Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

State taxpayers pay to collect and process over $30 million tax dollars which are then distributed by the State of Connecticut to State employee unions as union dues. This practice also occurs within the majority, if not all, of the 169 Connecticut towns.� The dues are then funneled into campaigns of state and local candidates and/or to promote issues to benefit the public sector unions which may be adverse to Connecticut taxpayers.�� Yet, these campaign dollars as currently transmitted by the State to the unions � do not fall under State Election Laws.��

On June 29, 2011, the Newstimes.com reported that the Bethel finance board wants to end payroll deduction of union dues after a member of the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations, Billy Michael, and Dr. Robert Fand fought to end the practice in their town.� Bethel Board of Education Members are considering the Board of Finance�s recommendations.�

Dr. Robert Fand - robert7912@aol.com - in his presentation to the Bethel Finance Board offered the following on this issue.

Article 14.1 and 14.2 of the 2011 Bethel, Ct. Collective Bargaining Agreement states that all teachers "shall as a condition of continued employment" join the union and pay either $783/year, as of 2011, ($78.30 per month x 10=$783/year), or pay a service fee of $626/year ($62.65 per month x 10) for "the costs of collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment". These amounts are automatically deducted from each teacher's salary by the Fiscal Director of the Board of Education, indirectly paid for by the taxpayers, and given as a bulk check the Steward of the Bethel Education Association, (BEA), and then to the Ct. Education Association (CEA) and then an amount of that money for political purposes.

According to the State Election Enforcement Commission, it only tracts the CEA PAC and not the individual teachers' dues or service fees that indirectly fuels the political purposes, (see Statute 9-614 - Organizations). Thus, such above service fees and dues from all 169 Connecticut Municipalities can be bundled with the full union dues and used for partisan political purposes. Conclusion: The Board of Education should not do the accounting for the Union and the Union should collect their own dues as resolved, unanimously, by the Bethel Board of Finance on June 14, 2011.

This can be done by auto pay directly from teachers' checking account to the local Union Steward's bank account as many people do to pay their bills.

This situation may violate the the U.S. Supreme Court 5 to 4 ruling in June, 2011 that Taxpayer money cannot be used to fund political campaigns.

Are all teachers Democrats or are some Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, etc.? If the teachers knew about this would some be opposed to this chain of command regarding their service fees being indirectly used for partisan political purposes instead of for the services listed above? Would some teachers feel that the $626 per year for service fees was exorbitant and not necessarily being used for those services but for partisan political purposes?

Conclusion: The teachers should advocate as a matter of their own interest that the phrase, " as a condition of continued employment" of Article 14.1 should be deleted by the Bethel Board of Ed., which has autonomy over this policy in negotiating the Collective Bargaining Agreement.� Robert Fand, Danbury, Ct.

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In 2005, the State of Connecticut Office of Legislative Research produced a report captioned Using Union Dues for Political Purposes which can be accessed at http://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/rpt/2005-R-0232.htm

Another report captioned� Union Members: Where Do Your Dues Go? - Big Government exposes how much union heads are paid and more.�

Within the past few months, laws were passed Giving Union Members a Choice: How to Get Union Dues Refunds - Big Government...

The website UnionRefund.org announced�

A new way to help American workers keep their working wages free.

Under the 1988 Supreme Court decision Communications Workers of America v. Beck every member of a union is entitled to a full refund of their dues that are not directly used for representing them. Until now though, it�s been almost impossible for any member to find out exactly how much their refund should be.

The process is simple. Choose your labor state from the list below. Fill out some basic information and UnionRefund will automatically generate a letter that you can print and mail to your union representative to claim your individual refund. UnionRefund will also send a courtesy notification letter to your union to ensure a quick resolution for your request. It�s that easy!

Get your refund today!

Step One - Select Your State at http://www.unionrefund.org/

In conclusion, the State of Connecticut and towns throughout the State should not be sending taxpayer dollars directly to the unions to finance their campaigns.� The legality of this practice is questionable.� The need to end this practice is not.��

Also, check out�.

Public-Sector Unions � The Rise in Public Sector Unions

Public Pension Reform: Big Changes Are Under Way in Some Locales, But Some Unions Are Holding Out (column - Girard Miller / Governing Magazine)

Why Pensions are Underfunded Because people don't understand what these obligations cost:by Megan McArdle - Megan McArdle is the business and economics editor for The Atlantic. She has worked at three start-ups, a consulting firm, an investment bank, a disaster recovery firm at Ground Zero, and the Economist. More�� July 6, 2011 Continued at �.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/07/why-pensions-are-underfunded/241522/