A fundraising letter circulated by a free market think tank in Pennsylvania casts its mission to bring down “the Government Union Bosses” in biblical terms and cites Wisconsin as an inspiration.
This is not a state where a “Messiah candidate … stepped in and magically saved freedom,” the letter from the Commonwealth Foundation says, but one where “countless friends of liberty who for more than a decade laid the groundwork for change.”
“Now it’s our turn!” the letter exclaims.
“This promising new campaign for the future of our state is aptly named, ‘Project Goliath: Conquering Pennsylvania’s Political Giant.’ Like biblical David, your gift will help us hurl the stones that finally take down freedom’s #1 enemy in our state!”
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, whose Act 10 greatly weakened public sector unions, is the son of a Baptist minister and has also described relying on his faith when making important decisions, including whether to run for governor. Kurt Chandler wrote back in 2011 about Walker’s seeming lack of close advisers. (“That’s the $64 million question,” said former lieutenant governor Margaret Farrow. “Who is the inner circle that guides the governor?”)
The fundraising letter, posted by The Nation, runs on for 11 pages and describes targeting both public sector unions and right-to-work legislation inspired by Michigan’s new law allowing workers to opt out of private sector unions and avoid paying dues. Twenty-four states now have similar laws. Conservatives frame the issue as one of “freedom,” and union supporters say right-to-work rules allow “free riders” who benefit from negotiations without supporting the infrastructure that makes them happen.
Many conservative lawmakers in Wisconsin’s legislature support right-to-work, but Walker has long distanced himself from a possible confrontation with private sector unions, even before his election. In recent months, he’s said the debate would be “a distraction” from more pressing economic issues.
