January 22, 2010
OC Republicans, public employee unions
County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh's dramatic call Monday for Republican candidates to stop taking union money is turning out to be thorny. The formula sounds simple - say "no" to public union campaign donations and remove a key incentive to approve sweetheart contracts for them.
But as I wrote in this item, plenty of Republicans have taken public union money and plenty are reluctant to give it up. And now, I've learned that the county party itself took $30,000 in 2008 from the California Correctional Peace Officers Association - that is, the prison guards. Along with the teachers union, the prison guard union the most powerful public employees union in the state - and one of the most roundly criticized for having undue influence on legislation.
Baugh was quick to respond to my call, confirm the contribution - in fact, correct the date I'd given for it - and offer an explanation both for contribution to the county party and for union contributions to him while he was an assemblyman (1995-2000)…
LINK - FreedomBlogging.com (Total Buzz)
