AFT Triples Liberal Advocacy Spending in 2011 |
posted by: Cindy Omlin | February 22, 2012, 03:37 AM |
A recent report by the union watchdog group, the Education Intelligence Agency, sheds new light on the financial disclosures of the American Federation of Teachers in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The analysis reveals that the AFT spent an astonishing $7.8 million of member dues on a wide array of left-leaning advocacy groups, charities, and big labor organizations–more than triple the amount spent last year. It is important to distinguish the fact that this money is not from the AFT state or federal political action committee, rather directly comprised of AFT member dues. Despite claims from the union that member dues stay local, the complete list speaks volumes about where member dues are going in this difficult economy. Among the shocking contributions, financial support was given to groups such as the gay and lesbian organization GLAD, various private churches, and several big labor foundations and policy organizations. The largest single donation went to support California's Proposition 27, a redistricting initiative that ultimately failed. Regardless of your political preferences, the majority of these groups are in no way tied to education. If you take into account the nearly $19 million the National Education Association spends on their own partisan pet projects, the two largest teacher unions spend a combined $26.8 million of member dues on fueling controversial issues. In real numbers, that's nearly 600 teaching jobs, or over 35,000 text books. Fed up? At AAE we pride ourselves on operating on a lean budget to exclusively spend membership dues on liability insurance and professional benefits. We do not support partisan politics and do not take positions on issues unrelated to education. Let a teacher know that they do have a choice. No educator should be forced to pay for issues they don't agree with. Join AAE today. Take a moment to peruse the list for yourself: Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment Practices - $5,000 Alliance for Retired Americans - $35,000 Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment - $28,233 America Votes - $150,000 American Constitution Society - $5,000 American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center - $10,000 American Labor Studies Center - $5,250 The American Prospect - $100,000 American Rights at Work - $50,000 Annenberg Institute for School Reform - $20,667 A. Philip Randolph Institute - $10,500 Apollo Alliance - $15,000 Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance - $5,000 The Black Institute - $25,000 Blue Green Alliance Foundation - $96,408 Bnai Zion Foundation - $7,250 Building a Stronger Ohio - $150,000 California Community Foundation - $18,000 Catholics United - $25,000 Center for American Progress - $25,000 Center for Expansion of Language and Thinking - $20,000 Child Labor Coalition - $5,000 Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Fund - $5,000 Citizen Action of New York - $5,000 Citizens for Strength and Security - $500,000 Citizens for Tax Justice - $15,000 Clergy Strategic Alliances - $96,396 Coalition of Black Trade Unionists - $5,000 Coalition of Labor Union Women - $5,000 Committee for Education Funding - $17,713 Common Cause Education Fund - $5,000 Commonsense Ten - $400,000 Community Labor Coalition for Change Committee - $336,368 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. - $46,000 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute - $30,000 Council on Competitiveness - $5,000 Demos - $10,000 Economic Opportunity Institute - $15,000 Economic Policy Institute - $350,000 Economic Research Institute - $5,654 Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate - $250,000 Educators Institute for Human Rights, Rwanda - $10,000 Freedom House - $25,000 Friendship West Baptist Church - $5,000 Gamaliel Foundation - $60,000 Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation - $40,000 Good Jobs First - $12,500 Greater Wisconsin Committee - $250,000 Healthy Schools Campaign - $7,500 Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities - $10,000 Hispanic Heritage Foundation - $6,425 The House of the Lord & Church on the Mount, Inc. - $7,500 Imara Soul, Inc. - $5,000 Innovation Ohio - $25,000 International Labor Rights Forum - $12,500 International Rescue Committee - $20,000 James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund - $6,000 Jewish Labor Committee - $8,500 Jobs with Justice - $10,000 Keystone Research Center - $15,000 Labor Council for Latin American Advancement - $5,000 Labor Project for Working Families - $35,000 Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State - $5,000 Leadership Conference on Civil Rights - $50,000 League of United Latin American Citizens - $15,000 Learning Forward - $27,500 Lubavitch Youth Organization - $8,000 Mini Men Mentoring - $7,500 National Action Network - $165,000 National Assembly on School-Based Health Care - $5,000 National Association for Bilingual Education - $10,000 National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund - $5,000 National Black Caucus of State Legislators - $10,100 National Coalition on Black Civic Participation - $12,500 National Coalition on Health Care - $10,000 National Conference of State Legislatures - $22,500 National Consumers League - $7,500 National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education - $66,638 National Council on Educating Black Children - $5,000 National Democratic Redistricting Trust - $300,000 National Endowment for Democracy - $12,500 National Jewish Democratic Council - $5,000 National Labor College - $226,427 National Newspaper Publishers Association - $220,973 National Public Pension Coalition - $135,000 National State Teachers of the Year - $25,000 National Urban League - $7,840 Netroots Nation - $27,500 New York Charter Parents Association - $5,000 New York Communities Organizing Fund - $10,000 New York Moves - $6,000 No Limits Foundation - $25,000 Organize Now - $50,000 Our Community Votes - $150,000 Parent Teacher Home Visit Project - $25,000 The Peggy Browning Fund - $8,050 Phi Delta Kappan International - $13,400 Policy Matters Ohio - $37,500 PowerPAC.org - $250,000 Pride at Work - $15,000 Rainbow PUSH Coalition - $75,000 Rebuild America's Schools - $15,000 Reform California - $5,000 Save Our Schools March - $10,000 Schott Foundation for Public Education - $300,000 SHARE - $5,000 Special Olympics Missouri - $60,000 TeamBlue Politics, Inc. - $413,534 Tides Center - $50,000 Tk MaVazi Incorporated - $7,500 The Town Hall - $5,000 United Way of the National Capital Area - $15,000 USAction - $5,000 U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute - $10,000 Wake Youth Program - $5,000 We're Not Going Back - $150,000 Women's Campaign Forum - $5,000 Working America - $170,000 YES on 27 (California) - $1 million Do you think this is a wise use of membership dues?
email to friend
Print
comment
Permalink
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|