Monday, December 31, 2012

UNIONS an ARM for THE WORKING CLASS



HELLO ~ 2013

Goodbye 2012. . . Bring on 2013!   
As the year comes to a close, we want to acknowledge the work that you do to make sure the voices of working people are part of the debate wherever policy is decided.  Once again, nobody does it like our union!  In 2012, you:
  • Took on China.  This time, you stood up for hundreds of thousands of Steelworkers whose livelihood is threatened by China’s predatory, protectionist and illegal tactics to dominate manufacturing in the auto supply sector. You pushed your lawmakers to sign on to a letter to the President and wrote letters to the editor.  The result?  The President launched a trade case.
  • Stood up to outsourcing.  You supported the Bring Jobs Home Act by calling Congress and taking part in over 90 events nationwide.  You rallied to expose outsourcers and highlighted those who are insourcing.  You met with lawmakers to build support and protested outside of the offices of opponents.  You marched in parades and spoke out in the press.  Despite the bill being blocked in both the House and Senate, the issue would resurface in the year-end fiscal negotiations.
  • Got voters registered.   We have reports of over 14,000 voters getting registered through this year’s national voter registration drive, while countless others confirmed their registration status.  Special thanks goes to Districts 12, 7 and 9 for topping the nation in both numbers registered and the percentage of locals participating.
  • Stood up to bad cuts.  You fought cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in the year-end fiscal negotiations and spoke out against more tax breaks for the wealthiest 2%.  You participated in multiple call-in days and local events across the country.  The most recent reports show this is making a difference.
  • Fought for workers’ rights everywhere.  You opposed deceptive “right to work” laws and other anti-worker legislation (and ballot initiatives) in states across the country. You acted proactively to maximize Buy American in state projects and put pro-worker issues on the ballot. 
  • Educated, empowered and engaged.  In one year’s time, you circulated over 150 different InfoAlerts, ActionCalls, Feedback Reports and Candidate Comparisons.  You also joined us on our new facebook page, which hit 1,000 “likes” this fall. 
  • Took part in hundreds of training sessions designed to build local Rapid Response programs.  That includes the 700+ attendees taking part in the first-ever Regional Rapid Response Conferences held earlier this year. 
We know that our work is far from done, but with great activists like you and a drive to bring back the middle class, we will make a difference.  Have a very happy New Year, and we’ll see you in 2013!

“We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike." !   Adolph Hitler - May 2,1933 
Fiat Lux

REPUBLICANS ? HOW LOW CAN YOU GO ?




Robert Kuttner


New Year, New Low for Republicans

Posted: 12/30/2012 10:30 pm
Four years ago Barack Obama prepared to take the oath of office as a Democratic president, at a moment when free market ideology and Republican incumbency were disgraced by events. But a year that should have marked the end of the laissez-faire fantasy and the resurgence of effective government instead began an era of muddle through.
I have often quoted the British historian A. J. P. Taylor. Speaking of the revolutionary year in Europe, 1848, when democratic revolutions broke out only to be crushed, Taylor observed, "It was a turning point of history, but history didn't turn." In many respects, that also describes 2008.
The Republicans were voted out, but the big banks that caused the collapse were propped up rather than broken up. Their basic business model was allowed to continue, with taxpayers guaranteeing billion dollar paydays for corporate moguls. The economic rules of the game continued to tilt against regular working families, who are more precarious than ever. Obama took most of his economic advice from the very people whose belief in complete license for finance caused the collapse.
The administration played softball with a Republican opposition determined to wreck the recovery rather than allow Obama any victories. Democrats were almost as thoroughly in bed with Wall Street as Republicans. The mantle of populist frustration, absurdly, passed to the tea parties. Democrats, in the 2010 mid-term, suffered the worst defeat since 1938, a year when President Roosevelt listened to the Wall Street deficit hawks of that era.
But two years later, even muddle-through managed to beat muddled thinking. Mitt Romney divided his own party, committed one mistake after another; and despite one decent debate performance, he couldn't beat the incumbent even in a weak economy.
Now the political gods have granted President Obama a do-over. It remains to seen whether he will use it to maximum advantage.
If anything, circumstances at the start of Obama's second term are even more auspicious for the president and the Democrats than they were at the beginning of his first term, after Wall Street crashed the economy.
How far are Republicans out of touch with public sentiment? Let us count the ways.
The president, sensibly, has jettisoned the bad idea of a grand budget bargain that would result in serious cuts to Social Security and Medicare. He is trying to enlist Republicans to support a small bargain that will avert a contrived fiscal contraction -- no tax hikes on 98 percent of Americans, and the continuation of benefits for upwards of two million long-term unemployed.
The White House and Congress, having avoided the worst of the fiscal cliff, could then continue to debate other budget issues, like how to avoid the "sequester" of devastating automatic cuts and how to arrest the inflation in medical costs without cutting into medical care.
Most Americans oppose a tax increase on the middle class and support one for the rich. Obama was very effective on Meet the Press, reducing the budget debate to that simple essential issue.
But the Republicans in Congress are so dysfunctional that they may not be able to avert bearing responsibility for a tax hike that nobody wants. Even after President Obama tentatively offered to raise the income cut-off for a tax increase from $250,000 a year to $400,000 a year - limiting tax hikes to the top one percent, neither House Speaker John Boehner not Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell could bring himself to support it. Both prisoners of legislative caucuses even more extreme than they are.
Earlier in the negotiations, Obama had opened the door to adjusting the cost of living adjustment formula -- the so-called chained CPI -- as a backdoor way of cutting Social Security, in the context of a bigger budget deal. This was both a tactical and a policy mistake, and it gave Senate Republican Leader McConnell a basis for demanding more concessions from Democrats in return for agreeing to higher taxes on the rich. But Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, sensibly, wants nothing to do with any kind of cuts in Social Security, back door or front door.
The Democrats have the strongest hand when they keep the basic issues clear and simple. Eventually, the budget deal being offered by President Obama or something very much like it will be made. The only question is how much damage the Republicans do to themselves and the economy in the meantime. If no deal is struck before January 1 and taxes briefly go up on everybody while financial markets swoon, the pressure on Republicans only increases.
And that isn't all. In the new Congress, the Republicans will find themselves on the wrong side of other high-profile issues, ranging from gun control to immigration reform to same-sex marriage, as well as protecting Social Security and Medicare from cuts that are less about "saving" these programs than about saving tax breaks for the rich.
On all these issues, there is no question that President Obama will be on the right side of public opinion. The only question is whether he will lead public opinion.
Over the pre-New Years weekend, President Obama was sounding like a partisan, albeit a reluctant one. He should not be so reluctant. A radical, obstructionist, and dysfunctional Republican opposition in the House and Senate stands between the country and the policies that the economy needs and that the majority of Americans want.
The president was right to call the Republicans on taxes. As the New Year wears on, he should do the same on gun control, immigration reform, and gay and lesbian rights.
Obama wanted to be the president who would change the tone in Washington, meaning a more collaborative relationship with the Republicans. That was not to be. The Republicans would not allow it. Now, history invites Obama to change the tone in Washington by dispatching an extremist Republican Party to the far fringes of public discourse where it belongs.
Robert Kuttner is co-editor of The American Prospect and a Senior Fellow at Demos.
 
Follow Robert Kuttner on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rkuttner
"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote
Fiat Lux

SOCIAL SECURITY ~ "THE POISON PILL"!




A Democratic source familiar with the talks tells CNN they have hit a “major setback” because Republicans are now insisting that any fiscal cliff deal include “chained CPI."


Chained CPI, which Democrats consider a “poison pill,”would change the way Social Security benefits are adjusted for inflation, effectively meaning Social Security recipients would receive less money over the years.

The Democratic source’s understanding is that the president offered this in talks with House Speaker John Boehner, but Democrats say that was in the context of a larger deal -- in exchange for changes to the way the debt ceiling is approached, which is not in the plan anymore.

This source did not want to be identified because of the closed nature of the talks, but was clearly giving the information to CNN to make public the Democrats’ point of view and push the Republicans to give in on this high-stakes issue. The source also told CNN that Democrats are currently “going outside their comfort zone” in these talks with regard to tax rates -- keeping tax rates in place for higher income households than the president wants. The source also said Democrats are negotiating with Republicans on extending the current lower estate tax rate, a big issue for many Republicans as well as moderate Democrats.

A Senate Republican leadership source responded by pointing to the president’s comments in an interview that aired Sunday suggesting he is willing to look at chained CPI “in pursuit of strengthening Social Security for the long term.” 

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Fiat Lux

Saturday, December 29, 2012

DIANE BLACK ! MILLIONAIRE CONGRESS PERSON...

Diane Black

 They're back!! Murfreesboro Taxpayers to Hold Second Rally to Call On Rep. Diane Black to Vote on Already Senate Passed "Middle Class Tax Cut Extension" and Avert Looming $2,200 Tax Hike on Middle-Class Families


WHATEscalating concerns over the "Fiscal Cliff" in Rep. Black’s district and across Tennessee have inspired local taxpayers to once again rally in front of Rep. Diane Black's office in Murfreesboro. They will deliver more letters and make brief remarks calling on Black to to stop blocking a vote on Middle Class Tax Cut Extension. Rep. Black's support of the bill, already passed in the Senate, would avert a huge tax hike on the Middle Class families (98% of Tennesseans) and small businesses beginning in January. 

WHO: Murfreesboro residents and Black's constituents including Colleen Janus (see statement below).

WHEN: Friday, December 28th at 2:00 p.m. CT

WHERE:  Office of Rep. Diane Black, 305 W. Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN

Colleen Janus, a local volunteer organizer of the rally: “My husband and I are Murfreesboro parents who have worked hard to ensure our children have the benefit of a college education.  Our son Paul graduated from MTSU two years ago, and our daughter Stacy graduates in May with a nursing degree. A tax hike on us and her of over $2,000 means a lot to our family.  It is the price of one semester’s clinicals, fees and books If Rep. Black doesn’t get back to work and pass the Middle Class Tax Cut extension it means a $2,200 tax hike for folks like us. For me, that’s gas money and groceries. For my daughter it’s tuition and books at MTSU. Rep. Black and Rep. DesJarlais need to stop holding middle class tax relief hostage to protect tax breaks for the richest 2%, folks like Donald Trump who doesn’t need another tax break.  All Rep. Black has to do is approve the bill already passed in the Senate bill to immediately extend tax relief to 98% of the American people and 97% of small businesses.”


PUT THE POLITICIANS ON MINIMUM WAGE......AND WATCH HOW FAST THINGS CHANGE !
"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Fiat Lux

Friday, December 28, 2012

MILLIONAIRES TAKING CARE OF MILLIONAIRES !





Cliff Hanger: Why Republicans Don't Care What the Nation Thinks

Posted: 12/28/2012 8:42 am
Are House Republicans -- now summoned back to Washington by Speaker John Boehner -- about to succumb to public pressure and save the nation from the fiscal cliff?
Don't bet on it.
Even if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell cooperates by not mounting a filibuster and allows the Senate to pass a bill extending the Bush tax cuts to the first $250,000 of everyone's income, Boehner may not bring it to the House floor.
On a Thursday conference call with House Republicans he assured conservatives he was "not interested" in allowing such a vote if most House Republicans would reject the bill, according to a source on the call.
Democrats are confident that even if the nation technically goes over the cliff January 1, Boehner will bring such a bill to the floor soon after January 3 -- once House Republicans have reelected him Speaker -- and it will get passed.
But this assumes Boehner and the GOP will be any more swayed by public opinion than they are now.
Public opinion is already running strongly in favor of President Obama and the Democrats, and against the GOP. In the latest CNN/ORC poll, 48 percent say they'll blame Republicans if no deal is reached while 37 percent blame Obama. Confidence in congressional Republicans is hovering at about 30 percent; Obama is enjoying the confidence of 46 percent. And over half of all Americans think the GOP is too extreme.
Yet Republicans haven't budged. The fact is, they may not care a hoot about the opinions of most Americans.
That's because the national party is in disarray. Boehner isn't worried about a challenge to his leadership; no challenger has emerged. The real issue is neither he nor anyone else is in charge of the GOP. Romney's loss, along with the erosion of their majority in the House and Democratic gains in the Senate, has left a vacuum at the top.
House Republicans don't run nationally. They run only in their own districts -- which, because of gerrymandering, are growing even more purely Republican. Their major concern is being reelected in 2014, and their biggest potential obstacle in their way is a primary challenge from the right.
The combination of a weakened national party and more intense competition in primaries is making the Republican Party relatively impervious to national opinion.
This poses a large strategic problem for the Democrats. It could be an even bigger problem for the nation.
ROBERT B. REICH, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, was Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration. Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the last century. He has written thirteen books, including the best sellers "Aftershock" and "The Work of Nations." His latest is an e-book, "Beyond Outrage," now available in paperback. He is also a founding editor of the American Prospect magazine and chairman of Common Cause.
"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Fiat Lux

 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

UNREPORTED STORY of 2012 ~ BILL MOYERS

The Most Underreported News Story of 2012 Is...

Posted: 12/26/2012 9:33 pm
BY: BILL MOYERS

It's easy enough to compile a "best" and "worst" list, but what about bringing attention to important issues that went largely unreported in 2012?
That's the challenge we posed to editorial leaders from Alternet, Truthout, The Root, Common Dreams, and TomDispatch when we asked them to share what they consider the most underreported issue of 2012. Some of the answers will still surprise you.
See excerpts below, and visit the latest "Group Think" at BillMoyers.com for complete responses, and to share your own suggestions.
"The great underreported story of 2012 is the accelerated spread of poverty and concentration of wealth in the United States." 
-- Don Hazen, Executive Editor of Alternet
"As the unconventional oil and gas drilling rapidly industrializes rural areas across the nation, the lessons of Bayou Corne will be crucial to draw upon. The full story of America's current oil and gas rush cannot be told without the voices of the people living in areas impacted by the industry." 
-- Maya Schenwar, Executive Director of Truthout
"If you asked me 25 years ago how people would react when we found a way to prevent HIV infection, I would have predicted dancing in the streets and widespread news coverage." 
-- Sheryl Huggins Salomon, Managing Editor of The Root
"As long as meaningful action on climate change will hurt the short-term profits of the fossil fuel industries, the media conglomerates and Wall Street, we can't expect the media blackout to end..." 
-- Craig Brown, Founder and Director of Common Dreams
"The real reporting crisis involves the inability of the mainstream to connect the dots, almost any dots, or display any kind of historical memory." 
-- Tom Engelhardt, Editor of The Nation Institute's TomDispatch
"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!    
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. 


Fiat Lux


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE...NOT BROKEN !






Click here to take action!
Have you heard about House Speaker John Boehner’s plan to lower the deficit?

Cut Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, and raise the age when you can begin receiving the benefits that you paid for and earned.  Instead of eliminating tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent of the country, Boehner is asking those with the least to sacrifice the most.

Today retirees and activists of all ages gathered at the U.S. Capitol to send a loud and clear message: Hell No!
Add your voice by telling your Senators and U.S. Representative to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and to end tax breaks for millionaires.

Social Security has not added one penny to the deficit.  Medicare and Medicaid have improved the lives of millions of Americans.  These vital programs have not caused our deficit.  Instead, reckless tax cuts and loopholes for the wealthiest and greedy Wall Street behavior have.  It’s time for us to tell Congress hands off Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.  Make those who caused the deficit pay for it.

Click here to join your fellow retirees today by sending the attached letter to your U.S. Senators and Representative.  They need to hear from you and thousands of other retirees as soon as possible.

Let’s not be the last generation to retirecontact Congress today!

Thank you for all you do !

Underdog = Don Jones
PUT THE POLITICIANS ON MINIMUM WAGE......AND WATCH HOW FAST THINGS CHANGE !
 
"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux

Monday, December 24, 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012




MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Click on Christmas Card > ; "Christmas Card" 

Underdog = Don Jones

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.  
Fiat Lux       
  

AMERICA`S FUTURE ?




  











What if we told you that you could help save Social Security and support the work of the Campaign for America’s Future with just two clicks? It’s easy, and it doesn’t cost you a penny.
1. Sign Credo’s Petition to tell the Senate not to cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.  
We’ve teamed up with CREDO Action to help send a strong message to your senators: Reject any deal that cuts these vital programs.
2. Vote for Campaign for America's Future.
Once you've signed the petition, you are eligible to vote for which nonprofits Credo Mobile will fund in the coming year. (If you're a Credo mobile subscriber or have participated in one of their actions you are already eligible.)  You will find Campaign for America's Future under Economic & Social Justice. Last year they donated over $2.7 to nonprofits.
Two clicks are all it takes to defend Social Security now and build a bold progressive jobse agenda for 2013.
With heartfelt appreciation and best wishes for a happy holiday season,





Thanks for all you do,

Underdog = Don Jones






"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Fiat Lux



Monday, December 17, 2012

FINCHERS HENCHMEN in MARTIN TENNESSEE





In Martin Tennessee, they rallied at Congressman Stephen Fincher's office and according to one participant, they were met by "hecklers" who "ridiculed working men and women who don't want their taxes to go up." More from an eyewitness writing for The Rural Progress blog:
 
"Today, my husband and I joined a small group of concerned citizens and tried to hold a peaceful demonstration at the Martin field office of Congressman Stephen Fincher. We were greeted with threats of violence.

When my husband and  I arrived I was a little nervous - there were hecklers. Who would heckle an "Anti-Tax Hike" demonstration?
That's kind of a weird. I really thought they must just be there to watch.

So off we went, marching down Lindell Street past the new fountain in the park...And I was right, there they were -  a group of about 5 big guys waiting for us. They ridiculed working men and women who don't want their taxes to go up. It made no sense. I really couldn't believe what I was watching. It was embarrassing. Five old white men booing and mocking and giving the thumbs down to a group of mostly middle aged women. The animosity was shocking and it felt genuine."
 
The Action is not just today, but ongoing - until members of Congress get it together and decide that cutting vital service programs and earned benefits like Social Security and Medicare is not an option.

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

EDITORIAL : CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN FINCHER OUGHTA BE ASHAMED !
 

CHAINED CPI is a CUT in SOCIAL SECURITY !



Chained CPI Is a Cut in Social Security Benefits and 'Stealth' Tax Hike

Illustration by Aryer via Art Strike
Beware the "chained" CPI.
As Republicans in Congress take a hard line in the sand against higher tax rates for millionaires and billionaires, they are demanding a Social Security benefit cut through a lower Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs). The lower COLA would result from the adoption of a new formula for calculating COLAs called "Chained CPI."
The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) points out this is not only a benefit cut on already modest Social Security benefits, but also a stealth tax increase on working people, especially middle- and lower-income families.
In fact, in just 11 years, a "chained" CPI would wipe out the 2012 COLA. 
Read more from CEPR on the "chained" CPI
In other news on the "chained" CPI, RJ Eskow, senior fellow for the Campaign for America's Future, writes inWhen You've Lost the VFW on Budget Cuts, You've Lost America that veterans groups staunchly oppose the proposal:
A wide range of organizations representing the nation's veterans signed a joint letter to leaders in Congress, which said, "[W]e are writing to express our opposition to changing the formula used to calculate the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) because of the harmful effects it will have on veterans and Social Security benefits."
The organizations signing on to the letter (18 in all) spanned generations, with the Vietnam Veterans of America and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. It includes former enlisted personnel, as well as the Military Officers Association of America. Gold Star Wives, an organization of widows and widowers whose spouses died while on active duty, was represented. And so was the VFW, or Veterans of Foreign Wars, an organization that had traditionally been staunchly conservative.
Here's a thought for politicians who might be considering the "chained CPI": When you've lost the VFW, you've lost America.
“We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike." !   Adolph Hitler - May 2,1933 

Friday, December 14, 2012

CUT EXXONS ALLOWANCE $ ? NOT SOCIAL SECURITY !

HAVE OUR POLITICIANS LOST THEIR MINDS !


We shouldn't even have to ask on this one.


Why is America's political leadership trying to cut Grandma's Medicare while giving away $10 Billion in free money to the wealthiest, most destructive corporations to ever exist? Every year, we hand out $10 BILLION in taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil, Gas & Coal - including Exxon, Shell and Chevron - but our austerity-loving politicians are taking aim at Medicare instead. WTF!?
ENOUGH. Tell Congress and President Obama that it's time to stop fueling climate disaster on taxpayers' dime while leaving the greatest generation out to dry!
How can we even be talking about raiding Social Security and Medicare - the greatest cost-saving social necessities in American history - at the same time we're literally giving out free money to the richest companies that have ever existed in world history? Just. Plain. Wrong.
We're not going to let either party bail out banks and fossil fuel companies while telling us we can't afford Grandma's medicine. We bet we can 10,000 of you that are ready to let the world know you feel the same way.
Cut Big Oil's federal allowance - and don't you dare touch the New Deal in the process.

Thanks for all you do,
Underdog = Don Jones
The Other 98%


" I always turn to the sports section first, which records man`s accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man`s failures."
 
"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.



Fiat Lux


SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE ? KEEP IT WORKING !




A Sign of Hope that the Medicare Eligibility Age will not Rise
One of President Barack Obama's top Senate allies says he's been assured by the White House that the President won't yield to GOP demands to increase the eligibility age for Medicare. AP reports that Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) made the revelation to reporters on Thursday, after a Capitol Hill news conference. Increasing the eligibility age is a key demand by Republicans seeking cost curbs in popular benefit programs in exchange for higher tax revenues. Durbin said he's been told that increasing the eligibility age from 65 is “no longer one of the items being considered by the White House.” On Tuesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) had written in USA Today that Republicans want to raise the eligibility age as part of any fiscal cliff deal (http://usat.ly/SkqZpm).

“We must remain vigilant – there is still a whole lot of risk,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “Other threats to Medicare, such as additional means testing, remain on the table. Call your U.S. Representative and Senators toll-free at 888-659-9401. Tell Congress, ‘No cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. And end the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2%.’”
102 House Members Send Letter Promising to Vote against Social Security Cuts
A group of 102 Representatives presented Speaker Boehner with a letter last Thursday informing him they would not be willing to support any cuts to Social Security for current or future retirees. Ms. Easterling stated, “We wish to thank the many Members of Congress who signed this letter. They have confirmed their intention to stand with America’s retirees, and for that we are deeply grateful.” To see the letter, go to http://bit.ly/UdExPd.

For a clear, concise video of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) explaining the Chained CPI, a formula change that would lower future Social Security cost of living adjustments, go to http://bit.ly/ZlbuiM.

A poll from Congressional Connection has joined the list of surveys showing that the public opposes benefit cuts to Social Security and Medicare. More at http://bit.ly/UtFYrg.

 
"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Fiat Lux

Thursday, December 13, 2012

WHO KILLED TWINKIE THE KID ?

Who Really Killed The Twinkie?

Wednesday, December 5, 2012   |   Posted by Jim Hightower



Remember the horrible murders in 1978 of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk? At the killer's trial, his lawyer argued for leniency, saying that a steady diet of junk food had addled his client's brain – a claim that entered the annals of jurisprudence as the "Twinkie Defense."
Even less defensible is a recent claim by Ripplewood, a private equity firm that had bought out Hostess Brands three years ago, including Twinkies. Just before Thanksgiving, the firm asserted that it had been forced by greedy labor unions to kill off Hostess Brands. Far from greedy, however, the 18,500 unionized workers are quite reasonable and very loyal – in fact, they had previously given back $100 million in annual wages and benefits to help the company survive. The true greed in this drama is inside Ripplewood's towering castle of high finance in Manhattan. Rather than modernizing Hostess' factories and upgrading its products, as the unions had urged, the equity hucksters plundered the company to feather their own nests. For example, they siphoned millions of dollars out of Hostess directly into their corporate pockets by paying themselves "consulting and management fees," which did nothing to strengthen the company. But it was this year that the rank managerial incompetence and raw ethical depravity of the vultures of Ripplewood fully surfaced. While demanding a new round of deep cuts in worker's pay, healthcare, and pensions – they quietly jacked up their own take. And by a lot! The CEO's paycheck, for example, rocketed from $750,000 a year to $2.5 million.
Like a character in a bad Agatha Christie whodunit, Ripplewood – the one so insistently pointing the finger of blame at others – turns out to be the one who killed the Twinkie. Along with the livelihoods of 18,500 workers.

"It turns out Twinkies don't last forever," Washington Post," November 17, 2012.
"Back When Chocolate Puck Tasted Guilty, Like America," The New York Times, November 17, 2012.
"A Push to Save the Twinkie," The New York Times, November 17, 2012.
"Goodbye to My Twinkie Days," The New York Times, November 17, 2012.
"Private Equity And Hostess Stumbling Together," The New York Times, November 20, 2012.
"Court Allows Liquidation Of Hostess," New York Times, November 22, 2012.
"At Judge's Urging, Hostess and Union Agree to Mediation," New York Times, November 20, 2012.
We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike." !   
Adolph Hitler - May 2,1933
 
 
"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Fiat Lux

WAL-MART & HUMAN RIGHTS ?

FREE DEMOCRATIC UNION for THEIR EMPLOYEES !


 This Friday, Walmart workers around the world will join our fight.Thanks to you and the courage of over 500 Walmart workers who went on strike across the country on Black Friday, the world heard the stories of workers rather than news about the price of a flat screen TV. When workers decided to strike on the busiest shopping day of the year, we wondered if more than a handful of committed activists would be there to support them. Let's be honest; most of us look forward to taking this time off, to spend time with our loved ones. Instead, something beautiful happened. Supporters around the country stood with the strikers. Walmart workers walked out and were greeted by nearly 1,200 reported Black Friday actions, with well over 30,000 supporters! You made this happen. Activists of all stripes, together with artists, musicians, actors, bloggers and community and online organizations, and unions all lent their talents to support striking Walmart workers and call on the company to change.We are truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. Best of all, this is only the beginning ! This Friday, Walmart workers in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Nicaragua, Zambia and South Africa are working with their unions to hold a Global Day of Action. Join them by downloading materials and holding your own solidarity action at a Walmart near you.

In Solidarity,

Underdog = Don Jones

“We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike." !  Adolph Hitler - May 2,1933
 
 "Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Fiat Lux