A press release from State Senate candidate Karen McConnaughay about her opponent Cliff Surges questions about her contributions from labor unions:

McConnaughay proud of hard line with public employee unions

Support from building trades reflects commitment to improved transportation and efforts to spur economic growth in the Fox Valley

Statement of State Senate Candidate Karen McConnaughay (R-33) March 7, 2012

Karen McConnaughay

I am one of the few candidates for office who can say that they took on the public employee unions and won. That is certainly not an achievement my opponent can claim.

When I sought to end Kane County’s duplicative role in administering state health programs and eliminate over 60 union jobs, AFSCME fought tooth and nail. I worked to secure county board support and eliminate those jobs, reducing the size of county government.

I have not sought nor received any contributions from public employee unions, like AFSCME or the IEA.

I believe that these unions are a major factor in the erosion of public finances at the state, federal and local level.

I have always taken a hard line with public employee unions.

But as a county chief executive, I also understand that we are legally bound to deal with the unions representing public employees. I always seek to deal fairly with every party of every negotiation but I put the taxpayers’ interests first.

The union support I have received has been from the Building trade unions who form the backbone of our construction industries.

As an enthusiastic advocate for enhanced transportation improvements and better infrastructure in the rapidly growing Fox Valley, we share a common goal–To build the right projects at the right place at the right time, so we can enhance our quality of life, create jobs and improve transportation. This support for improved transportation is why the building trades support my campaigns.

As usual, my opponent betrays his fundamental lack of knowledge of the challenges we face in government.

Instead, he tries to conjure up some sort of controversy where none exists.

He knows that a discussion of the issues, rather than political mudslinging, will show how inexperienced and unprepared he is to provide the new leadership we need in Springfield.

The bottom line is that a relatively small percentage of the donations I have received have come from the building trade unions because I share their desire to undertake the projects we so desperately need to improve transportation in the rapidly growing suburbs.

They want jobs and I want to see them have jobs. When the building trades are busy, it means our economy is booming, and that is something we all want to see.