Prop. 75
- Prohibits the use by public employee labor organizations of public employee dues or fees for political contributions except with the prior consent of individual public employees each year on a specified written form.
- Restriction does not apply to dues or fees collected for charitable organizations, health care insurance, or other purposes directly benefitting the public employee.
- Requires public employee labor organizations to maintain and submit records to Fair Political Practices Commission concerning individual public employees’ and organizations’ political contributions.
- These records are not subject to public disclosure.
My Vote: A huge YES!!!
The unions are spending millions of their members’ money to try and defeat this measure. Why you may ask? Because they have no problem oppressing the views of their members that do not agree with their politics. Right now, all members of the teacher’s union (so all public school teachers) have money taken out of their pay check to fund the political activities of the union, unless they opt-out. Unions know if an opt-in system is used instead they will lose a significant amount of money. About 30% of teachers are Republican and that’s a lot of money the unions aren’t willing to part with and the attacks coming out of their political spin machine is disgusting, check out the arguments from the official election documents. If you only vote for one proposition, vote for this one, and vote yes.
While I agree (and I’m working on my own prop posts as we speak), proponents of the bill aren’t completely forthcoming.
Right now, my union dues are NOT being used for political purposes. When I signed with the union, I was given the option. I said “no, don’t use my dues for political purposes.”
This is where I disagree with the unions. I think members should have to opt-in to have their dues used for political purposes, not opt-out. It’s slightly dishonest though to say members have “no choice.”
Again, I agree and I’m voting yes on prop 75. I’ve heard commentators on the radio make this same mistake and say that members have no choice. Teachers do have a choice, the issue is whether the system should be opt-in or opt-out. I don’t know if other unions are given an option or not.
CTA has spent close to 80 million on this prop I believe. If they’re so sure the members of their union want their dues to go to political causes, what are they afraid of? :)