q SUNNYSIDE - REVERSE PHONE DIRECTORY
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- Party time! At teachers' expense
WEA's political spending eyed
OLYMPIA--(Monday, 2-24-00)---An Evergreen Freedom Foundation probe has revealed the Washington Education Association contributed a bunch to left-leaning causes and candidates in the '98 and '99 elections.
Dollars were spent according to decisions made by WEA union bosses, most of whom have cut out six-figure salaries for themselves.
Dollars spent by these ("weasels" said one teacher) derive from dues WEA uses school districts to take from teachers' salaries.
The "taking" must take place only following the written and filed approval of each of some 60,000 Washington State teachers. Reliable estimates show 40% of teachers are conservatives. None of these likely would want their dues dollars spent to further "progressive" leftist candidates and causes.
Unions reportedly contributed $1,375,387.05 on behalf of state legislative candidates, and $702,741.01 on behalf of initiative campaigns--all favored by leftist union bosses.
Jami Lund, EFF's top investigator, said actual WEA spending tallies in '98 and '99 were:
- $103,800 to oppose Referendum 49, transportation funding
- $213,005 to oppose Initiative 200, prohibiting preferential treatment
- $385,935 to support Initiative 688, raising minimum wage
- $477,724 to oppose Initiative 695, vehicle tab fees
"The minimum wage initiative raised $585,442 for an unopposed campaign. And $267,420 of this total was spent on staff and consultants," Lund said. He said that makes for "...some spendy election night parties".
Needless to say, money for Democrat fun times came from the hides of hard working teachers in Washington's 296 school districts, many who likely oppose how WEA spends money school districts drain from their paychecks.
In 1998 unions also contributed:
- $285,611 to Democrat Senate candidates
- $53,080 to Republican Senate candidates
- $895,742 to Democrat House candidates
- $140,453 to Republican House candidates
Lund asked, "Did these dollars come from voluntary donations?" The only way to check for sure is systematically to approach each school district's superintendent's office and determine whether teachers filed their approval on the proper forms as defined by law.
In other matters, Lund noted there's been "No word yet from the Washington State Supreme Court on whether the WEA's collective bargaining dues may be diverted to election campaigns without teachers' authorization."
Meanwhile, more than one conservative teacher is gnashing his teeth in quiet rage at WEA shenanigans.