Did Bucks County Commissioners violate the Sunshine Act?
July 21st, 2008 | by BGuzzardi |
Simon Campbell alerts us to an apparent violation of the Sunshine Act by Bucks County Commissioners, particularly, Commissioner Cawley, focused primarily on compulsory PAC deductions from county employees pay checks. This is, in addition, for forced dues deduction. In effect, the County is the collection agent for the Union. Republican Commissioner Martin and union financed Democratic Commissioner Marseglia voted for the AFSCME contract and Comm. Cawley, dramatically, but to Simon, disingenuously, publicly voted against the contract and now more of Commissioner Cawley’s involvement.
From Simon Campbell of Stop Teacher Strikes:
This story isn’t over yet by a long shot. Jim Cawley is on tape from the Commissioners July 2nd meeting as having absolutely no idea that PAC contributions were taking place (no such contract language was in the expired agreement).
Then on the night they approved the contract (July 16th) the public was told that this PAC language had been added to the new agreement. So when exactly did the Commissioners agree to it? AFSCME previously ratified the agreement before July 2nd. Did the Commissioners vote on a different tentative agreement than AFSCME voted on? Or did Jim Cawley sit down with AFSCME and agree to add PAC deductions language ahead of AFSCME’s approval (as would be logical if both parties were going to vote on the same agreement). In which case, Cawley must have suffered a spectacular bout of amnesia on July 2nd!
Jenna Portnoy of the Intelligencer gives some of the background.