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| Stranger than Fiction: Teacher Funding Husband Political Attack Ads via Union |
| posted by: Alix | October 15, 2010, 02:04 PM |
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An Ohio high school teacher recently wrote a letter to the editor regarding her strange connection to several political attack advertisements targeting her husband, a candidate for the Ohio House of Representatives. Jade Thompson belongs to the Ohio Education Association, an organization that is using Jade's own member dues—which she is forced to pay by law—to fund partisan politics. Although it shouldn't be a shock to anyone that the unions and their state affiliates fund and endorse candidates, Jade was shocked to see that her dues were being used to directly attack her husband. "This is a new low, even for the OEA," Jade stated. For Jade and many teachers across the country, it's difficult to see their hard-earned money support candidates and causes with which they don't agree. It obviously hits harder when it affects your family and their own political ambitions. Jade ponders, "Are Ohio's teachers that unanimously liberal or does our union simply not represent our views at all?" The latter is true, Jade. In fact, union members are split relatively evenly when it comes to political leanings: 50% are conservative or tend conservative, 43% are liberal or tend liberal, and 7% are unsure. Despite these statistics, the union's massive political contributions are overwhelmingly skewed toward Democrats. Unfortunately, Ohio teachers have to pay union dues as a condition of employment because Ohio is a state with compulsory unionism. (learn more about Forced Unionism). We invite Mrs. Thompson and teachers like her to join AAE; a professional association that does not fund partisan politics and does not support controversial political agendas unrelated to education. (Join AAE today for only $15/month | read about Member Benefits) What would you do if you were in Jade's shoes? Comment below.
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