Kerry Contests Paycheck Protection Initiative in California

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The New York Sun

LOS ANGELES – Senator Kerry of Massachusetts jumped into the fight over a hotly contested California ballot measure on union financing yesterday, denouncing the so-called paycheck protection initiative as a Republican power grab.


“This represents part of an ongoing effort by the Republican Party to create an unfair playing field to change the balance of democracy in America. They want a one-sided argument: their side,” Mr. Kerry said during an afternoon appearance outside a downtown Los Angeles firehouse.


The voter initiative, known as Proposition 75, would require public-employee unions to get permission annually from each member before using that member’s dues for political purposes. Governor Schwarzenegger has endorsed the measure, saying it would protect government workers from having their money go to political causes they don’t support.


However, Mr. Kerry, who has moved aggressively to maintain his standing with Democratic constituencies since his unsuccessful presidential bid last year, said the proposal would leave government workers at a disadvantage.


“This is not reform because it doesn’t apply to everybody. It’s only public-sector workers,” the senator said. “If you want real reform, then give the same rules to everybody in the political system, which this doesn’t do. This is slanting the system against these workers, and that’s just plain not fair.”


The appearance by Mr. Kerry came just three days after Mr. Schwarzenegger’s aides brought Senator McCain, a Republican of Arizona, to the Golden State to endorse the union-related measure and three other initiatives the governor is backing. Some Democrats said the appeal from Mr. McCain indicated desperation on the part of Mr. Schwarzenegger, whose poll numbers are in a deep slump.


Mr. Kerry said he decided to speak out because he views the union-dues measure as part of a national campaign. “This is not just a California fight,” he said, noting that similar legislation was defeated in the Senate in 1998.


An adviser to Mr. Schwarzenegger, Todd Harris, showed up uninvited at the firehouse event in an effort to secure Mr. Kerry’s endorsement of another measure on the November ballot, a proposal to extend the tenure period for public school teachers to five years from two years. “He is a strong advocate of ending teacher tenure. He absolutely agrees with us on this measure, and we’d like to have his support,” Mr. Harris said.


The Massachusetts Democrat told reporters yesterday that he still favors “changes” to the tenure system and may focus on that proposition and others in the coming weeks.


Mr. Kerry brushed aside questions about whether his comments yesterday and an overlapping trip to California by Senator Clinton were part of early maneuvering for the 2008 presidential race. “She has a number of different events, I have a number of different events, and we’re having fun,” Mr. Kerry said.


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