Kansas NEA on ObamaCare: Never Heard of It
NEA affiliates in red states often find themselves behind the eight-ball when it comes to the policies of its national parent organization, but Kansas NEA is trying the two rails reverse shot when it comes to health care.
The website KansasLiberty.com asked Kansas NEA communications director Cynthia Menzel about the union’s stance on the health care debate:
“We are not doing anything statewide for or against health care reform,” Menzel told Kansas Liberty. “We are just working to get health care for our teachers and to make sure the kids get health care here in Kansas.”
and then UniServ director Tony White:
“Making sure Kansas teachers have quality, affordable health care keeps us busy,” White told Kansas Liberty. “Whatever is happening in Washington is pretty far removed.”
Then why, Kansas Liberty asked, is KNEA listed on the Health Care for America Now steering committee?
“I didn’t know we were on that list,” Menzel told Kansas Liberty. “That must be an error. We are not a partner.”
Except HCAN says “we don’t just arbitrarily add names to the list…. They have to officially sign up.”
NEA’s national office contributed $500,000 to HCAN last year. Since many NEA state affiliates are not on the HCAN list, I suspect someone at KNEA headquarters has some ‘splaining to do about signing up for advocacy coalitions and not informing the communications director.
