There is no single public employee union in our state that is more partisan, more liberal, and spends more money working to elect Democrats to office than the California Teachers Association.
So imagine my surprise, and distress, to see two Republican candidates for the State Legislature receive their endorsement, and a major contribution, respectively, from the CTA. I don’t know if it is coincidental that both candidates hail from the Palm Springs area.
Glen Miller
In the 28th State Senate District, there is a three-way scramble underway between Republicans former Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, County SupervisrorJeff Stone, and Glen Miller. This is a “new” safe GOP seat. Frankly, from this conservative bloggers perspective, each of the candidates has flaws – and up to this point I had declined to write about the race at all.
But when I received a press release earlier this week from Glen Miller’s campaign, bragging up receiving an endorsement from the CTA – my eyes popped out of their head. I thought perhaps it was a spoof – after all Miller is a candidate who calls himself a conservative, and who says on his website, “I will not go to Sacramento to conduct business as usual or become a capital insider…”
I confirmed that the press release I received was authentic, headlined, “Glen Miller Receives Endorsement of the California Teachers Association.” [Check it out here.]
In the release, Miler actually says (of the CTA): “Education is the foundation of our economy, and I am thankful to have the support of California’s premier education association.”
Really? I don’t think so.
Just last week I penned a column for the new Breitbart California site (of which I have been named Politics Editor) on the extensive questionnaires that, among other groups, the CTA makes candidates fill out who seek their endorsement..
Here’s a relevant excerpt from the column:
There was never any doubt that these massive unions would thoroughly probe candidates before bestowing their endorsements and expenditures on their behalf from their always-refilling coffers. But did you know that these groups have been forcing candidates to place their signatures at the bottom of extensive questionnaires that seek to pre-commit ersatz state legislators on a barrage of issues–and that these signed promises are then locked away from public view?
The CTA’s list of questions weighs in at 7 pages and 43 mostly-pointed, specific queries, asking (among other questions):
- Whether a candidate supports existing law that says teachers must be laid off in seniority order;
- Whether a candidate supports status and due process for teachers after two years (tenure);
- Whether a candidate supports making it easier to raise taxes; and
- Whether a candidate opposes any pension reforms.
I can only imagine the kinds of answers that Miller would have had to put onto a CTA questionnaire (see a blank copy of the CTA questions here). I of course inquired with the Miller campaign if they would provide me with a copy of their filled out questionnaire… There’s been no response.
Of course most disturbing is that while much attention will be spent this November in Orange County, on the hotly contested race in the 34th State Senate donnybrook between Republican Janet Nguyen and Democrat Jose Solario, where a GOP win should give Republicans a block on a Democrat super-majority – wouldn’t it be a tragedy if a victory for Nguyen won that race, but a CTA-endorsed RINO was elected to work with the Democrats and undercut Republicans?
I don’t know Miller (though I do appreciate his business, as his campaign is an advertiser on this site), but there is really no credible explanation for pursuing and receiving the CTA’s endorsement – except that you embrace their liberal agenda.
As an aside, it is also worthy of note that another candidate from the Coachella Valley, former Palm Springs police chief Gray Jeandron received and deposited a major contribution this week from the CTA. It’s unclear if they actually endorsed him or not – maybe Jeandron is smart enough not to actually put out a pro-CTA press release. Still, did he fill out their questionnaire? Does he embrace their extreme agenda? He certainly didn’t return their money.
There’s some hypocrisy going on as Jeandron pockets $8,400 from the largest donor to Democrat candidates in the state, while putting up big signs around the 42nd Assembly District that say, “Conservative Republican.”