Mike Antonucci

Writiing at the Education Intelligence Agency, Mike Antonucci, a persistent critic of teachers' unions, has an item this week on the big spending by teachers' unions against a same-sex marriage ban in California, and against a ballot measure to establish a constitutional convention in Connecticut.

Antonucci's answer for the big expenditures by the unions on non-education issues. Because they have so much money it's burning a hole in their pockets. The NEA has a huge surplus in its initiatives fund. And with few education measures on the ballot in a presidential year, other issues are getting funds and attention.

Mike Antonucci, who monitors teachers' union at the Education Intelligence Agency, digs up some interesting numbers on how NEA., the nation's largest teachers' union, spent money on ballot initiatives. The figures are broken down by state affiliate. Antonucci writes that '07-'08 was a "relatively slow one" for NEA's Ballot Measure/Legislative Crisis Fund.

From Antonucci: 

"Installments totaling $2,338,353 went toward the Utah voucher referendum battle ($1 million was sent in the previous fiscal year). The rest went as follows:

Florida Education Association - $200,000 to oppose property tax cuts

Massachusetts Teachers Association - $60,000 to oppose state income tax repeal

Hawaii State Teachers Association - $20,000 for polling about constitutional convention

Oklahoma Education Association - $40,500 for public opinion research about funding initiative

Nebraska State Education Association - $40,000 to support an Education Trust Fund

Missouri NEA - $195,000 for collective bargaining legislation

Mike Antonucci at the Education Intelligence Agency, which monitors teachers' union, is mad about this story in the Las Vegas Sun. It's a story decrying a blocking campaign launched against a teachers union initiative petition in Nevada that would raise taxes on gaming to provide more funds for education. Antonucci points out that the teachers' union has supported its own blocking campaigns over the years. I'd make a slightly different point: blocking campaigns aren't news. They don't do very much, except slightly raise the cost of gathering signatures. And they are probably a waste of time for those interests who mount them.