On Prop 32.

Like it or not we are a were at a crossroads in California As the Field Poll revealed in July, “Californians have had an extremely gloomy view of the state’s economy since 2008. … Currently nine out of 10 residents … describe the state’s economy as being in bad times.” The data is a couple months old, but nothing suggests any drastic change since then. Well I just received my union's magazine  'Focus' , plus numerous telephone call asking me to vote yes on Prop 30 and no on Prop 32 . #  My breakdown of this initiative is as follows  : 

Meanwhile, the latest polling for the two highest-profile November ballot initiatives brings good news for those who embrace the status quo. A Public Policy Institute of California survey shows Gov. Jerry Brown’s Proposition 30, which would temporarily increase the state sales tax and income taxes on those earning at least $250,000 a year, ahead, 52 percent to 40 percent. By the way, how often have you met a temporary tax hike that actually goes away?Furthermore, PPIC reports that voters have soured on perhaps the most significant statewide initiative on the statewide ballot.Happy Labor Day! But whether a union represents you or not, your vote will help decide a November ballot measure that is keeping labor leaders up at night. Proposition 32, according toits advocates, “stops special interests from taking political deductions from employee paychecks to guarantee every dollar given for politics is strictly voluntary.” Proposition 32 resembles proposals attempted in 1988 by Gov. George Deukmejian and again in 2005 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the ballot box, both failed by wide margins.  But critics say: “This measure says it prohibits unions from using payroll-deducted funds for political purposes. It says it also applies to corporations, so it sounds balanced. But 99 percent of California corporations don’t use payroll deductions for political giving; they would still be allowed to use their profits to influence elections.”  Which argument influences you? Prop. 32, a “paycheck protection” measure that is losing, 49 percent to 42 percent. (Even though support for it is fading, PPIC found a solid majority of voters in favor of the goals of the initiative, which makes California voters even more perplexing.)The proposition stops the state’s politically dominant unions from using automatic payroll deductions to finance their political activities. The initiative has some other features, such as a bans on political payroll deductions from corporations, on direct giving to political candidates and on political donations from government contractors seeking favors. One major California union called   ** Prop. 32 “the Death Star for unions,” which is an overstatement, but illustrates how concerned the unions are about this proposition. Consider why it is on the Nov. 6 ballot. Last year, Brown signed Senate Bill 202, requiring ballot initiatives to be decided during general elections, not during lower-turnout primary elections. “Everyone knows that passing SB202 was to diminish chances that voters would pass a so-called ‘paycheck protection’ measure that would eat into unions’ ability to gather campaign funds from public employees – money that almost always goes to Democrats,” opined Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters. Unions are NOT muzzled by this. Their ability to spend union dues for the latest democrat shill that promises to continue to bankrupt are state is the problem here. Unions  Members can still support whatever candidate they want, and they could certainly go and ask their union members to contribute if they choose, just stop using union dues to back candidates that the union members themselves do not support.

NOTES & COMMENTS:

** Unions brought us the 40-hour work week, 8 hour workday with paid overtime, child labor laws, safety and better working conditions, in many companies vacation time and sick leave, etc. Anti-union workers today instead of being grateful for the benefits they do have, have been convinced by corporate shills and their "friends at Fox, that their fellow working men and women are their enemies! Job well done 1%!

#  I have to admit. Trying to keep track of what your UNION does for you with your money is a difficult road . If you are a 'Republican' and you have to belong to a union , you KNOW that your union's  politicking  may not be to your own interests . Even with a union blitzkrieg against Scott Walker in Wisconsin, 38% of union members voted for Scott Walker. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/wisconsin-recall-vote_n_1572662.html Similar results have been logged elsewhere in other states and other elections: a high percentage of union members do not agree with their union leaders being in the pocket of the Democrat Party.