When setting course to reform education, specifically to “out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world,” as President Barack Obama declared in his State of the Union Address in January, the interests of the children should come first and foremost. The interest of the taxpayers should also weigh heavily.
President Obama’s architect on education reform will likely be Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions. Where do Harkin’s interests lay? Are they with the children, taxpayers, or the country? Or do his interests intersect with those who support him? This of course is no easy question to answer. So let’s take a look at some facts and figures, primarily Harkin’s benefactors.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan Washington, D.C., based campaign finance watchdog organization, Harkin has received more than $562,000 from the education industry, which is the 10th most generous donor to Harkin since 1989. Harkin’s second largest donor is the University of Iowa, which has contributed nearly $75,000 to Harkin since 1989.
The Center for Responsive Politics also reports Harkin has received nearly $1.7 million from labor unions since 1989. More than $407,000 of that figure comes from public sector unions, like the American Federation of Teachers who contributed $45,000.
As we’ve seen on the public sector union front in Wisconsin, particularly those representing teachers, the interests of those teachers and unions are centered on their collective bargaining rights. They’re more concerned with their pay, their lavish benefit programs, and favorable work conditions which make it nearly impossible to fire a bad teacher and promotes those based on seniority over proven results on a last-in, first-out formula. These are all benefits private sector taxpayers do not enjoy nor expect. These unions, who have contributed large sums of money to Harkin, don’t necessarily have the best interest of children, the taxpayer or the country at heart. On education reform, whose side is Harkin going to come down on? The teacher’s union bailout bill he sponsored in April 2010 suggests it’s the unions Harkin will favor:
“The Keep Our Educators Working Act was recently introduced by the two congressional education committee chairmen, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif.” (Eliza Krigman, “The Education Jobs Bill And Reform,” National Journal, 5/10/10)
“The bill will create a $23 billion Education Jobs Fund to help keep teachers, principals, librarians and other school personnel on the job as states face crippling budget shortfalls.” (Senator Tom Harkin, “Harkin Introduces Bill To Keep Educators On The Job,” Press Release, 4/14/10)
“The Obama administration came out Thursday in support of emergency education funding legislation that would provide $23 billion to preserve teacher jobs in the face of massive impending layoffs across the country.” (Mary Bruce, “Obama Administration Backs $23B Bill To Save Teacher Jobs,” ABC News, 5/14/10)
“Some groups are arguing that the legislation should include changes to the teacher tenure process . . .” (Eliza Krigman, “The Education Jobs Bill And Reform,” National Journal, 5/10/10)
“Harkin, however, last week rejected the idea of including teacher reform in the measure, saying that such policy efforts should be dealt with in a more ‘thoughtful’ way in separate legislation.” (Eliza Krigman, “The Education Jobs Bill And Reform,” National Journal, 5/10/10)
“The heads of the two largest teachers unions, Randi Weingarten and Dennis Van Roekel, also dismissed the notion of including teacher reform in the bill.” (Eliza Krigman, “The Education Jobs Bill And Reform,” National Journal, 5/10/10)
What of Harkin’s other donors? Since 1989, lawyers and lobbyists have contributed more than $2.8 million to Harkin’s campaign coffers, some of which undoubtedly have an interest or stake in the fight. Likewise, liberal ideological or single-issue organizations have contributed over $2.6 million, some of which likely have an interest as well.
There are untold others over the years that may have some sway with Harkin as well on the education issue. We’ll take a look at one in particular tomorrow. Stay tuned!
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