The Evergreen Freedom Foundation notes that Democrats in both houses of the state legislature have introduced bills to allow public employee unions to use mandatory fees from non-members for political purposes without permission -- an end-run around the Davenport v. WEA case that's pending a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
The sponsors, all recipients of campaign contributions from the WEA, even had the gall to slap an "emergency clause" on the bills (HB 2079 and SB 5921)
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 07, 2007 06:30 AM | Email ThisFrom their opposition to America in this war, to actions like working to allow felons to vote, or helping unions retain their involuntary theft from thousands and thousands of their members, their actions don't just wreak of corruption, but they wreak of pure evil. Demorats appear to act in nearly every way imaginable to hurt the American people while blaming Bush and Republicans for everything that Demorats are actually guilty of.
From the irrational and unsupportable Global Warming fears to undermining the people's will, Demorats don't appear to care about anything except consolidating power and helping their friends. And there appears to be nothing they won't do or destroy to get it.
We call this democracy, but it's looking more and more every day like the tyranny of a political party, that with the aid of the old media and liberal education, is focused purely on convincing voters that up is down, left is right, and evil is really good for us.
Our founding fathers went to war over taxation without representation. Have we become such sheep that we can't see that they had a cakewalk compared to what's happening today?
Posted by: MJC on February 7, 2007 08:02 AMHUNT SAMUEL W 06/06/2006 $700.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98063
HUNT SAMUEL W 12/08/2006 $700.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSOC PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98063
HUNT SAMUEL W 06/29/2002 $625.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
HUNT SAMUEL W 06/29/2002 $625.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
HUNT SAMUEL W 06/30/2000 $600.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980030000
HUNT SAMUEL W 10/08/2000 $600.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980030000
HUNT SAMUEL W 12/08/2006 $0.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98063
Total Named Cash Contributions for this report: $3,850.00
SIMPSON GEOFFREY H 06/07/2006 $700.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
SIMPSON GEOFFREY H 10/16/2006 $700.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
SIMPSON GEOFFREY H 06/22/2002 $625.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
SIMPSON GEOFFREY H 06/22/2002 $625.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
SIMPSON GEOFFREY H 06/30/2000 $600.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
SIMPSON GEOFFREY H 10/14/2000 $600.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
Total Named Cash Contributions for this report: $3,850.00
MCDERMOTT J JOSEPH 05/30/2006 $700.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
MCDERMOTT J JOSEPH 11/30/2006 $700.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
MCDERMOTT J JOSEPH 09/06/2002 $625.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980036397
MCDERMOTT J JOSEPH 09/06/2002 $625.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980036397
MCDERMOTT J JOSEPH 11/30/2000 $600.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
Total Named Cash Contributions for this report: $3,250.00
ORMSBY TIMM S 06/11/2006 $700.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
ORMSBY TIMM S 11/29/2006 $700.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
ORMSBY TIMM S 10/01/2004 $675.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN FEDERAL WAY WA 98063
Total Named Cash Contributions for this report: $2,075.00
WILLIAMS BRENDAN W 06/07/2006 $700.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
WILLIAMS BRENDAN W 08/26/2004 $675.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN FEDERAL WAY WA 98063
WILLIAMS BRENDAN W 10/24/2004 $675.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN FEDERAL WAY WA 98063
Total Named Cash Contributions for this report: $2,050.00
KEISER KAREN L 07/01/2006 $700.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
KEISER KAREN L 11/30/2006 $700.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
KEISER KAREN L 06/30/2000 $600.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
KEISER KAREN L 10/06/2000 $600.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
KEISER KAREN L 06/21/2002 $375.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980036397
KEISER KAREN L 09/23/2002 $375.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980036397
KEISER KAREN L 06/21/2002 $250.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980036397
KEISER KAREN L 12/06/2001 $250.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980036397
Total Named Cash Contributions for this report: $3,850.00
FAIRLEY DARLENE 05/30/2006 $700.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980639100
FAIRLEY DARLENE 08/23/2002 $625.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980036397
FAIRLEY DARLENE 08/23/2002 $625.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 980036397
Total Named Cash Contributions for this report: $1,950.00
MURRAY EDWARD B 07/08/2006 $700.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98063
MURRAY EDWARD B 09/13/2002 $625.00 P WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
MURRAY EDWARD B 10/10/2000 $600.00 G WA EDUCATION ASSN PAC FEDERAL WAY WA 98003
Total Named Cash Contributions for this report: $1,925.00
Currently, .760 requires the union to ask permission before spending non-member agency fees on politics (non-members must pay agency fees to keep their jobs.).
HB 2079 and SB 5921 will create a presumption that, when the union co-mingles agency fees in its general fund and then makes political contributions from its the general fund, it spends only member dues, not non-member agency fees.
When this issue was before the trial court, the judge ruled, following the recommendation of then Attorney General Gregoire, that when the union co-mingles agency fees with member dues in its general fund, the fees taint the dues and every dollar spent out of the general fund includes a percentage of the agency fees. At the time, the union countered that they tracked the agency fees through the general fund to ensure that they were not contributed to political causes (talk about an administrative nightmare!).
The bills, if passed, will effectively relieve the union from having to ask permission before making political contributions from general funds tainted with agency fees. For example, if 8 percent of the union's general fund is agency fees, the union will have to contribute 92 percent of its general fund to politics before having to ask non-members' permission to spend their fees on politics.
Posted by: rbedford on February 7, 2007 08:55 AMIt is an emergency, because they fear the upcoming supreme court decision and they want to make sure their coffers are protected in 2008 without the pesky public stopping them. I think a great initiative would be an initiative to limit the use of the emergency clause to actual emergencies.
Posted by: TrueSoldier on February 7, 2007 09:48 AMDuring one of the last two elections, I was able to trace $40,000 of donations to one individual through companies, employees and other sham groups. These donations went to one individual candidate.
After election, this individual got special favors and favorable business deals from the candidate with more favors promised to come.
These unions, in my understanding, do the same thing.
Posted by: swatter on February 7, 2007 10:18 AMVery well put. As a country, we have been so secure and so free and so comfortable for so long that many now take all of that for granted, and as the intrinsic and immutable conditions of existence written into the very fabric of the universe. It is inconceivable to them that any actions of theirs might endanger what is actually a delicate and temporary balance providing freedom and comfort. They worship no god but themselves, accept no responsibility to follow any moral code except that which makes them feel good today, and feel free to take whatever reckless actions would further that.
Posted by: TB on February 7, 2007 12:21 PMAprox. 15% (and that's being generous) of all workers in the U.S. are Union Members of one type or another...only 8% of Union Members work outside of Local, State and Federal Governments... and 75% of that 8% are workers in the service industry, with average hourly pay rates under $11.00 per hour!
I have a reoccurring nightmare that all the Union Executives, WA Government Employees, WTA Members, and Demo-Rats are marching by us in a never-ending picket line, each with a bar of soap in one hand and a brush in the other, shouting...
"I'LL WASH YOUR BACK AND YOU CAN WASH MINE"...
"I'LL COVER YOUR ASS AND YOU CAN COVER MINE"...
"Management and Unions may be likened to that serpent of the fables, who on one body had two heads that fighting each other with poisoned fangs, killed themselves" Peter Drucker, the New Society 1951
We can only hope!!!
The Washington State Supreme Court ruled last year that the legislature has the authority to declare an emergency for any legislation and that the courts have no authority or power to review that decision, even if the use of the emergency provision is absurd, as it is in this case.
In any event, this proposed legislation will not stand up to a constitutional review; at least not at the US Supreme Court. I suspect the democrats are taking this action now because the Colorado legislature is attempting to enact a very similar, if not identical, law.
Posted by: Don on February 7, 2007 01:36 PMIn the meantime....the unions will continue to buy elections with the booty stolen from those who only want a job.
Posted by: drw on February 7, 2007 04:54 PMThe very worst idea put forth.
Posted by: drw on February 8, 2007 09:06 AMExperience in Maine and Arizona shows that elections are more competitive with public financing. In Maine last fall, 149 of the 151 offices open for election were contested. By that I mean, there were at least two candidates for the position on the general election ballot. In Washington state last fall, there were 34 uncontested seats including 6 "safe" districts where no candidate was opposed. In Arizona last fall, it is true that 93% of the incumbents who ran using public financing were re-elected. On the other hand, 100% of the incumbents who ran using traditional fundraising regained their seats.
It is true that incumbents have huge advantages in re-election campaigns, based on name recognition and the press coverage they receive while in office. But public financing does not make it easier to cash in on this. Organizations that make big campaign contributions donate heavily to incumbents. I don't see how you think any alternative will preserve the status quo more effectively than the current system.
Posted by: Bob Koerner on February 8, 2007 08:33 PM