[I'm beginning to see that a very large number of Democrats think the law simply doesn't apply to them.]

Posted on Sat, Nov. 02, 2002 story:PUB_DESC Union asks its teachers to plug McBride But does letter violate state law? BY MATTHEW I. PINZUR mpinzur@herald.com

Thousands of public school teachers in Miami-Dade County were asked by their union to send home a letter to parents supporting Bill McBride in Tuesday's gubernatorial race, raising concern with school district officials and infuriating Gov. Jeb Bush.

The letter -- urged in an e-mail sent Wednesday by United Teachers of Dade President Pat Tornillo -- also asked parents to support three proposed constitutional amendments, including a controversial one that would shrink class size.

''The election of Bill McBride and passage of these amendments will significantly improve public education in Florida,'' read Tornillo's suggested text for the letters to parents.

Union support has been a keystone of McBride's campaign, and the United Teachers of Dade is the state's largest teachers' union.

Superintendent Merrett Stierheim, who only learned of the e-mail late Friday afternoon, said he worries the letters could violate state law or district rules.

He immediately sent a memorandum to principals and School Board members.

''I am instructing our principals to vigorously uphold the board policy and state law,'' Stierheim wrote Friday in a letter to Tornillo.

He specifically cited a board rule that says: ``No employee shall use his/her official authority or influence for the purpose of coercing or influencing another person's vote.''

After speaking with Stierheim Friday, Tornillo issued a clarification, telling teachers to ``give the note to the students as they leave the classroom and/or building.''

Even that, the superintendent said, could be a violation.

'SPIRIT' OF STATUTE

``Whether they do it as children leave the class or in the parking lot or in the street -- even if they do it at home -- a teacher contacting the parents, I would think it violates the spirit of that statute, Stierheim said.

Neither district nor union officials knew whether any teachers had actually sent the note home, but union spokeswoman Annette Katz said she presumed ``they started going as soon as folks had the time to do it.

Tornillo said teachers are aware of the rules governing political activity at school.

''This is not directed at children. I'm not asking them do anything but take a note home to their parents,'' said Tornillo, whose union includes 18,000 teachers. ``I want them to understand how important this election is to the future of their children.

Clay Roberts, the state election division's general counsel, would not comment on the e-mail's legality.

``If someone thinks someone has violated the campaign laws, they file a complaint with the elections commission, he said.

Bush said there was no time to file such a complaint, but called the e-mail ''outrageous'' and accused Tornillo of using children ``as pawns for some political cause.''

The governor called on McBride to denounce the plan and ask Tornillo to halt it.

''A leader stands up to his friends when they do wrong,'' Bush said.

DIDN'T KNOW DETAILS

McBride said he did not know details about the e-mail, but insisted Tornillo would not ``do anything improper.''

His campaign and union officials compared the e-mail to one opposing the class-size amendment, which the Florida Board of Education sent last month to its state employees.

''What's good for the goose is good for the gander,'' Tornillo said.

Bush spokesman Todd Harris sniffed at the comparison. ''This is exploiting children to deliver a political message,'' he said. ``It's entirely different.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2002

Answers

I wonder if the email from the Florida Board of Education to its state employees asked said employees to send a letter to parents to oppose the amendment?

I'm beginning to think McBride arranged the Haitian landing.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2002