KCCR Radio, Pierre, today reported that NEA officials in Washington have "contributed about $1.1 million to help defeat an initiated measure that would put limits on lobbying and contact with candidates." http://www.todayskccr.com/index.asp?folderID=22

 

The official ballot description of Measure 10 authored by the Secretary of State reads as follows: “An initiative to prohibit tax revenues from being used for lobbying or campaigning, to prohibit governmental bodies from lobbying, to prohibit government contractors from making campaign contributions, to prohibit government contracts when the contractor employs a legislator or legislative staff member, and to require contracts with government contractors to be published.”

 

Dena Espenscheid of South Dakotans for Open and Clean Government, the group supporting a 'yes' vote on the proposal, said "the 'No Truth' committee's big lie campaign against Measure 10 has been almost entirely funded by powerful, ultra-liberal out-of-state union bosses whose left-wing political agenda is hostile to the values of South Dakotans."

 

"As with all other lobbying groups' opposition to this common sense reform, it's all driven by financial self-interest and money, our money." Espenscheid said.  "Left-wing NEA union bosses want South Dakota taxpayers to continue being forced to pay for collecting and funneling union dues into the NEA's coffers, an abuse of our tax dollars that voting yes on Measure 10 will end."

 

Currently, the University of South Dakota system and local school districts withhold NEA union dues from teachers' paychecks at taxpayers' expense, then forward the dues money to union officials.  The bulk of the money collected at taxpayers' expense goes to national union officials in Washington, who use the union's funds to lobby its liberal political agenda in Congress.

 

Measure 10 would prohibit the use of tax dollars to collect union dues, requiring NEA and AFL-CIO union officials to collect membership dues

 

* Liberal NEA union officials have lobbied Congress in favor of federal gun control, as have at least two other Washington, D.C. lobbying groups funded by South Dakota tax dollars, the National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities.

 

* Liberal NEA union officials support repeal of South Dakota's Right to Work, which guarantees individual employees' the freedom to choose not to join or pay dues to a labor union and prohibits discrimination against or termination of employees who refuse.

 

* Liberal NEA union officials have endorsed Democratic Sen. Barak Obama for president, while South Dakota voters are expected to support Republican Sen. John McCain.

 

Espenscheid said it's "ironic that NEA union officials are funding the 'No Truth' campaign's big lie campaign, which claims Measure 10 would 'make free speech a crime,' since we all learned from our middle school teachers that the Constitution guarantees everybody's free speech rights, and that no state law or ballot measure can change that."

 

"South Dakotans know that no state law or ballot measure can make Constitutionally-guaranteed free speech a crime, the big lie being broadcast across our state courtesy of left-wing NEA union officials and their million-dollar contribution to the 'No Truth" campaign."

 

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KCCR RADIO

Pierre, South Dakota

October 24, 2008

 

NEA contributes to IM 10 opposition

A national teachers organization has contributed about $1.1 million to help defeat an initiated measure that would put limits on lobbying and contact with candidates.

The National Education Association has made the contribution to the Vote No on Initiative 10, which is opposing the measure, which supporters have said will promote open and clean government.

 

Opponents disagree, saying it will put severe limits on the interaction that people can have with elected office holders and governmental boards.

Steve Willard, one of the leaders of the Vote No on Initiative 10, says the NEA offered the contribution to the South Dakota group. Willard says the NEA, which represents teachers, has been opposing similar measures in other states as well.

The South Dakota Education Association, which is affiliated with the NEA, is one of about 64 groups that are opposing Initiated Measure 10. Willard says the NEA’s contribution has allowed the Vote No group to run television commercials statewide.

 

Willard says the commercials, which he says could not have been possible without the NEA’s contribution, have helped the opponents better explain the issue to the public.

 

Willard says while the NEA made the offer, they did not officially commit the money until the South Dakota group proved that it was a legitimate organizations with widespread support.

 

 

 

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