Mackinac Center senior investigative analyst Anne Schieber has a frightening new video about the continued fleecing of home health care workers ensnared in an ongoing forced unionization scheme.

At its best, government exists to protect the rights of its citizens: To establish a rule of law that applies equally to everyone and have clear rules that are easily known and followed. This scheme adheres to none of those principles.

In documenting the complex twists-and-turns of the “dues skim,” Schieber’s video truly captures government breech of trust at its worst.

The backers of the forced unionization claim they sent voting ballots to 56,000 “employees,” but more than 80 percent did not vote. Sixty-seven percent of those who were unionized through the scheme are actually caring for disabled relatives, indirectly compensated by Medicaid, according to the Michigan Quality Community Care Council. Yet the ballot that was sent applies to "employees," with no mention of family members.

“Why are they taking money from us for taking care of our kids in the form of union dues?” Robert Haynes, a retired Detroit police officer who looks after his two adult children with cerebral palsy asked in the video.

The scheme goes on despite the fact that the so-called employer created to enable the stealth unionization, the Michigan Quality Community Care Council, has been defunded by the legislature. Its current address is the same Detroit building that houses the SEIU — the same union collecting the skimmed dues. No one from the group returns phone calls.

Last June the Michigan House passed House Bill 4003 to end the forced unionization. But the Michigan Senate, with a historic 26-12 Republican majority, continues to sit on its hands, failing to pass the bill while the SEIU takes money from special needs children and adults.

Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw, received $5,000 from the SEIU on the day the bill to end the “forced unionization” arrived in the Senate.

Meanwhile, the origins of the scheme have been connected to a former ACORN organizer. And the dues keep flowing: More than $29 million has been taken from the pockets of hardworking parents and put in to the coffers of the SEIU to be used as they wish.

“They’re charging us dues and we’re getting no benefits,” said Patricia Haynes, Robert’s wife.

It is impossible to conclude this scheme benefits the people Michigan in any way. It is simply indefensible.

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Rush Limbaugh’s comments about Sandra Fluke have shifted the focus of the debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to its mandated coverage of birth control.

“I don’t know why they are singling out birth control,” said Mike Tanner, an expert on Obamacare with the Cato Institute. “What we should be discussing is not contraceptives, but we should be talking about the government designing insurance plans for us.”

Tanner said the national debate should be on the mandated coverages contained in Obamacare, such as mandatory coverage of mental health, including psychiatric care, drug and alcohol rehab as well as dental and vision care for children.

For example, under Obamacare, a single man would have to pay for dental and vision care for children on the mandated government plan. A woman with a hysterectomy would still have to pay for birth control.

“Why should the government be mandating what is in the insurance plan?” Tanner said. “If you are a Mormon, why should you have to have drug and alcohol rehabilitation?”

Private insurance plans do have coverages that many people pay for but don’t use, Tanner said. The difference is that under a private plan, the insured are allowed more freedom in what they do and don’t want to pay for.

Tanner also explained the scenario in which taxpayers would pay for some individual’s birth control.

Tanner said Catholic hospitals would drop insurance for its employees rather than offer a plan with birth control. He said the Catholic hospitals would pay a fine for not offering insurance and many of the employees would end up going to the government exchanges.

Many of the employees would have limited earnings and would have some of their health care coverage subsidized by taxpayers.

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, released a statement that her organization was in favor of birth control being mandated for health care.

“As a trusted health care provider to one in five women in America, Planned Parenthood believes that women, regardless of where they work, should have access to health insurance that covers preventive health care, including birth control, with no co-pays.”

Desiree Cooper, director of community and media relations for Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan, didn’t return an email seeking comment.