Bellingham Herald
Editorial
April 22^nd, 2000

PDC Decision is just plan wrong

Campaign Finance: Decision not to investigate accusations against National Education Association is inconsistent.

The state's Public Disclosure Commission exists to protect the public, the little guy, to be the people's advocate. The commission investigates, among other things, violation of campaign disclosure and finance laws.

Faced with the possibility of investigating the large and powerful National Education Association, which is accused of improperly giving money to political causes, the PDC folded, using a shaky budget as an excuse. It recommended that the state Attorney General's Office take on the investigation and pursue a settlement with the teachers union. The PDC went on to say that if the state's lawyers couldn't reach a settlement, they should not take the matter to court because it would be too expensive. With a recommendation like that looming, there is almost no incentive for the accused to negotiate.

Where is it written that we don't pursue the truth and investigate violations of the law when justice becomes too expensive?

The PDC's ludicrous recommendation is a far cry from its decision just a few weeks ago to hand over tax-initiative sponsor Tim Eyman to the Attorney General because the state's lawyers could bring bigger penalties than the PDC had the power to enforce.

Enter the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a small-but-vocal conservative operation that has been a big thorn in the paw of teachers unions. The foundation sued the union to make sure the case ended up in court. And the PDC has the gall to be mad about it. The PDC should have pushed this case to the limit just as it did with the Eyman case. It did the public a disservice in recommending against a trial.

The NEA case involved teachers' union dues going to promote political campaigns, in this case initiatives to give teachers annual cost-of-living increases and reduce class sizes. It's the national version of what the state teachers union got in trouble for.

The Washington Education Association for slapped for giving money to political candidates and causes. All teachers must pay dues to the WEA, but not all are members. That's because not all teachers agree with the union's political agenda. The 75,000 member WEA was mixing all the money together and sending money to political causes from "agency fees" (basically another name for dues) paid by about 4,000 nonmembers. The case could cost the union as much as $600,000 in fines.

Essentially forcing someone to pay dues to an organization accused of not using the money he way it's supposed to is a serious charge and deserves to be investigated as one- and not on the back of a small foundation.

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