For the past few years, NEA RA delegates have been getting a real taste of what it’s like to be a California taxpayer.

California constitutes about 11 percent of the total NEA membership, but its delegates to the RA are responsible for 54 percent of the new business items. I don’t have a full count handy, but they submitted 37 of the first 63 last year.

Most of these are the fringiest and (surprise!) many of the most costly. Patience is wearing thin. The delegates refused to consider NBI 14 (oppose military action against Iran), NBI 15 (foreclosure crisis), NBI 25 (fire Arne Duncan immediately), and NBI 27 (student strike in Canada). All of those were California items.

They debated but voted down NBI 29 (no collaborating with organizations with opposing views on collective bargaining), NBI 30 (about cutting-edge environmental education), NBI 33 (the Gulen charter school network), and NBI 34 (“evaluate the educational effect of the re-segregation of students within the charter school movement”). All of those were California items.

The delegates also defeated NBI 39 even though it originated in Washington State. The union will not endorse the Save Our Schools (SOS) march, further infuriating Matt Damon.

Maybe there should be a motion to reconsider…