Hamilton Republican Richard Kanka, announced that he will be running for State Senate in the 14th District. Kanka, a member of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 9 Union, should be a solid choice in the union heavy district. At the very least he was a logical choice, but does it really matter? Within a day of Kanka’s announcement, Local 9 said,
“Linda Greenstein has been a strong supporter of all unions, public and private, one hundred percent of the time,” said Business Manager Mike Maloney. “Labor is loyal and labor will never turn its back on someone who has been loyal to us.”
So they choose not to turn their back on someone who has been “loyal” but wont be loyal to one of their own? How can this be? Could it be because unions that involve themselves in politics have nothing to do with helping their members, but instead only care about helping the union? There has never been better proof that any union is merely an extension of the Democrat Party. Instead of supporting a person who works in their industry, has paid his dues, and knows the life of a blue collar laborer, the Pipefitters chose to support a Senator who thinks a good use of your money is to put 8-hour car charging stations at rest stops.
So I ask you, Save Jerseyans, what is union membership even worth these days? Have the unions become so desensitized to reality that they look only to the R or D when making an insanely early endorsement without looking how a legislator would help their members? Going forward the Republicans should abandon the attempt at courting big labor. Look instead to the Christie model with the NJEA. Everyone thought it was impossible for someone to be elected Governor without at least attempting to pander to the teachers union, but our Governor proved that wrong. By standing up to corrupt unions who are not going to vote Republican anyway, there will be more time to turn out constituencies who actually want to see this state succeed.
"Instead of supporting a person who works in their industry,……"
I disagree. Senator Sweeney (D) is the president of a union and no union is supporting him at all. So unions really do not care about the (D). In fact many teachers cops and firemen voted for Christie! Why did they vote for him???
Christie did not come out strong against the NJEA or any other unions at all!! In fact he did the opposite by writing an open letter to the teachers, firemen and police promising that he would not touch their pensions. He called it a sacred trust that will not be broken. Google it yourself if you don't believe me. So I wouldn't be lying to say that Cris Christie won by lying.
Sweeneys a union guy also. Look what he is doing to the Unions.