Selective outrage on police unions

Jun 19, 2020
VIEW IN YOUR BROWSER ([link removed])
[link removed]


** California Democrats Virtue Signal on Police Reform
------------------------------------------------------------

Democrats' police reform legislation ignores elephant in room: House Democrats advanced ([link removed]) their federal police reform bill, sponsored Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), though committee this week, setting it up for a vote as soon as next week. The bill limits qualified immunity for police officers, no-knock warrants, and choke-holds, among other provisions. Yet it ignores what Jacob Frey, the Democratic Mayor of Minneapolis, calls “the elephant in the room”: police unions ([link removed]) , whose legion problems CPC has long chronicled ([link removed]) .

California police unions try to take the blame off them: California police unions took out full-page ads ([link removed]) in major state newspapers this week to try to shift the blame. Yet this PR stunt shouldn't distract from the fact that police unions are responsible for systemic police violence because they protect bad cops from getting fired. The Police Union Contract Project has identified six provisions ([link removed]) regularly included in collective bargaining agreements that shield officers from justice. No wonder a wide body ([link removed]) of academic research concludes that unions thwart police accountability and foster violence.

California Democrats not only ignore police unions but want to expand them: As CPC President Will Swaim points out in a forthcoming op-ed in the OC Register, 207 Congressional Democrats, including 40 from California, support the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act ([link removed]) , which would extend California-style collective bargaining for police and emergency services to the roughly 20 ([link removed]) states that don't already have it. ”In contrast to Democrats' stated aims,” Swaim writes, “this bill would exacerbate systemic police violence…. Democrats must make it easier, not harder, to fire these bad cops before they kill or maim. They
can't be for police reform and expanding police unions at the same time.”

Sen. Kamala Harris reinvents herself as a champion of police reform: In her efforts to get Joe Biden to select her as his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris is trying to reinvent herself as a police reformer, offering ([link removed]) a vision for change during a Senate hearing this week. Yet her actions speak louder than her words. As a California attorney, Harris was a “tough on crime” relic ([link removed]) , fighting to keep people in prison even after they were proven innocent, laughing off marijuana legalization, resisting calls to investigate police shootings, and protecting police from wearing body cameras.

California liberals discover states’ rights: On the latest episode ([link removed]) of National Review’s Radio Free California, Will Swaim and CPC Board Member David Bahnsen discuss how California Attorney General Xavier Becerra invoked conservative principles to defend the Golden State’s sanctuary state declaration — and won.

For those who think California should go the way of Scandanavia: Numerous California Democrats argue that the state should become more like the democratic-socialist countries Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Yet a Heritage Foundation brief ([link removed]) explains the problems with that argument.

LA County wasting taxpayer money on overpriced PR firms: While Californians are tightening their belts, LA County has been caught splashing out nearly $2 million on high-priced PR firms to help with Covid messaging. As I told The Center Square ([link removed]) : “The county government should take a page from its constituents' playbook during the current economic turmoil and look to cut costs. It should empower its own comms team to effectively relay this information, and, if needed, spend a couple thousand, not a couple million, on outside help.”

Don’t discriminate against private schools in potential education bailout: In his latest contribution, CPC contributor Larry Sand argues ([link removed]) , “Good people can disagree whether or not the federal government should be doling out any additional money to schools. But if it does, it should not discriminate against privately educated students and their struggling families.”

A pay and pension fire in Placentia: In his latest contribution ([link removed]) , CPC contributor Edward Ring examines the fiscal implications of the City of Placentia’s decision to leave the Orange County Fire Authority to build its own fire department.

Children need to learn about “real heroes”: This week, California officials announced ([link removed]) the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue from the State Capitol, where it has stood since 1883. In response, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez tweeted: “It's important that children today learn the difference between real heroes and fake ones.” Sage advice (though not in the way Rep. Gonzalez has in mind) for these times when virtue signaling runs rampant.
Enjoyed this newsletter? Subscribe HERE ([link removed]) . Donate HERE ([link removed]) .

Jordan Bruneau
Communications Director
[email protected]


** ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA POLICY CENTER
------------------------------------------------------------

The California Policy Center promotes prosperity for all Californians through limited government and individual liberty.

Learn more at CaliforniaPolicyCenter.org.
[link removed]
FACEBOOK ([link removed])
[link removed]
TWITTER ([link removed])
[link removed]
WEBSITE ([link removed])
Support the California Policy Center. Donate Today. ([link removed])

============================================================

** MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO THE CALIFORNIA POLICY CENTER ([link removed])

The California Policy Center is a 501c3 non-profit
CA Corp. #3295222. Federal EIN 27-2870463.
Copyright © California Policy Center 2016.
All rights reserved.

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
California Policy Center . 18002 Irvine Blvd Ste 108 . Tustin, CA 92780-3321 . USA