With the latest $50,000 cash infusion, the campaign against the “wayward” Democrat has begun.
The ink was hardly dry on my column last week about campaign money and secret pledges when the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees union – focused on preserving pensions for its public sector members – contributed $50,000 of its members’ dues to defeat Mayor Steve Glazer of Orinda in Contra Costa County in his bid for the state Assembly’s 16th District.
Glazer has challenged candidates to renounce secrecy by publicly posting any private commitments made in responses to questionnaires submitted to any political action committee.
This $50,000 contribution boosts to $435,000 the coffers of the Californians for Economic Prosperity Committee, led by teachers unions, service employees and other labor groups. By the time the June primary is over, the committee will have raised millions – not including direct contributions from the California Labor Federation and other unions – to champion fellow Democrat Tim Sbranti over Glazer.
Sbranti until recently was on the payroll of the California Teachers Association, which opposes many education reforms and challenges to teacher seniority. That’s like electing the fox to guard the hen house when it comes to any meaningful debate on education reform in the next Legislature.
Glazer – like Sbranti – is a Democrat. His positions largely embrace the Democratic Party platform, including climate change, gay rights and reproductive rights. Glazer has even been a longtime political adviser to Gov. Jerry Brown.
But Glazer committed a mortal sin in the eyes of labor board executives, who play a big role in directing Democratic legislators how to vote. Reflective of a growing rift within the Democratic Party nationally, Glazer is an independent, reform Democrat who supports reining in runaway perks and privileges of public- sector unions.
He earned the wrath of the labor councils when he publicly supported curbing the right to strike by public transit workers after the BART strike last year. He angered labor federations when he helped elect more moderate, business-friendly Assembly Democrats in 2012. For that, he was placed on a “do not patronize” list.
Every Assembly seat is on the ballot this year. But efforts are being waged by unions and elected officials, through the Economic Prosperity Committee, to prevent any dissent from the labor-party line on pension reform, taxation and business regulation. There’s not even the pretense of a “big tent” for the Democratic Party.
With the latest $50,000 cash infusion, the campaign against the “wayward” Democrat has begun. Telephone calls are being made to voters, claiming that Glazer “worked for developers and companies like Chevron, PG&E and Monsanto” – corporate interests that typically do not poll well with Democrats. He did not. Ironically, the telephone scripts don’t reveal that their own guy has actually collected a few thousand dollars from these political interests!
Due to voter demographics, the newly elected Assembly member will most likely be a Democrat. As more independent-minded Democrats challenge the back-room deals and blind allegiance to public-sector unions, old-guard interests are tightening their choke hold on candidates they always assumed they controlled. The new imperative is to silence the messenger – like Glazer – so the message cannot be heard.
With the recent spate of corruption-related arrests of legislators, it is clear to voters that our democracy has been for sale for far too long. Taking back our government is in the voters’ hands now – throughout California.
Source: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/glazer-608728-labor-democrat.html