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Desperate Florida Dems Exploiting Children
http://www.newsmax.com/showinside.shtml?a=2002/11/2/75204

In Minnesota, shameless Democrats turned an alleged memorial service for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone into a boisterous political rally for their new senatorial candidate - in Florida, they're exploiting children in a sordid attempt to defeat Gov. Jeb Bush.

Longtime Democrat activist Pat Tornillo, president of United Teachers of Dade, sent an e-mail message to Miami-Dade County teachers asking them to send notes home with their students urging parents to vote for Bill McBride for governor.

"Bill McBride should immediately call on his supporters and the people running his campaign to stop using children for his own political gain," said Todd Harris, communication director of the Bush-Brogan Campaign. "It is shameful to ask teachers to use their position of authority and influence over students in this manner."

McBride is the handpicked candidate of the National Education Association (NEA) and its affiliate the Florida Education Association (FEA), which two years ago mortgaged its headquarters building to raise $1.7 million for a campaign war chest to help Democrats defeat Gov. Bush, who they blame for foiling their attempts to steal the presidential election in Florida.

Here is the text of Tornillo's e-mail:

Subj. Send a note home to parents about the election
Date: 10/30/2002 11:27:42 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Pat@UTOFD.com
Sent from the Internet

As President of the United Teachers of Dade I am asking our members to send the following note home to the parents of their students:

As your child's teacher, I ask you to vote on November 5. Miami-Dade County's teachers support Bill McBride, Amendments 8, 9 & 11. We feel the future of public education has never been at greater risk.

The election of Bill McBride and passage of these amendments will significantly improve public education in Florida.

Please make sure these notes are received in the homes no later than Monday, November 4th. Together, we CAN make a difference in this election. It is within our grasp.

Sincerely, Pat Tornillo, President United Teachers of Dade

Patriot Paradox

The teachers and their unions have long been a force in American politics. From 1991 to 1999, for example, contributions to the Democratic Party from the NEA, AFT, and the Service Employees International Union, which includes some education workers, totaled $6.7 million, making teachers by far the party's biggest donor bloc, according to the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity. The largest single contributor to Democrats - the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees - gave $3.7 million in that period.

''There's no question that groups donating millions of dollars like the teachers unions have special access and are able to reach in and affect public policy in ways that others are not able to do, and that's not acceptable,'' said Peter Eisner, the center's managing director.

...The NEA, with its 2.5 million members, is planning to spend millions this year on the campaign. Jack Pacheco, the union's political director, said the NEA will raise $6.5 million to $7.5 million for its political action committee to donate funds to the Democratic Party and individual candidates. The PAC money comes from voluntary donations from NEA members, not union dues, Pacheco said.

Politics has long been a central concern of the NEA.

According to a 1992-93 NEA record of its spending obtained by the Globe, the organization spent 10 times as much of its budget on political activity ($34.7 million) as on ensuring excellence in public education ($3.3 million) or improving professional standards and working conditions for all education employees ($3 million).

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a393989205be6.htm