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KSL News Report - Debate over teachers, unions, and taxpayer dollars

By Mary Richards, KSL Radio

SALT LAKE CITY -- An education-issues group wants Utahns to get mad about what they say is a misuse of taxpayer dollars by schools.

Teacher's union employees can take a leave of absence from their jobs to work for the union. While on leave they still get paid by the school district. Judi Clark with Parents for Choice in Education says that's plain wrong.

"People don't know that our taxpayer dollars are being used to subsidize union salaries," she says.

Clark is not happy that the Legislature didn't pass a bill that would have dealt with this issue.

"It's completely unethical and it represents a complete conflict of interest," she says.

But the UEA says those employees are still doing work for the school district. In fact, they represent their district at meetings and on committees but don't receive more than half of their salary for the work.

Still, Clark says Utahns should be mad. She is hoping people not only go to caucus meetings Tuesday night but become delegates to vote for new legislators that can do something about this.

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