Tom Harman Does A Solid For The Unions

Thank you to Art Pedroza for bringing this to light over at Orange Juice:

Less than a week after ostensibly Republican Assemblyman Tom Harman beat Diane Harkey for the 35th Senate District, he added his name as a co-author to Assembly Bill 2929 - a measure designed to stop the establishment and growth of merit (non-union) apprenticeship programs!

Assembly Bill 2929 is backed by several pro-union liberal Democrats and it is the #1 bill being advanced by the unions in 2006 to attack the non-union shops. The bill would establish "severe and prohibitive new standards for the approval of Merit Shop apprenticeship programs" according to my sources in Sacramento. Opponents of the bill have been unable to find out why Harman is sponsoring a union bill meant to "stop competition and choice in training for a construction career." I however know why - it is quid pro quo. The unions are spending a ton of money on the campaign of Harman's wife, Diane, for the 67th Assembly District.

Opponents of the bill ask that Harman's constituents fax Harman’s district office at (714) 843-6375 and ask him to REMOVE his co-authorship of the unions’ apprenticeship attack bill Assembly Bill 2929.

You can read the rest of Art's post here.

Is this a preview of the next six-and-a-half years, Senator-elect Harman? I'd be interested in the comments of Mark Herrick and that other guy who relentlessly attested to Tom Harman's "conservative" credentials.

Comments

[Harman bashing]

Why should Harman do anything those who bashed him mercilessly during his campaign want?

He won. They lost.

Deal with it.

[joehill]

"Severe and prohibitive new standards"?

The bill just monitors apprenticeship programs, non-union AND union alike, that seek to expand to ensure they are not fleecing enrolees by ensuring there are jobs for the graduates to fill and follows up with drop outs to see if there are problems with the program.

Maybe Pedroza who is involved in a non-union apprentice program is afraid of what the audits would find.

[JozefColomy]

...or maybe Tom Harman is the very pawn of the unions we all thought him to be.

[Art Pedroza]

joehill,

My students are all employed. As for the union programs, it can take as long as three months to get into one. Not so with ours...

[Art Pedroza]

Harman Bashing,

Yes, he won - but the Republicans lost. He will be a reliable vote for the unions and their Dem allies.

[Dave Swanson]

I wonder what the "West Orange County Taxpayers Association" thinks of this...or has it folded already?

[Maggie]

Perhaps Tom Harman seeks approval and support from those very same Republicans who support Jim Silva- a Republican with a proven record of voting pro-civil servant benefits, pro-"flavor of the month", pro-bigger government, etc., etc. Or are those issues Republican issues, depending on the candidate?

[Art Pedroza]

Maggie,

I think that Silva got away with voting for the OC PLA because Curt Pringle told him to do it. Pringle got away with that because he is Curt Pringle... Silva continues to be favored by the faltering OC GOP machine because he is a stooge who will do as he is told.

McGill is no one's stooge. He is his own man and as such the machine would rather back a squish in Silva. Shameful.

Nevertheless, McGill is running a strong effort - his campaign is the only one walking the district, and he is also aggressively mailing to targeted voters.

Harman is busy attacking Silva, and vice versa. That is fine with me - they will blow each other away and McGill win win the day.

[Critic]

In reading the actual bill and the legislative analysis, I'm not sure where the "severe and prohibitive" new standards are. As with a lot of legislation, there's certainly a question as to whether there is a need or whether this bill will solve whatever problem it's allegedly addressing, but I would be interested in knowing what is so oppressive about this bill.

[Johnny Slash]

Tom Harman will draw a primary opponent in 2008.

[Northcountystorm]

One note Art--- McSquish for Assembly---his support of eminent domain and increased taxes will create a lot of work for your non-union apprentices.

[hey art]

How many of your guys offer health benefits and retirement packages?

[Art Pedroza]

11:07,

You mean the kind of packages that are bankrupting the airlines and US automakers - not to mention the City of San Diego and perhaps the County of Orange?

[Sundance]

Mister Pedroza--They say that SEIU is driving many businesses and public agencies into financial jeopardy. They always say unions do that. You have some experience with this union..do you think SEIU employees should give their benefits back to ensure the company or agency is very profitable?