An Open Letter to Certain Conservative State Legislators
Hi friends,
Does the WEA trend to the left politically? Yes, we do.
Historically, has the WEA Political Action Committee (WEA-PAC) endorsed more Democrats than Republicans? Surely, we have.
But do you really think it helps to not even attempt to engage?
Take, for example, a local incumbant legislator here in the Spokane area who I have emailed 6 times (twice each at three different email addresses, including that of his campaign manager), asking for a time where he'd be willing to meet with us to talk about education issues. I also attempted two phone calls to this fellow. None have been returned.
I say this out of love, truly. When we start rolling out the candidate recommendations later this week there are going to be some glaring and gaping holes in certain legislative districts, and it would sound much, much better to the voters if I said, "We chose a different directions" as opposed to "The Representative refused to meet with us." One puts the onus on us. The other puts it squarely on you.
Your pal,
Ryan
Does the WEA trend to the left politically? Yes, we do.
Historically, has the WEA Political Action Committee (WEA-PAC) endorsed more Democrats than Republicans? Surely, we have.
But do you really think it helps to not even attempt to engage?
Take, for example, a local incumbant legislator here in the Spokane area who I have emailed 6 times (twice each at three different email addresses, including that of his campaign manager), asking for a time where he'd be willing to meet with us to talk about education issues. I also attempted two phone calls to this fellow. None have been returned.
I say this out of love, truly. When we start rolling out the candidate recommendations later this week there are going to be some glaring and gaping holes in certain legislative districts, and it would sound much, much better to the voters if I said, "We chose a different directions" as opposed to "The Representative refused to meet with us." One puts the onus on us. The other puts it squarely on you.
Your pal,
Ryan
Labels: Campaign 2010, speaking half-truth to power, unions, WEAPAC
posted by Ryan at 3:05 PM
3 Comments:
I would have called you back, Ryan :-)
"But do you really think it helps to not even attempt to engage?"
What, precisely, does "engage" mean?
What good does it do to be presented with a list of demands that you can't agree to and shouldn't agree to in the name of fiscal conservatism? Like the famous WEA No revenue stream needed guaranteed pay raise initiative that has helped to bury us in debt?
Here in Clark County I watched the WEA dump Don Carlson, a retired 30 year teacher with an "R" after his name who had carried WEA water like Gunga Din, for Craig Pridemore ONLY because if Pridemore won, then the Senate would be controlled by dems.
"Engage?" With a bunch of thugs?
Not likely.
The Carlson/Pridemore race is before my time. What I do know is that here in my neck of the woods we just endorsed 5 current Republican members of the House, none of whom voted our way on the budget or the revenue package last year, but all of whom have spoken up for the public schools repeatedly during their tenures. There are two others who could have potentially gotten our support, but they refuse to even meet with us.
That's what I mean by engage--have a conversation. Falling to the "thugs" rhetoric is intellectually lazy and cedes the high ground to people like me.
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