Remember when liberals protested a new ambulatory care center because the Koch brothers funded it? They’re at it again, but this time it is donations to help black youths go to college that are the menace to society. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) announced in a public letter on Thursday that it will end support for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) after the group accepted $25 million from the Koch brothers.
AFSCME president Lee Saunders wrote in his letter to UNCF president Michael Lomax that he considers the actions of UNCF “a profound betrayal of the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement” as “the Koch brothers and the organizations they fund have devoted themselves for more than a decade to attacking the voting rights of African Americans.”
I’m not one to shout “Extremist!” but if ever there was a case of ideological extremism, this is it. Instead of saying, “There’s not much we agree on, but helping black youths graduate college is one of them. Let’s unite and do some good,” AFSCME sacrificed grants that have helped nearly a hundred black students. The lofty ideological tone of the letter is remarkable considering the left claims to endorse compromise and “common sense solutions.”
UNCF chairman Michael Lomax, perhaps too pleased with the $25 million donation from the Koch brothers to worry about losing $60,000 from AFSCME, said in a statement:
UNCF has over 100,000 donors with a wide range of views, but they all have one thing in common: They believe in helping young students of color realize their dreams of a college education. For over 70 years we have never had a litmus test and we have asked all Americans to support our cause.
Unions have sent a clear message to the Kochs: stop helping people with the money you earned by creating one of the most successful businesses in America. Knowing the Koch brothers, I’m optimistic they won’t listen.
