NEA Has Lots of Member Money to Spend on Colorado Political Issues
Author: bdegrow // Category: National Education Association, Political ContributionsColorado education professionals, this may be your hard-earned dues dollars at work – if you belong to the Colorado Education Association that is.
According to yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, the National Education Association has a ton of money to spend on state political issues during this election. In the past year, among other things, the NEA has spent money to launch a constitutional convention in Hawaii, and to oppose proposed tax cuts in Florida and Massachusetts. But the Journal also notes:
Expect more of the same going forward in a state near you. “Unlike most previous years,” writes [Mike] Antonucci, “NEA finished 2007-08 with a surplus of nearly $5.9 million, which means the union will enter the 2008-09 school year with almost $20 million available to spend.” It’s a shame the NEA doesn’t spend as much money and effort trying to improve lousy schools as it does trying to keep taxes high.
Mike Antonucci reports that NEA has already granted $89,500 to the Colorado Education Association. It isn’t clear whether those funds are included in the $177,000 NEA has contributed to the issue committee Protect Colorado’s Future – which opposes a Right-to-Work ballot proposal, and supports several initiatives deemed unfriendly to business.
Learn more about how other CEA member money is spent on politics, how a refund can be requested, and what membership options teachers and other education professionals in Colorado have.
Tags: Colorado Education Association, Colorado teachers, constitutional convention, Every Member Option, Florida, Hawaii, Labor Pains, Massachusetts, member dues, Membership Options, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, political issues, political refund, tax cuts, Wall Street Journal
August 13th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Antonucci’s quote just shows how being so bent against something ruins your logic. Typical of conservatives, and occasionally afflicting liberals.
When tax cuts pass, schools and education are often the first things to get cut. So the NEA spends a mere $20 million in order to protect hundreds of millions from being cut from schools. And that is $20 for all of their efforts nationwide for an entire year in several states.
That $20 million spent directly on schools would do nothing. That $20 mil spent on preserving hundreds of millions in taxes for schools is doing a lot.
It is simply good business practice. Spend a little here to get a lot later on. If the NEA was a business you would be praising them. But since you are categorically opposed to unions in principle, you are blinded by the fact that the NEA is actually helping school funding.
August 18th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
“But since you are categorically opposed to unions in principle, you are blinded by the fact that the NEA is actually helping school funding.”
If we were categorically opposed to unions in principle, CEA/NEA & AFT wouldn’t be listed here as membership options for educators:
http://www.independentteachers.org/membership-options/
They should be an option, not a mandate.