In a prior post, we noted that the PAC opposing Question 4-TABOR calls itself “Citizens Unified for Maine’s Future” (CUMF). We also noted that CUMF is pure astroturf, comprised of unions and non-profit groups with their hands in all of our pockets.
In fact, the one thing that unites the disparate groups in CUMF is their revenue stream, which gives credence to the old saying, “follow the money”. We’ll examine in an upcoming post the two non-profit front groups operating within CUMF, “Maine Can Do Better” and “EngageMaine”, both of which have as their maestro Ben Dudley of Portland, one of CUMF’s “primary decision-makers”.
But one of the major players in CUMF is none other than the Maine State Employees Union, which is affiliated with the corrupt Service Employees International Union (SEIU). As we’ve seen from recent news, SEIU is practically indistinguishable from ACORN, with the founder of ACORN having also founded SEIU Local 100 (Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana), one of SEIU’s largest locals. Local 100 is run from the same New Orleans address as ACORN and the national union works hand in glove with ACORN to provide muscle for the “community organizers”.
But what of the MSEU-SEIU? It’s an organization that’s had its share of embarrassment. Its recently-resigned executive director, Tim Belcher, was charged last year with criminally restraining a UPS driver who was trying to leave his property after making a delivery. In the Belcher household, anti-taxpayer sentiment apparently runs in the family. His wife Deb Hutton – herself a former legislator – recently filed a harassing – and unsuccessful – ethics complaint against Maine Leads.
But it’s when we examine MSEU’s financials that we begin to see the extent both of its financial power and its ties to SEIU. As we can see from MSEU’s 2006 and 2007 Form 990s, the union took in a combined $9.3 million in dues from its members. In both years, the union recorded “travel expenses” exceeding half a million dollars.
But it’s the money they send to the national SEIU that’s the jaw-dropper: in 2006-2007, the MSEU sent nearly $3 million to the national. $3 million will certainly buy a lot of purple t-shirts and suppress most taxpayer groups seeking relief.
We noticed about 25 union members protesting outside the Maine Heritage Policy Center’s annual “Freedom and Opportunity Luncheon” at the Marriott Hotel in South Portland on October 8. Naturally, they were led by Mr. Dudley and Crystal Canney, CUMF’s communications director.
Mr. Dudley particularly objected to the presence of Grover Norquist at the luncheon. According to the Press Herald, he said that Norquist “should spend a little more time in Maine so he could be exposed to the Maine values of communities standing up for each other”.
Well, Ben, all I can say is that “communities standing up for each other” don’t include your astroturf coalition or its millions in union dues.
For more information on Question 4-TABOR, please visit the TABOR Now website.
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Your comments are interesting, inaccurate, unproven and wrong, but interesting in the same way any delusional condition may be found interesting.
First you seem to feel that Union Members are not real, referring them to astroturf. If you agree that no Union members are entitled to an opinion, then I can see your point.
Corrupt SEIU is an easy statement to make but applies equally as well to any organization of any size. Moronic teabaggers unable to spell. Teabagging bigots. Homosexual child molesting priests.
Do you even begin to understand the lack of depth of your comments?
Tim Belcher, recently resigned President of MSEASEIU. Tim Belcher was never President of MSEASEIU, not once. not for a day.
This might make your rant seem interesting to those who will refuse to believe the truth even when it is presented to them, but not to anyone looking for depth and facts.
I also see you don’t have any facts on the travel expenses relating to the purpose or the people involved. Was research too hard? Did facts get in the way of ignorance?
Perhaps much of that travel is members running their own Union, stewards, doing their elected duties, and the one thing you are most afraid of; organizing more members.
If this is an example of the Tabor support, I thank you for making it public.