Members of the Texas State Teachers Association who want to give to their organization’s political agenda still have the right and the convenient access to make contributions directly. Kudos to Mr. Abbott for using his authority to take the government out of the role as middleman in political contributions and empower teachers to make individual choices that suit them best.

Someone closely involved with the situation gives the history behind the new policy.

What’s good for teachers in Texas just might also be good for teachers in Colorado, don’t you think?

The CEA and its local unions gave more than $600,000 directly to state legislative candidates over the five years, often piling on in tight races. Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, the chair of the Senate Education Committee and one of the top recipients of teachers’ union donations, hit the contribution limit from the statewide CEA and from each of the Denver, Fort Collins and Jefferson County unions in his hard-fought 2004 election victory….

In 2008, as Colorado Democrats sought to build their leadership margins in the State House and Senate, local teachers’ unions increasingly gave to legislative candidates who did not represent their geographic area but who were locked in tight contests….

This has given a distinct teachers’ union edge to Democrats. Of the more than 100 candidates who received teachers’ union money over the past five years, fewer than 10 were Republican. Of the more than $75,000 the statewide CEA donated directly to political parties and their committees, fewer than $2,000 went to Republican groups such as the Senate Republican Majority Fund….

The CEA and its local affiliates gave more than $1.5 million to 527s in the past five years, including $10,000 to the conservative Colorado Leadership Fund to elect Republican candidates. But the great majority of those dollars went to seven apparently Democrat-leaning groups managed by the same registered agent and bookkeeper, Julie Wells. Wells did not respond to a request for comment.

Among the seven groups is the Colorado Citizens’ Coalition, the recipient of $200,000 from the CEA, which lists its mission as “to provide information to Colorado citizens.” The coalition filed reports indicating it was working on behalf of 17 legislative candidates – all Democrats. The coalition and several of the other 527s – Accountability for Colorado, Main Street Colorado, 21st-Century Colorado, Colorado Values – frequently sent money back and forth to each other.

The same article (and you really have to read it all) also takes notice of CEA’s political collection and refund mechanism for members — first documented in the Independence Institute issue paper Should Colorado School Districts Stop Collecting Political Funds? (PDF).

It’s certainly encouraging to see such an investigative validation of the work we do here — namely, notifying Colorado teachers of their rights and options.

Here are the details:

The Colorado Education Association (CEA) and its affiliates, mostly through Every Member Option funds, have reported $1,000,585 in political contributions during the 2007-08 election cycle – including:

* $452,360 to Democratic candidates and party organizations
* $263,500 to the 527 group Accountability for Colorado to support political candidates — Accountability for Colorado is also funded by liberal billionaires from the “Gang of Four”
* $210,000 to the 527 group Colorado Citizens’ Coalition to support “progressive” political candidates
* $9,250 to Republican candidates and party organizations — that’s 1 dollar to Republicans for every 49 dollars to Democrats

Note: This does not include $4,657,810 contributed to the issue committee Protect Colorado’s Future and $1,600,000 to the issue committee Coloradans for Middle Class Relief to oppose three Colorado state ballot initiatives.

And for AFT:

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Colorado has reported $60,275 in political contributions during the current election cycle – including $40,275 to Democratic candidates and party organizations and $0 to Republicans.

As usual, other membership groups that Colorado teachers are eligible to join did not spend any money on the 2008 election because they do not sponsor any committees to fund political action:

• Professional Association of Colorado Educators (PACE) ($0)
• Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) ($0)
• Teachers Legal Coverage (TLC) ($0)

That closes the book on the 2008 election cycle and the roles of different Colorado teacher organizations. Where did your money go this past year?

Through October 8, the Colorado Education Association (CEA) and its affiliates, mostly through Every Member Option funds, have reported $890,335 in political contributions during the current election cycle – including:

* $422,635 to Democratic candidates and party organizations
* $200,000 to the 527 group Colorado Citizens’ Coalition to support “progressive” political candidates
* $173,500 to the 527 group Accountability for Colorado to support political candidates — Accountability for Colorado is also funded by liberal billionaires from the “Gang of Four”
* $9,250 to Republican candidates and party organizations — that’s 1 dollar to Republicans for every 30 dollars to Democrats

And for AFT:

Through October 8, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Colorado has reported $28,775 in political contributions during the current election cycle – $28,775 to Democratic candidates and party organizations and $0 to Republicans.

As usual, these records are obtained through searches on the Colorado Secretary of State campaign finance database.

Through September 10, the Colorado Education Association (CEA) and its affiliates, mostly through Every Member Option funds, have reported $825,885 in political contributions during the current election cycle – including:

* $280,685 to Democratic candidates and party organizations
* $200,000 to the 527 group Colorado Citizens’ Coalition to support “progressive” political candidates
* $150,000 to the 527 group Accountability for Colorado to support political candidates — Accountability for Colorado is also funded by liberal billionaires from the “Gang of Four”
* $9,250 to Republican candidates and party organizations — that’s 1 dollar to Republicans for every 30 dollars to Democrats

And for AFT:

Through September 10, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Colorado has reported $28,375 in political contributions during the current election cycle – $26,875 to Democratic candidates and party organizations and $0 to Republicans.

As usual, these records are obtained through searches on the Colorado Secretary of State campaign finance database.

Through July 30, the Colorado Education Association (CEA) and its affiliates, mostly through Every Member Option funds, have reported $450,552 in political contributions during the current election cycle – including:

• $150,000 to the 527 group Accountability for Colorado to support political candidates
• $112,975 to Democratic candidates and party organizations
• $7,125 to Republican candidates and party organizations

As usual, these records are obtained through searches on the Colorado Secretary of State campaign finance database.

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.

Hat Tip to Labor Pains blog

• About This Site introduces readers to why Independent Teachers was created, and some responses from teachers who appreciate the unique informational service
• Membership Options gives Colorado teachers a thorough listing of the different unions, professional organizations, and other insurance options available – encouraging teachers to make the most informed choice they can
• Revoking Membership provides details on when and how teachers can opt out of organizations to which they no longer wish to belong – in some cases, they have only two weeks out of the year to make this decision
• Political Contributions breaks down which organizations give member money to political campaigns and how much
• Political Refunds tells teachers who belong to the organizations that give their money to political campaigns how they can get it back, including the different Every Member Option refunds and their deadlines

Your feedback is always appreciated. You may contact us at teacher -at- i2i.org.