Teachers Union Won’t Play Broad Way

By Larry Sand
09/29/2015
Los Angeles teachers union and its friends are livid over plan to charterize 260 schools. According to a memo unearthed by Los Angeles Times writer Howard Blume, the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and other charter advocates want to create 260 new charter schools in Los Angeles, enrolling at least 130,000 students. The document includes...

TAGS: Alex Caputo-Pearl, California Charter School Association, Charter schools, Eli Broad, Elon Musk, Heartland Institute, Howard Blume, Larry Sand, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles

Lessons for Reformers from Governor Scott Walker

By RiShawn Biddle
09/25/2015
Certainly there are scores of Beltway conservative reformers (and movement conservatives disinterested in education policy) who are dismayed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s decision yesterday to halt his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. After all, the onetime state legislator and former Milwaukee County Executive-turned-governor has been highly-touted by them for his success in abolishing...

TAGS: education reform, Governor Scott Walker, public sector union reform

How Government Unions Are Destroying America

By Edward Ring
09/22/2015
Not one presidential candidate, apart from Gov. Walker’s last-ditch rhetoric prior to dropping out, has discussed the problems with unionized government as a major issue. That’s too bad, because these problems are bigger than even most critics acknowledge. When people discuss the need to reform, if not eliminate, public sector unions, the only reason typically...

TAGS: education reform, government unions, public sector unions

When Union Bosses Become Employers

By Larry Sand
09/22/2015
Sanctimonious labor leaders treat their employees very differently than their members. While tales of union hypocrisy are as common as instances of Donald Trump sticking his Ferragamos in his mouth, there is one facet of union two-facedness that is under-reported – the role of union as employer. As mentioned in my post a couple of...

TAGS: 401K, defined benefit pension, Evan Grossman, Jerry Jordan, Larry Sand, National Education Association, pension tsunami, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, seniority, teachers union, tenure

Government Union's New Taxes on Working Californians Stopped in Legislature – For Now

By Jon Coupal
09/17/2015
It’s been a long year in the Capitol for those of us who advocate against higher taxes, crushing regulations and wasteful government spending. The good news is that California taxpayers have prevailed in virtually all the major tax fights this year. The bad news is that, because the legislature convenes for two-year sessions, this is...

TAGS: California Legislature, government unions, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Prop. 13

Illinois Financial Apocalypse – $163 Billion Accumulated Liabilities

By Mike Shedlock
09/16/2015
Editor’s Note:  If you think what’s happening in Illinois can’t happen here, think again. For starters, read these two studies by the California Policy Center, (1) “Calculating California’s Total State and Local Government Debt,” and (2) “Comprehensive Review of California School Bonds.” While experts disagree over what is a reasonable rate-of-return projection for pension fund...

Unions in the News – Weekly Highlights

By Editor
09/15/2015
Labor Unions Seek To Extend Temporary Prop. 30 Tax Increase On Wealthy Until 2030 September 15, 2015, CBS Sacramento A coalition of labor unions is seeking to extend California’s temporary tax increase on the wealthy until 2030. A group called the Alliance for a Better California submitted title and summary with the secretary of state...

California's Pensions Are An Economic Burden, Not Benefit

By Edward Ring
09/15/2015
Last month an article entitled “Pensions as Economic Stimulus” was posted to Fox & Hounds Daily. The author, Charles Beckwith, is a former CalPERS senior financial manager. Beckwith’s article, while thoughtful, invites a response. Because California’s pension systems may stimulate the economy in some ways, but equally significant ways, they are killing the economy. Beckwith’s primary...

TAGS: CalPERS, CalSTRS

Reactionary Teachers Union Parties like It’s 1909

By Larry Sand
09/15/2015
Self-serving Washington Education Association dusts off a 100 year old law to shut down charter schools. As I have frequently written, the teachers unions have a schizoid relationship with charter schools. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays they want to kill them off; on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays they want to unionize them. Earlier this month,...

TAGS: American Enterprise Institute, Charter schools, Eric Owens, Larry Sand, Lily Eskelsen Garcia, National Education Association, Rick Hess, teachers union, Washington Education Association