* Jim Muir writing in the Southern Illinoisan…
The Illinois Policy Institute, a non-partisan and well-respected organization, recently completed an exhaustive study about the five major public employees unions in Illinois. It’s titled: “Anatomy of Influence: Government Unions in Illinois.” The numbers are eye-opening to say the least.
Since 2002, public employee unions in Illinois have contributed $46 million in direct political contributions. Obviously, unions are not dropping that kind of cash on politicians because they have a pleasant personality. Clearly, it’s an investment and when you consider that Illinois taxpayers have made millionaires out of many, many public union employees, it was a good investment. Bad for taxpayers, but good for unions.
Interestingly, during that same time frame, from 2002 through 2014, Democrats controlled the House, the Senate and the governor’s mansion and, according to the report, 85 percent of that $46 million went to … you guessed it … Democrats.
Let me say again, I’m pro-union. But the system I’ve detailed today has nothing to do with anti-union or anti-labor. It has to do with a system that is badly broken and borders on veiled corruption. It’s a system that has to be fixed, period.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** From our old pal Kent Redfield…
Hi Rich,
A little perspective on the IPI Public Sector Union Contributions story.
Since 1/1/2002 Rauner ($40 million) Griffin ($17.1 million) and Uihlein ($7.8 million) have made $64.9 million contributions (not all to statewide and legislative races, but most of it, and most of it to Republicans).
It has been a couple of cycles since I looked at an overall break down of money coming into Illinois politics by source, but historically for contributions you can classify the split has been 60% business, 25% unions and 15 professional (doctor, lawyers, CPA, etc.). These are broad categories, but they give you a sense of what is going on. Because of the large amount of money from Rauner, Griffin and Uihlein in 2013-2014, the overall percentage from business is probably up, even with the counter surge from labor in independent expenditures.
Take care, Kent
