What a disgrace: public school teachers, who one would hope are
among the staunchest defenders of our Constitutionally-guaranteed free
speech rights -- gang up on a small group of their colleagues who
happen to disagree with them and effectively snuff out their free
speech rights.
I disagree with The Gropinator more often than not but in this case
I AGREE COMPLETELY WITH HIM.
These teachers' union thugs must be taught a lesson: EVERYONE has a
right to free speech in America -- and no, these union goons CAN'T
brazenly steal money from its members to engage in more politicking
that the members being extorted oppose.
As for the few brave teachers who might demand refunds the $60 the
union is stealing from them, be realistic: the moment they made their
requests for refunds known they'd be BLACKLISTED by the union which,
as we see above, is downright thuggish.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lawsuit Targets Teachers Union
A group of teachers seeks the return of a $60 increase in annual dues
to fund the CTA's fight against the governor's special election
agenda.
By Jordan Rau
Times Staff Writer
September 23, 2005
SACRAMENTO -- Aided by an anti-union legal organization, a group of
teachers sued the California Teachers Assn. on Thursday, trying to
force it to return a $60 dues increase that is financing its fight
against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election agenda.
The plaintiffs attempted to announce the lawsuit at a news conference
in front of the CTA's Sacramento headquarters, but were drowned out by
chanting union sup****ters. The event was the latest confrontation over
Proposition 75, which would require unions to obtain public employees'
permission each year before using their money for political purposes
....
Unions said it was an attempt by the initiative's proponents to hobble
them in their fight with the governor, who wants to change teacher
employment regulations and restrain state spending on education and
other programs. Schwarzenegger said his changes were necessary to cure
California of its chronic fiscal problems.
The teachers' union has been the largest funder of opposition to the
governor, having spent $51 million so far this year on politics and
lobbying.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose by the
nonprofit National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which is
based in Virginia. The 37-year-old organization has fought a number of
cases on behalf of workers who do not want to be required to join
unions.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of six California teachers ... all are
being charged a $60 annual assessment for the next three years to help
underwrite the union's campaign.
The union, which this month started deducting an extra $6 monthly,
says it will refund the money to anyone who asks, but not until
October or November. The plaintiffs call that a coerced loan.
The plaintiffs held their news conference in front of the union's
Sacramento headquarters. The union responded with about 50 teachers
who shouted "Shame on you" throughout the news conference, with some
carrying signs saying, "Don't silence our voices." The speakers could
not be heard even by those standing a foot away.
"To be silenced like that was very intimidating," said Judith
Liegmann, a fifth-grade teacher in Sunnyvale who was near tears after
the event. She and the other plaintiffs discussed the lawsuit in a
subsequent meeting with re****ters away from the union headquarters.
"All teachers in their training and their experience in the classroom
know that one of the things they need to teach their children is to
listen politely to the ideas of their fellow students and give
everybody a chance to talk," she said. "And I see teachers out there
breaking every rule of civility."
[Now EVERYONE is seeing it, Ms. Liegmann! I salute you for having
the courage of your convictions.]
Paula Caplinger [a Jew, of course], a Sacramento band teacher and
member of the union board of directors, said the counterdemonstration
was justified.
"This is our building," she said. "They chose to have a press
conference in our frontyard. What did they expect?"
[Um ... maybe a little civility?]
She added: "Proposition 75 is all about silencing workers' voices. I
guess it's a little taste of what a silenced voice is like."
[Spoken like a real thug. You would have been very successful in the
Soviet Union with that attitude, Caplinger.]
The union said the suit was a disingenuous attack. Caplinger called
the monthly $6 assessment "a hefty latte and muffin."
[It doesn't matter if it was six cents -- the union shouldn't be
extorting a penny from its members. How would you feel Caplinger, the
union began deducting a penny from every member's dues and using it to
promote the creation of classroom teaching materials by Dr. David
Duke?]
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-teachers23sep23,1,4899193.story
************************************************************************
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"A passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of
evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation . . . betrays [one nation] into a
participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter . . .
"Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence the jealousy of a free
people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove
that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican
government.
"Nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate
antipathies against particular nations and passionate
attachments for others should be excluded."
-- President George Wa****ngton
Farewell Address
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