Teacher Groups and Prop. 226

As the elected presidents of the teachers associations of Santa Clarita, we want to set the record straight about the deception and trickery of Proposition 226, [which] claims to be a “paycheck protection” measure, protecting working people from unwanted political contributions. The truth is that union members already have the ability to prevent any portion of their dues from being used for politics if they so wish.

What, then, is the true purpose of Prop. 226? Its goal is to create a new, expensive state bureaucracy to be just complicated enough to interfere with organized labor’s ability to be involved in the election process: pointless permission slips from people who already give voluntarily, duplicate record keeping, state reports, official filings, etc.

For those of us in education, Prop. 226 is especially threatening. Being organized in politics has allowed us to protect state funding for schools, sponsor and win lower class sizes, promote state bonds for school construction and fight for increased technology and computer access in the schools.

Prop. 226 has been called the big lie of this election campaign. Please read it carefully and know that it is not what it pretends to be. Don’t silence the voice of working people. We urge a no vote on Prop. 226.

ORVAL GARRISON, Hart District Teachers Assn.

KEENAN WARNER and JERRY SAUER, Newhall Teachers Assn.

JULIE WITTER and JANE LEE, Sulphur Springs Teachers Assn.

CYNTHIA SEAMANDS, Castaic Teachers Assn.

LACHLAN LEAVER, Saugus Teachers Assn.

LINDA METZGER, Newhall Classified Employees