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The Most Special Special Interest
National Review Online ^ | May 3, 2012 | Christian Schneider

Posted on 05/03/2012 1:11:49 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

...........in Wisconsin, it seems somewhat difficult to get anyone to refer to government unions as a “special interest.” Unions refer to themselves as “the middle class,” or the “hard-working people” of the state — as if every member of the middle class worked for a state or local government. To the Left, any collection of individuals that uses their own money to influence a public debate is known as an “interest group.” Conversely, if a similar group uses taxpayer money boosted through union dues to do the same thing, it is known as a “grassroots organization.”

..........Not only are unions a special interest, they are what we can call an “enhanced” special interest. It is one thing for private interests to spend their own money on campaigns; if the Sierra Club or NRA want to influence elections, they have to find members, solicit them, and keep them on board.

But public-sector unions have to do none of this. In his report Dues and Deep Pockets: Public-Sector Unions’ Money Machine, Daniel DiSalvo of the ManhattanInstitute describes how state laws mandate union participation, thus making dues compulsory. Taxpayers pay taxes to pay for public employees, whose wages are then garnished and sent to union leaders, who spend that money to elect officials that will vote for higher taxes to pay higher wages and hire more union members. Wash,rinse,repeat.

...In 2010, according to DiSalvo, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) reported an income of $211,806,537; the National Education Association (a major teachers’ union) received $397,953,771; and Service Employees International Union received $318,755,793.

And where do these funds go during elections?......

....if they weren’t pouring tens of millions of dollars into the state to keep their protection racket alive, Scott Walker wouldn’t have had to raise a cent this year.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: moneyinpolitics; publicsectorunions; scottwalker; unions

1 posted on 05/03/2012 1:12:01 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Unions are the USA’s most subversive force...
A Trojan Horse of subversives.. free from Obama’s FBI purview..

It don’t look good they have a get out of jail card..
Starting to look like revolt is the only failsafe..
The voting system has been penetrated..

Proof: Romney is representing all conservatives.. when he isn’t a conservative..


2 posted on 05/03/2012 1:23:28 AM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole...)
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To: hosepipe

On top of confiscated dues, unions were recipients of billions in stimulus money as well being handed “ownership” of GM, “Government Motors.”


3 posted on 05/03/2012 2:27:41 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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