Letters
Whose Class Warfare?
Congratulations on organizing 60,000 new workers — and on your other positive effects in strengthening unions and electing to office people who represent regular Americans.
I do take issue, however, with you about obsessive devotion to the Democratic Party, which has been largely captured by the very-slightly-less-extreme elements of corporate America.
Please be more outspoken and aggressive in your criticism of President Bush. How much of the Social Security Trust Fund is being spent while the rich and the big corporations get tax cuts? And they accuse us of practicing class warfare!
The union movement must present a face representative of America and of union membership: more young people, more ethnically and sexually diverse — muchmore!
Brad Smith,
former First Vice President,
Local 375 (DC 37),
New York City
Remembering Dan
The news that the murderer of Texas CO Daniel Nagle was found guilty (July/AugustPublic Employee) brought back a haunting memory: I received a phone call in December 1999 from the AFSCME local's executive board and I was literally stunned when I was told Daniel had been killed. I had spoken with him about a week earlier and had held his newborn baby in my arms.
Shortly before he was killed, Dan told many of us, "It's going to take someone getting killed before anyone hears us." Two weeks later, he was dead. We grieved for him but continued the fight with new zeal. I keep a picture of Daniel Nagle in my office as a reminder of what I am fighting for: dignity, safety and respect.
Brian E. Olsen,
Executive Director,
Correctional Employees Council 7,
Huntsville, Texas
Boosting Union Pride
I loved your six-page spread on public employees working at Ground Zero (January/February 2002). As you have reported, members of AFSCME and the Minnesota Association of Public Employees employed by Minnesota state government have been without a contract since July 1, 2001. Our governor accused us union members of being unpatriotic for striking shortly after the Sept. 11 tragedies. ThatPublic Employee spread helped boost union pride within our membership.
Thanks for producing such a fine magazine. As an ex-journalist, I appreciate both the good writing and the terrific layout.
Annette Wuertz,
Local 2829 (Council 6),
St. Paul, Minn.
On 9/11, Bush = Gore
Two years ago, I found myself talking to the far left, which was dreading the prospect of the "dimwit governor" running our foreign policy, and reassuring them that a Bush administration would handle that okay. I now find myself having to give similar assurances to the far right: A Gore administration would have handled the 9/11 attack okay, too.
Your July/August issue correctly pointed out that it is their records and positions on issues that get the Republicans little support from us, not blind allegiance to Democrats. Like many Democrats and other regular Americans, we suffered two major blows on 9/11: the terrorist attack itself; and the political windfall that Bush and the Republicans — proud defenders of the interests of big corporations and the wealthy — got from it.
Paul Chad,
Ohio Civil Service Employees Association/AFSCME Local 11,
Bowling Green, Ohio
Trim Political Sails
I want labor leaders to confine their attention to negotiating with employers on behalf of union members, instead of negotiating with politicians on behalf of the working class in general. I would rather make up my own mind as an individual citizen concerning Social Security, Medicare, public housing, public schools, etc. I would rather have the money than my favorite government program.
If I wore the jackboots, public employees would be protected against contracting out to pay political debts; but labor agreements would rule out political activity beyond lobbying the powers that be.
Robert G. Dostal,
Local 12 (Council 61),
Iowa City, Iowa
Web-Site Education
By turning attention to voting records (not party affiliations), you help people to focus on issues, not stereotypes. Now take the next step: Put a list of voting records on the AFSCME Web site, and publicize that this information is available there. The records could be made available on a state-by-state basis.
Donna Arnicar, RN,
Sharp Professional Nurses Network/United Nurses Associations of California,
Encinitas, Calif.
Note: The current edition of the AFSCME Congressional Scorecard is available on the website.
A Good Tax to Impose
The ideas you mention for saving money in New York City (to save jobs and services) leave out one big possibility. Why is nobody talking about restoring the stock-transfer tax? It was in effect, I think, into the 1970s. Given the huge number of transactions in the stock market daily, the tiny charges it imposes could bring the city a lot of money. And the amount per transmission is so small that it would not be missed.
Michael Ehrlich,
retired former member,
Civil Service Employees Association/AFSCME Local 1000 and DC 37,
New York City
To Our Readers
Public Employee welcomes letters. Please include your council/local affiliations. Send your comments to:
Public Employee magazine
1625 L Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20036-5687or e-mail: pubaffairs@afscme.org
