The 'big dog' in campaign spending

Mr. Jacoby paints an incomplete picture in his comparison between Union and Corporate spending on elections (The 'big dog' in campaign spending, Boston Globe, October 31, 2010).

First, he cannot know that Unions outspent Corporations. Without any disclosure information about corporate contributions to the Chamber and the Rove inspired organizations. It is perfectly possible for corporations to donate to multiple organizations and thus outspend unions.

Spending by unions has to be from funds earmarked by each member. The same constraint does not apply to corporations who do not need permission from either shareholders or customers. As a customer, I do not expect that my purchases would provide funds for corporate lobbying. When I contacted three service providers asking that the proportion of my tiny contributions to their cash flow allocated to political activity be diverted to charity they ignored my request.

Finally, the fact that public setcor hourly wages exceed those of private sector workers is not due to the irresponsible generosity of public sector employers; rather it is due to the fact that private sector wages have stagnated due to top management of private sector employers (and especially the very top managers) having reaped in their pay and benefit packages all the gains in productivity that have been achieved in America over the past decade.


Sent to Boston Globe