Media
Union Dues Fund SuperPAC Spending Binge
A new $2 million political TV ad campaign represents the first foray of “SuperPAC” spending into Pennsylvania. And taxpayers are forced to pay for this political spending.
And as EAG News adds, which is worth repeating—this funding comes from union dues:
Someone will ask, so let’s be clear that this is dues money being used, since it is not a direct contribution to a candidate for office. Traditionally these funds are spent on media buys to promote a particular stance on an issue, which tend to appear in battleground states and coincide with the position of a recommended candidate. The NEA contribution came from the NEA Advocacy Fund, which is a Super PAC. As we all know, “Super PACs’ corrosive influence undermines our system of democracy and threatens to make elections a commodity to be purchased by the highest bidder,” unless, of course, it belongs to you. Then it’s pretty cool.
The troubling aspect of all this is that taxpayers are forced to subsidize this political spending. Government union leaders of the NEA, AFSCME and others get to use public resources to collect their political money. Union dues, SuperPAC money, and even direct campaign contributions are taken out of teachers’ and government workers’ paychecks using taxpayers-funded resources.