{"id":1739,"date":"2026-02-06T03:22:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T03:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/06\/the-921m-special-interest-machine-that-controls-california\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T03:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T03:22:09","slug":"the-921m-special-interest-machine-that-controls-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/{2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f}year{2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f}\/{2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f}monthnum{2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f}\/{2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f}day{2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f}\/{2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f}postname{2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f}\/","title":{"rendered":"The $921M Special Interest Machine That Controls California"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"italic text-gray-600 leading-relaxed\">The political machine behind Sacramento: over 1.1 million members and nearly $1 billion in annual revenue. These aren&#8217;t advocacy groups\u2014they&#8217;re the most powerful special interest in California. Data: California Policy Center<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>California\u2019s public-sector unions are the Colorado River of political spending. Normal people and our donations? A trickle. An unstoppable torrent flows from over 1.1 million union members collecting nearly $1 billion a year in dues. If you wonder how California politics got so bad, this is how.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-cards=\"hidden\" style=\"border: 1px solid #e5e7eb; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; background: white; max-width: 550px; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 12px 0; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; color: #0f1019;\">California&#8217;s public-sector unions spend 100s of millions of $ yearly on elections and lobbying<\/p>\n<p>Opposition from citizens? Normal people and our donations? A trickle. The unions are the Colorado River. An unstoppable torrent<\/p>\n<p>If you wonder how CA politics got so bad, this is how https:\/\/t.co\/9tPIdPGPLA<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>The Numbers Don\u2019t Lie: $921 Million in Annual Union Revenue<\/h2>\n<p>The California Policy Center\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/californiaglobe.com\/fr\/the-financial-power-of-californias-government-unions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">analysis<\/a> lays it bare: California\u2019s public sector unions collected $921 million in 2018 alone. That\u2019s not campaign contributions\u2014that\u2019s annual revenue. The prize they\u2019re protecting? According to <a href=\"https:\/\/governforcalifornia.org\/news\/2024\/9\/15\/update-240-billion-per-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Govern For California<\/a>, state and local governments spend $240 billion per year on public employee compensation and benefits.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"my-6 px-4 py-3 bg-amber-50 border-l-4 border-amber-300 rounded-r-lg\">\n<p class=\"text-gray-800 text-lg leading-relaxed font-serif italic m-0\">\n    &#8220;There is no special interest in California that wields more influence over state and local politics than public sector unions. At every level of government, from the office of the governor to a school board managing a district with only a few hundred students, public sector unions are omnipresent. With rare exceptions, to defy their agenda is certain political suicide.&#8221;\n  <\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"text-gray-600 text-sm mt-2 block not-italic\">\u2014 Edward Ring, <a href=\"https:\/\/californiaglobe.com\/fr\/the-financial-power-of-californias-government-unions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"hover:underline\">The Financial Power of California\u2019s Government Unions \u2013 California Globe<\/a> (californiaglobe.com)<\/span><br \/>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The California Teachers Association alone has 325,000 members and $356 million in annual revenue. Unlike private sector unions that negotiate with management controlled by shareholders, public sector unions can elect their own management\u2014the politicians who depend on union endorsements. That\u2019s not collective bargaining. That\u2019s a protection racket.<\/p>\n<h2>They\u2019re Coming for the Golden Goose<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s a very bad thing for California to be the innovation center of the world and Golden Goose of the state while simultaneously the biggest, most powerful special interests want to destroy it.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" style=\"border: 1px solid #e5e7eb; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; background: white; max-width: 550px; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 12px 0; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; color: #0f1019;\">Unions oppose progress and are antithetical to Silicon Valley&#8217;s startup ethos.<\/p>\n<p>In this case, the Teamsters demand Waymo&#8217;s license be pulled after an apparently unavoidable and relatively minor safety incident. https:\/\/t.co\/HTkDwlaFOs https:\/\/t.co\/g3UgIYg6M8<\/p>\n<p>[Quoting @TeamstersCA]:<br \/>\nTeamsters California co-chairs Peter Finn, Victor Mineros demanded Waymo&#8217;s operating license be suspended indefinitely &#8211; citing an incident where a Waymo struck a 5-year-old outside a school in Santa Monica last week.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/t.co\/LdLh4PEltO<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Teamsters demanded Waymo\u2019s license be suspended indefinitely after a child ran into the road from behind a tall SUV. The vehicle braked hard from 17 mph to 6 mph. The child stood up immediately, walked to the sidewalk, and was fine. The Teamsters\u2019 response? Shut it all down.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"my-6\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dm2nowkhw0ff4.cloudfront.net\/content_media\/e5626edc-9957-4d62-905b-2c91d2433bf6.png\" alt=\"Waymo said its robotaxi struck the child at six miles per hour, after braking &quot;hard&quot; from around 17 miles per hour. The young pedestrian &quot;suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle's path,&quot; the company said in its blog post. Waymo said its vehicle &quot;immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle.&quot;&#10;&#10;&quot;Following contact, the pedestrian stood up immediately, walked to the sidewalk, and we called 911. Th...\" class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" style=\"max-height: 80vh;\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-sm mt-2\"><span class=\"italic text-gray-600\">A child runs into the road, the Waymo brakes hard, makes contact at 6 mph, the child walks away. The Teamsters&#8217; response? Shut it all down.<\/span><span class=\"text-gray-300 mx-2\">\u00b7<\/span><span class=\"text-gray-400\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/marcjoffe\/status\/2018709311527002301\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"hover:underline\">x.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is the same pattern we see everywhere: use any excuse to kill innovation that threatens union jobs. The Teamsters also control SFO and are fighting against Waymo access there. Marc Joffe put it bluntly: \u201cUnions oppose progress and are antithetical to Silicon Valley\u2019s startup ethos.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Not All Unions Are the Enemy<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s what most people miss: not all unions are the problem. Some have figured out that you can support workers AND progress.<\/p>\n<p>The California Conference of Carpenters has become one of the most influential pro-housing voices in Sacramento. When Governor Newsom signed landmark housing reform last year, he said: \u201cThis is the third of the last four years we\u2019ve been together signing landmark housing reforms, and it simply would not have happened without the Carpenters.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"my-6\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dm2nowkhw0ff4.cloudfront.net\/content_media\/b48df83d-a769-4f37-9ac4-a3dc963a888c.jpg\" alt=\"This is a photograph showing two construction workers in bright green high-visibility safety shirts and hard hats working on the wooden frame structure of a house under construction. The image is taken from below looking up, creating a dramatic perspective against a bright blue sky with some trees visible in the background. The workers are positioned on top of the wooden wall frames, which appear to be made of light-colored lumber in the typical stick-frame construction style. The composition...\" class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" style=\"max-height: 80vh;\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-sm mt-2\"><span class=\"italic text-gray-600\">The Carpenters union chose a different path: support housing production, organize new workers, and be part of the solution. Photo: KPBS<\/span><span class=\"text-gray-300 mx-2\">\u00b7<\/span><span class=\"text-gray-400\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/kpbs.org\/news\/politics\/2025\/07\/10\/why-one-california-union-sided-with-yimbys-and-developers-on-housing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"hover:underline\">kpbs.org<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Carpenters focus on organizing non-union workers and improving conditions rather than just protecting existing members. Assemblymember Buffy Wicks said it best: \u201cThe Carpenters have come to the table with more creative solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"my-6 px-4 py-3 bg-amber-50 border-l-4 border-amber-300 rounded-r-lg\">\n<p class=\"text-gray-800 text-lg leading-relaxed font-serif italic m-0\">\n    &#8220;Non-union laborers produce the majority of the state&#8217;s housing, and the Carpenters&#8217; approach viewing them not as cheaper competition but as potential members of their union has made them &#8220;game-changing,&#8221; Wicks said.&#8221;\n  <\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"text-gray-600 text-sm mt-2 block not-italic\">\u2014 Jeanne Kuang and Ben Christopher, <a href=\"https:\/\/kpbs.org\/news\/politics\/2025\/07\/10\/why-one-california-union-sided-with-yimbys-and-developers-on-housing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"hover:underline\">Why one California union sided with YIMBYs and developers on housing | KPBS Public Media<\/a> (kpbs.org)<\/span><br \/>\n<\/aside>\n<p>And the SF Police Officers Association routinely fights for public safety for everyone. POA President Louis Wong <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/sf\/article\/sunset-district-supervisor-21209463.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">advocates for<\/a> \u201cthe rank-and-file officers who keep this city safe.\u201d They\u2019re allies in the fight for accountability\u2014not obstacles.<\/p>\n<h2>The Real Fight: Public Sector vs. Private Sector Unions<\/h2>\n<p>The distinction that matters isn\u2019t union vs. non-union. It\u2019s public sector vs. private sector.<\/p>\n<p>Private sector unions negotiate with management controlled by shareholders who have real stakes. Public sector unions can literally elect their own management\u2014politicians who depend on union endorsements and campaign contributions. This creates a fundamental imbalance with no natural check on union demands.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"my-6\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dm2nowkhw0ff4.cloudfront.net\/content_media\/a5adbb32-49d2-4dac-b93c-7e84aa623ce7.jpg\" alt=\"California's public-sector unions are not only the most powerful political special interest in the state, but most of them are nakedly partisan. To have all this power, and merely use it to push for more staff, more restrictive work rules (which equates to more staff), more pay, and more benefits, that would be bad enough. Not because workers shouldn't want to optimize their opportunities to work and live with security and dignity, but because public-sector unions simply do not have to deal w...\" class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" style=\"max-height: 80vh;\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-sm mt-2\"><span class=\"italic text-gray-600\">The California Globe nails the core problem: public sector unions don&#8217;t just negotiate\u2014they control the people they&#8217;re negotiating with.<\/span><span class=\"text-gray-300 mx-2\">\u00b7<\/span><span class=\"text-gray-400\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/garrytan\/status\/2018586432588366205\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"hover:underline\">x.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The result? <a href=\"https:\/\/governforcalifornia.org\/news\/2024\/9\/15\/update-240-billion-per-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Services have declined<\/a> ever since California authorized public employee collective bargaining in 1968, even as taxes have increased. Most public sector union websites \u201cread like a pamphlet describing the agenda of the Democratic party.\u201d Is that appropriate for organizations with this much power?<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-cards=\"hidden\" style=\"border: 1px solid #e5e7eb; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; background: white; max-width: 550px; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 12px 0; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; color: #0f1019;\">You might ask why? This is why. 9 figures of $ seems like a lot, but it&#8217;s a drop in the bucket for $240B per year in spending that is a firehose to the public sector unions. <\/p>\n<p>There needs to be balance. <\/p>\n<p>But we are so out of balance. <\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/t.co\/rHsShjokUd https:\/\/t.co\/WSDdFQOBP7<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Nine figures of political spending seems like a lot. But it\u2019s a drop in the bucket for unions protecting $240 billion per year in spending that flows directly to them.<\/p>\n<h2>The Janus Opportunity<\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s a legal pathway out of this mess.<\/p>\n<p>The 2018 Janus Supreme Court decision found that applying public sector union fees to non-members violates the First Amendment. The California Policy Center has been working to inform public employees of their right to withdraw. Marc Joffe <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/marcjoffe\/status\/2018771853662446037\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted<\/a>: \u201cThis is an important opportunity to educate individuals who have been in the Democratic Party coalition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There needs to be balance. But we are so out of balance.<\/p>\n<p>I think there\u2019s a pathway via ballot measure to require unions to be real democracies\u2014with leadership elections, term limits, and open audited books. If they refuse? Right-to-work laws trigger. Wisconsin did it. California could too.<\/p>\n<p>California is the innovation center of the world. The birthplace of self-driving cars, the original home of OpenAI, and countless technologies that improve human life. But the biggest special interests in the state want to kill the golden goose. The Teamsters want to ban autonomous vehicles. The teachers unions block school accountability. SEIU and AFSCME control Sacramento.<\/p>\n<p>The Carpenters proved you can support workers AND housing. The POA fights for public safety. The distinction is public sector vs. private sector\u2014and whether unions use their power to block progress or build it.<\/p>\n<p>The Janus decision cracked open the door. Now it\u2019s time to walk through it.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/garryslist.org\/posts\/the-921m-special-interest-machine-that-controls-california\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The political machine behind Sacramento: over 1.1 million members and nearly $1 billion in annual revenue. These aren&#8217;t advocacy groups\u2014they&#8217;re the most powerful special interest in California. Data: California Policy Center California\u2019s public-sector unions are the Colorado River of political spending. Normal people and our donations? A trickle. An unstoppable torrent flows from over 1.1 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3fyear2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f\/2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3fmonthnum2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f\/2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3fday2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f\/2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3fpostname2d86e206823e03865fa8be0e21e9a6ee7441ee8bfd1fad108302568e2129cc3f\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;The $921M Special Interest Machine That Controls California&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/polygon.uploadbackup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}