By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
Most taxpayers are getting wise to the New Jersey Education Association and its seedy tactics.
Exposing the many abuses of public sector unions -and making it okay to criticize them for it – may ultimately prove to be Chris Christie’s single greatest accomplishment since formally entering the national stage in 2009.
With that being said, Save Jerseyans, I’m still not sure many voters understand the obscene amount of time, energy and sometimes TAX DOLLARS these unions sink into brainwashing their memberships through the use of propaganda, misinformation and intimidation, either directly with dues or through its “non-profit” activities.
Of course the NJEA could quit collecting 9-figures every year in dues and ask that the money be redirected to a host of better uses. Instead, the union’s leadership prefers to spend their members’ hard-earned cash to influence legislative races via its new Super PAC with the objective of protecting its fat cats’ political influence. It’s sick stuff!
The “voluntary” membership political contributions are no less goofy (see Exhibit A above)…
Save Jersey sources are embedded throughout the public school system, too; they’ve clued us into the materials that NJEA union reps are handing out to educators who dare not speak out against the status quo or risk retribution and ostracization.
The image posted above is from the cover of a pamphlet entitled “Public Education: Our Fight, Our Time” distributed at NJEA meetings and, presumably, financed by the regular PAC, in support of Democrat gubernatorial candidate and mediocre Fonzie impersonator Barbara Buono (BWOH’-noh).
I’m not going to beat around the bush. I never do. The booklet is chock-full of lies and half-truths about the Christie education record; even more interestingly to folks who don’t “get the joke,” the NJEA’s expended most of their ink discussing Planned Parenthood funding and other topics which don’t have much of anything to do with our kids’ education.
The NJEA could tell their teachers the truth OR at least provide arguments from both sides. Ironically, isn’t that the entire point of an education? What a concept!
Allow me to try to pick up the slack. Here’s what the NJEA conveniently DID NOT include in its booklet (h/t Christie for Governor):
Buono Thinks Only 200 Failing Schools Out Of More Than 2,000 Was Not “A Bad Percentage.” Buono: “‘The governor talks about our 200 failing schools,’ said Buono. But ‘In the State of New Jersey, we have 2,485 schools. I don’t think that’s a bad percentage.’” (Max Pizarro, “Stung By Budget Committee Vote, Buono Crowd Drills Christie’s Education Agenda,” PolitickerNJ, 1/20/11)
Buono Opposes Performance Pay For Teachers “There is a growing body of research indicating that short-term incentive plans and pay-for-performance programs do not work and often result in poorer outcomes.” (Candidate Questionnaire, Home News Tribune, 10/30/11)
Despite Originally Voting For Tenure Reform, Buono Now Claims She Had “Grave Concerns. “I did vote for it, but I had grave concerns that it seemed to be the tail wagging the dog without a meaningful evaluation piece already established and tested … Unfortunately, I think some of my fears are being realized.” (John Mooney, “Buono Begins To Divulge Details Of Her Ambitious Education Agenda,” NJ Spotlight, 9/4/13)
Buono Opposes The Opportunity Scholarship Act “I will fight with every fiber in my being to make sure’ [the Opportunity Scholarship Act] doesn’t pass.” (Leslie Brody, “Panel Passes Scholarship Bill,” Herald News, 2/4/2011)
Buono Opposes Charter Schools: “Charters were never meant to replace public schools…People are trying to use simplistic solutions to complex problems, and charter schools are not the answer” (Matthew McGrath, “Buono sketches education policy in meeting with school advocates,” NorthJersey.com, 8/1/13)
Bouno Opposes State Intervention In Struggling Districts. [Buono] “supports an effort by the Newark School Advisory Board to end the state’s control of Newark’s public school system. … ‘I think Newark has satisfied all the conditions under the law,” she said.” (Paul Milo, “Buono Supports Ending State Control of Newark Schools,” Newark Patch, 5/8/13)
Buono Opposed The Higher Education Reorganization Act. Buono Voted No. (A3102, Passed Senate: 29-10, 6/28/12; Buono Voted No)
The bottom line?
Regardless of where you fall on the ideological spectrum, folks, we should be able to agree on this obvious point: the NJEA hasn’t done right by its membership.
We all have teachers in our lives. If you care about them, then please share this post with one and follow-up by initiating a substantive discussion on the issues. They deserve the truth as much as our children deserve better than what they’re getting from the NJEA-defended public school monopoly.
I'm not paying for it. The teachers are. What I'm paying for is Christie's taxpayer-funded campaign YouTube videos and political town halls.
Unions should not be permitted to support political candidates without the express permission of their membership.
Colorful enough to be discreetly distributed to children..
I am CWA and ashamed. If this state empowered workers and gave us the choice to be in a union, I would opt out and require my union to earn my respect and support. Christie has said it before, and it can never be said enough, there is a difference between the union and the workers. The unions do not represent us. They do not gain our consent for endorsing any given candidate. Instead, they lie and manipulate the membership to support the candidate of the union bosses choice. I get the union newsletter in the mail and it is a propaganda rag that would make Stalin and Hitler proud. It is important for people to remember one thing, union backed candidates are bad, really bad, for tax payers. The union bosses declared war against tax payers and use the membership as a bunch of pawns. Union members have got to understand that Corzine democrats like Buono are not good for us.
@Steve Your property taxes fund the paychecks from which union dues are deducted. You ARE paying for it.
Somebody please explain the logic of the reasoning of many in the liberal community who believe that corporations should not be able to donate to campaigns but unions should do whatever the hell they want. Esepcially the public sectors unions where payment of membership dues are mandatory.
It is illegal to use dues for political campaigns. These NJEA pro-Buono ads are paid for by a separate political action fund. And how come these creeps find no problem with millionaires not paying their fair share, but excoriate teachers who barely make enough to be called middle class. Oh yeah, teachers are great when they shield their kids from bullets in Newtown and tornadoes in Oklahoma, but they are evil when they want job protections and decent benefits.
Janet, that line about millionaires not paying their fair share is pure union propaganda. I live in a district where 70% of the kids are classified as lower class and as a result get lots of free stuff. I can assure you that their parents are not paying fair share based on what they use. Nobody begrudges teachers for expecting a fair paycheck and decent work place, but their union has declared war on tax payers. There is a difference between the teachers and the union, believe me.
I suppose the author is entitled to his opinion (or that of his corporate/political sponsor), but this is a pretty inaccurate piece. He should research the funding by laws before he points fingers at njea/unions. NJEA is not permitted to use member dues to endorse a political candidate. Even if it were not ILLEGAL for the union to do so, perhaps one should consider (preferably before hitting "publish" on his blog) that a union is an organization designed protect and represent the interest of it's members. In this case, represented are teachers-highly qualified professionals- who presumably want to teach students the best they can, while surviving (certainly not thriving) in the most expensive state in the country. This advocacy would be accomplished through lobbying efforts- the same as any NGO/corporation/industry, or any group with an interest. The role of the union has changed considerably over the past decades- it has been forced to adapt- since corporations changed the rules and bought the better half of both political parties, somehow redirecting public perception of blame for its failures. If this article isn't intended as some vitriolic piece of propaganda, intended to convince the nice people of New Jersey to pick up their pitchforks and run at the teacher (and all unions, eventually), all the while turning a blind eye to the maniacs in government and industry who screwed us all over, then the author should probably try doing a little more research. Chris Christie and the privatization movement, is chasing the best of the best teachers out of the classroom. Buono would be a no-brainier choice for the NJEA and public education. In the meantime, nonsense (like this article) adds fuel to the volatile fire that's threatening the education of an entire generation of children.
*are chasin
Janet, that line about millionaires not paying their fair share is pure union propaganda. I live in a district where 70% of the kids are classified as lower class and as a result get lots of free stuff. I can assure you that their parents are not paying fair share based on what they use. Nobody begrudges teachers for expecting a fair paycheck and decent work place, but their union has declared war on tax payers. There is a difference between the teachers and the union, believe me.
I suppose the author is entitled to his opinion (or that of his corporate/political sponsor), but this is a pretty inaccurate piece. He should research the funding by laws before he points fingers at njea/unions. NJEA is not permitted to use member dues to endorse a political candidate. Even if it were not ILLEGAL for the union to do so, perhaps one should consider (preferably before hitting “publish” on his blog) that a union is an organization designed protect and represent the interest of it’s members. In this case, represented are teachers-highly qualified professionals- who presumably want to teach students the best they can, while surviving (certainly not thriving) in the most expensive state in the country. This advocacy would be accomplished through lobbying efforts- the same as any NGO/corporation/industry, or any group with an interest. The role of the union has changed considerably over the past decades- it has been forced to adapt- since corporations changed the rules and bought the better half of both political parties, somehow redirecting public perception of blame for its failures. If this article isn’t intended as some vitriolic piece of propaganda, intended to convince the nice people of New Jersey to pick up their pitchforks and run at the teacher (and all unions, eventually), all the while turning a blind eye to the maniacs in government and industry who screwed us all over, then the author should probably try doing a little more research. Chris Christie and the privatization movement, is chasing the best of the best teachers out of the classroom. Buono would be a no-brainier choice for the NJEA and public education. In the meantime, nonsense (like this article) adds fuel to the volatile fire that’s threatening the education of an entire generation of children.
The truth: http://blogs.app.com/politicspatrol/2010/03/26/wh…
Yeah, the teachers are the bullies. Right. Sheesh, you guys are really brainwashed. In Nevada, another teacher was killed today, defending his students. Teachers are society's scapegoats and whipping boys, when all we want to do is educate your kids in a safe, creative and productive environment. But we're the cause of high taxes, tornadoes and bubonic plague.
Janet, citizens have always been brainwashed in societies moving toward fascism to hate the "intelligentsia." Teachers became the objects of hate in Nazi Germany, Franco's Spain, etc. And in this country, add unions to the list of things the fascists hate. The crazy thing is, teachers live in houses and own properties in towns and support the schools with their taxes like anyone else, eh? But you and I know all this, and our words fall on either deaf ears or cold hearts.
Janet, you again miss the point. Teachers are not the cause of high taxes. The politicians their union support are. Just look at the past two administration, Corzine and McGreevy. They both raised an incredible amount of taxes and fees. I am a union member. Please tell me how those high taxes are good for me. They are not, those taxes are down right oppressive. What is worse is that both of those pigs left my pension and healthcare severely underfunded. Union members should be livid about that. NJ democrats have proven that they are reckless spenders and our idiot union bosses still love them. When these politicians and the unions say raise taxes on the wealthy, we have no good reason to believe the money would be spent wisely. We have been there, done that and watched epic failure. NJ is one of the highest taxed states and that is not good for middle class people.
Seriously Carol? Fascists? The fascists are the ones who do not give us a choice but to be in a union. Nobody should be forced to pay into a union. People do not hate teachers but te NJEA does hate tax payers.
they can only recommend support according to the issues that are important to teachers