Ben Chandler Dislikes:
1) You, 2) Hard Questions
On Friday, Kentucky Club for Growth Chairman Warren Rogers got to ask Representative Ben Chandler about his support for “card-check” legislation.
Back in March 2007, the US House of Representatives considered H.R. 800, the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act”. Current law allows employees to form a union through a democratic, secret ballot election. H.R. 800 would allow union organizers to approach employees individually and persuade them to sign a card indicating their favor for a union. Employers and many employees fear that this would encourage intimidation and harassment of employees to sign the card.
Warren asked: “Mr. Chandler, a current issue in Congress called ‘card-check’ legislation will do away with secret balloting for union organization. Most businesses and even 80% of union members oppose this legislation, yet you supported it. Can you explain your reasons for your support?”
After jovially insulting the Club for Growth and its members, Congressman Chandler went on a long discussion about the virtues of a “living wage”, a wage that is artificially higher than what the free marketplace would offer. The Congressman puzzlingly acknowledged that businesses have the “goal to compete in the global economy,” but suggested that setting competitive wages should not be a tool businesses have in order to compete.
Unfortunately, Chandler’s long dissembling did not afford the opportunity to follow-up.
“I don’t think he would have answered,” says Club Executive Director Andy Hightower. “The real answer is that card-check legislation will vastly increase the number of unionized employees whose forced dues will go to support the campaigns of anti-growth candidates like Ben Chandler.”
Ben Chandler is one of the most anti-growth members of Congress. The national Club for Growth gave him a 7% rating in their 2007 scorecard.
