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Dana Bash reports that although the Democrats and the Bush administration have reached a deal on an auto bailout the Republicans in the Senate are saying no deal. Apparently they are not happy that the "car czar" cannot mandate "long term" change in Detroit. Sounds like code for bust the union to me.
The New McCarthyism: Oregon Tea Partiers invade quiet MoveOn picnic, break it up with threats -- and boast about it
Pelosi on This Week: I Didn't Hear Cantor Say Anything When Tea Party Was Spitting On Congress Members
Colin Powell Takes Hannity to Task for His Obsession with Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright
Sarah Palin and Occupy Could Be Friends |
Colin Powell Takes Hannity to Task for His Obsession with Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright |
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Former OMB Director Stockman: Romney Can't Say He Learned How to Create Jobs in the LBO Business |
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Biden Rips Romney's Social Policy: 'We Will Not Go Back to the 50s!' |
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S.E. Cupp Attempts and Fails to Defend Paul Ryan's Immoral Budget |
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SNL Digital Short: Andy Samberg and Pee-wee Herman Get Drunk and Attack Anderson Cooper |
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Bill Maher Knocks Liberty University: It Cheapens My Degree From a Real School |
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Compassionate Conservatism: Romney Meets Medical Marijuana Patient |
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Krugman: Romney's Business Career is Fair Game |
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Republicans Will Find Themselves in Tough Spot if Supreme Court Strikes Down 'Obamacare' |
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Romney: ‘I’m Not Familiar Precisely With Exactly What I Said, But I Stand By What I Said Whatever It Was’ |
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Fox News uses Tina Fey photo for Sarah Palin report |
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Colbert: Rush Limbaugh is a Prostitute Who Will Do Anything With His Mouth for Cash |
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President Obama Asks to See Betty White's Long Form Birth Certificate |
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'Family Guy' Does the Tea Party |
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Bill Maher Knocks Liberty University: It Cheapens My Degree From a Real School |
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The same wicked Repuke cocksuckers who gave Bush unchecked billions to kill Iraqis and Afgans. Total bullshit.
How could we get by not killing for 14 days?
We blow a billion a day in the quicksands of Iraq lent to us by our friends the Chinese.
They want to buy a bankrupt GM for the tank line alone.
You are right about that but no bailout should be put forward to any failed institution. $30 trillion in wealth has been destroyed and it's crashing back to earth. There isn't a TARP big enough to catch that Godzilla sized falling knife.
Just get out of the way, let the weak hit and die and then let the competent and strong pick up the pieces. That is what has been proven to work. All we're going to do is put these companies on life support but they will never get up off the bed, they will never leave ICU. Have we learned nothing from the zombie banks of the 90's in Japan?
Goodnight, Frau Blücher
That is what I don't get about these credit swaps.
It is money that never existed. Taking bets as assets is such a crazy notion, that makes me wonder about the mental capabilities of the business class. Not that I had any respect for the intellect of the MBA and economists. But this one takes the cake...
to leave Detroit twisting in the wind, I say, let's let the Republicans have their way! Then, when things are really, really bad because of it, we can say, now and forever, see what the Republican's are capable of! When they are in power, they do nothing to prevent economic disasters like this and then when given the chance to do something positive, they balk!
I knew that W and co. would ruin the economy eight years ago; I hate to be right!
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
I say the handbasket has already reached its destination.
GOP doesn't stand for fiscal responsibility or anything responsible. Just "that's MY money". period.
They are intent on driving the Big Three into bankrupcy. They want to kill the pension plans and union healthcare. That it will ultimately put up to 3 million people out of work, maybe more as the effects ripple through the economy, means nothing to them. GOPers only care about wealth and power for themselves. People mean nothing to them. Nothing at all.
They see this through to the end, and after the 2010 elections, they'll only be holding onto about 20 seats in the senate...all of those seats coming from the Moron Belt, Inbred Jesus Belt and Cretin Belt states.
its always union busting. The UAW has done so much for workers rights all over the US in the past 20 years.
The UAW doesn't give a rats ass about American workers. They have their SuVs, their suburban homes...right next to their Walmart.
And don't tell me about what they did in the 30s. That was then. This is now. Big Unions hate New Labor, hate change, hate Obama.
I want a bailout and to keep our unions. But there has to be CHANGE.
We need a 21st Century Model T, a vehicle that will revolutionize our way of thinking about automobiles.
Big oil is against that, the Big 3 are against that, big Unions are against that.
.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
I'm always to see how much UAW hates Obama. So much so that they endorsed him for president ...
after Clinton
He was last on their list and you know it.
Talk to your average Union member, they are as racially progressive as an oak tree.
According to their press release, they were split about endorsements in the primary.
I can't find anything but anecdotal evidence (consisting of your post) to back that up.
None of the union organizers or officials I know are racist, and most tend toward being politically progressive, but I'll assume that you personally know a bevy of racist union members, and that your characterization of them as being racist as a whole was motivated by your personal experiences.
it only took him 3 posts to come with his UAW bullshit.
you have nothing.
you bring nothing.
you say nothing.
LOL.
You should go look in one. You might be surprised at what you see.
you dare not engage what i say. you dare not refute what you know is true.
What does UCFW stand for?
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
all you have is my mispelling from last week?
lol.
minds nailed shut.
You did not answer it.
Here you said this:
Now you say it was a 'misspelling'.
You MISSPELL the very word MISSPELL.
I am saying that you are FUCKING LIAR. You were never an organizer, if you were, you would never 'misspell' your own acronym.
Acronyms can be cryptic for outsiders and easily confused, but never for an insider.
HERE is the UFCW, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789 of St. Paul.
An organizer would NEVER, EVER confuse or misspell the acronym.
You are a fucking TOAD.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
our new "friend" sure is quick to throw other unions under the bus.
no reply necessary!! call names!!
[All Right. Knock it off. I mean EVERYONE-Sitemonitor]
Just admit they nailed you and get out.
Lots and lots of them have gotten their heads beat in by the Reptiles and their Goons.
I take serious exception to a fucking TOAD claiming to be an organizer.
Either you were an organizer as you claim, and my hero…
or you are a LIAR, and a FUCKING TOAD.
Your tap dance tells me it is the latter.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
What you need is for the Progressive like Henry Ford back owning and Controlling Ford Motor Company instead of it being run by gambling Stock holders on Wall Street for higher stock trading prices and dividends instead of just making a reasonable profit.
These Employee CEOs, CFOs etc. making 400 Times or more than what a worker building those cars earn. The Business is top heavy with management personnel and short on people actually building cars.
CEOs don't own those businesses they are Contracted Employees of the Company.
If Contracts with CEOs is good; what's so bad about Contracts with the Hourly Workers?
Unions are Not the Workers; Workers are the Union!
Donaldd
blue collar workers or the capitalist neocon union busters...wanting to drive the workers back to the wages and benefits of hamburger flippers.
These pigs are so disgusting. Bring on 2010, and let's wipe another half dozen waxed ass holes out of the Senate.
And vitter should be so ashamed as to not even show his hypocritical puss in front of a camera. These pigs make me want to vomit...on them!
Any decent human being would be ashamed to show his face publicly ever again...and this freak has the gall to try to lecture hard working people regarding what's right?
they would go on to give a rebuttal to Vitter's statements half naked and wearing adult diapers.
... as Mitch McConnell whines about the taxpayer footing the bill without any accountability. Where the !@#$%^& were you as we pissed away trillions of dollars in Iraq, Mr. Accountability?
As for your buddy Dave 'Diapers' Vitter ...
It's what they live for.
If they fuck this up, they must go down in flames. A lot of blue collar workers listen to Limbaugh and have voted themselves, their families, coworkers and the rest of us this shit, but that won't happen again.
me-oww!
All you have to do to get people to vote against their best interests is to scare the crap out of them. Tell them that their opponents people are going to make them all get gay married, have abortions, ban Christmas, outlaw Jeebus, and fly planes into every building in America.
Or maybe it's that whole "maybe I'll be rich someday" crap ...
Didn't John Dickinson use to host That's Incredible!?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I'm in the USAF and it's amazing how many people blindly listen to the likes of Limbaug and the far right. Some of us qualify for public assistance in addition to our salaries yet they support indivuals who have no interest in helping them. Placing a Support Our Troops magnet on your can and paying lipservice does not pay the bills.
What's even more amazing are how these vets are treated when they are retired or discharged. Some of them can barely get medical care but they don't connect the lack of care to the cost cutting done by conservatives. Hell, McCain didn't even support the Webb GI Bill but there were still GIs who voted for this guy.
the prostitute's friend shows his family values by bidding to further beggar American workers.
Stay classy, Pampers!
...bugger!
Just as religious right extremism has backfired on the general republican brand, so hopefully will this union-busting. Pro-labor needs to use this to invigorate union rights throughout this country. Where is there public relations? Where are the pro-labor voices in the MSM?
When we need him?
Just how much more debt can the government pile on the backs of the US tax payer? Considering the size of the bail out so far 7.5 trillion and counting, this tactic by the Republicans is probably one of the few smart moves they've made in years.
The auto companies through their own mismanagement have driven their companies into the ground. I don't buy the Democratic line that no one will buy the big three's car's if they file for reoganization because other manufacturers couldn't pull up the slack. Just as any other business would have to, they can file for chapter 11 and then get their acts together producing cars with advanced technologies which they should have done going back to the first gas crisis in the 70's. JMHO, but I just can't feel sorry for companies that can't stay competitive either due to their own ignorance or worse, being in bed with the oil companies to intentionally keep cafe standards low. That sure would sell more gas for gas guzlers as well as provide the US government with a cash cow in the form of federal and state taxes on a gallon of gas. As things stand now, the largest recipient per gallon of gas sold are the federal and state government coffers in the form of excise taxes.
I never have agreed with much the Republicans have done in the past, but if we don't take a stand now, where do the bailouts end?
baggypants cuz they're full of shit like you.
Ron, other than calling someone a name, do you have anything useful to offer?
When did I call you a name?
I thought Ron was overly decent to your dumbass post.
I sure as f*ck wouldn't buy anything from a company that may not be around to honor their warranties. Especially since they are not able to pay workers decent wages to produce quality products.
The republicans may be correct on this one, but they are for the wrong reasons.
They are playing politics in a time of dire need, and jeopardizing people's futures.
Had they provided an alternative plan to the bailout, I would have taken them seriously. But they are even more dangerous than the Dems, because it is clear they have no problem playing chicken with other people's future.
Also if the GOPers hadn't raided the treasury for the past 8 years, then this bailout would not have been such a bad deal. So it takes a big set of brass balls, for the GOP to be acting like the fiscal conservatives now that they have sucked us dry.
Apologists like you, also, don't help any.
Since when has saving American jobs become a "Democratic line"? You're not thinking....you're just repeating some stupid ass Hannity, Rush, etc. tough guy(pussy) talking point.
So it's okay to set up a big row of dominoes, but when they fall, refuse to clean up the pieces? Let's not forget that the majority of destructive legislation, lack of oversight, and general fuckage rained down on the American people has come from the Republican side of governing.
How about *forcing* financial institutions to lend if they're given bailout money? Maybe letting AIG dissolve into the mass of debt that it's headed into? These institutions have been convincing us for years that we have to live on credit, to the point where we're all dependent on them for *everything*, which is the only reason that they were able to push a nasty bailout for their buddies past Congress, etc.
These guys have been shouting "fiscal conservatism" at the tops of their lungs while spending more than ever on the increasing militarization of America ... to catch guys who apparently live in caves. Yet no single payer medical system, failing infrastructure ... yeah, sure glad those guys are into fiscal conservation.
Hackenbush, if memory serves me, it was during the Clinton administration that the Glass Stegal act was killed. That was the start of a very slippery slope that we now find oursleves on. The Dem's aren't any less culpable than the Republicans when it came to screwing up international finance in the name of globalization.
I am sure you did not get that "tiny" tidbit in your latest talking points memo.
Not that I care much for Clinton, IMHO he was the best republican president in the past century.
I certainly don't disagree with you that it was indeed killed during Bill Clinton's administration. It was passed by a 90-8 majority in the Senate, while both the House and Senate were under Republican control (not that Bill Clinton wasn't an *incredibly* conservative Democrat). But if we have to see who is more culpable, every one of the "Nay" votes was cast by Democrats, at least in the Senate vote for that bill.
We've definitely screwed up *way* too much here, and letting ex-CEOs handle CEOs was just plain stupid to begin with (see: Hank Paulson).
repealing Glass Steagal was Phil Gramm's idea. Clinton couldn't exactly veto it.
GOP greed through and through.
It is the best Congress that Wall Street Money can buy!
Republicrats!
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
GMAC has 15 million customers. 15 million payments coming into their payment center, every month. if General Motors goes bankrupt, its not like those bills are going to suddenly *poof* and go away - and its not like the resources/warranties those customers hold are going to suddenly *poof* and go away.
let them fail, so that something better can replace them. thats kind of how evolution works.
are usually those who least understand it.
If you are going to use "evolution" as an analogy. Be warned that evolutionary processes rely on small incremental changes.
What the proponents of bankruptcy are proposing is not an incremental process, but a cataclysmic one. And those usually lead to extinction.
great. I'm comfortable with that.
the majority of the unionized workers, can easily transition to another industry.
like I said, a fender's a fender. people who know how to slap a fender on a gas guzzling combustible engine auto... could just as easily slap a fender on an electric car.
Americans will still need to get from point A to point B - no matter what happens to GM, Ford or Chrysler. and its not like we'll be able to afford expensive imports.
one person's cataclysm is another person's once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Go ahead and change industry and careers on a second's notice in the middle of the most severe worldwide recession in the past few decades, and tell us how you did it.
There is your "opportunity" you could make a mint with your manual...
What "other" industry could they so easily transition too there, burnt?
Gotta love the "compassion" of the free marketers, eh?
Completely concurring with a man who pays prostitutes to wipe his shitty ass before replacing the dirty diaper.
Maybe he should get his temperature taken too, ya know...might as well, while the hooker's takin care of bidness down there...
I sure hope Vitter bailed that poor lady out.
If GM or Ford fail so will their Unionized parts suppliers. If you can't get a usable part from a Junkyard; You are screwed!
http://newsforreal.com/
Dancing With the Devil
"...After all, those high-rollers on Wall Street weren't dancing that dance alone. No siree. They had eager and willing partners. We were like unpopular kids at school who never got asked to dance at the ball.
But the Wall Streeters and Bankers reached out to us, asked us to dance, and we swooned into their arms.
And oh, did we dance! How we danced! We swirled to one commercial hit after another. And we loved it -- and we loved them. They swept us away to a place we had always been told we could reach, but never seemed within reach. But, as long as we danced, they lavished those things on us.
“But,” we sniffled, “we can't afford your SUV's?"
Forgetaboutit. GMAC to the rescue with generous financing. "Four years too short, payments too high? You worry too much my dears,” they crooned, “We''ll extend it to six years, eight years if that works better for you.”
You said you'd also love one of those new flat screen TVs, but didn't have the dough?
“There you go again, dears” they reassured, “Here, take this CitiBank credit card and go get one today. Hey, while you're at it, pick up a second one for the kid's room. You guys deserve it. Enjoy!”..."
"...“Poor dears,” they replied. “You have a right to your own home. It's right there in the US Constitution -- something about the pursuit of happiness. And we're here for you help you claim your rights. We'll lend you the down payment as well. Go buy a house.”
“That's very nice of you, we replied, “but we tried and your bank said we don't make enough money to afford the monthly payments.”
“What?” the bankers were shocked. Simply shocked. “Well! That's outrageous. That's discrimination, that's what it is. We'll take care of that. Just tell our loan officers what they want to hear. They just need a number to put in the box marked 'Income” to show the regulators. Never mind if it's not true. Your new house is going to go up in value every day you own it, so don't worry about it. We'll keep the payments so low your kid's lemonade stand could cover them. Then you can sell it and make a bundle. I mean look around us, everyone's doing it.”..."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/...
Donaldd
to fix the economy and bail out Detroit
me-oww!
On NPR yesterday, Jim DeMint was claiming he was fighting for the workers - and that was why the union had to be busted. Have the GOP ever stood up for average Americans in the past 8 years? The past 20? 30? It's a pretty crappy record.
I don't see why unions are being vilified. Sure they have some sleazy people among them but I think corporations would work people to death and then cast them aside with no compensation if they could.
the illustrious Roman who declared it was better to work slaves until they "outlived" their "usefulness" and then throw them to the streets...
Mr. DeMint reminds me of that famous US Army report, which stated who they had to bomb a Vietnamese village down into the ground in order to "save it."
“A lot of struggling Americans are wondering where their bailout is,” Mr. McConnell declared.
These two senators are from the party that would crap and piss all over the American worker and then blame them for the smell...
If Detroit is not bailed out, declares bankruptcy and busts the UAW, I've bought my last "American" car.
I've never bought one. Had a used, one year old car given to us which promptly barfed up it's transmission. Sold it for parts. It was the last one I'll ever own.
I know it's the way Washington works, but it doesn't help that Harry Reid throws in pay raises for federal judges. Can't we just make this a clean bill and nothing else?
is intended to be a factual statement
I am trying to figure out why a Democrat has not stood up in either in the Well of the House or Senate and declared: Providing bridge loans to the Detroit 3 is in the national security interest of the United States of America. Argument won and over because what Republican wants to play against the national security card.
And yes, the Republicans are trying to bust the hell out of the UAW, even though the UAW has offered more than these mealy mouth whore hiring Republicans (Senator Vitter anyone?) ever will.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
That's their excuse this time but let's face it, they're just doing the same obstructionist shit they've done forever.
They only thing they'd be willing to pass without a hissy bitch fight is a raise for themselves.
People who say "fuck the car companies" without any regards to the devastating down line economic repercussions to so many other workers, are so goddamn selfish it makes me want to vomit. These are same John Wayne tough guy fucks who love war, but would urinate on themselves if they were handed a rifle.
To hell with any company that is to big to fail.
Is our immoral and treasure busting Iraqi war escapade too big to fucking fail?
I'm so sick of selected and misguided outrage.
I think most people here would agree that it was a general failure out of the gate, by most definitions of the word "failure". Intelligence failure, human rights failure, PR failure, etc, etc.
This will insure increased sales for the big three. Also, ban the sale of new cars from the start up car companies, because that will threaten the sales of the big three. Letting them succeed would be like busting up unions because the start up companies do not employ union workers.
Also, encourage drivers to replace their vehicles before their time is due, finance them when they cannot afford new vehicles.
These moves will cost the tax payer nothing and will save all three companies.
For the past 20 years, I've been hoping to one day see tax shelters and other breaks for individuals in repairing and replacing cars. The governmental interest would be the environment.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
look at how well the cubans have kept american cars running from the 50's with alternative parts. we throw away our cars way ahead of time and for "cosmetic" reasons.
They'd take russian tank and truck parts, and somehow use them to keep their old cars and trucks running...ingenious I say.
I dunno if you were trying to be funny, and I completely missed the humor... in which case I apologize.
Or if you were being serious, I should give you a prize.
The problem with Chapter 11 bailouts (as opposed to a government loan with oversite) is not only do they restructure their organization, but also their agreements, at court order, not only with labor unions, but also pensions and health plans. So then you have a worker, who's spent most of their working life, maybe getting prepared to retire, only to find out they don't have the money or the health care they'll need during their "Golden years."
And that's not counting people down the line like suppliers and repair personnel, vendors, sales personnel etc, even accounting firms that will be impacted.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
This Shelby freak out of Alabama is making my blood boil. Same with Colburn in Oklahoma and who is that fuck in Tennessee and Mitch McConnell... the list goes on but the freak out of Alabama is where I want to start. What does Alabama sell to the rest of the United States? Foreign cars for one. What else? Besides rednecks? I say their state has to be boycotted!!!
Well hopefully the brakes are American made and won't work in stopping the auto bailout.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
XD
In hi tech land (silicon valley) the union presence is notably absent and yet the productivity and working conditions are quite good.
Perhaps the unions are simply a solution to a problem that doesn't exist anymore so they resort to extorting higher wages from companies that hire union workers. If a company told its workers to take a pay cut or they would be fired and replaced with cheaper workers, there would be an uproar. If a union tells a company that they want higher wages or they will strike and cause financial ruin to a company, that's called collective bargaining. Both are wrong.
Working conditions are important but we do have OSHA and tons of regulations dealing with this now. What the unions have done is given financial incentive for companies to move factories offshore where labor is less expensive. It's not evil it's business 101.
I would support an end to unions. They are part of the problem.
your problem with unions is that they are fighting slave wages.
As a tech worker, I can tell you, that Unions are non-existent because if we were to unionize we would be fired.
No other sector of the economy has experienced a higher degree of offshoring and exploitation as the IT sector in the American economy in the past couple of decades.
The productivity of the average IT worker has also risen significantly, which means that even though salaries have stagnated, we actually work more for less.
Maybe you have no problem with exploitation, I do.
we could all just sing Kumbaya and then all of our labor problems would go away...corporations would pay higher wages and health care and union leaders could disband their unions in return...
the only problem with that and I respectfully disagree is that those regulations mean nothing now. Bush's Labor Department spent all its time figuring out ways how employers could screw over workers by not paying overtime and other such labor-friendly ideas...
Wow...that's a pretty B&W view of things innit?
There's an old saying. You get what you pay for.
If you're not making enough money, then figure out a way to improve your life. Forcing your employer to pay more by striking is only going to give you a high paying job that you could never find anywhere else.
If you don't like the labor conditions, then file a complaint, go somewhere else, vote for people who will maintain good work regulations.
Unions were created to address the problem of poor working conditions and no government oversight. This is not the case now.
What the unions are effectively doing is pushing companies to offshore their operations in places where the working conditions would shock most Americans. How's that for helping the American worker?
Business will only pay what they must to get employees. Anytime you artificially increase something in the free-market system you get...a bubble. Are you enjoying the current bubble bursting?
BTW, I haven't figured out a way to not pay overtime to my employees when they work it. Do you have proof of those regulations not being effective?
Those regulations were blocked by the Senate...
Have you forgotten the 30 year campaign to bust unions that started with Reagan? There is a reason why union membership is down to 9% today and it's because the GOP has persuaded workers that all what the unions do is steal the worker's hard-earned money and drive companies into such financial straits that they are "forced to outsource" to countries where the wages are virtually slave-labor. If the regulations were enforced fairly, especially the part where firing a worker who wants to unionize is supposed to be illegal, perhaps we wouldn't have this argument over the Employee Free Choice Act. However, I would state that while I am a union worker and may be biased, as an employer, perhaps you are biased too.
Congress allowed the Silicoln Valley to import 100,000 workers from India. They believe in the Cast System and don't understand the concept of a union or the working class demanding more.
Those imported Indian Tech workers are looking for jobs along with everyone else.
Donaldd
It's not because Workers do no want to form unions or remain in them.
The Reduction in membership in U.S. Manufacturing Unions are down because their jobs have been outsourced to Unionized Workers in Communist China, Mexico, and other Third World Nations.
The SIEU Service Workers Union is growing as Factory workers are forced into Lower wage Service Jobs.
Donaldd
sorry, you're definitely right about the outsourcing, but I'm also talking about the workers who vote against their own economic interests because they have been persuaded by Rush and his ilk...but the union busting also has to be in play and I think the propaganda issue is also relevant whether it is employers who hint at firing workers who want to unionize or whether they hint that they'll outsource their jobs. Considering that employers have outsourced jobs and then turned around and blamed the unions and workers for "forcing their hand" when they did it to pay slave-labor wages, perhaps I should have framed it as an employer intimidation issue instead of workers not wanting to join a union...
Black hearted "I got mine" fucks like you crack me up. I see pussies just like you all the time in criminal court after some thirteen year-old pistol whipped you for your wallet. Only when you're victimized by the brutal reality of soci-economic related crime do you change your cruel, fake tough guy, bullshit tune on other people's hardships.
the IT sector has no union presence. And we were one of the sectors hit the hardest by offshoring.
So care to explain, how in a sector with no unions, it is the non-existing unions that "force" business to offshore.
http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/03/layoff...
Layoffs Mounting in Silicon Valley
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/art...
The unemployment rate in Santa Clara County, home to Silicon Valley, rose to 6.9 percent in October from 6.5 percent in September. That's above the national level of 6.5 percent but below California's jobless rate of 8.2 percent.
The numbers will likely get worse. The past few weeks have seen near daily job cut disclosures from Valley companies including Sun Microsystems Inc., Applied Materials Inc., KLA-Tencor Corp., National Semiconductor Corp., and Lam Research Corp.
Smaller private companies are also wielding the ax, with high-profile names such as electric car start-up Tesla Motors and social networking site LinkedIn shedding workers.
Employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas has tallied 140,422 job cuts overall by technology firms through Oct. 31, up 31 percent from all of 2007. More than two-thirds of this year's layoffs have come since July.
Donaldd
is someone going to stand up and say to the Cons, "You had your chance and you drove our country into the ditch! From now on, you don't get to tell anyone how to drive!!"
the Big 3 get bailed out, so should Toyota and Honda, and Hyundai and name that company. ALL of them get tax breaks and help from foreign governments all over the world. The Big 3 have been treated with kid gloves everywhere, including Canada. Why do they deserve special treatment? If they went bankrupt, would not the other companies pick up the slack, hiring more people?
People whine about reps giving tax breaks and incentives to all these other companies, when American companies get the same damn thing in foreign markets. Show me an American company in Canada, and I'll show you a company that does not pay squat in taxes, while getting golden tax breaks at the same time. IT's global.
Find out what businesses are in the states of the repubs who are voting no bailout, and boycott those businesses. Make sure the MSM know about this, so word will get out. Hit these repubs in the pocketbook of businesses that vote and maybe the vote will change. Worth a chance.
A modern parable.
A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (Ford Motors)
decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams
practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.
On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.
The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate
the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior
management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.
Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person
steering, while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people
rowing.
Feeling a deeper study was in order; American management hired a
consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second
opinion.
They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat,
while not enough people were rowing.
Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent
another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure
was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 2 area steering
superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.
They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 2
people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called
the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free
pens for the rowers. There was discussion of getting new paddles,
canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and
bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to 'equal the competition' and
some of the resultant savings were channeled into morale boosting
programs and teamwork posters.
The next year the Japanese won by two miles.
Humiliated, the American management laid-off one rower, halted
development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and cancelled all
capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed
to the Senior Executives as bonuses.
The next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to
even finish the race (having no paddles,) so he was laid off for
unacceptable performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next
year's racing team was out-sourced to India.
Sadly, the End.
Here's something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty
years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make
money paying American wages.
TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants
inside the US. The last quarter's results: TOYOTA makes 4 billion in
profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.
Ford folks are still scratching their heads, and collecting bonuses...
Let's not bailout the car companies.
so you think we should not bailout the car companies, then would that not b just like the guy in the canoe. dont blaim the worker for the guys at the top. The workers do not have the millions in the bank like the CEO's.
I have gotten that stupid ass "parable" like 20 times in my inbox in the past week.
Most from wingnut acquaintances. I had to explain them, that the parable is about American management approaches, not American labor practices.
We all know how bush saved the US with HIS "HOMELAND SECURITY". What he and his fellow repugs and dems did is that when bush joined INS and Customs he did one of his DICKtater laws and made it "ILLEGAL" for them to join or to have a UNION they have had for years. INS was part of the Federal Employees Union. I think there was about 169,000 members. When homeland security went in the UNION went out. There still trying to do things, but most of the time they just blown off by the management.
This thing with the Big 3 is nothing more than to BUST UNIONS. The repugs are pissing about the big 3 loosing money, how about bushs fucked up war, you know the war he lied about to get us in. that is costing 11 billion dollars a month. not to say about the 9 billion lost. What about AIG,Citi. he gave them about 300 billion, did the repugs ask the CEO's from AIG, Citi, how did they get to washington. hell no, they got there money over the weekend. If the repugs want to bitch about the big 3 for fucking up the auto companies, they should look at there boss who has taken America when bush was appointed president from a surplus of around 400 billion to 7 to 9 TRILLION DOLLARS IN THE HOLE. WHAT A GUY!
There are a segment of Republicans that want our country to go down. They want the United States to resemble a 3rd World Country.
Well, here we goooo.
Here goes our economy!!!Depression here we come!!
on the one hand, the bailout is not supported because this would be a union-busting maneuver. don't support the big three and allow them to die a slow and agonizing death and simultaneously, the unions and their demands would go down with them. IN doing so, then the american auto worker would be thrown under the tracks and the once robust economy of this country would cease to exist
So there is the case for the non-support of a bailout. however, the case can be made at least in my mind, that a bailout cannot be supported simply on the basis of the Republicans not wanting it and the democrats supporting it. I would support it vigorously if there were oversight or restrictions placed on those who receive the funds. Business cannot be conducted as usual. They cannot continue to turn out cars with less than 35 MPG. that is a benchmark that must be adhered to. If there are naysayers or hesitation on the part of the decision-makers in the company, then get rid of them. A long time ago, the technology for a electric car was in place and the big three felt it was right to destroy that cottage industry and continue to promote a vehicle that utilized fossil fuels and polluted the environment. The chickens now have come home to roost, but those who would suffer are not the execs who made the decisions, but rather the little guy who sends it down the line for a weekly paycheck.
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