By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

SACRAMENTO – In California, public sector unions have grown accustomed to dominating the political landscape by throwing their money around.

They invest their millions in liberal Democratic candidates, who then return the favor after their election by maintaining the proper political climate for union domination.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

It’s a neat little circle that works well for the unions and their pet politicians, but not so well for union members who aren’t particularly liberal, and not so well for citizens who would like to end special interest domination of their state government.

That brings us to Proposition 32, a proposal on California’s Nov. 6 ballot that would prohibit corporations and public employee unions from making direct contributions to political campaigns. It would also ban dues money paid by union members from being used for political purposes.

Many people would say the proposal is a common-sense effort to return government to the people rather than allowing lawmakers to continue to sell their souls to the highest bidder. California voters might ask themselves where government “by the special interests and for the special interests” has taken their state:

An unfunded pension debt of more than half a trillion dollars, cities filing for bankruptcy, school districts shrinking the length of the academic year5, and a state government so deeply in debt that it need a huge tax hike to keep the state functional.

But the public sector unions stand to lose their political clout if Prop 32 passes, and they’re doing everything in their power to kill it in its tracks.

Stephen Frank of California News and Views points out that the enemies of Prop 32 have already outspent supporters $37.6 million to $8.8 million. By far the biggest contributor to the anti-32 effort is the powerful and radical California Teachers Association, which has kicked in $16.4 million to maintain its ability to purchase political power in Sacramento.

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

In a way this election is a test of the very concept that Prop 32 is trying to destroy. Will money always win in politics, or can the anger and disgust of millions of taxpayers offset the spending advantage of the unions?

One thing is for sure – the fate of this ballot proposal is being watched throughout the nation. If reformers can curb union influence in a left-wing state like California, they can do it anywhere. So all eyes will be on the voters of the Golden State.