A Wall Street Journal editorial today points out the ugly side of government employee unions electing the politicians they will later negotiate with:

It isn’t every day you can observe in broad daylight Congressional Democrats mugging state budgets to benefit special interests. But that’s precisely what is happening in a provision of the farm bill now making its way through Congress.

At the behest of the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the huge public employee union, House Democrats are pushing a measure that would undermine state efforts to improve food stamp and welfare programs across the country. Sponsored by California Democrat Joe Baca, the provision effectively bans states from working with private companies to improve the administration of these antipoverty programs.