IEA’s Illinois Political Action Recommendations. The stuff hits the fan.

Not a dime more to GOP House Leader Tom Cross.

Many IEA members were stunned this week when they received the brochure with the recommendations for the Illinois House and Senate.

I didn’t see it, since I’m out here in Michigan for the month and I don’t get my mail. But I got plenty of email. Plenty.

I went to the IEA website and pulled up the list. Jeez. No wonder people are pissed.

Remember that these recommendations are accompanied by IEA resources including IEA member contributions to IPACE. That’s your money.

Recommended was Kyle McCarter. McCarter is a Republican State Senator who introduced SB 3932. It is among the worst of the pension gutting bills.

Recommended was Mike Fortner. Fortner is the Republican member of the Illinois House who introduced HB 6204. This bill would shift teacher pensions from a defined benefit plan as currently exists to a defined contribution plan, such as a 401(K).

Perhaps most shocking of all was the continued recommendation and financial support of Tom Cross. Cross is the GOP Leader of the House and led the failing effort to pass HB512, which would have destroyed our pension system.

Cross has been frequently recommended by IPACE and IPACE is among his largest contributors.

Other recommendations include Christine Radogno, Heather Steans, Robyn Gabel and Mike Tryon. All have gone after TRS benefits. Steans is a major charter school advocate.

Senator Kim Lightford was recommended, although that can hardly be considered a surprise. She was the prime mover behind Senate Bill 7 which the IEA leadership still claims as a victory for what they call “teacher-led reform.” Of course, nothing could be less true.

Some apologists for these recommendations and for the leadership will go on and on about the process. How the recommendation process includes member input.

Try and think back to the last time that your input as an IEA member was solicited for IPACE recommendations.

The process is flawed. So flawed that former IEA President Ken Swanson sat at a Region 36 Council meeting a few years back promising a full review of the process.

That review never happened.

It is ironic that the right of unions to make political contributions to candidates is under attack in many states. That right must be defended. That right is even more important to defend as a result of the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court declaring corporations are people and money is speech. That decision opened the flood gates to secret and open contributions of hundreds of millions of dollars by those like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson promoting a corporate agenda.

At the same time, these IPACE recommendations are disgraceful.

These candidates are anti-teacher and anti-union. IPACE is doing nothing more than feeding the sharks.

My recommendation is to file a form pulling your payroll deduction to IPACE.

Then give generously to progressive, pro-teacher, pro-union candidates.

Not a dime more to Tom Cross.