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July 17, 2008National/Political'Bush Legacy Tour' makes stop in Minnesota The "Bush Legacy Tour," a museum on wheels that organizers say documents the failed policies of the Bush administration, made a stop Wednesday in Minnesota. The 48-foot, 28-ton bus was at the Minnesota AFL-CIO building in St. Paul late Wednesday afternoon. "The Bush Legacy Bus is a rolling museum of the pain and destruction caused by eight years of the Bush administration," said Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME Council 5. Americans United for Change, the progressive issue-advocacy group best known for leading the successful fight to beat back President Bush's effort to privatize Social Security in 2005, launched the museum on wheels featuring several interactive exhibits on "two terms of failed conservative policies supported by Bush and his allies," including U.S. Senator Norm Coleman and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. McCain praises Obama during NAACP session It was a far cry from the exuberance that greeted his opponent two days earlier, but John McCain was welcomed politely by the national convention of the NAACP yesterday as he praised the history made by Barack Obama while criticizing his ideas. "Don't tell him I said this, but he is an impressive fellow in many ways," said the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. ... Arlene Holt Baker, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO and the highest-ranking African-American ever in the union, said she believed Mr. McCain converted few in the audience. The AFL-CIO has endorsed Mr. Obama. AFL-CIO Criticizes McCain's Support Of School Vouchers It was just one hour after Senator John McCain's speech at the NAACP conference when leaders of the AFL-CIO spoke out at a luncheon against the presidential candidate. While McCain received some applause earlier Wednesday about his support of school vouchers, members of the labor union disagreed. The union, which has endorsed Senator Barack Obama, says all government funding should go to simply public education, not vouchers. The Online Candidate Confronts Critical Netroots It was barely five years ago when the word netroots first surfaced as a description of grassroots activists who push their political agendas on the Internet, especially through blogs. Now the word is becoming a bona fide entry in the new edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, and the netroots themselves are preparing for their third annual convention, starting Thursday in Austin, Tex. The convention, formerly YearlyKos and now Netroots Nation, or NN08, bills itself as “the most concentrated gathering of progressive bloggers to date.” About 2,000 bloggers, activists, office-holders, vendors and others are expected to attend, with 200 members of the mainstream media tracking them (yes, roughly one old-media type for every 10 new-media hipsters.). The convention comes just as some in the netroots are questioning Senator Barack Obama’s commitment to their values and whether their faith in him as a different kind of politician was misplaced. Obama and McCain Expand Courtship of Hispanics Three times this month, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama have addressed national Hispanic advocacy and community service organizations. As a result, it is possible to draw a picture of the strategy and tactics that each of the presumed presidential nominees intends to employ to win the Hispanic vote, expected to be decisive in several states. Editorial: Welcome Rout on Medicare The surprising thing about the intense Congressional struggle over a modest bill to improve Medicare was how quickly it turned from a cliffhanger into a rout. President Bush’s veto was easily overridden as Republicans in droves abandoned his misguided effort to help the insurance industry hold on to its large subsidies. We hope this means that the next Congress will be emboldened to make more far-reaching reforms in Medicare to help keep the system solvent and able to provide high-quality care for older Americans. Federal deficit soars The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that, for the first nine months of fiscal 2008, the government incurred a $268 billion deficit. That’s $148 billion more than a similar period last year — although about half that increase went toward economic stimulus checks. And much more spending is on the way. ... The national debt, which refers to the cumulative amount the government has borrowed and not repaid, is almost $9.5 trillion, the highest level in U.S. history, according to the Treasury Department. Highway fund is latest victim of high gas prices ..... The federal trust fund that pays for highway and bridge construction and repairs runs on gas taxes and already faced a multibillion-dollar shortfall, even before fuel prices spiked above $4 per gallon. With Americans now buying less gas, the problem is exacerbated. ... In a Senate Finance Committee hearing last week on the nation’s transportation infrastructure, Baucus said high gas prices have led to a $2 billion decline in Highway Trust Fund revenue over the last year. If nothing is done, he said, the country could lose 380,000 jobs, nearly as many jobs as have been lost in the economic slowdown since the beginning of this year. Individual health policies leave many behind ... Like the Swaims, nearly 18 million people nationwide buy their own insurance because they're self-employed, are students or have jobs that don't offer coverage. The so-called individual health insurance market works well for some, but as the Swaims' case shows, it is fraught with complexities for many others. ... Fixing the problems in the individual market could go a long way toward expanding health coverage in America, where 47 million people are uninsured. State and federal lawmakers — and the presidential candidates — propose changes that could reshape that market. ... Republican John McCain has made individuals the centerpiece of his health plan. ... State efforts and the candidates' solutions: Five states — Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont — require insurers to sell individual policies to everyone, regardless of their health. Washington state requires insurers to take individuals with some health problems. Health proposal rankles Democrats Democratic lawmakers said Wednesday that the Bush administration is considering a new federal rule that would withhold government funding from health care providers and organizations that refuse to hire workers who won't perform abortions or provide emergency contraception. States avoid slashing higher ed money ... Despite a tough economic climate, several states are attempting to hold down college tuition — or at least not let increases get out of control — by avoiding deep cuts to higher education, an area that states have been quick to slash in past years when funds were low. Investigators find abuse in government contract program Companies collected tens of millions of dollars in government contracts by claiming to have main offices in poor neighborhoods that were actually empty duplexes, part-time offices and other ineligible locations, congressional investigators charge. ... A pair of GAO reports, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, examined SBA's Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program, which was created in 1997 to help thousands of small firms in distressed areas. .... The GAO's review of 125 applications submitted in September 2007 found the SBA asked for supporting evidence of a firm's eligibility claims only one-third of the time; the agency conducted a site visit only once to verify whether an office actually existed. ... "You have to wonder about the Bush administration and its commitment to disadvantaged communities, when all it takes for wealthy individuals to access billions of dollars in federal contracts is a $10 P.O. Box and a bottle of Wite-out," said Rep. Nydia M. VelDazquez, D-N.Y., who chairs the House Committee on Small Business and requested the reports. Her committee plans to hold a hearing Thursday examining the HUBZone program. Under the Radar / Iraq Case Sheds Light On Secret Contractors (no link) .. Security contractors in Iraq have been in an intense spotlight since employees of another firm, Blackwater Worldwide, were involved in a shooting incident last fall that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, leading to a Justice Department investigation and efforts by the Iraqi government to clamp down on their actions. Overall, the U.S. has about the same number of contractors as military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. But a fast-growing type of government contracting largely escapes such scrutiny: secret programs, or "black" contracts, assisting intelligence agents as they operate in war zones. These contractors have carried out some of the government's most sensitive work -- conducting interrogations, manning secret prisons and guarding spy-agency personnel. The programs' existence, size and scope are classified, and so are the details of their troubles. ... Mr. Boone's little-known employer, MVM Inc., before 2001 mainly provided school and courthouse guards in U.S. cities. As the U.S. sought to supplant its own overstretched forces, MVM quickly grew to become one of the top few providers of secret security in Iraq and Afghanistan, alongside companies including Blackwater. MVM has handled much of the Central Intelligence Agency's and National Security Agency's personal security in war zones. U.S. Downturn Boosts Shareholder Activism Increasingly poor corporate performance, in the context of the current U.S. economic downturn, has raised shareholder discontent regarding governance and executive pay issues. This has fueled a slew of proxy challenges and demands for reforms to promote "shareholder rights." Several proposals have been floated in recent years to rein in "excessive" executive compensation, as part of a more general move to increase shareholder control and oversight over corporate decision making: --The activists. These initiatives have emanated from institutional investors--including large pension funds, such as CalPERS--and investor advocates such as Nell Minow of the Corporate Library, and John Bogle, former CEO of the Vanguard Group of mutual funds. San Francisco and UC NewsWorkers Picket as UC Governing Board Convenes at UCSB The number of protestors marching at UCSB increased on the second day of a strike by service and health care workers across the University of California system who are represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Tuesday morning, July 15, in anticipation of the arrival of the UC Regents for a meeting at UCSB’s Corwin Pavilion, AFSCME bused in striking workers from all over the state to protest what they say is UC’s failure to bring a reasonable offer to negotiations that have not yet even begun. Related articles:
State/LocalIrked union leader predicts pension plan's passage Mayor Jerry Sanders took his pension plan for city workers on the road yesterday, seeking understanding and support from Scripps Ranch voters at a town-hall meeting. The plan, designed to save the city money in the future, would cut retirement benefits for non-public-safety employees hired on or after July 1, 2009. After the meeting ended, one labor leader predicted the proposal will be placed on the November ballot and be endorsed by voters. “Of course it will pass because voters won't understand it. What they'll see is the mayor spinning it as a reform,” said Joan Raymond, president of the city's blue-collar workers union. If Raymond sounds frustrated, she is. Contract talks over the pension stalled weeks ago, and yesterday Sanders declared that negotiations with Raymond's union had broken down over the language in the ballot proposal. The plan now goes to the City Council on Tuesday. Members will decide the ballot language, then vote on whether to place it on the Nov. 4 ballot. The proposal would not change council members' pensions. Related article from the Newsblog at the San Diego Union Tribune: Mayor declares pension impasse Carson won't hike sales tax Barely a week after the city of Carson introduced a plan to levy a half-cent sales tax to close a gaping budget deficit, the City Council has abandoned the idea. The council reversed course after hearing complaints from seniors, who argued that the city's business community ought to bear the burden of any new taxes. Several reacted angrily upon learning that the Carson Cos. and Watson Land Co., two of the city's biggest landowners, had helped bankroll a survey showing support for a sales tax. ... The need for new revenue became more acute last year when the city's largest public employee union defeated a plan to create a two-tiered retirement system. The system would have brought in newer employees at a lower rate of benefits, and would ultimately have saved about $2 million a year. Four bargaining units agreed to the plan, but the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees held firm, and persuaded the council to help scrap the idea. ...AFSCME District Council 36, which later endorsed Gipson's unsuccessful candidacy, approached the city with ideas for new revenue sources. AFSCME lent expertise in running ballot measures and agreed to help pay for the poll. Holly food service workers approved tentative contract that should save their jobs Holly food service workers are celebrating after union members on Wednesday approved a tentative contract agreement that should thwart efforts to privatize their jobs. Members of AFSCME Local 202 overwhelmingly approved the tentative 2-year contract, said Union Steward Betsy Ayres. ... Food service workers agreed to significant concessions to stave off the outsourcing of 20 jobs. School officials said they could save $200,000 by hiring a private company. ... Statewide, more than 40 percent of school districts last year privatized at least one of three major services -- custodial, food service and transportation, according the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Lansing. State employees may soon meet shorter workweeks Within the next few weeks, Michigan’s state government workers could have quite a bit of wiggle room in their work schedule, and East Lansing officials are considering similar scheduling changes. ... About a third of the state’s 51,000 employees are already on some sort of an alternative work schedule, Boyd said. Wayne County news briefs: Road workers to meet Local workers of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union are meeting today to vote on a memorandum Wayne County officials said would help Detroit avoid layoffs of more than 250 county road employees. ... Officials have said layoffs would offset a $3.5-million deficit caused by overtime and salt purchases. 63 Jobs Dropped at State Security Facility in St. Peter / Public safety is a concern A St. Peter security hospital that houses sex offenders, mentally ill and possibly dangerous patients is cutting back on staff. The move, ordered by the Department of Human Services, has employees, residents and AFSCME members concerned. The Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter will lay off up to 63 security jobs in order to cut costs. ... "Frontline workers know how to reduce costs without compromising safety, but no one asked us," says Chuck Carlson, president of AFSCME Local 404. "A bureaucrat in St. Paul shouldn't decide what's safe for St. Peter." Related article from the Mankato Free Press: Regional Treatment Center layoffs begin Arizona state employees may switch to four day work week State employees might not have to come to work as often if a feasibility study finds in favor of four day work weeks. Wednesday, Governor Janet Napolitano said that she has asked the Department of Administration to study whether four day work weeks make sense in Arizona. School system to lose $14 million but has option to tap into reserves The county’s Public Safety and Fiscal Management Committee voted Monday to approve cuts needed to make up for a $45 million gap caused by the struggling real estate market. The council, which must approve the cuts, is scheduled to vote July 23 on the recommendation. ... County officials said they hope to restore some of the funding later by getting county employees to agree to smaller raises this year. County Executive Jack B. Johnson has sent letters over the past two weeks to unions representing public works employees, police and firefighters asking them to forgo their 3 percent cost-of-living increases for the year and renegotiate contracts. However, officials for one union nixed the idea Monday. ‘‘We know of no reason why we must excuse the county from its responsibility to honor to the letter each of the labor contracts for [fiscal] ’09,” officials for the American Federation of County, Municipal and State Employees wrote in a letter Monday to the county. ‘‘It is the county’s obligation to pay its bills when and as they come due, just as we must pay ours for our households.” Union Spurns Talks on Pay (scroll down) Members of AFSCME, which represents 2,000 county employees, voted last week to reject a request by county leaders to renegotiate the terms of their contract. Facing a $48 million budget shortfall in the tightening economy, Johnson had asked all county employee unions to return to the negotiating table to talk about reducing the sizes of their raises for the coming year. Without talks, Johnson said, it might be necessary to lay off some workers. But Wanda Shelton Martin, a staff representative for the union, said about 350 employees met last week and rejected that ultimatum. Labor - Prohibited practice - Police details Where the town of Burlington unilaterally changed the order in which it distributed paid police details, the town committed a labor law violation. The town will, accordingly, be ordered: to restore the status quo ante by reinstating the order in which paid police details were distributed immediately before Dec. 18, 2003; to provide notice to AFSCME, Council 93, Local 1703, AFL-CIO, before changing the order in which the town distributes paid police details and, upon request, to bargain in good faith to agreement or impasse concerning any proposed changes; and to make whole any union members for any loss of earnings suffered as a result of the town's labor law violation. Big Dig's red ink engulfs state ... The state has also been forced to meet payroll demands for 1,400 Massachusetts Highway Department workers with borrowed money because it does not have enough cash to pay them. That means that painters and clerical workers paid around $18 an hour cost the state $28.80 an hour. The 80 percent of the workforce being paid with borrowed money compares to 14 percent before the Big Dig work began. City worker union blasts mayor over furlough deal Mayor Scott W. Lang's plan to have city employees take "voluntary furloughs" to ease the municipal budget crunch has run into a storm of criticism from the largest city employee union, upset that the police and fire unions did not take furloughs, and the City Council, who voted Tuesday not to participate. ... Mark A. Messier, president of Local 851, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said he believes the mayor's budget cuts fall unfairly on his members who accepted furloughs. Towns could feel pain of income tax elimination The first of the three questions on the November ballot will ask voters if they want to eliminate the 5.3 percent income tax. If that initiative passes, it could be costly, say area town officials. The ballot question would eliminate 40 percent of state tax revenue and almost $13 billion in revenues to the state," said Geoff Beckwith, executive director at the Massachusetts Municipal Association, a non-profit, non-partisan association that provides advocacy, research and other services to cities and town. Updated 7/16: Wauconda unions propose wage freeze as alternative to job cuts Wauconda's Board of Trustees could prevent laying off eight employees if it accepts proposals for salary freezes in the 2009-10 fiscal year from four unions representing village employees. ... And during executive session, Wauconda Mayor Salvator Saccamanno came out of the room and told more than 10 village union members who attended the meeting that the board is considering their proposal but no action would take place. Robertson spoke on behalf of the two FOP unions for patrol officers and dispatchers, the I-Cops sergeants and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2904 (AFSCME). ... Most of AFSCME's 24 members in Wauconda are public works employees. Advisory panel to review building dept. situation Before taking any more steps to close the Jackson Building Department and lay off its employees, a review by the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee has been called for by the Township Council. ... Mayor Mark Seda has indicated in recent months that the township's building department, which is supposed to be selfsustaining, is running at a deficit and that closing the department and outsourcing the work of building inspections to a private firm would be a financial benefit to Jackson. .... During the public portion of the meeting, Patricia Wood, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said, "Rumors are running rampant. [I would like to know] if you did not vote to close the building department and outsource the people, can the mayor still lay off the employees of that department. This is a rumor and I'm not making any accusations. I was hoping that Mr. Seda would be here so I could ask him myself." Oshkosh Job Center to lose staffing in state consolidation plan Oshkosh's unemployed, veterans and job seekers may have to travel to Menasha or Fond du Lac for assistance under a plan released by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Wednesday. ... The cuts would save Workforce Development about $350,000 each year at a time when the state still has not addressed its budget shortfall and federal support for employment and training services that fund the Job Centers has been cut 73 percent since 1984. CSEA Joins With House GOP in Unusual Alliance; Union Spokesman Questions Senate Democrats The Connecticut State Employees Association has joined in an unusual alliance with the House Republican caucus in order to push for more telecommuting among state employees. The union has been promoting the idea for more than four months, and the House GOP boosted the issue further this week with a press conference at the state Capitol. ... But Slap clarified that the Senate Democrats are not against the concept of telecommuting - only the plan unveiled by the Republicans that would benefit their caucus members and staff. Related article from the Courant: Governor Endorses Five-Day Workweek Workers arrested in sweep of R.I. courts / Dozens seized in immigration raids Federal immigration agents arrested dozens of contracted maintenance workers Tuesday in raids on six Rhode Island courthouses. A spokesman for the Rhode Island judiciary said the raids occurred simultaneously at about 5 p.m. and targeted workers for two cleaning and maintenance contractors hired by the state. .... Juan Garcia, an activist, said the raids, which occurred in courthouses in Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Newport, and South Kingstown, were an outgrowth of an executive order by Governor Don Carcieri cracking down on illegal immigration. D.C. Child and Family Services Director Resigns D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced last night that he has accepted the resignation of Sharlynn E. Bobo, director of the city's troubled Child and Family Services Agency. ... "I think that it's critical that we assure that we have leadership at the agency to handle the backlog of cases and to better serve the children and families of the city," said D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), who oversees the agency as chairman of the council's Committee on Human Services.... He said he plans to meet with Gerald as soon as possible and he wants to meet with social workers to hear their concerns about the management shake-up. |
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