Letters

Senator Says Thanks

A political campaign should be a two-way conversation. The candidate's goal is to persuade the listener that he or she deserves their vote. The candidate's opportunity is to listen to what is being said by the people so that, if elected, he or she can do a better job.

AFSCME's Des Moines candidates' forum last May was an exceptional example of that two-way dialogue. My fellow Democratic candidates and I were able to present our ideas and qualifications to be the next President of the United States. I know that we benefited from the conversations we had before and after the forum — as well as the questions that were asked during it. We became more aware of the concerns and opportunities that a significant and informed group of Americans, the AFSCME members in attendance, shared with us.

— Bob Graham (D) 
U.S. Senator 
Florida

2004 Politics — What Else?

Re the November/December issue, I was shocked by the vitriol and misinformation it contained. One-sidedness is not always bad; in fact, I agree with much of what was said. I have been a critic of the right as well as the left, and have always been afraid of the clout of both Big Business and big unions.

But to be a blatant organ of the Democratic Party, at the expense too often of truth, offends my sensibilities. The little guy often gets caught in the crunch, and large inequities result. It is very important as well to remember that President Clinton came into office when the economy was on the upswing and left when the country was entering a recession.

I trust you will be more even-handed in the future.

— Jon T. Schevenius
Retiree Chapter 6 
Chanhassen, Minn.

I want to tell you how amazed I was to read the November/December magazine. This was my first issue, and I am so impressed at how straightforward and on-target you are about Bush buying the election for all of his rich and corporate friends. I wish the Democratic candidates and congressmen would be as honest and straightforward.

— Robert Clyman 
Local 430, Civil Service Employees 
Association/AFSCME Local 1000 
Highland, N.Y.

For 2004, labor's message could be modified to speak to real concerns. With respect to the Bush tax cuts, the average person is not concerned so much with what the wealthy will receive as with what he or she receives. What labor should focus on is the deleterious effect of the tax cuts on public services and the fact that the cuts have drained money and resources from local and state governments by transferring trillions of dollars to the wealthy.

People should be asked: Are you better off than you were four years ago? The answer is obvious, and the Bush record speaks for itself.

— Stuart Leibowitz 
President, Retiree Chapter 37 
New York City

Politicians: Play Fair

The November/December 2003 issue is excellent in content, variety and honesty. "White House For Sale," your cover story, tells about special-interest groups and the rewards they get at the expense of blue-collar citizens. Help pressure the politicians to play fair. With your help, the turnout will be tremendous, and we will elect a candidate "of the people and for the people."

I live in New Mexico, where Council 18 is providing representation that is desperately needed. Jobs here are low paying, and workers have no protections. I am retired from DC 37, and I know the benefits of a union.

— F.C. Menzies
New York Retiree Chapter 37
Rio Rancho, N.M.

Executive Follies

It is time for all workers to open their eyes. As a union member, I sat and watched in disgust the televised tapes of the CEO of Tyco industries flaunting the wealth he made on the backs of the common worker. As partygoers got drunk from vodka, millions of unemployed workers worried about how they would pay their bills and where they could get their next meal.

Jimmy Buffett played as the guests smiled and danced without a care in the world, at the same time that millions of workers had to worry about their rising insurance costs — and millions more aren't even insured. As the crowd of revelers watched in awe and disbelief at the human statues moving gracefully throughout a perfectly manicured garden, thousands of unemployed workers coped with the prospect of losing their homes and all they worked for.

It is long overdue for all working people — in the public and private sectors alike — to open their eyes and see the injustices and lopsided wealth that are painfully eroding the livelihoods of millions of working men and women. We need to do our part and show these greedy corporate executives that we have a voice and demand to be heard.

— Michael Packard 
Local 104 (Council 24) 
Oak Creek, Wis.