The Olympian
Opinion, March 2^nd, 1998

WEA is quite contrite now

The state's largest teachers union -- the folks who protested their innocence and blamed others for their campaign problems -- isn't quite so pugnacious today.

Last Friday, union leaders agreed to a $430,000 settlement to end a lawsuit brought against the Washington Education Association by state attorneys...

The settlement�should serve as a lesson to other lobbying groups that state campaign laws must be adhered to closely�

The teachers union attempted to paint the complaint as mere union bashing by conservatives�

There are a couple of lessons to be learned here.

First, union leaders discredited themselves and the hard working teachers of this state through their steadfast denials of wrongdoing and their attempts to shift blame and vilify others...

Second, it's important for candidates and lobbying organizations to know and understand campaign laws and follow them to the letter...

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org

Quotables:

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical." - Thomas Jefferson

"If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind." - John Stuart Mill