Public records can provide valuable information, if they are used. To that end, Shift started this week combing through the records of the Public Disclosure Commission to shine a spotlight on liberal groups and individuals that are trying to influence next month’s general election.
And we are finding plenty of options to choose from.
Already we’ve highlighted the “work” of the liberals’ own $3 million dollar man, Nicolas Hanauer, and the folks who put the “green” in Washington Conservation Voters.
Today we bring the Service Employees International Union 775 to the stage – take a bow David Rolf and company!
The SEIU has been a growing force in Democrat politics since it ran an initiative in 2001 to unionize home health care workers, allowing SEIU 775 to form and get its hands on the compulsory dues that came with that decision. Millions have flowed since from many low-income workers into the pockets of union officials and the Democrat candidates who do their bidding.
This year, according to one campaign expert, the goal is focused on keeping Speaker Frank Chopp and his House Democrats in the majority, to “buy a caucus and get an income tax.”
And SEIU 775 is seemingly well positioned to do just that. Since Labor Day over a third of a million dollars has flowed to Democrat attack PACs with innocuous names like Our Washington, Working Families, the Harry Truman Fund, and New Direction. Each of those entities has received at least one five-figure contribution from SEIU 775 to devote to electing friendly Democrats (by attacking Republicans).
Of course, the other big prize for SEIU 775 is the passage of Initiative 1501, which it invested $1.2 million into qualifying for the ballot. That initiative, ironically enough, would put a seal on the public records of its union members so that they could not be contacted about the fact that – thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court decision – they cannot be forced to give SEIU 775 union dues.
And that’s the type of public information that union bosses like David Rolf really don’t want people to know about.
The one bright side to this is that non-members (those who chose only to pay representation fees) don’t have to support these campaign contributions. Any portion of union “blackmail” that isn’t, specifically, used for representation must be refunded to the employee (for the time being).