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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (53567)	7/9/2004 8:54:47 AM
From: michael97123	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793914

More than ever both conventions will be big bores. They like the electoral college imho have lost their usefulness. We need to find a better way. One point to make is that the typical convention bounces may be muted at best this time around. I have no plans to watch either and am hoping the mets are still in the race for TV has once again become a "vast wasteland". mike PS the dem conventon might have two things to watch for. How Mrs Heinzkerry carries herself and whether Hillary falls asleep.

To: LindyBill who wrote (53567)	7/9/2004 2:25:35 PM
From: gamesmistress	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793914

Wonder how far this will get. Teachers vs. Education The National Education Association, America's largest union, employs 1,800 political operatives at a cost of over $2 million a year. But the NEA nonetheless claims in its IRS filings that it doesn't spend a dime of the dues it collects on politics. The reason is simple: As a tax-exempt organization, it would owe tax payments on revenues that it spends on politics. The IRS has finally decided to audit the NEA's suspect claims. If the IRS wants a crash course in how unions blatantly violate restrictions on political activity, the agency should go to Washington State. The NEA affiliate there has been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for violating state campaign laws, most notably a "paycheck protection" law that requires unions to seek prior permission from their members before spending their dues on politics. The Washington Education Association continues to use teacher dues for politics. This year alone it is suing the state to spend more money on public schools and putting a referendum on the November ballot to block the creation of charter schools. But the union may have gone too far in the eyes of many of its own members this month when it refused to endorse John Davis, a former public school superintendent who is running in a September Democratic primary for state senate. Mr. Davis was given the thumbs-down solely because he supports charter schools. The teacher union candidate is Paul Waadevig, who ran for office as a Republican in 2002 but has since switched parties and opposes charter schools. Mr. Davis's supporters complain the teacher union is turning its back on someone with 33 years of experience in public education, but they shouldn't be surprised. Mr. Davis' s experience taught him that the public schools need real reform, and that's something the WEA can't and won't abide. John Fund, Wall Street Journal, Political Journal