Pennsylvania Think Tank Plans to 'Slay' Unions, Like in Wisconsin

[octoberlib]

The Commonwealth Foundation, a right-wing think tanks in Harrisburg, is plotting to go after public sector employee unions. In a letter from Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) on behalf of the Foundation, the think tank announced "Project Goliath," a new effort to make Pennsylvania the next Wisconsin or Michigan. The Commonwealth Foundation is one of a 59-state network of similar think tanks that have vastly expanded since 2009. The letter makes clear that conservatives believe that right-wing political infrastructure -- the organizing institutes, the partisan media outlets, the rapid response efforts -- has helped turn the tide against labor unions. Toomey writes (emphasis added):

"I firmly believe the future is in our hands--it's up to you and me--and it all depends on the level of urgency we give this great new campaign of ours, Project Goliath: Conquering Pennsylvania's Political Giant. Now is the time to fight back. Like David of the Bible, now is the time to come forward and slay Pennsylvania's Big Labor Goliath! [...] To surprise and discredit Goliath, we will employ two key tactics. First, we are forming an alliance with other successful free-market groups to actively discredit the Big Government Party (a tactic borrowed directly from Wisconsin). Like our friends in Wisconsin and Michigan, many elements of our plan involve a cooperative effort among our allied, but still independent, organizations. [...] But the overriding key to our whole plan will be our ability to starve the giant."

The fundraising letter is surprising in its specificity and worth a read:

http://www.thenation.com/blog/173999/pennsylvania-think-tank-plans-slay-unions-wisconsin#

[mike_c]

1. these people are insane zealots....

They cannot be reasoned with, and they come back year after year with their destructive and self-serving agenda.

[johnp3907]

2. Pennsylvania's unions are Goliath? A political giant?

We need to make that a self-fulfilling prophecy!

[The Wielding Truth]

3. So Goliath is not Big business? It's the individual worker who wants to have representation? Twisted!

[Rex]

4. Commonwealth? How fucking sad.

And their pathetic biblical football euphemisms...this is a think tank? That pretends THEY are not a special interest group?

What do those guys make? Millions a year? To destroy the middle class and working poor. And they call themselves Commonwealth...I spit at their name and their hypocrisy.

Just another Heritage Foundation ripoff, they should sue.

[Bandit]

5. If Wisconsin and Michigan are any indication of how they will do, I think they will succeed

Unions have no one but themselves to blame either.. If the Unions really wanted to protect their interests they could shut the state down. The entire country for that matter, but Unions are not really Unions. Teamsters won't necessarily stand with the Plumbers Union or iron workers won't necessarily stand with State employees Unions..They only think of their tiny aspect of things....Republicans are going to get this accomplished and I don't believe there is anything anyone can or will do about it..Divide and conquer has been a very effective policy for the Republicans..

[DonCoquixote]

6. yeah, but here on DU

Ed Rendell is considered some sort of Saint.