in my work at the state house, I have never run into members of the SEIU. The only organization that has achieved any increases in childcare rates has been MADCA, the Mass Association for Early Education and Care.
So don’t be fooled-vote “no” on question # 3!
Caroline