California Phone tax gets heavy backing from unions

The L.A. Times reports:

The campaign for a $243-million telephone users tax on the Feb. 5 ballot has amassed nearly $2.6 million, almost three-fourths of it from labor unions, according to campaign contribution reports filed Thursday.

Unions provided nearly $1.9 million to the Proposition S campaign, which is seeking to preserve a tax on cellular and land line calls that has been challenged repeatedly in court.

The size of the donations appalled foes of the tax, who said that city employee unions were rewarding politicians for giving them raises -- and ensuring that more will be granted in the future.

"This is the economics of special interests," said Walter Moore, who has been battling the measure. "You have a special interest that can make hundreds of millions of dollars by putting in $1 million or $2 million at City Hall."

Foes of Proposition S have raised only $5,100. By comparison, the backers of the tax have bought television commercials featuring Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Douglas Barry and LAPD Chief William J. Bratton, who said the loss of the tax revenue would seriously harm the city's ability to provide public safety.

Ten unions have written six-figure checks in an effort to preserve the tax, which represents about 6% of the city's general fund budget. In recent weeks, the campaign received $100,000 from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 18, which represents workers at the Department of Water and Power.

The campaign received $250,000 apiece from the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents police officers, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents clerks and secretaries, among others.

And the campaign took in $300,000 from Service Employees International Union, whose members belonged to a coalition of city employees that received a five-year package of pay increases worth $255 million from L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council last month.

The people vs. the powerful.What better proof that unions don't represent "the little guy"?