Here's a joint independent mailer from MCEA and SEIU on behalf of District 14 Senate candidate Karen Montgomery, who narrowly defeated incumbent Rona Kramer in this year's primary. Montgomery benefitted from a LARGE independent effort by labor and environmental groups.
Showing posts with label SEIU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SEIU. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
MCEA/SEIU Mailer for Karen Montgomery, District 14 Senate, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Exum Hits Back at SEIU
Senator Nathaniel Exum (D-24) has released a video condemning the negative mail sent against him by SEIU. Ironically, his defender is none other than former Senator Tommie Broadwater, who was sent to prison for food stamp fraud. Un-bah-lievable.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
SEIU's Mailer for Karen Montgomery
SEIU may hate Prince George's Senator Nathaniel Exum, but they like District 14 Senate challenger Karen Montgomery. Here's an independent mailer that SEIU Local 1199 sent on her behalf.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
SEIU's Seventh Anti-Exum Mailer
Along with the seventh(!) neg targeting Exum is a favorable mailer supporting his challenger, Joanne Benson.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Monday, September 06, 2010
Prince George's Delegate Attacks SEIU
Delegate Doyle Niemann (D-47), a two-term House member from Prince George's County, sent out an open email on Friday assailing SEIU for their attack mailers against District 47 Senator David Harrington. While Niemann does not state which part of SEIU has earned his ire, his reference to "New York labor thugs" suggests his target may be SEIU Local 1199, which has also bashed Prince George's Senator Nathaniel Exum (D-24). Niemann is not an anti-union legislator. In fact, he enjoys a four-year rating of 95% from Progressive Maryland and once worked for ULLICO, a union-owned insurance company. Following is Niemann's email.
SEIU has stepped over the line
Politics is a rough and tumble business. But the New York-based SEIU has stepped over the line, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on some of the most deceitful and despicable campaign mailings I have ever seen – and for no good reason.
In the 47th District, they have targeted Senator David Harrington on behalf of my colleague, Delegate Victor Ramirez, who is challenging David for the Senate and who has been endorsed by SEIU. Day after day, we have been barraged by an endless collection of slick, professionally produced mailings sent by SEIU – using lies, half-truths, inflammatory language and manipulated photos to personally attack the character of Sen. Harrington.
There has not been a word about important policy issues or critical things affecting anyone in the state or 47th District. It has all been personal. It is the same piece reworked again and again – all with the purpose of spreading fear and distrust.
Wrong and Doubly Wrong
This kind of personal attack is simply wrong. It is destructive of the political process and it undermines our community.
It is doubly wrong because it is being done by an outside group, with no stake or care for our community and no regard for the consequences. They are using the money of their members elsewhere to play games in our county – not to make our community stronger but to weaken it; not to educate voters but to fool and trick them.
There is no issue of concern to the labor movement and working families here. The positions of the two candidates are the essentially same.
This is about power – a bullying union out to prove that it can control Prince George's County politics.
Make no mistake, these mailings are about fear. First, the fear they create in the minds of voters, which they hope to turn into votes for their favored candidate. But second, and more important, the fear they create in other political leaders.
In the long-term, that is SEIU’s goal: to make all our political leaders afraid – so afraid that they will blindly do what this union wants in the future out of fear that the same thing might happen to them when they next run for election.
I Reject SEIU’s Endorsement
I have been endorsed by the SEIU. Whether that’s the same New York-based SEIU that has been distributing this trash, I don’t know. But I hereby reject that endorsement. I don’t need or want to be associated with this kind of evil and deceitful politics.
The SEIU has given me $1,000 for my reelection campaign. I am returning that money. I will find other ways to pay for my campaign.
Not an Isolated Example
This is not an isolated incident. This bunch of New York labor thugs is doing the same thing in at least one other legislative district. County Executive Michael Jackson has gotten the same treatment, with multiple mailings blaming him personally for things that he did not do, distorting the facts, distorting the record.
It doesn’t matter whether you like the candidates SEIU is supporting or not. This behavior cannot be tolerated. We cannot let a bunch of well-funded outsiders come in and muddy our political process for their own gain.
Imagine how much harder it will be the day after the election to bring people together when this kind of behavior is tolerated? Imagine how much more of this you will see in the future if it is allowed to work?
You have only to look at national politics and what is going on there – the personal attacks on President Obama, his family and other national leaders, the appeals to fear and hatred, the deliberate sowing of discord and division – to see where this goes.
The New York SEIU bosses are giving the labor movement a black eye. Every working person should be offended. This is not about working families; it is not about social justice or equality or fair wages. It is not about empowering people. This is a crude grab for power.
Stand Up and Be Counted
I call upon others to join me in rejecting this kind of politics. It weakens the ties that hold us together and demeans our political process.
Make your feelings known. Call the SEIU administrative office in New York at (212) 261-2273. Call the SEIU Maryland & DC Council at (410) 368-9070. Terry Cavanagh is the Executive Director for the Maryland Council. Send him an email at terry.cavanagh@seiu.org.
Tell them all that we won’t support dirty politics in Prince George's County. Tell them to take their trash and go home.
Delegate Doyle Niemann
Maryland House of Delegates, District 47
By Authority, Friends of Doyle Niemann
Anne Browder, Treasurer
PO Box 51, Mt. Rainier, MD 20712
doyle@doyleniemann.com
www.doyleniemann.com
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Friday, September 03, 2010
SEIU Bashes Exum Again
The fine print that is not visible shows this return address:
SEIU Maryland and DC State Council
15 School Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
The authority line reads:
This message has been authorized and paid for by the SEIU MD/DC State Council, Mays Chapel, Marie Cuttitta, Treasurer. This message has not been authorized or approved by any candidate of candidate's committee.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
SEIU: It's Time for Nat Exum to Go
SEIU Local 1199, which has endorsed District 24 Senate challenger Joanne Benson, has sent out the following negative mailer targeting incumbent Senator Nathaniel Exum.
This text in the mailer may not be legible in the image. It clearly shows the mailer to be the product of SEIU Local 1199.Return address:
1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
4301 Garden City Drive
Suite 202
Landover, MD 20785
Authority:
This message has been authorized and paid for by 1199 SEIU Political Action Fund, P.O. Box2612, New York, NY 10108, George Gresham, Treasurer. This message has not been authorized or approved by any candidate.
Sources: The Capital, 5/1/08; The Washington Post, 9/6/08
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Labor Steps Up for Karen Montgomery
District 14 Senate challenger Karen Montgomery had a decent showing in her campaign finance report for the period ending August 10. She started with $58,224.09, raised $45,442.27 and finished with $ 78,317.72. This will not equal Senator Rona Kramer’s self-funding capability, but it will be enough to compete.
Labor PACs gave Montgomery $19,100, nearly half her contributions, and SEIU PACs gave her $13,000. One or more of the unions may lend Montgomery some ground support and even finance an independent expenditure criticizing Kramer. One more fact worth noting is that Montgomery received $1,000 from Delegate Susan Lee (D-16) despite the fact that Lee is engaged in a free-for-all House race in her district.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Endorsements 2010
Want to know who's endorsing whom? You have come to the right place!
Following are the endorsements of MCEA, the Post, SEIU, Progressive Maryland, Equality Maryland, the Sierra Club, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters and NARAL for all MoCo Democratic primaries in which there are more candidates than seats.
Notes:
1. The Post has not yet endorsed in state legislative contests.
2. Progressive Maryland, Equality Maryland, LCV and NARAL have not yet endorsed in County Council races. The latter three may not endorse in those contests at all.
3. Equality Maryland, the Sierra Club and LCV have not finished making endorsements.
4. So far, just ten candidates have swept all available endorsements in this group. They are:
Roger Berliner, Council District 1
Marc Elrich, Council At-Large
Hans Riemer, Council At-Large
Anne Kaiser, D-14 House
Bill Frick, D-16 House
Susan Lee, D-16 House
Ana Sol Gutierrez, D-18 House
Tom Hucker, D-20 House
Heather Mizeur, D-20 House
Kirill Reznik, D-39 House
Riemer is the only challenger in this list.
5. We will add these endorsements to our tabulation as they become available: MCGEO, Fire Fighters, Police, AFL-CIO, Progressive Maryland (council), Post (state legislative), Gazette and the MoCo Business PAC, as well as updates to the above. We are not adding NOW as they often endorse far more people than there are seats (including eight D16 Delegate candidates). And we are not going to include "groups" that are little than more five people sitting around a table endorsing their buddies, or worse, each other. Fuhgedaboudit!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
SEIU Announces State Legislator Endorsements
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Maryland and D.C. State Council has announced its endorsements for state legislators. The big news in MoCo is that SEIU is supporting two Senate challengers: Karen Montgomery in District 14 and Cheryl Kagan in District 17. Following is their complete list.
SEIU MARYLAND & DC State Council Endorsements
SENATE
District 8
Katherine Klausmeier
District 13
James Robey
District 14
Karen Montgomery
District 15
Robert Garagiola
District 16
Brian Frosh
District 17
Cheryl Kagan
District 18
Richard Madaleno
District 19
Michael Lenett
District 20
Jamie Raskin
District 21
James Rosapepe
District 22
Paul Pinsky
District 24
Joanne Benson
District 26
Anthony Muse
District 27
Thomas V. Mike Miller
District 28
Thomas Middleton
District 39
Nancy King
District 41
Lisa Gladden
District 44
Verna Jones
District 45
Nathaniel McFadden
District 47
Victor Ramirez
Delegates
District 10
Emmett Burns
Adrienne Jones
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam
District 11
Dana Stein
District 12A
James Malone
District 12B
Elizabeth Bobo
District 13
Guy Guzzone
Shane Pendergrass
Frank Turner
District 14
Anne Kaiser
Craig Zucker
Eric Luedtke
District 15
Kathleen Dumais
Brian Feldman
District 16
William Frick
Susan Lee
District 17
Kumar Barve
James Gilchrist
Luiz Simmons
District 18
Al Carr
Ana Sol Guiterrez
Jeff Waldstreicher
District 19
Jay Hutchins
Bonnie Cullison
District 20
Sheila Hixson
Tom Hucker
Heather Mizeur
District 21
Benjamin Barnes
Barbara Frush
Joseline Peña – Melnyk
District 22
Tawanna Gaines
Anne Healey
Justin Ross
District 23A
James Hubbard
District 23B
Marvin Holmes
District 24
Carolyn Howard
Michael Vaughn
Greg Hall
District 25
Aisha Braveboy
Derrick Davis
Melony Griffith
District 26
Veronica Turner
Kris Valderrama
District 27A
James Procter
Joseph Vallario
District 27B
Sue Kullen
District 28
Sally Jameson
Peter Murphy
District 30
Michael Busch
Virginia Clagget
District 32
Mary Ann Love
District 39
Charles Barkley
Kirill Reznik
Shane Robinson
District 40
Barbara Robinson
Shawn Turrant
District 41
Sandy Rosenberg
District 43
Curt Anderson
Maggie McIntosh
District 44
Keith Haynes
Ruth Kirk
District 45
Talmadge Branch
Cheryl Glenn
Hattie Harrison
District 46
Peter Hammen
Brian McHale
District 47
Jolene Ivey
Doyle Niemann
Lamar Thorpe
Thursday, April 10, 2008
More on King Jerry
You did not think that one blog posting would be enough on this major gaffe by our newest political kingmaker. Here's Council Member George Leventhal's take on it as well as the President of the MoCo Civic Federation, Wayne Goldstein.
This gets to the heart of the issue we have been talking about here at Maryland Politics Watch (MPW). That the unions had private meetings with the School Board President (and known candidate) were they all agreed to follow the lead of King Jerry, an appointed official. These was done because the school unions (MCEA and SEIU) wanted for pay increases totaling a $100 million per year during a recession. King Jerry did it because he is not content to run the 50% of the MoCo budget. He wants it all. I would say who died and made him King; but he appointed himself as King and we better enjoy it.
Ask yourself is that how you want to have things run in MoCo?
All of you who were so quick to comment on the School Board and the Budget posting I did yesterday, please tell us your take on this? It gets the heart of the matter.
But all of you were silent on the King Jerry posting. What gives? Where's the love?
These two issues are related.
Ok who out there defends these meetings? Foolio? Where are you?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Council District 4 Race -- The School Board and the Budget
This past Sunday the Sandy Spring Civic Association / Sherwood ES PTA held a debate at Sherwood ES. One of the first questions was on the three budget priorities for the school of the eight candidates (four Republicans and four Democrats).
This is a loaded question. Here's why: The school board takes over 50% of the entire MoCo Budget (about $2 billion annually) and we are facing a $297 million shortfall in the MoCo Budget. It is a critical question because it raises questions on how we can afford a 8% increase for school staff -- mostly union employees of MCEA (the teachers) and the SEIU (the support staff) -- during an economic downturn that was negotiated by the elected School Board, headed by Nancy Navarro. Personnel costs are 89% of the entire school budget and personnel costs are 80% of the entire MoCo Budget.
So answering this question of budget priorities for the school system gets to how we are going to fund our entire budget. Do we give the unions representing school employees an 8% increase (just under $100 million) during a recession? Or do we hold the line on increasing costs? If we agree to an 8% increase we need to find the money.
The revenue sources are limited. In MoCo we are at our tax cap on our local portion of the state income tax of 3.2% (generating $1.286 in FY08). That leaves us to find increases in property taxes (currently $12.07 million) or increases in transfer fees ($128 million) or Recordation Taxes ($72 million). The latter two (Transfer Fees and Recordation Taxes) are declining because of the downturn in the local real estate market. So if a candidate is for full funding of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) then we have to either hack at the other 50% of the MoCo budget or increase our property taxes -- since the other revenue sources are capped (state income tax) or are declinding (Transfer Fees and Recordation Taxes). Source for all figures handout from Ike Leggett at a Town Hall Meeting on March 12, 2008.
So listen to the four Democrats and make up your own mind as how we should fully fund education in a recession.
As part of full disclosure here at Maryland Politics Watch (MPW), I am a District 4 Resident and I support Don Praisner. I came to that conclusion after sitting down with 2 of the candidates personally (Navarro and Ryan) and having brief conversations with the other two (Praisner and Kanstoroom). I come from a union household so pointing out the huge increases of the unions in MoCo: MCEA (the Apple Ballot) and the SEIU in a down market is something that I don't enjoy mentioning. But I see no other way to be fiscally responsible to all of us.
The question was what are the three budget priorities for the schools.
Three Republicans spoke first. The person immediately before Kanstoroom, John McKinnis, cited Council member Marc Elrich as saying that 45% of the incoming students to Montgomery College (MC) from the MCPS needed remedial training in reading and math. Another Republican Robert Patton claimed it cost $8,000 per year to educate a child in MoCo when the correct figure is just under $15,000 per pupil. Mr. Patton, it was $8k ten years ago.
The first Democrat to speak is Steve Kanstoroom. I failed to get the first minute of his speech but I have an audio recording of it. He said his first priorities were the addition at this location (Sherwood ES). Also he wanted accountability from the Superintendent of Schools, Jerry Weast. He said that there are no quarterly reviews of the school budget. He also talked about how the School Board (which was led by Nancy Navarro) went to the Attorney General to stop an Inspector General review of the school's budget during the Seven Locks ES debate of 2005-06. Now Steve speaks...
Next up is Don Praisner
Now let's hear from Pat Ryan.
And now here's Nancy Navarro.
Later in the debate a follow up question was asked to Nancy Navarro specifically, she was asked does she support going over the property tax limit to fund the budget. Her answer: "Yes". No rationale as to why. Now the question for her and the others is going over the property tax limit is this a blank check? Were is the oversight?
So we are faced with paying for an 8% increase in pay for education personnel during a recession without the funds to pay for it. Who were the people who worked on that agreement? The same people who meet at King Jerry's Castle for private meetings.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Nancy Navarro's Show of Force
One week after Don Praisner announced his candidacy for the District 4 County Council seat backed by the County Executive and four council members, Nancy Navarro responded with an announcement of her own.
Navarro’s campaign kicked off at the Good Hope Community Center at 11 this morning. Supporters in attendance included Council Member Valerie Ervin, Casa de Maryland leader Gustavo Torres, District 20 Delegate Tom Hucker, several members of the school board, representatives from MCEA and SEIU Local 500 and scores of district residents. Navarro read this statement:
My name is Nancy Navarro. I am the President of the Montgomery County Board of Education, a wife and a parent of two amazing daughters who could not be with us because they are in school. Earlier today, I filed as a candidate for the District 4 Council seat.
Three things stood out about this announcement to your blogger:
This candidacy was not in my plans. It came about after a sad and unexpected death of a woman who dedicated her life to service. I have learned that many honorable endeavors usually are not planned and that is why it is so important to be ready. And I can say with absolute resolve that I am ready for this seat and I am willing to represent all the residents of District 4 and this County.
Yesterday, I visited with over 100 residents of this neighborhood at the Good Hope United Methodist Church. They came together to demand a renovation of this center and other centers located in mostly low-income communities of color. This community came out to be heard, to be supported and to indicate their presence in this District.
In the last three weeks, I have heard that the only issues that people in this District care about are land use, the ICC, traffic and the environment. Indeed these are very important issues to all of us, but let’s not forget all the other issues that we all face everyday: the need for quality education, jobs, affordable housing, access to affordable child care, access to affordable health care, business development, enhanced transportation services and many more.
These are the issues that we must grapple with as a District and as a County. In these difficult economic times, we will not be able to solve everything. But it sure helps to have someone who has been in elected office, who has presided over an elected body and who is not afraid to exercise her independence while making very difficult decisions. I do believe in the politics of possibilities. I do believe that Montgomery County with its ever-changing face can and will continue to preserve its quality of life.
I pledge to seek consensus whenever possible, to promote civil discourse and to always make decisions based on what is in the best interest of District 4 and the County. Please come out to vote on April 15. District 4 deserves a leader that is here for the long haul, one that has been tried and tested, one that reflects the hopes and dreams of all its residents.
1. The campaign showed off an extremely diverse group of supporters for the event. Just look at the picture below:
Blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, seniors, kids, union people, community activists and many others were present in abundance. As Council Member Valerie Ervin said, “When we talk about the new Montgomery County, this is what it looks like.” More importantly, the gathering resembled a district in which no one demographic group commands a majority.
2. Special elections depend on turnout and this one will be no exception. The fact that MCEA, SEIU and Casa de Maryland activists have all pledged to support Navarro gives her a ground game that her opponents must match. They should all beware of the fist-pumping declaration delivered by Gustavo Torres: “We are going to fight to make sure immigrants vote in this election!”
3. Mr. Praisner is effectively the incumbent in the race. Nevertheless, there was immense confidence among Navarro’s supporters. (Perhaps the Good Hope Community Center was aptly named for today’s event.) They truly believe that they will outwork the Praisner campaign and bring change to the district.
This race is compelling because District 4 has not seen a truly competitive contest since it was created in 1990. That year Marilyn Praisner, coming off service on the school board, ran as the candidate of change and defeated three-term council incumbent Mike Gudis. Is Nancy Navarro the 2008 model of Mrs. Praisner? We’ll find out in less than five weeks.
Disclosure: The author is the Assistant to the General President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. The union’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Council has endorsed Navarro.
Friday, January 18, 2008
A Note on Labor Endorsements in CD4
Here's a quick observation from a labor guy on union endorsements in the Wynn-Edwards race.
The labor movement has been unusually divided between the top two contenders in CD 4: Al Wynn, the incumbent and Donna Edwards, the returning challenger. Wynn's biggest labor endorsers are the MSTA/NEA funds (the state teachers), the Washington Metro AFL-CIO, the Maryland-DC AFL-CIO, SEIU Local 400 (Prince George's local schools employees), AFSCME Local 2250 (Prince George's government employees) and the Washington DC Building Trades. Edwards' endorsers include the national SEIU, the national UNITE-HERE, UFCW Local 400 (grocery workers) and Progressive Maryland. She has also earned important non-labor endorsements from NOW, the Sierra Club and Emily's List.
When labor unions endorse, they bring either money, people power or both. In the Wynn-Edwards race, both of the leading candidates have enough money to compete. And both of them already have lots of name recognition in the district. So the labor endorsements that will matter the most will come from unions that 1. have lots of members in the district, 2. can get their members to turn out, and 3. have volunteers that can handle other tasks on behalf of the campaigns, including communication with non-members.
On the Wynn side, the most meaningful endorsements come from the Teachers. Both MCEA and PGCEA use Apple Ballots in their campaigns. But there are real questions as to whether either Apple Ballot will be used for a federal race and whether either affiliate will truly work hard for Wynn. On the Edwards side, the most meaningful endorsements come from UFCW Local 400 (grocery workers), the national SEIU and especially Progressive Maryland. PM has a large email list and engages in plenty of door-to-door work. But it will have to be just as active in Prince George's as it usually is in Montgomery to maximize its impact for Edwards.
So my best guess is that if the Teachers go all-out for Wynn, he'll have the edge. If they don't, PM will give the edge to Donna Edwards. But labor support is only one small dimension in this race. The overriding factors will be the level of satisfaction with Wynn inside the district and the relative skill each side shows in getting turnout. And the minor candidates could drain a few votes from Edwards, though none has yet demonstrated real strength in the district.
Two other interesting facts stand out. First, the 7000-member UFCW Local 1994 (the MoCo government employees) has not endorsed either candidate. Second, it is extremely unusual for a local union (SEIU Local 400) to take an opposite position from its parent. I cannot recall this happening inside my union, where the international and the regional councils closely align. It is probably a sign of the unusual volatility and strong feelings in this particular race.
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