Who Runs California? Follow Public-Sector Union Money

[Geee]

Investors Business Daily:

California: A century ago, a railroad dominated the Golden State. Now government workers are in charge. A look at funding marshaled against a reform initiative tells the story.

Public employees want us to think they're members in good standing of the struggling middle class, but they sure manage to pony up the cash when elections come around. Maybe it's strength in numbers. Maybe it's union strong-arming. Whatever the reason, California's teachers, firefighters, police, prison guards and other government workers are, as a group, the richest and most powerful in state politics.

Just how rich can be seen from the latest figures on fundraising against Proposition 32, a measure on the Nov. 6 ballot that would throw a wrench into the public-sector union money machine. The proposition would bar unions and corporations from making contributions to candidates for public office and from collecting cash for political activities through payroll deductions.

That payroll provision is key, because it would end the unions' preferred method of gathering funds. (Businesses use payroll deductions much less.)

Unions would no longer be able to collect the funds on autopilot from their members and, instead, would have to ask for donations. More than a few members might stop and think: "Maybe I can spend that money on dinner out or to pay the gas bill."