Teachers Union Bosses Have Forgotten Civics Lessons

SACRAMENTO

The biggest thugs in the Capitol these days are not the tobacco lobbyists, teamster bosses or Texas gougers. The biggest thugs seem to be schoolteachers.

At least, the leaders of the 300,000-member California Teachers Assn., who have been talking like they’re running loan shark or extortion rackets.

That’s the logical interpretation of their warnings that, in effect, politicians they buy better stay bought. Better deliver. Or else.

Especially the governor.

But let’s back up. Way back to four years ago when the CTA snubbed then-Lt. Gov. Gray Davis and endorsed wealthy airline mogul Al Checchi for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. They’ve been feuding ever since, even though the CTA did kick in $1.3 million for Davis’ November 1998 election.

The CTA opposed some of Davis’ school reforms, especially teacher accountability features. The union and governor later got crossways over ballot measures to lower the voter requirement for local school bonds. And this year the CTA aggressively pushed an impractical bill to insert textbook selection into collective bargaining.

“A CTA power grab,” critics cried. Davis announced his opposition, angering the union.

But before that, there was the infamous Valentine’s Day meeting in the governor’s office between Davis and CTA leaders. They were talking about policy and “problems,” CTA President Wayne Johnson told The Times, and “out of the blue, [Davis] said, ‘I need $1million from you guys.’”

Now, Davis is an obsessive fund-raiser. Some armchair shrinks theorize he gets psychic rewards from being given political money. But thrusting money pitches into conversations about public policy in the governor’s office--while not exactly the same as sex in the Oval Office--clearly fits into the same bag of classless no-noes.

Garry South, Davis’ chief political strategist, disagrees: “The idea there’s no political discussion in the Capitol is laughable.”

It’s illegal to accept political money in the Capitol, but legal to ask for it. That’s illogical. Sen. Bruce McPherson (R- Santa Cruz) is trying to close this loophole. But since he’s the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, you can forget that bill in a Democratic Legislature.

Unfortunately for Davis, news of his CTA solicitation was closely followed by a San Francisco Chronicle story that he had hit up UC Berkeley students for money. This one does seem a bum rap.

Rather than putting the arm on students, Davis was inviting “young professionals” and union members to a big $1,000 fund-raising reception for the bargain price of $100. The event was not held on campus, but at the pricey Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. A local organizer sent e-mail invites to previous donors, including students.

The episode grew “into a big fat lie,” South asserts.

Capitol eyebrows rose higher when CTA’s Johnson again blasted Davis and unnamed Democratic legislators.

“I want to know who’s been taking our money for years, saying they support our issues and then voting against us,” Johnson told the Sacramento Bee. “We need to hold these people accountable.”

The CTA gave legislative candidates nearly $2 million for the 2000 elections.

Johnson said of Davis: “Maybe we have to stop kidding ourselves that because of our tremendous support for him four years ago, we’ve got some special relationship. We’ve gotten very little from him. I don’t see how we could get less, frankly.”

Really! Under Davis, starting teacher salaries have risen to $34,000 from $28,000. Average pay has climbed to $52,500 (as of last year) from $46,100. Pension benefits have increased dramatically, by $11.5 billion over a 30-year period. Overall school funding has exceeded the Proposition 98 guarantee by $8.6billion.

Mary Bergan, president of the 70,000-member California Federation of Teachers, says of Johnson’s comments: “I wouldn’t have said that and I also don’t share that view. I think Davis is doing the very best he can in a very bad situation.”

Johnson also had told The Times: “We could not make major financial commitments to [Davis] unless he does something to really improve dramatically his popularity with teachers.”

That’s the kind of talk special interests might whisper, but never shout in public. Smacks of bribery.

“Everybody knows that people who contribute the most money to the political system get the most benefits out of it,” says Johnson, a former L.A. civics teacher. “But you’re not supposed to say those things.”

Johnson adds: “It really isn’t about the money. What it really is, we feel we’ve been betrayed. Lied to, manipulated, bamboozled. We feel like a chump.”

While acting like thugs. It’s not a good teacher-image.