The fact is that union members can still easily donate money to the unions by writing a check each month.

All this change will do is remove the automatic debiting feature.

"All this change will do is remove the automatic debiting feature."

Why?

"Employee deductions voluntarily placed into a fund for unions to spend on candidates and make endorsements...."

If you believe that a system of automatic deductions from union members' paychecks is strictly "voluntary," then you know nothing about labor relations.

You probably also believe that union "card check" proposals would result in votes being freely cast in union organizational elections.

Try learning about this subject. Perhaps you could start by quitting your job at McDonald's and getting a college degree. After that you might even be able to attend law school.

You obviously know very little as well, Cato. In Kansas you cannot be coerced into joining a union, so all deductions are voluntary. A teacher with whom I used to work, was the president of her local. She taught me a lot about how KNEA works. There is a KPAC, Kansas Political Action Committee that comes out of the members dues which can be refunded to any member who does not agree on KPAC's work. If the teachers wish to donate to the national PAC, they have to write a check and send it there. KNEA isn't allowed to deduct those donations.

Much of the KPAC money goes to paying for their lobbyist in Topeka and interviewing candidates to determine whether or not they favor public education. Then they recommend which candidates most support public education, which often means Democrats, simply because Republicans prefer private school vouchers. I mean would NRA be stupid enough to endorse a candidate who favored gun control? They do not coerce their members into voting for that candidate, because they don't believe teachers are stupid enough to be one issue voters.

Those of you who think union dues are used for political reasons, don't understand the accounting that must be done to continue to run a PAC. Yes, perhaps some unions have been caught doing it, but they have been caught. The KNEA dues are used for workshops, and not just workshops for negotiations. There are workshops for improving teaching skills, such as, classroom management, preparing for the first day of class, etc. I even attended a workshop they sponsored for paras. They have retirement seminars and provide liability insurance for teachers. I'm real sure the dues barely cover all the things they do, so there isn't a lot of money left over for PACs anyway.

But, get it through your head, Cato. In Kansas it is voluntary to join. And if you want to join, you can pay dues in a lump sum, or you can opt for a deduction to make your life simpler. I repeat, in Kansas joining a union is voluntary. Repeat that after me, Cato. Sometimes repetition is needed to learn something. In a job, at university, or in everyday life. Why not start reading and watching many different things instead of those that are only Beck or Fox approved? You might learn about how things really work, and come out of your strange fantasy world of wonderful, benevolent corporations, who are just working to make things better in the world.

"Those of you who think union dues are used for political reasons, don't understand the accounting that must be done to continue to run a PAC."

Tomato, that pretty much says it all. If you're that naive, you're probably past hope on this subject. The legislation specifically deals with prohibiting public employee unions from automatically deducting money from members' paychecks to finance political activities. Just as in Wisconsin, there are actually folks in Kansas who don't want any part of their union dues used for partisan political activities. If you don't know this, then, just like Captain_Kangaroo, you have no understanding of labor relations.

However, I would pose this to you: If what you describe is as "voluntary" as you say, then why are labor organizations fighting this so vigorously? Is it possible that public union bosses know that the real choice that this legislation will provide might have an impact on their own fiefdoms and their own political influence, as is certainly the case in Wisconsin? It's not rocket science, Tomato. Ponder it for awhile. You might even see the light.

Lester_the_Maddox again proving he is absolutely clueless.

Get this -- an employee of AT&T would be free as a bird to have a paycheck deduction for the AT&T PAC and let his bosses direct all the money, but not to have a deduction for the Communications Workers of America where his co-workers direct the money. Yeah, that's fair.

Tomato, I work very hard for a living, and have nothing but respect for those of my fellow citizens who do the same. I have very little respect for those who don't, which may account for some of the views I've expressed on this forum from time to time. Your invidious prejudice against those of your fellow citizens who, simply because they disagree with you, somehow then become "trust fund babies or peons" displays enormous prejudice, hostility, hatred and jealousy. I am neither a "trust fund baby" nor a "peon," but I've known plenty of political liberals who were in fact beneficiaries of sizeable trust funds.

By the way, I have never once in my adult life failed to give my server a tip (Tomato, the word "waitress" is way out of date), and I often tip considerably more than is expected. In fact, that's one of the more interesting things I've observed over the years: Conservatives are almost always much more generous tippers than liberals are, and also tend to treat those who are serving them much better than liberals do. If you were ever to have served my table when I'm picking up the tab, you would agree.

Tomato, I tend to point out such things when I'm dealing with pseudo-intellectual liberals whose understanding of the English language and its usage does not equal their self-professed brilliance.

I would never place you in that category.