Posted on 09/22/2010 5:28:50 PM PDT by Kaslin
Politics: The prison guards' union has endorsed California's former governor as he tries for a comeback. In the old days, that might have put him over the top. Now it reminds voters who really runs the state.
It comes as no surprise that the California Correctional Peace Officers Association this week formally gave its stamp of approval to Jerry Brown, the Democratic nominee for governor. After all, the union is in Brown's debt.
In 1978, during his gubernatorial stint, he signed the legislation that gave state employee unions the collective bargaining power they have parlayed into political hegemony. And if any group can be said to exemplify that power, it's the CCPOA.
The union lavishes money — nearly $10 million over the past 10 years — on candidates it favors. It has helped crush attempts at reform of state pay and pensions, such as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's failed ballot initiatives in 2005. It has won pay packages for its members that make them among the highest-paid prison guards in the country. According to a 2008 survey by the state government, California's prison guards had a compensation package nearly 29% richer than the national median.
Now this union wants to throw its clout behind Brown, who is not exactly a law-and-order firebrand but who is definitely a friend who, in the union's words, "appreciates and respects" public employees.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
With all the people out of work today, it seems like an opportune time to take these unions down. Oh, you don’t want the job if it’s non-union? Okay.
One ringie dingie, two ringie dingie, click, Hello, Acme employment services...
I am continually puzzled about the following:
1. Jerry Brown has already served two terms as governor. Calif. has a term limit law limiting governors to 2 terms, which was passed after he was governor. While he is “grandfathered in” and can run again, why does he feel he can violate the spirit of the term limit law with impunity?
2. Why did all California Democrats stand aside and let Jerry Brown become the Democrat nominee in an uncontested primary election? In a Democrat leaning state, a state whose governors and senators are frequently national figures, why would ALL prominent Democrats stand aside for Brown this year?
3. What does it say about the Democrat party that the best they could do this year in California is a tired old retread like Jerry Brown?
Recycled trash.
Californians have to ask “What can Brown do TO you?”
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