LATEST FINDING OF GUILT PANICS TEACHERS' UNION (EFF Press Release)

Evergreen Freedom Foundation ^ | 4-8-02 | Marsha Richards

[doug from upland]

PRESS RELEASE

April 8, 2002

Contact: Marsha Richards, Communications Director (360) 956-3482

Latest finding of guilt panics teachers’ union Union launches major "anti-EFF blitz" day before enforcement hearing

OLYMPIA — One day before the state’s Public Disclosure Commission is expected to announce that the National Education Association has illegally used teachers’ money to influence Washington state elections, officials of the Washington Education Association have launched a massive $90,000 negative attack campaign against the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.

The WEA’s ads, running on radio stations and in newspapers around the state, personally attack and slander Bob Williams, EFF’s president and a former five-term Washington state legislator.

"There’s nothing like waking up on a Monday morning to hear you beat your wife, kick your dog, and hate children," said Williams. "Apparently WEA officials think this ludicrous and vicious attack will divert attention from the union’s latest law-breaking. They’re desperate."

In the past, WEA officials have sued both EFF and individual teachers who have spoken out against their illegal activity.

The Public Disclosure Commission will be announcing its findings tomorrow on a complaint EFF filed against the NEA in January. The complaint charges the national union with breaking the same state laws the WEA was found guilty of violating late last year. In that case, the union was ordered to pay a $400,000 fine, $190,000 in legal fees, and to refund thousands of teachers a total of $180,000.

All told, the WEA and NEA have been hit with well over $1 million in fines and penalties for repeated violations of state campaign finance laws over the past few years. Included in that is more than $500,000 of ordered refunds to teachers whose dues were illegally spent.

EFF believes teachers have a right to choose whether or not to support the political agenda of union officials. Currently, at least 87 percent of the WEA’s members refuse to voluntarily contribute even one dollar per month to the union’s political action committee. Officials have responded by using mandatory general dues and breaking campaign finance and public disclosure laws.

[doug from upland]

FReeper Marsha alerted me to this by e-mail. Let's do this stuff in every state!

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

EFF is doing a tough job very well. A big thank you to EFF from a Washington Freeper.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

The teachers' union should be panicked. They have plenty to feel guilty about.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

But what are we going to do? Homeschooling is evil! CNN said so. /sarcasm

[concerned about politics]

Go after all the tax exempt organizations. Political activity is illegal. Where's the IRS when it comes to the big guys?
This is a great move. It would be great if they went after those in every state. Crimminal activity is the same.

[LarryLied]

They are most vulnerable when they over react to criticism or perceived threats. Time for a little disinformation? Rumors about more lawsuits from different groups? Democrat elected officials not being as in their pocket as they think they are? Anyone have suggestions of how to make them more paranoid and careless?

[doug from upland]

We can make them more paranoid by letting teachers know everywhere that they need to demand a refund of dues. Nationwide, it would cost the unions many millions of dollars.

[anniegetyourgun]

Agreed. If the unions are upset now, just wait 'til I-777 takes hold....

[Centurion2000]

Go after all the tax exempt organizations. Political activity is illegal

I'll believe they are serious about political reform when the NAACP and the Rainbow (extortion) Coalition have their tax-exempt statuses revoked.
Till then the government is just pissing in the wind about corruption.

[F16Fighter]

The NEA is one of the top three enemies and subversive entities of Organized Crime in the United States of America today -- the charges against them are many...

And funny how apparently extortion, slander and blackmail is still legal IF you're the NEA instead of the Mafia.

GO EFF!!

[EdReform]

Bump!

(Let's Help Nail the Teachers Unions -- It is National FReep Time)

[EdReform]

Education News Bump List

[Chad Fairbanks]

Great job, as usual, by the EFF...

[Kermit]

Yup, send your kids to public schools and see what the teachers teach them.

[Biblebelter]

You are assuming that teachers have a learning curve. I have known plenty of today's teachers and they play the victim in many ways, but they will not ever come to accept that they have been exploited by their union leadership. It is because for the most part their leadership is representative of its membership. It is not like the mature unions which have been taken over by outsiders who have organized crime ties. The fact is that there were a lot of teachers booing those Boys Scouts carrying the flag at the Democratic National Convention, and among the teachers that I know there was no outrage, only at best a mild muttering response that was not offered as an apology, but was meant to replace one.

[doug from upland]

Bumping back.