Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger formally answered the recall petition put forward by CCPOA yesterday calling it an intimidation tactic by the prison guards union. He added, “It’s offensive that one special interest is using a recall to get more money.”
In the end, will there be just one public employee union that sees this as an opportunity to set their agenda in Sacramento or will others join in? If a number of public unions sign up, then Schwarzenegger might have a different response: bring back a paycheck protection initiative.
Schwarzenegger supported Proposition 75 on the 2005 special election ballot which, if passed, would have required public employee union members to approve in advance taking dues from their paychecks for union political activity. The measure lost 46.5% to 53.5%, but it came the closest to passing of any other Schwarzenegger backed initiative on the ballot that day.
What brings this to mind is an article in the Capitol Weekly that wondered whether other public unions might join the recall effort. The article noted that the head lobbyist of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Willie Pelote, was one of the signers of the recall petition. Pelote made it clear he was signing as an individual and not a union leader. Still, the Capitol Weekly searched out other union leaders to see where they and their respective unions were on the recall. Most dodged the question. One unidentified union chief said they are watching to see which way the wind blows.
If the unions push, Schwarzenegger might push back. Remember this is a governor who says if the legislators want to override his budget veto he will veto all their other bills.
Schwarzenegger would likely turn the recall debate into a question of what kind of state the voters want—one run by public employee unions or one in which the unions enjoy less power and influence than they do today. Within the context of that debate, the result of a paycheck protection initiative may be different this time around.
My guess? Most public employee unions aren’t interested in this fight. They care more about electing friends to the legislature in 2008 and to the governor’s office in 2010. If the recall goes forward, and that’s a big if, the CCPOA will likely go it alone.
These things are hard to predict, but here’s one prediction I’ll make — If the recall and a paycheck protection initiative both go forward in either the same election or back to back elections, the resulting tumult will heap more disgust from the public on the state’s political process.