The Congressman slipped into the event by a side door. At several points, protestors chanted, "outsource Dent!."
Protesters included 43 union organizations, The Controller of Northampton County Stephen Barron, Pennsylvania State Representative Joe Brennan, Allentown City Democratic Chair and former Congressional candidate "Sam" Bennett, Lehigh County Democratic Chair Rick Daugherty, Northampton County Democratic Chair Joe Long, Moravian College Democrats, Moravian Students for A Democratic Society, Bethlehem City Democratic Committee, Lehigh Valley Democratic Coalition and many other groups. The protest lasted nearly 3 hours. Hundreds of flyers giving details about the real truth concerning the Employee Free Choice Act were distributed.
Gregg Potter, President of the Lehigh Valley Labor Council was a key organizer. The Lehigh Valley Building Trades turned out in force.
Richard Bloomingdale, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer, joined Stephen Barron on Democratic Talk Radio earlier that morning during a program about the Employee Free Choice Act and the demonstration planned later that day. Democratic Talk Radio is a pro-labor radio show that broadcasts on Thursday mornings from WGPA SUNNY 1100AM in Bethlehem. Democratic Talk Radio endorsed the protest and participated in the picketing.
The Morning Call newspaper ran front page stories on the protest the morning of the event and the day after. Local television (Channel 69) covered the event. The picketing generated many other favorable news stories and helped educate voters in Pennsylvania concerning the details and importance of the Employee Free Choice Act.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Below is a note from Gregg Potter, President of the Lehigh Valley Labor Council on the event.
Good afternoon,
Attached is a piece from the Allentown Morning Call that appeared on today's front page. There is also an accompanying video that gives perspectives from Congressman Dent and Labor. I want to personally thank the 43 locals and over 250 members who came out to protest the actions of Congressman Dent.
I am listing the locals who attended, and if I omit you, I apologize. It was a rather hectic day.
I want to publicly thank Bill Newhard and the Lehigh, Northampton, Pike & Monroe County Building Trades Council for their incredible participation. You all made this happen! Keep up the great work!!
AFSCME 1435, Northeast Pa. Area Labor Federation, UAW 677 Retired, Catholic School Teachers Union, CWA 13500, 13000, District 13, PSEA, UFCW 1776, USW 2599, 547, SOAR, 10-86, 807, Roofers 30, SEIU 32BJ, 1199, SEIU/PSSU 668, Airline Pilots Assoc.
Road Sprinklers 669, Insulators 23, IBEW 1600, 375, 607, 143, 1319, 229
Carpenters 600, Bricklayers 5, 30, Sheetmetal Workers 19, UNITE HERE, OPIU 277, National Writers Union, Plumbers 690, IUPAT 703 and 1269, IUPAT District Council 21
Glaziers 252, Bethlehem Firefighters, APWU National and 268, Lehigh Valley Labor Council, also, special thanks go to Rep. Joseph Brennan, Northampton County Controller, Stephen Barron, the Moravian College Democrats, Lehigh County Democratic Chair, Rick Daugherty, Northampton County Democratic Chair, Joe Long, Nancy Tate, of the LEPOCO Peace Center, LVDC and also Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan for stopping by during the Chamber event.
Labor was fortunate enough to gain front page space two days in a row in the Morning Call, and there is a follow up article scheduled for this Sunday.
Thanks again for all those who participated!! You all made me very proud to be union!!
In unity & solidarity,
Gregg Potter
President, Lehigh Valley Labor Council
610 360-9491
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5chamber-q.6790432feb20,0,7960884.story
After listening today to the Louisiana Governor respond to Obama's speech to Congress and the American nation on the economic crisis and healthcare, I suddenly realized that the Jindal-type of Republican should never, ever be placed in a position of governmental responsibility. Unfortunately, the Jindal-type dominates the national Republican power structure.
Governor Jindal simply does not believe in government. His references to the awful Bush Republican response to Katrina show that he just does not get it. Jindal seems to think that since Bush blew the federal government response to that disaster, therefore, government is inherently incompetent.
It is true that under Bush the personnel responsible for disaster relief were incompetent. Those individuals were selected for entirely political and ideological reasons. They did not believe in government. Essentially, they were Jindal-type Republicans! They were Bush Republicans!
If you believe government will always fail, you are very likely going to fail in the management of government. If politics, ideology and achieving power take precedence over implementing sound policy in your value system, you are a poor candidate for being good at managing government agencies or programs.
Jindal is certainly not alone in his contempt for using government to better the condition of our economically suffering citizens. Along with Jindal, the Republican Governors of Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Alaska have indicated that they would not accept federal money to extend and expand unemployment benefits for the citizens of their states. The reasons they gave are illogical and seem to be motivated by politics instead of real policy concerns.
The citizens of these states losing their jobs are going to suffer simply because these Governors do not really believe in helping citizens facing economic adversity not of their own making. Texas Governor Perry has never been concerned with helping the unemployed, in my opinion; because they do not write big campaign checks and Perry does not really believe in government. Governor Palin of Alaska along with Governor Jindal of Louisiana both seem to be more concerned with running for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination than in serving the citizens of their states. Read More »
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create or save 143,000 Pennsylvania jobs by the end of 2010. The jobs will come from smart investments in the future of Pennsylvania including.
Children
$99.5 million Child support enforcement
$ 42 million child tax credit
$60 million childcare access and quality improvement
http://clasp.org/publications/aara_childcarestatealloc.pdf
Education
$565 for Pell grants
$22 million for Head Start
$460 million for students with disabilities
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/ARRAConferenceStateTable.pdf
Rebuilding and Repowering America
$343 million in transit
$460 for energy conservation
$1 billion in highway funding
$225 million for clean water
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/02/compromise_map.html
$536.1 million in unemployment insurance
$792 million in food stamps
$4 billion for health care for low-income families and seniors
$680 million in aid to seniors and disabled veterans
http://www.cbpp.org/1-22-09bud.htm
Children
$29 million child support enforcement
$194 million child tax credit
$ 24 million childcare access and quality improvement
http://clasp.org/publications/aara_childcarestatealloc.pdf
Education
$ 198 million for Pell grants
$ 7.9 million for Head Start
$ 216.4 million for students with disabilities
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/ARRAConferenceStateTable.pdf
Rebuilding and Repowering America
$ 179 million in transit
$ 115 million for energy conservation
$431 million in highway funding
$124 million for clean water
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/02/compromise_map.html
$367 million in unemployment insurance
$ 223 million in food stamps
$ 1.3 billion for health care for low-income families and seniors
$222 million in aid to seniors and disabled veterans
http://www.cbpp.org/1-22-09bud.htm
I want to make friends of Democratic Talk Radio aware of a great addition to non-Republican Right talk radio in Pennsylvania.
Charles Showalter is hosting a great new show Monday-Friday on KFB 770AM from noon to 1pm. The show is called The Union Edge Talk Radio. The studio line is 412-829-7100.
Here are a couple of Podcast links:
Our good friend Michael Morrill of Keystone Progress http://theunionedge.com/january-21%2C-2009-show
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka http://theunionedge.com/january-23%2C-2009-show
There is much more information at his website at http://www.theunionedge.com and we encourage DTR fans to explore that site.
We will be having Charles Showalter are a future guest on our Lehigh Valley WGPA SUNNY 1100AM Democratic Talk Radio program which broadcasts on Thursday mornings from 8:05am until 9am.. Our call-in line is 610-866-8074.
Charles Showalter is a member of the AFTRA union.
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As we expand our Democratic Talk Radio show into the Philadelphia market in coming months, we are intentionally not broadcasting during the time slots of The Union Edge , The Labor to Neighbor Show or The Rick Smith Show. We applaud the great work of all the great hosts.
They are all union brothers and sisters. All are friends of Democratic Talk Radio.
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On weekends, you can hear pro-union, progressive talk radio in Pennsylvania by tuning into The Rick Smith Show with host Rick Smith. His website is http://ricksmithshow.com/.
His show broadcasts on WHYL 960AM on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2pm. The call-in line is 1-877-960-0960.
You can hear Podcasts of past Rick Smith shows at this link http://ricksmithshow.com/past_shows and we advise spending the time to do so. Explore his web site while there.
Rick Smith is a good friend and frequent guest on Democratic Talk Radio. We highly recommend his show! It gets huge ratings in the Carlisle-Harrisburg, PA market and reaches most of central Pennsylvania plus surrounding areas.
Rick Smith is an active member of the Teamsters
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In the Philadelphia market, we have another great pro-labor talk radio show on WURD 900AM.
http://900amwurd.com/2008/?p=51
“The Labor to Neighbor Radio Show is heard Tuesdays at noon. The hosts, Patrick J. Eiding and Janet H. Ryder invite guests to address contemporary issues facing working families in our region. Topics include but are not limited to; union and worker issues, employment and job training, human and social services referral information and sharing pertinent current events that help shape our daily lives.
Patrick J. Eiding is the president of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO which is a federation of more than 100 local unions with more than 150,000 members and families in this city. This former business manager for the Insulators Union Local 14 serves on many boards and commissions and was recognized as one of the 75 most important Philadelphians.
Janet Hammond Ryder is the vice president of labor participation for both the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO and the United Way of Southeastern PA. In that capacity, she links community organizations and local unions together to make sure they are actively engaged and involved in making a real difference in their communities. She is a former Philadelphia Public School educator and political director for American Federation of Teachers, PA.”
The call-in lines are 866-361-0900 or 215-634-8065.
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Democratic Talk Radio is hosted by Stephen Crockett who is Editor of Mid-Atlantic Labor.com. Crockett is a member of the National Writers Union (UAW Local 1981) and OPEIU Local 277. He is an associate member of the United Steelworkers (USW). Crockett has been involved in an organizing drive by the Machinists (IAM). He is from Maryland and Tennessee.
Democratic Talk Radio co-host Dana Garrett has been very active with UFCW Local 27 and the Laborers (LIUNA). Dana is from Delaware. Dana Garrett hosts another talk show in Delaware called Progressive Voices which broadcasts on the University of Delaware FM station WVUD.
The Democratic Talk Radio office is located at the UAW Local 1183 union complex in Newark, Delaware next door to the Delaware AFL-CIO. The main Democratic Talk Radio website is http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com. The DTR Blog is found at http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com/wordpress/.
Democratic Talk Radio currently broadcasts from Bethlehem, PA on WGPA SUNNY 1100AM. Anyone can listen in live to Democratic Talk Radio on Thursday mornings from 8:05am-9am Eastern via this link:
http://wgpasunny1100.com/
Wilmington, DE - Sens. Tom Carper and Ted Kaufman (both D-Del.) and Gov. Jack Markell (D-Del.) will join together to give Delawareans a first overall view of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that the President signed into law on Tuesday, and how this legislation will impact our state.
With record job losses and deficits sending Delaware’s economy deeper into a downward spiral, the three top elected officials will talk about the overall economic recovery bill and what these new funds will mean for Delaware, including creating and protecting thousands of jobs in Delaware, starting long-overdue infrastructure projects and providing swift assistance to the thousands of Delawareans whose lives have been upended by this recession.
Carper, Kaufman, and Markell will be joined by labor, business and community leaders at the Department of Labor tomorrow for the announcement. Each will speak for 10-15 minutes and then field questions from media.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
11:30am - 1:00pm
Press Conference
Department of Labor
4425 North Market Street
Wilmington
On air with labor radio host Steve Crockett
Interview by Ron Ennis, Lehigh Valley Postal Workers
Editor, Lehigh Valley Labor Council
Steve Crockett is a busy guy. The radio talk show host had just traveled through a January storm the night before his Thursday morning program when he sat down with the News & Views. His weekly show, Democratic Talk Radio, is a Steve Crockett magnet for labor activists, progressives and Democrats.
The success of Crockett’s show is largely attributable to his friendly manner and his passionate interest in labor issues and civil liberties. He is a member of the National Writers Union (United Autoworkers, Local #1981) and the Office and Professional Employees International Union, Local #277.
The News & Views caught up with Crockett in his hotel lobby to talk to him about labor and the media.
News & Views: What makes your program different than the other talk radio shows?
Primarily, it’s the message and who we represent. Right wing talk radio represents corporate forces. Their message is that labor unions are bad, workers should not be able to act collectively and there should be neither consumer nor environmental protection laws. Everything I don’t believe in, they believe in.
How did you get into the business as a radio talk show host?
I started Democratic Talk Radio because of the role right-wing radio played in stopping the recount vote in Florida during the 2000 presidential campaign between Al Gore and George Bush. As you know, it was a judicial coup d’ etat orchestrated by the U.S. Supreme Court that stopped the recount.
I asked myself after the ruling was handed down, what’s it worth to me as a working class guy to live in a free country? And the answer was everything.
So, I started out in Fayetteville, Tenn., Al Gore’s old House district, and over the next five years spent $30,000 of my own money to get the message out about the corporate forces taking over America.
Eventually, I had a show that was nationally syndicated on i.e. America Network, which was backed by the United Autoworkers. It folded at about the same time as Air America went into production.
My current show, Democratic Talk Radio, started on April 3, 2008. It’s broadcast from Bethlehem every Thursday morning at 8:05 am on WGPA-1100AM. Read More »
They encountered significant legal costs and maybe other even larger financial costs by their actions in support of the union brothers and sisters in the building trades. We at Democratic Talk Radio love this example of real labor union solidarity and want to honor it.
Fran Friel and his fellow union leaders from the American Postal Workers Union truly believe that an injury to one is an injury to all. For Fran and the rest of members of the Pennsylvania Postal Workers Union, these are not just words. Their actions show their conviction and sincere devotion to labor solidarity.
When asked to comment on their actions, the President of the Painters (IUPAT) District Council 21 Ken Kraft stated, “THEY not only supported our union I feel they supported the entire building trades movement by not having the convention at a place that uses non-union workers from out of state and then EXPECTS Unions to just book there anyway... It was a great example of how we get it together once in a while between the building trades and the other Labor Council type Unions... But it is also a shame, in Europe NO-ONE would find this unusual, they still get it over there...”
Millions of labor heroes exist in the work force of America. They all deserve recognition and our sincere admiration. Democratic Talk Radio honors them every day for their contribution to economic opportunity and justice.
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For more information, please contact Democratic Talk Radio host Stephen Crockett. Crockett can be reached by phone at 443-907-2367 or email at demlabor@aol.com. The Democratic Talk Radio website is http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com.
Our first choice is obvious. Fox News wins the first 2008 villain slot for their disinformation campaign against ACORN. The efforts of Fox News to provide political cover for Republican efforts at voter suppression during the 2008 elections were, in the opinion of Democratic Talk Radio, the lowest thing ever done by Fox News.
The second winner for 2008 political villain is George McGovern. Fans of Democratic Talk Radio may be surprised by this choice. Frankly, we never expected to be giving a former Democratic Presidential candidate a villain of the year award. However, McGovern has lent his name to the Right-Wing, corporate effort to undermine workers’ right to unionize. George McGovern has allied himself with the anti-worker efforts to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act. His TV commercials are frankly an open act on working Americans. McGovern has disgraced himself by joining with the most anti-working class political forces in America and misleading the American public on the nature of the Employee Free Choice Act.
The Senate Republicans out to destroy the American auto industry and the United Auto Workers union are our third villainous winners. Senator Corker of Tennessee, Senator Shelby of Alabama, Senator McConnell of Kentucky, Senator Vitter of Louisiana and their fellow Senate Republicans put the interests of foreign corporations over the interests of the American economy. Since all were opposed by the United Auto Workers in previous elections because of their militantly anti-worker voting records, their efforts are obviously motivated by personal political considerations that directly undermine the national interest. These Senate Republicans have sided with foreign companies to drive down the wages and healthcare benefits of American workers.
The hero of the year selected by Democratic Talk Radio is Al Franken. The American nation should be delighted at his political courage and determination. By insisting that all the votes be counted in the 2008 Minnesota Senate race, Franken has set a good example for all candidates running for office and for American voters. American Democracy has been strengthened by his resolve.
Al Franken will be a great asset should he eventually prevail when all the votes are finally counted. Norm Coleman has been very aggressive in his attempts to undermine a free and fair counting of the ballots.
For more information, contact Stephen Crockett at 443-907-2367.
The stakes are huge. A million auto worker retirees have their healthcare and pensions put at risk by Shelby’s unpatriotic and reckless actions. The ripple effect of not approving the loans could destroy one out of ten jobs in the American economy.
Political and economic pundits along with most officeholders have refused to link the economic crisis facing the auto industry to government policy. The situation facing the auto industry is more a result of bad government policy than bad management decisions. The attempt by politicians like Shelby to blame labor unions is factually wrong and, in my opinion, intentionally dishonest. Shelby and his Senate allies created this auto industry crisis by adopting economic policies that have crippled the American economy.
All industrialized nations except the United States has government provided, universal healthcare. Only in America, do we place the costs of workers’ healthcare and their families’ healthcare on the backs of employers. This puts our employers at a huge competitive disadvantage with foreign corporations. Read More »
November 10th, 2008
Dear Friends,
Democratic Talk Radio wants to thank everyone for their support of our mission. We have been devoted to bringing the Democratic message to America’s airwaves since I first bought airtime the night that the US Supreme Court imposed the Bush Presidency on our nation in December of 2000.
The show went on the air in January 2001 in Tennessee on a small AM station and soon moved to a more powerful FM station reaching a much larger audience in both northern Alabama and central Tennessee. I largely funded the effort out of personal resources. I invested over $35,000 keeping Democratic Talk Radio on the air in Tennessee.
Briefly, we broadcast nationally on the now defunct i.e. America Radio Network which was backed by the United Auto Workers union.
Our show is available free of charge to any radio station in your area that wants to broadcast it.
In the early Spring of 2008, we moved Democratic Talk Radio to the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. Our show broadcasts Thursday mornings on WGPA SUNNY 1100AM in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Sponsors paid the majority of the costs although I did invest nearly another $4,000 personally.
I want to thank all our sponsors.
The Mailroom union print shop in Allentown has been hugely helpful and supportive. I am going to be working with them as a new addition to their sales team on a commission basis. I exclusively use them for all my printing needs. The prices, service and quality are just excellent. Please let me know if I can connect you with them to meet your printing needs. We all need to print union. Read More »
I immediately called the wife of James Yetman, the union construction worker whose family was facing the loss of their home, at their house. She explained that James was already on the job. She gave me his cell phone number. As I fired up my coffee pot and started dialing James Yetman, I looked at my clock. It was 6:45am. I thought to myself, “How can a working man already on the job at this hour be facing foreclosure?”
I already knew the answer. James had a wife who was unable to work because of a uncurable serious chronic health condition and because she was nearly 8 months pregnant. She had 5 children from a previous marriage when she married James. They had 3 more together (not counting the one on the way at that time). James had been out of work for an extended length of time during the winter. Fuel, food, medical, insurance and heating expenses had exploded during the past year. They were being squeezed from every direction.
They had been victims of a mortgage that I had viewed as predatory when I examined it. It was certainly more than they could afford on their income. They had not had many options other than agreeing to the lenders terms since it is almost impossible to find landlords willing to rent to such a large family. Section 8 housing had been severely underfunded by the Bush White House and their Republican allies in Congress. They were going to get no help from the Bush Administration. Maybe, just maybe, Biden might be able to help.
I managed to get James on the phone as I sipped on my first cup of coffee. I had great difficulty getting him to agree to meet Senator Biden. James did not want to miss the hours of work. He needed the money. This was before Senator Biden had been selected as the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate. James finally relented when I told him that Biden was on a banking committee in the US Senate and was his best chance of keeping his home.
James checked with his boss and called me back after getting approval to leave for the meeting with Biden. I picked him up from his job site in Newark, Delaware. We drove to Wilmington, Delaware to meet Biden at Angelo’s Luncheonette. We arrived a little early.
Angelo’s is a really small, working class neighborhood establishment with excellent and inexpensive food. I was surprised that the Senator would pick a place like this to meet. It had no reporters hanging around nor the usual political crowd that frequent the kind of public places where I had normally met other political figures in the past. I liked it immediately.
I had ordered lunch for James and myself when three of the leaders of Laborers Local 199 walked in the door. They were Business Manager William Carter, Vice President James Maravelias and Business Agent Toby Lamb. They explained that they were there to show their support for the union member facing foreclosure.
They were very concerned about the plight of the family. I understood their position. Non-union members often do not understand that members of the union movement really do consider each other as members of the same union “family.” We call each other brothers and sisters. The really active members and the leaders really mean it!
We were all finishing our lunch together when Biden arrived. He had his sister Valerie with him and several staff members. I was really surprised that no press were in attendance although one of the staffers had a camera. We persuaded the staffer to take some photos. I am really glad they did since many friends of the Yetman family refused to believe the story about the meeting without the photos.
There were maybe another ten customers and workers in Angelo’s Luncheonette besides the five of us from labor. Biden gave everyone considerable personal time and attention before talking to us.
Everyone wanted their photo taken with Biden. Most had personal stories to share or previous personal meetings to discuss with the Senator. It was easy to see that Biden was at home in this middle class and working class neighborhood. He was one of them who had made good and not forgotten them.
Eventually, Biden made it to the back of the establishment where we were sitting. He remembered the local union leaders and talked with them briefly. They introduced James Yetman to Senator Biden. James was visibly nervious at first but the Senator quickly put him at ease. Soon they were deeply involved in conversation. Read More »
Developments in the ongoing conflict between the nations of Georgia and Russia grew very hot this past week. The conflict has very long historical roots and has been potentially ready to explode since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The comments of John McCain on the current outbreak of war has demonstrated the close connection between “sounding strong” for domestic political considerations and “being stupid” in the execution of American foreign policy.
McCain has a tendency to talk tough and to threaten military consequences far too often for the comfort of many foreign policy experts and American citizens. McCain seems to have the first response impulse to use force and to send in the troops. This sometimes is appropriate but often is not the wise or intelligent course of action. McCain seems to discount the limits of military force in achieving foreign policy objectives and the negative blowback or other unintended consequences of getting involved in military conflicts without carefully studying the facts first.
Basically, McCain’s well-known bad temper marks him as a seemingly dangerously hot-head when it comes to foreign policy. McCain is very opinionated when it comes to many aspects of foreign policy. When conflict first erupted this week, McCain quickly made harsh comments criticizing Russia. McCain clearly appears to be threatening Russia with economic, diplomatic and, maybe military actions without considering the consequences for the United States.
His comments were not very helpful in persuading Russia to halt military actions. The Russians never respond well to direct public threats or orders from the United States. Intelligent diplomacy requires the very careful use of both carrot and stick measures to achieve the desired results. When you start “being stupid” in your public rhetoric by “talking tough” before thinking through the situation, you almost always fail to achieve your foreign policy goals.
Our foreign goals in the current Georgia-Russia conflict should be (1) halt the exchange of hostilities, (2) get Russia to withdraw their soldiers from occupied Georgian territory, (3) obtain a solid diplomatic front with our European allies especially NATO members regarding this conflict, (4) guarantee the international border integrity of Georgia, (5) protect the international oil pipelines running through Georgian territory, (6) guarantee the safety of American citizens in the war zones, (7) preserve both democracy in Georgia and a measure of ethnic self-rule in the breakaway provinces within Georgia, (8) avoid outright American military conflict with Russia and (9) avoid a new Cold War between Russia and the United States. “Taking tough” to “sound strong” in order to win points with the American electorate is a poor way to achieve any of these desired foreign policy goals. McCain was reckless and self-serving in his highly charged rhetoric.
Military action is all but impossible for the American government when it comes to responding to Russian actions in Georgia. The foreign wars launched by Bush (with the enthusiastic support of McCain) in Iraq and Afghanistan have drained away our military response ability when it comes to real threats to world peace and international emergencies.
McCain, like Bush, seems to be recklessly saber-rattling regarding Iran without having the necessary military forces required to back the threats being made. We need not to make the same mistake in Georgia.
How are we going to pay for more wars? McCain and Bush have not explained how we are going to pay for the current military conflicts or rebuilding our nearly exhausted military forces, much less launch even more foreign military misadventures. Economic mismanagement and disastrous trade policies have crippled our national finances and undermined our industrial capacity to fight wars.
Even economic conflict with Russia will have a very negative effect on the American nation. The world needs Russian oil. Disruptions in the oil supply from Russia will create severe hardships on American consumers. Only the oil companies financing much of McCain’s Presidential campaign would profit from such a situation. McCain’s “tough talk” might already be keeping oil prices higher than they would have been if McCain had not made those comments.
The fact that McCain has had a chief foreign policy advisor that was directly employed by the nation of Georgia while working on the McCain campaign demonstrates very poor judgment by Senator McCain. His chief foreign policy expert on Georgia was half of a two-man lobbying firm which received around $800,000 from the Georgian government while he was advising McCain. No advisor to any Presidential candidate should be a paid agent of any foreign government. It is no wonder that McCain does not have a balanced, well-informed approach to this subject.
McCain has dangerously injected himself into this touchy foreign policy/military crisis in a very public way. McCain should remember that he is not the President. Hopefully, for the sake of the American nation, he never will be.
Written by Stephen Crockett (host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com and Editor of Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.midatlanticlabor.com ). Mail: 698 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, Delaware 19702. Email: demlabor@aol.com. Phone: 443-907-2367.
Feel free to publish without prior approval.
The American nation has an excellent opportunity to change the nature of politics in our country this year. We have a real chance to build lasting alliances that will re-define the political landscape at every level of government and permit us to take back our government by the average citizen.
For decades, the political power of the largest international corporations and the wealthiest of the Super Wealthy have been tightening their grasp on governments in America. They have effectively bought their way to power by giving billions in campaign donations and buying up the media.
The effect has been passage of laws that undermine the power of average citizens to control their own economic futures, have an effective voice in government policies and to hear opposing political viewpoints. It is no accident that most Americans think that their children will not have as high a standard of living as they currently experience. It was economic policy on the national and international levels that forced tens of millions of families to have both parents working to maintain a decent standard of living.
Your rights to sue corporations when they abuse you as a worker, investor or consumer are being stripped away by Republican politicians like George W. Bush, John McCain, Dick Cheney and your allegedly “moderate Republican” member of Congress. The same bunch of Republican politicians are and have been for decades falling all over themselves to pass legislation that ships high-paying jobs with healthcare benefits to Third World nations where the high pay and employer provided healthcare vanishes while corporate profits explode! Yes, Bush, McCain and Cheney love NAFTA, the WTO, CAFTA and the rest of these deals. They have been a goldmine of campaign cash for the Republican Right and the alleged “Republican moderates” in Congress.
By appointing corporate thinking federal judges and government regulators, American workers have seen their rights to form labor unions effectively undermined and often destroyed. The public fiction of “free elections” in the workplace is there for these deceitful Republicans to “defend.” However, in most workplaces, the reality is that these giant corporations make real free elections impossible by intentionally breaking the law (the penalties are a joke), firing pro-union workers, preventing union organizers from talking to workers or distributing material, issuing threats and the like. The reality of these “free unionization elections” is that they are no more free and fair than the “free elections” in the former Soviet Union, communist China or Nazi Germany! Still, the Republicans vehemently oppose passage of the Employee Free Choice Act which would return effective workplace democracy when it comes to unionization votes.
The decline of labor unions has meant the decline of the American Middle Class both economically and politically and corporate forces know it! An effective labor movement has meant real economic opportunity for tens of millions of working class and poor Americans. Labor unions have been the vehicle for millions of racial and ethnic minorities to join the mainstream, Middle Class majority in experiencing the American Dream.
Corporate controlled politicians like Bush and McCain are simply killing that Dream. Will we let them?
The wealthiest of the Super Wealthy control our mainstream media but not our votes.
We all should know that racism has an economic purpose. It is the tool most often used in America to get the working class whites and Middle Class majority to put in power politicians who vote against the economic interests of working class and Middle Class whites. Racism is the tool used to divide the non-economic elite majority so that all working class and Middle Class Americans do not demand government policies that provide real economic opportunity for the vast majority. Racism is a sucker bet for all poor, working class and Middle Class Americans!
Read More »Union Web Sites that can help you buy union-made products
BUILD UNION, BUY UNION, SHOP UNION, BE UNION!
Miscellaneous
http://www.allamericanclothing.com
Clothing (Formerly Union Jean Company)
Clothing
http://www.justiceclothing.com
Clothing
Miscellaneous
Clothing
Leather Jackets (All Jackets Made in USA, Schott Jackets are Union Made)
Promotional Items – Bumper Stickers, Buttons, Pens, Etc.
Air, Hotel, Car, Cruises
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Watches, Clothing, Clocks, Etc.
Clothing, Specialty Items, Promotional Items
http://www.backdraftproducts.us
Specializing in IAFF Products Union Retail Stores
Greater Lehigh Valley Area in Pennsylvania
Wines & Spirits Shoppes
Rite-Aid
Super Fresh
Shop-Rite
Strauss Auto
Mailroom Copy & Print Center (call Stephen Crockett at 443-907-2367 for details)
K-Mart , T.J. Maxx Distribution Centers are Union, Retail is Not
Marshall’s
Do Not Shop! Wal-Mart Sam’s Club
Union Web Sites
• Bakery Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM)
Food Products
• UNITE-HERE (UNITEHERE)
Textiles, Hotels, Casinos, Etc.
• International Association of Machinists (IAM)
Motorcycles, Miscellaneous
• United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW)
Retail, Miscellaneous
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
Truck Drivers, UPS, Misc.
• United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1776 (UFCW 1776) http://www.ufcw1776.org Eastern Pennsylvania
• AFL-CIO http://www.aflcio.org
• Change to Win http://www.changetowin.org
-United Steelworkers of America http://www.usw.org
-United Auto Workers http://www.uaw.org
If you cannot find a Union Made product, please contact me at 610-217-5123 or at schlen@union-america.com
In Solidarity,
James S. Schlener
IAFF Local 735
UFCW 1776
Lehigh Valley CLC. VP.
Bethlehem City Democratic Party Chair
Aug. 5, 2008 The AFL-CIO Executive Council is in Chicago this week fine-tuning the union movement's largest-ever voter mobilization to take back the White House and strengthen working family majorities in Congress. The labor leaders will focus on the drive to inform union voters--who will make a difference in key battleground states--about the candidates and the strategy to get out the vote on Election Day. ***** Quick Poll: Whom do you trust most for information about House and Senate candidates? http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/o1a31_F1xcTy/ Got comments? Post them at: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/9pa31_F1xcTU/ *****
Executive Council Meeting Focuses on Election Drive http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/kpa31_F1xcTu/
Verizon Contract Talks Continue Past Strike Deadline http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/9da31_F1xcTm/
Kentucky Nurses' Long Struggle for Justice Takes a Step Forward http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/91a31_F1xcTj/
Bricklayers Endorse Obama http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/k7a31_F1xcT7/
by Tula Connell, Aug 1, 2008
http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/08/01/wal-mart-wants-to-make-sure-its-employees-dont-vote-democratic/
Wal-Mart and all its $13 billion in 2007 profits are quaking. The retail monolith is scared that Democrats will be elected to office this fall"and might pass legislation that would level the playing field for workers seeking to join unions.
The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB121755649066303381.html reports on Wal-Mart’s corporate tremors today, noting that
in recent weeks, thousands of Wal-Mart store managers and department heads have been summoned to mandatory meetings at which the retailer stresses the downside for workers if stores were to be unionized.
Downsides, huh? Like getting paid enough to support yourself and your family. Or maybe even the real big downside of having affordable job-based health insurance so that the emergency room isn’t the only option when your child has the flu. Because by not paying its employees enough to afford the company health plan, Wal-Mart dumps the cost of health care onto all taxpayers http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/walmart/upload/walmart_tax_memo.pdf , even making it a corporate policy to encourage new hires to use public emergency rooms, according to author Barbara Ehrenreich.
(You can tell Wal-Mart to stop its unfair and immoral workplace intimidation by signing a petition here http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/wal_mart_petition .)
Wal-Mart has been so intent upon piling up its billions in annual profits, it has created a mini-industry of anti-unionism to ensure it keeps its employees at everyday low wages. So, Wal-Mart is stepping up its efforts to prevent Democrats from being elected this fall, by telling employees http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB121755649066303381.html that “voting for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama would be tantamount to inviting unions in.” And Wal-Mart employees report feeling pressured to vote for candidates who oppose the Employee Free Choice Act.
Wal-Mart is doing even more arm-twisting workers on their way to the ballot box. Rather than pay its employees a decent wage and provide affordable health care, Wal-Mart is putting mega bucks into front groups that are spearheading a multi-million dollar ad campaign to slam workers, their unions and their efforts to pass the Employee Free Choice Act http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/ .
For instance, Wal-Mart is the largest member of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, one of the main funders of the $30 million anti-union campaign called “Coalition for a Democratic Workplace http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/chamber-of-commerce/coalition-for-a-democratic-workplace-exposed-20080424-557-273.html .”
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney says this latest revelation of Wal-Mart’s egregious meddling into its employees’ voting preferences
goes to show the extent that companies like Wal-Mart will go to maintain the status quo, which allows them to exploit workers to maximize profit. It’s clear the business community intends to spend heavily to protect its interests but working people know this election is about creating real, lasting economic change.
Wal-Mart is ready to use its corporate power as America’s largest private employer to corrupt the political system to safeguard its profits. American Rights at Work has lots of info on Wal-Mart’s actions attacking the Employee Free Choice Act here http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/employee-free-choice-act/latest-updates/wal-mart-mobilizing-against-the-employee-free-choice-act-20080801-605-83-83.html and has a detailed report here http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/wal-mart/wal-mart/wal-mart-rolling-back-workers-wages-rights-and-the-american-dream.html on how Wal-Mart rolls back workers’ wages in an assault on the American Dream. Plus the worker advocacy organization also tracks the front groups behind the Employee Free Choice Act smear campaign, with info here http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/chamber-of-commerce/coalition-for-a-democratic-workplace-exposed-20080424-557-273.html .
Take action now and tell Wal-Mart stop intimidating its employees http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/wal_mart_petition . Sign the petition here http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/wal_mart_petition .
Right Wing Republican Congressional candidates have been using slash and burn campaigns and outright lies routinely since at least the 1994 election. The recent negative comments by Congresswoman Heather Wilson falsely smearing Obama are a prime example of this low road campaign style. Republican Congressman Charlie Dent has been trying to defend his close ties to the oil industry and the huge amount of money they have donated to his campaign by blaming his Democratic challenger Sam Bennett for high fuel prices. Wilson and Dent sound just like McCain. They are just frightened of the voters and trying to hide their roles in creating the current economic mess.
However, the Republican Presidential candidates usually have not been nearly as vicious or desperate as John McCain. McCain seems to have become as divorced from the truth or civil political discourse as Dick Cheney. Smears and attack lines cannot conceal the truth forever.
Only about a half dozen years ago, I remember talking about the respect I held then for John McCain, as an independent-minded Republican, on my talk radio show. While I respected the McCain of Bush’s first term and admired the soldier McCain of the Vietnam era, I have little respect for McCain’s behavior as a Presidential candidate in 2008.
I admit that I would not have voted for John McCain at any point in his political career because he has always been a political enemy of working Americans and a powerful tool of the Corporate forces crushing us as workers, taxpayers and consumers. Those differences were ones of policy.
The problem with McCain in 2008 is that his character has apparently been corrupted by his lust for the Presidency. His nasty tone and negative personal attacks on Obama show how much of a failure McCain has been as a Presidential candidate trying to defend on the failed policies of Bush Republicanism!
McCain has falsely blamed Obama for high gas prices. McCain has been receiving huge campaign donations from Big Oil. He has done absolutely nothing to promote more competition in the oil industry. He has opposed oil windfall taxes that would have been used to promote alternative energy development. Read More »
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