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November 2, 2009National/PoliticalGeorge's Bottom Line: Jarrett: Obama Won't Break Middle Class Tax Pledge Senior White House Counsel Valerie Jarrett told me this morning that the President will keep to his pledge not to tax the middle class to pass his health care package. “He’s confident that a bill will be passed consistent with his parameters.” .. Democrats like House Majority Whip James Clyburn and AFSCME union President Gerald McEntee have argued consistently that the so-called Cadillac tax on high-priced health insurance plans, would amount to a middle class tax increase. Health care tax could hit home / Proposal for high-cost plans may adversely affect region . It has been billed as a tax on "Cadillac" health plans. But make no mistake: It would affect a lot of people who drive Chevys. The tax could have a bigger effect on areas with higher health care costs, such as southeastern Wisconsin, than other parts of the state or country. And more people could be subject to the tax with each passing year. Health Care's Next Big Fight: Tax the Rich or Slam Workers? The unveiling last week of new health reform bills by House and Senate leaders has focused most public and media attention on the scope of the public option. But, in truth, neither the House nor Senate versions of that measure could offer the extensive, affordable coverage that reformers are hoping for or that Democrats have been promoting. Labor unions, joined with other progressive organizations like Health Care for America Now, will be pushing to strengthen the legislation when the bills come to floor votes, but they're also focusing their efforts on ensuring that midde-class families and union members aren't slammed by a whopping 40% tax on insurers offering so-called Cadillac plans. States likely to shape health reform The debate over whether to let states opt out of any government-run health insurance plan overlooks a key facet of the health-care measures being assembled in Congress: When Washington is done, the shape of any new health-care system is likely to be finalized in Lansing and Boise and Baton Rouge. Besides the opt-out choice, proposed last week by Senate leaders, health-care legislation being drafted on Capitol Hill would delegate to state officials a multitude of momentous decisions, from what benefits are offered to low-income families to what hurdles to put in front of private insurance companies before they can raise premiums. After all the fuss, public health plan covers few What's all the fuss about? After all the noise over Democrats' push for a government insurance plan to compete with private carriers, coverage numbers are finally in: Two percent. That's the estimated share of Americans younger than 65 who'd sign up for the public option plan under the health care bill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is steering toward House approval. Blumner: Tall order for Trumka Does anyone care about labor anymore? Richard Trumka, the AFL-CIO's longtime secretary-treasurer, was recently elevated to president of America's largest labor federation. He now leads a confederation of 11.5 million workers, a membership bigger than the populations of 44 states. The country barely noticed. It was a big shrug-fest. Few newspapers offered more than perfunctory coverage. Working Americans don't see their fortunes tied to the labor movement any longer. Which is really, really too bad. Because they are. Democrats' Quiet Changes Pile Up While President Barack Obama still faces stiff headwinds on a range of major legislation on his agenda, he has been signing into law a slew of smaller initiatives that had gathered dust on the Democratic wish list for years. ... Other new measures signed into law since the administration took office, all of which kicked up controversy in past congresses, make it easier for women to sue for equal pay, set aside land in the West from development, give the government the power to regulate tobacco and raise tobacco taxes to expand health insurance for children. Adviser: H1N1 vaccine catching up to demand A senior adviser to President Barack Obama says the government will catch up to the demand for swine flu vaccine within a week. State ballots tackle controversial issues Tuesday Voters in six states will decide Tuesday on a range of hot-button issues, from same-sex marriage and medical marijuana laws to borrowing funds for open space. In Maine and Washington state, voters will decide whether to extend marriage rights to gay men and lesbians. Fiscal Blood on the Tracks LIKE a tsunami that follows an undersea earthquake, collateral damage from the collapse of credit markets is about to strike the millions of daily transit riders in America’s biggest cities. Public transit agencies in cities including New York, Atlanta, San Francisco and Washington are under pressure to surrender $2 billion from their budgets because financial institutions have spotted a chance to gain a windfall from complicated tax-shelter deals known as “leasebacks.” Audit: KBR must trim Iraq work force or face fines The Army's primary support contractor in Iraq is being warned by Pentagon auditors to cut its work force there or face nearly $200 million in penalties for keeping thousands too many on the payroll. Defining excessive pay The Supreme Court this week will hear a case that raises bedrock questions about the ability of the market to set "reasonable" corporate compensation, and experts say its outcome could hold important clues about the judiciary's view of extraordinary interventions in the economy by the executive branch and Congress. At issue in Jones v. Harris Associates is whether investment advisers charged too much for their services to a mutual fund under their control. But it contains natural parallels to the current controversy over executive compensation at publicly held companies. State/LocalUPW members' suit claims layoffs violate rights Two prison guards at Kulani Correctional Facility on the Big Island are asking a state judge to halt the state's plan to lay off hundreds of government workers as a way to close a budget deficit. ... Kaleiki and Lyman are among an estimated 1,100 state workers who will be laid off on Nov. 13. The guards are members of the United Public Workers union, which has not agreed to a furlough or layoff plan with the state, Khim said. Overtime at Hawaii 24/7 posts may exceed furlough savings The decision to furlough Hawaii government workers could result in an increase in overtime costs at facilities operated 24 hours a day. At the Hawaii State Hospital in Kane'ohe, the only state-run psychiatric hospital in the Islands, some are questioning whether overtime costs to cover for furloughed workers will exceed what the state saves. .. The Hawaii Government Employees Association represents 114 nurses at the State Hospital whose positions are staffed around the clock. Hawaii state senators asked to help restore school days Dozens of parents and educators appealed to state senators yesterday to take action — any action — to find the estimated $60 million to $85 million it would take to cancel teacher furlough days. ... Two other unions — the Hawaii Government Employees Association, which has agreed to furloughs, and the United Public Workers, which is still in contract talks — represent school personnel and would also likely have to be part of any new agreement. County faces $45M budget deficit Hot on the heels of the state's budget crisis, Maui County is anticipating a budget shortfall next year of $45 million or more. Tavares said the county's contract with the Hawaii Government Employees Association would allow her to call up to 24 furlough days in 2010-11, but she did not. Civil service pay change on the table Civil service officials are considering a system that gives individual government managers more of a say on which state workers get pay raises and how much. The proposal is scheduled to be taken up Wednesday by the seven-member state Civil Service Commission, which decides policy for about 61,000 classified state government workers. Ex-workers dunned for overpay Former employees of the city of Gary say they are each being told to repay hundreds of dollars in unemployment benefits to the Department of Workforce Development because of a "data entry error" committed by their former employer. "It was a shock," said Ayanna Wright, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 4009. "Everybody was shocked and upset." Consider it a win-win for everyone in county I have been an employee of Wishard Hospital for 26 years. I know what it's like to walk the distance of three football fields to get from the parking lot to the hospital entrance. I am proud to be an employee of Wishard, as well as, the president for AFSCME Local 2065, which represents the employees of Wishard Health Services. .. Building a new Wishard also will boost the employment that is desperately needed in Marion County. Building a new Wishard will not be a tax burden to the residents of Marion County. Building a new Wishard will be a win-win for everyone. Union calls for revenue review The union representing state workers defended itself last week against Republican accusations that surging union membership will cost taxpayers. Colorado WINS issued a news release last week following an announcement by Gov. Bill Ritter to furlough state workers an additional four days in order to close an additional budget shortfall of $271 million. Erie County's blue-collar union OKs contract Erie County government’s blue-collar union has approved a new contract that provides six annual raises of 3 percent each through 2015 in exchange for concessions on paid leave and employee contributions to employer-provided health insurance. Local 1095, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, recently approved the contract, 476-425. It affects some 1,700 workers for the government, Erie Community College and Erie County Medical Center. Town asks unions to consider wage freeze Like most municipalities in New York State, the Town of Warwick will figuratively have to tighten its belt for 2010. ... With that in mind Sweeton recently approached the Warwick Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), which represents police officers below the rank of Lieutenant, and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) which represents Town employees including Dispatchers and those who work for the Department of Public Works and the Town Hall. Sweeton’s chief proposal to the unions was a request for a wage freeze. Union blames layoffs on Schuyler administration A labor union representing about 150 Schuyler County workers says layoffs proposed in the 2010 budget will have a harmful effect on county services that union workers currently provide. Civil Service Employees Association Central Region President Colleen Wheaton said in a news release it is wrong for the county administration to blame proposed layoffs on union workers for failing to make contract concessions. Court: New York comptroller must return pensions New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli must return $500,000 in public pension benefits and credits to private lawyers who received them for doing part-time jobs, according to recent lower court decisions. Wall Street losses hurt Montana state pensions Montana's state pensions systems reeling from big losses in the stock market face a projected shortfall of more than $2 billion three decades from now. . The Montana Board of Investments said the projected shortfall in 30 years tops $2 billion. A year ago that unfunded liability — or projected shortfall — was a little more than $1 billion. Most city job cuts: vacant positions Mayor Jerry Sanders often touts his accomplishment in trimming the size of San Diego government. One of his favorite statistics is that the city has eliminated more than 800 positions since he took office in December 2005. To be exact, 882 jobs, or a 7.4 percent reduction in budgeted positions. .. In the cases where filled positions have been cut, most of those affected found work elsewhere within city government. .. Ultimately, 13 classified workers, whose combined salaries totaled $644,000, came off the city's payroll over the past six fiscal years because of work force reductions, according to city data. Seven of the departures happened under Sanders' administration. Interview with U.C. Berkeley Student, Lecturer, and Clerical Worker on current demands Rubble interviews Toni Mendocino, U. C. Berkeley clerical worker, Coalition of University Employees and Campus Radical Women; Katherine Lee, U.C. Berkeley Lecturer (contract status teaching staff), College Writing Programs, on working conditions for the faculty and other workers along with demands and organizing strategies. Student activist and AFSCME Local 3299 intern Marika Goodrich also provides a student perspective on the workers' conditions. Communities accuse Blue Cross of hiding $40 million in fees A dozen Michigan communities say they were overcharged $40 million in hidden fees by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and are demanding that money back. . As result of the settlement, the county was paid $650,000 in cash and will receive three years of free administration by the Blues, according to the agreement obtained by The Detroit News under the Freedom of Information Act. Mathews schools unions agree to pay freeze VIENNA - The Mathews Local Schools Board of Education and two of the district's unions signed two-year contracts that freeze the salaries and benefits for union members in the first year and provides 2 percent wage increases the second year. "We settled with the OAPSE (Ohio Association of Public School Employees) union last week and the Mathews Education Association about a month ago," Mathews School Board President Kenneth Wallace II said. County layoff notices sent, then rescinded Memo to Milwaukee County employees: Never mind. That was the upshot of a Friday session that ended with a new deal to avert the Thanksgiving layoffs of 180 county workers intended to avoid a 2009 budget shortfall. .. Richard Abelson, executive director of the county's largest union, said its contract requires a showing of economic need before layoffs can be done. Had the county persisted with the layoffs, a challenge on that and other grounds was possible, he said. District Council 48 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees represents more than 3,000 of the county's 5,400 workers. Furloughs, pay cuts offered as ideas to prevent layoffs Lawmakers say Democratic Gov. Chet Culver should seek state employee pay cuts or other sacrifices as he tries to renegotiate contracts with state-employee unions. After ordering 10 percent across-the-board budget cuts to state government, Culver has asked three employee unions to re-enter negotiations of their contracts. . A contract ratified earlier this year by American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Council 61 froze base wages for state employees in the current fiscal year. Illinois' borrowing bonanza Facing both an election and the politically unpalatable prospects of raising taxes or cutting social programs, Gov. Pat Quinn and lawmakers increasingly have turned to borrowing as a quick fix and are on track to rack up more than $6.5 billion in loans to keep the state afloat. Seattle library faces budget cuts With the Seattle Public Library facing a 5 percent or $2.6 million budget cut, it says it will have to close most branch libraries two days a week next year, as well as closing all libraries for a week. Washington Workers and Supporters Rally to Save People With Disabilities This cross-post from AFSCME highlights the protest by members of AFSCME Local 573 in Washington State against Gov. Chris Gregoire’s (D) plan to close two residential facilities to help balance the state budget. Scant scrutiny, suspect spending / City paid felon to supply services despite vague business records In 2005, Robin Beale was convicted in federal court for taking part in a local mortgage fraud scheme that bilked lenders out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. One year later, she landed a million-dollar consulting contract -- from the District's AIDS program. .. Yet the D.C. Health Department's HIV/AIDS Administration paid Beale's company more than $2 million over three years, approving invoices that listed unnamed employees and subcontractors, rent for a high-end office that was rarely used, and start-up costs for furniture and equipment that city officials later deemed improper, The Washington Post found. |
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