The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is now the biggest outside spender of the 2010 elections, thanks to an 11th-hour effort to boost Democrats that has vaulted the public-sector union ahead of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and a flock of new Republican groups in campaign spending.
The 1.6 million-member AFSCME is spending a total of $87.5 million on the elections after tapping into a $16 million emergency account to help fortify the Democrats' hold on Congress. Last week, AFSCME dug deeper, taking out a $2 million loan to fund its push. The group is spending money on television advertisements, phone calls, campaign mailings and other political efforts, helped by a Supreme Court decision that loosened restrictions on campaign spending.
"We're the big dog," said Larry Scanlon, the head of AFSCME's political operations. "But we don't like to brag."
You think there's a little conflict of interest there, with the unions owning the Congress that creates government jobs and sets wages and benefits?
2 comments:
"You think there's a little conflict of interest there, with the unions owning the Congress that creates government jobs and sets wages and benefits?" - there's a conflict of interest to all of this spending - left or right.
Exactly right!
The power to take from some and give to others invites special interests to use their money to buy off Congressmen. Thousands in campaign contributions can bring millions in earmarks, contracts, etc.
That's one of the reasons government should be limited to doing only the absolute essentials -- the more things it gets involved in, and the more spending it controls, the more corruption it invites.
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