News for March 28 2009

Economic Blackmail
Corporate opponents of workers’ freedom to form unions repeatedly have shown they are not interested in the welfare of their employees or any of the pseudo-lofty ideals they cite while fighting the Employee Free Choice Act http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/03/27/economic-terrorism/

Bank CEOs voice support for Obama's economic plans
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama won support from top bankers on Friday for his efforts to rid financial institutions of bad debts, but differences remained over broader U.S. plans for the financial industry. http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2651410320090327?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Pun for the Ages
THE inglorious pun! Dryden called it the "lowest and most groveling kind of wit." To Ambrose Bierce it was a "form of wit to which wise men stoop and fools aspire." Universal experience confirms the adage that puns don’t make us laugh, but groan. It is said that Caligula ordered an actor to be roasted alive for a bad pun. (Some believe he was inclined to extremes.)http://http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/opinion/28Tartakovsky.html?th&emc=th

U.S. Expected to Give More Money to Automakers
DETROIT — The Obama administration will probably extend more short-term aid to General Motors and Chrysler on Monday, but will impose a strict deadline for bondholders and union workers to make concessions that would help the ailing automakers become viable businesses and avert bankruptcy http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/business/economy/28auto.html?th&emc=th

High-Minded Budget Goals Yield to Reality
WASHINGTON — When President Obama unveiled his spending plan last month, he loudly proclaimed a return to honest budgeting and called for elimination of the cute fiscal acrobatics that the government had used for years to avoid facing up to cold truths. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/us/politics/28memo.html?th&emc=th

Higher Education Gone Wrong: Universities Are Turning into Corporate Drone Factories
Unless we take hold of the reigns we will be cursed with a more ruthless form of corporate power wielded through naked repression. http://www.alternet.org/workplace/133446/higher_education_gone_wrong%3A_universities_are_turning_into_corporate_drone_factories/

100 Historians Sign On to Support Employee Free Choice Act
Some of the nation’s top historians have signed a petition asking Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act and protect the freedom to form unions and bargain. http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/03/24/100-historians-sign-on-to-support-employee-free-choice-act/

Taxing Health Care Benefits: An All-Around Bad Idea
There’s noise now in Washington that policy makers are considering paying for health care reform, in part, by taxing health care benefits workers receive through employer-provided health coverage. Such an ill-conceived plan not only represents a big a tax hike for workers and their employers, but carries serious and hidden costs, according to a new study by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/03/24/taxing-health-care-benefits-an-all-around-bad-idea/

Obama's Prime Time Pitch
Some exaggerations and misstatements from his evening news conference. Summary President Obama sometimes strayed from the facts or made dubious claims during his hour-long evening news conference March 24
http://www.factcheck.org/politics/obamas_prime_time_pitch.html

News Monday 29 December 2008

UFW: The Official Web Page of the United Farm Workers of America


Food products carrying the Union Label
Farm workers under UFW contract enjoy decent wages, benefits & working conditions. When you purchase agricultural products, please help farm workers maintain hard won victories in the fields by looking for these labels: Read more




Burdens That All Should Share
In hard times like these, a president's most reliable compass is a commitment to shared sacrifice. Barack Obama prominently embraced that idea during his recent appearance on "Meet the Press." The "notion of shared benefits and burdens is something that I think has been lost for too long," the president-elect insisted, "and it's something that I'd like to see restored." Read more




Union label

The quarterly Newsletter of the Union Label Department of the AFL-CIO


Veterans fundraising event canceled
How bad is Brevard County's economy? A nonprofit group that finds housing for struggling veterans had to cancel its only public fundraiser. Read more





The Personal Politics of Hopelessness
As I write this I'm eating a sub I bought from across the street. While it was being prepared I chatted with the young woman making it, and she told me about moving from the Canadian Maritimes to Toronto, to, in essence, get a job that pays a little more than minimum wage. Because out in the Maritimes she had trouble getting even that. Read more

Commentary

Sometimes You just gather a bunch of stories and there seems to be no Preason to their selection. Today was one of those days, yet I seemed to have a theme. Maybe the order is wrong, but still a message to me. What is our shared burden? Do we as organizations and individuals share the burden of the homeless vet. They did their share to defend our country. Is it our turn?

We can end the politics of hopelessness by supporting the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Not only do unions build wage, they provide dignity and respect for the workers.
KRS

The Wire for 20 August 2008

Have Your Seen This E-Mail?
Well the E-Mail sleaze bags are at it again, circulating lies and distortions about Senator Barack Obama and his campaign to turn around America. This one was so full of complete falsehoods that we had to share it with you. A wise union member got this in his in box and sent it up to us to check out. The original email text is in black…your friendly neighborhood E Messenger’s rebuttals are in red. Is their no limit these folks will go to keep working families stuck in this mess? If you get emails like this…send to your E Messenger an he’ll check it out! FL AFL-CIO E-Messenger

Hotel Workers Protest at Disneyland
Protesters dressed as Tinker Bell and Minnie Mouse wait to be taken away after being arrested by police officers during a demonstration against Disney's treatment of hotel workers outside of Disney Land in Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 14.

FactCheck.org: More Tax Deceptions

Obama Ready to Announce Running Mate - NYTimes.com

U.S. House seats are a battlefield in Florida primaries - 08/18/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

The Wire for 18 August 2008

Op-Ed Columnist - The Candidate We Still Don’t Know - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

Republican Straw Poll Results

Florida Today recommends Ralph Kennedy’s proven leadership earns him another term on Port Authority

Florida Today recommends Ron Stump is the clear choice for Space Coast in State House District 31

Florida Today recommends Experience, sound judgment make Kershaw choice in County Commission District 5

Seeing Tougher Race, Allies Ask Obama to Make ‘Hope’ Specific - NYTimes.com

The Wire for 15 August 2008

Income chasm widening in state - The Boston Globe
It's not just Florida not just Commie Pinko (or worst Liberal) New York Times reporting the story
Consumer prices surge, job market remains strained
Another "surge" can't wait to see the results of this one.
Study Tallies Corporations Not Paying Income Tax - NYTimes.com
And no-bid contracts What a Country!, no wonder we have an immigration problem of multi-national corporations swimming across the oceans
Orlando Sentinel - Black voters fuel Florida Democratic registration surge by Aaron Deslatte
Finally a surge that I can support
32 protesters arrested outside Disneyland
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Cinderella, Snow White, Tinkerbell were handcuffed, frisked and loaded into police vans Thursday at the culmination of a labor protest that brought a touch of reality to the Happiest Place on Earth
Poverty, health fears leave kids unvaccinated - 08/15/2008 - MiamiHerald.com
What happens to your children when Little Johnnie next to them coughs?.
WMFE Public Broadcasting Stations : Ballot 2008 - U.S. Congress, District 24, Democrats
Better than most, do you really think I was going to say who I thought won?
The truth will set you free and I don't want to leave just yet
Candidates face off on Brevard's issues floridatoday.com FLORIDA TODAY
Candidates face off on Brevard's issues, dang thought I would get to see a hockey game, all they did was talk
District 3 commission candidates address jobs, water issues floridatoday.com FLORIDA
Elvis Presley:" Return to sender, address unknown"
We recommend FLORIDA TODAY Ralph Kennedy Port Authority
Funny Florida Today wouldn't publish Space Coast AFL-CIO Recommendations, the power of ink by the barrel and paper by the ton
still we own the cyber space so please subscribe to Space Coast Working News (unashamed plug for Working News newsletter)
Ron Stump is the clear choice for Space Coast in State House District 31
I'm stumped, I'm a Democrat or Christian Right and can't vote in the election.
Orlando Sentinel - Crist proposes fact-free economic stimulus plan by Aaron Deslatte
Hurray! We found the money for intrastructure just in time for the election!
Orlando Sentinel - UPDATE: McCain, Obama and Bush(?) in Central Florida by Jim Stratton
Good idea to have Bush at this Convention for Veterans of Foreign Wars,
He has done so much to increase the membership of that organization, he should be recognized by them
Man fatally shoots Ark. Dem. chairman at party HQ - Yahoo! News
Hate+ Fear+Mental Illness= death