ASTROTURF WARS: Ed Reform Now continues radio ads attacking CTU long after the strike authorization vote
I had thought that by more than a week after the announcement of the Chicago Teachers Union vote on June 11, 2012, that the group calling itself "Education Reform Now" would stop spending its money on those silly radio ads attacking the CTU leadership. But on the morning of June 20, 2012, while out on some Substance business, I was listening to WBBM (780) radio on AM when her it came, that silly dialogue between two "mothers" worrying smarmily about who cares about the children and asking everyone listening to sign their petition. I didn't know whether the CTU leadership had been presented with the petition yet, and haven't bothered to call, but will continue to work with reporters who are going to out each of the Astroturf billionaire front groups (and even some grouplets) still lying about situations in Chicago.
For those who don't have a list of these groups in front of them, they are:
-- Stand for Children (both national and Illinois)
-- Advance Illinois
-- Education Reform Now
-- Black Star Project
There are also the grouplets and individuals who are heavily subsidized against the unions and especially against the teachers' union. These include the Rent a Preachers (whose chief would probably be Rev. Michael Pfleger if they had a Web site and listed their most lucrative recipients), the Rent A Protesters, and the Rent A Professors (who often overlap with the Rent a Pundits, but not always.
