In this cross-post from the Huffington Post, Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, describes why the deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers when it comes to union elections.
The deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers when it comes to union elections. That's why airline CEOs are working so hard to defend current election procedures that count all workers who sit out elections as "no" votes.
Americans are accustomed to elections where a simple majority of those voting decides the outcome-whether they're voting for PTA president or U.S. senator. Not so for airline and railroad workers-who must first ensure that turnout exceeds 50 percent. How can we justify imposing higher turnout standards on airline and railroad union elections than we do in elections for the highest office of our land? We can't.
The only thing Alan Grayson should Apologize for ...
was not having the Fed's Price List
for their services!
(imo)
Perhaps Grayson can be excused, since "The Fed" does favors for its clients, far from the scrutiny of prying eyes ... giving away Billions to their good ole Buddies, both Foreign and Domestic, without so much as a Receipt or and IOU exchanging hands ...
It's easy to see how this shady activity just might get "mis-construed":
Alan Grayson: Which Foreigners got the Fed's 500 Billion?
Economist Jeff Madrick, director of policy research at The New School's Bernard Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, is among several key speakers at next week's Building the New Economy conference here in Washington, D.C. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard also are among keynote speakers. Here, Madrick shares with us why government involvement in the economy is essential to ensure a robust, successful nation.
America had been living a free-market myth for a generation until the credit crisis of 2008 and 2009 descended on the nation--and the world. One expression of that myth, found frequently on the editorial pages of the popular media, was that government does not grow economies, business does. In other words, government, don't meddle where you're not needed. Politicians are even easier to belittle than government itself.
Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, interviews Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, regarding a Robust Public Option:
AMY GOODMAN: Congress member Grijalva, I also want to ask you about Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus and his close ties to the healthcare industry. [...]
REP. RAUL GRIJALVA: I think the product that has come out from his committee and himself, I really believe that it has no legitimacy in this debate. It's an insider product. It's there to protect the industry. It is not there to try to look for that middle ground. He is key in holding up deliberations, has been key in trying to work on a consensus, but everything you see in his legislation had to be approved by the industry before it became part of the plan. So I don't think it's legitimate.
[...] I consider Senator Baucus's proposal to be essentially an insider trader move to protect an industry and really doesn't have validity at all, both political validity or content validity.
The Current Media System favors the Representation of Corporate Interests by our Politicians.
Since the Media Airtime costs so much, Politicians generally have little choice but to give Corporate Speech an Audience, in order to get Elected. ... Helloooo Corporate Lobbyists!
Doctor Linda Peeno, a renown expert in the field of "Managed Care", explains to Congress the dirty little secrets behind the Business of Health Care Denial:
THE REAL DEATH PANELS: Insurance Companies That Deny Care
In the spring of 1987, as a Physician, I denied a man a necessary operation, that would have saved his life. And thus caused his death. And I'm haunted by the thousands of pieces of paper, on which I have written that deadly word: Denied.
Her phone rings. It is another board member, and he is at the Capitol. We are off to the third floor and a day that accelerates from 0 to 60 very quickly. Among the sea of suits, we find her guest and connect him with Rep. Stephens, who will escort him onto the floor of the House for a visit.
Immediately thereafter, we meet up with the lobbyist for the Department of Economic Development, which houses the tourism budget and serves as the state's marketing apparatus for the industry. They discuss the House budget cuts, pending legislation and chart strategy. During that conversation she is approached by another lobbyist from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia who relays concerns over a hotel tax bill introduced a day earlier. Joy assures her the bill is a temporary bill and that a substitute is coming. [...]
Not much later, the lobbyist for the Georgia Municipal Association approaches Joy expressing similar concerns. Joy again explains a substitute is coming.
We learned last week from LA Times reporting, and from Congressional Hearings, that Insurance companies routinely try to drop your Insurance policy, if you happen to get one of their "Hot List" illnesses.
Getting any of these illnesses, can Trigger the Insurance Company's "Cancellation Police", into action.
Denial Specialists scour your medical history, and cross-check that against your application, looking for any reason to Cancel, or rescind, your Insurance policy, thus saving the Insurance Company untold thousands in future payments for your expected Care. Denial Specialists, of course, earn bonuses for each Policy they cancel. What a system!
Those 4 illnesses (out of the 1000+ such Triggers) previously disclosed are:
breast cancer, high blood pressure, lymphoma and pregnancy
Well thanks to the tough questioning of the Oversight and Investigations Sub Committee, at least 2 more Triggering Illnesses have been disclosed, as indicated in the video and transcript of the Hearing:
The 2 other newly disclosed "Drop List" illnesses, include:
(how to pay for health care reform... - promoted by poligirl)
I caught the Randi Rhodes show today. She was suggesting that all we have to do to pay for Health Care Reform, including a Public Option, was to just Roll Back the Bush Tax Cuts!
What a Brilliant Idea!
Thanks Rhandi ... (So glad you're back btw)
As it turns out, we just need to let the Bush Tax Cuts Expire, when they are due to "sunset" (ie. Don't Renew them!)
When Would the President's Tax Cuts Expire? by Andrew M. Grossman - April 21, 2004
In 2001 and 2003, President George W. Bush proposed and Congress passed a series of tax cuts to reinvigorate the economy and reduce the government's burden on workers' paychecks. Because of opposition to these measures from some in Congress, they were implemented as temporary tax cuts, all of which will expire by January 1, 2011.
