Think Record, Not Party

From Gerald W. McEntee, President

We've watched as President Bush has broken nearly all of the promises made by candidate Bush

We've all heard the stereotypes about unions and their members. In retort, we can point to plenty of examples of the worthwhile and necessary work union members do — in and out of America's workplaces — every day.

One of the most heard — and most untrue — notions about AFSCME, in particular, is that when voting time comes around, we only support Democrats. It was a stereotype that surfaced repeatedly during the 2000 elections. With unemployment at a historic 3.5 percent low and the nation enjoying the highest surplus in a decade, we pulled out all the stops to keep our nation on the right track by sending Al Gore to the White House.

But our opposition to George Bush had nothing to do with his being a Republican — and everything to do with his abysmal record on education, health care, the environment, and other important issues. We knew a Bush administration would serve the wants of wealthy people, not the needs of working people. And with Texas ranked as the state with the most private prisons, we knew a Bush presidency would spread the virus of privatization across the nation.

The past 18 months have shown that we were absolutely right. Not only that, we've watched as President Bush has broken nearly all of the promises made by candidateBush.

Campaigning vs. governing

On the campaign trail, Bush said that his proposed tax cut would not harm the economy. He promised that the Social Security Trust Fund would remain untouched, vowed to support prescription drug coverage for all 39 million Medicare recipients, and said his administration would spend more money on education.

Instead, Bush's budget saddles us with a $106 billion deficit, punching holes in the budgets of states across the nation and putting the jobs of public employees and the services you provide at risk. His budget proposal would raid the Social Security Trust Fund every year through 2009 — jeopardizing the retirement security of hardworking Americans. And his Medicare plan would cover fewer than 3 million Americans by 2007, leaving 36 million behind.

Clearly, the space between reality and rhetoric is vast.

In addition to broken promises, working Americans have weathered blatant attacks as the Bush administration favors its friends in the executive suites of America's largest corporations. Last year, after only weeks in office, the administration ditched a federal workplace ergonomics standard that was 10 years in the making and proceeded to replace it with voluntary guidelines for certain employers. On the welfare front (see Welfare Reform Done Right and Wrong), Bush allies have presented a welfare bill requiring a significant increase in the number of hours worked by recipients, leaving little time for them to participate in job training programs or other endeavors that build a bright future.

With each broken promise and every attack, the Bush administration has put the needs of working families last. That — not party affiliation — is why we oppose this administration and every other governor, mayor and legislator who works against working people. Similarly, we stand with candidates and politicians who stand with us.

Issues are key

As mid-term elections approach, the notion of evaluating candidates according to their position on issues that are important to us is more critical than ever.

That is the only way we are going to protect Social Security and Medicare, get a real Patient's Bill of Rights and get the federal government to finally step up to the plate and provide the financial support that can shore up imperiled state budgets.

But more than that, after the polls close, after we've helped a candidate win office, we've got to watch what they're doing, keep track of how they vote and keep them accountable. We can't let them just talk the talk when it comes to working family issues. We have to make sure they also walk the walk by supporting good contracts for our members.

With 36 gubernatorial seats, 34 Senate seats and the entire House up for election, we must keep this firmly in mind when it comes to backing candidates: Record — and not party — is the principal criterion for judgment.