Saturday, November 24, 2007

Yes Virgina, MESSA does EARN money!

Contrary to what MESSA says, they do earn a profit. The proof is in the image below of MESSA's own IRS filing from June 2005. Updated data (of which I don't have an image) shows MESSA earned nearly $100 million more in 2006. The MESSA spin doctor, Gary Fralick (MESSA's director of communications and government relations), said that MESSA is a non-profit 501(c)(9) organization that does "not earn profits." Gary needs to look at his organizations IRS tax return; on line 72 it shows NET EARNINGS of over $68 million in 2005.

That's pretty good if you're a business, but MESSA is supposed to be, and claims to be, a non-profit. The IRS form tells a different story. These profits are a cost burden layered on top of a state that cannot afford to support the ulterior motives of this organization. We are struggling to keep teachers employed and paid - MESSA piles up earnings on the backs of students and its own members at the cost of real jobs and lives. Our teachers, our students, and the tax payers of Michigan deserve better.



Just click on the image to make it bigger. The lines highlighted show accumulated profits and earnings.