The executive council of the AFL-CIA, backing its charging fearless leader Ferdinand Trumka, has issued a 5-point jobs plan -- and as far as Knothole Paine here is concerned, at least one of the points sucks hot rivets.
Here's all 5. Can you pick out the banjo? Hint: it's not even number 5:
- Extending current federal supplemental unemployment benefits programs to prevent a downward spiral as families fall into bankruptcy and lose their health care and their homes to foreclosure.
- Investing the money to meet the $2.2 trillion in unmet infrastructure needs, while including prevailing wage protections and strong Buy America provisions.
- Helping state and local governments meet pressing needs to overcome an estimated $180 billion shortfall in the fiscal year 2011 and $588 billion over the next four years.
- Putting people back to work doing work that needs to be done by preserving good public jobs that provide vital services and capacity for building strong communities. In addition, expansion of vital services in targeted areas can reduce unemployment and provide infrastructure for economic growth.
- Easing the credit crunch for small-and medium-sized businesses by establishing a fund to lend TARP money to small-and medium-sized businesses at commercial rates, managed by the community banks left out of the Wall Street bailout, with the banks taking first-dollar risk
For that matter, point 3 looks like special consideration horseshit, too. God, I hate public-sector unions as currently constituted, almost as much as the construction trades crowd, the perennial establishment butt boys of the "movement".
Ahh, but I say too much, don't I. Where's my party muzzle when I need it? Oh yeah, we're in 'post-party' times here in America, and how awful that is, especially for big-mouth egg drops like me, here at the SMBIVA bugle.
Father Smiff allows too wide a range of flourishes to this reckless irresolute copperhead.
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(*) I never shall forget the indulgence with which [Johnson] treated Hodge, his cat: for whom he himself used to go out and buy oysters, lest the servants having that trouble should take a dislike to the poor creature....
This reminds me of the ludicrous account which he gave Mr. Langton, of the despicable state of a young Gentleman of good family. 'Sir, when I heard of him last, he was running about town shooting cats.' And then in a sort of kindly reverie, he bethought himself of his own favourite cat, and said, 'But Hodge shan't be shot; no, no, Hodge shall not be shot.'
-- Boswell
Comments (1)
speaking of herr trumka
my close personal firend and grand son of a great man
herb n sorrell III got this confidential message from the bull of mine shafts
" Dear herb,
I didn't need to read Friday's jobs report to know our economy is not recovering fast enough. From Evansville, Ind., to Titusville, Fla., and all across America, I've met with individuals whose lives and families are being torn apart. Each story is terrible and taken collectively it is a tragedy of epic proportions.
We are missing 11 million jobs—and millions more workers either have given up looking for jobs or are stuck in part-time work. Sadly, many politicians and pundits seem resigned to long-term massive unemployment in our country, but this situation is intolerable and action is required.
I know this, you know this and the entire movement of working people knows this. I am resolved to bring the full force and power of the labor movement to ensure everyone in our country has a good job.
To kick off this effort, the AFL-CIO Executive Council has called upon the entire labor movement—our affiliated unions, our state and local labor councils, the millions of members of Working America and our allies in communities and progressive movements across this country—to come together to create and protect good jobs. In the coming months we will target politicians, Wall Street firms, corporations and all those who stand in the way of an economy that works for all in the name of speculation that benefits the few.
Will you join us?
Our first step is to hold Wall Street accountable and ensure the Big Banks pay to replace the jobs they destroyed.
While millions are suffering, the party on Wall Street continues—producing speculation instead of investment, executive bonuses instead of jobs and the sowing of the seeds of another financial crisis even as we continue to suffer the consequences of the current one. This is the legacy of the failed deregulatory economic model of the past 30 years and the failed presidency of George W. Bush.
We will carry out this effort to hold Wall Street accountable at every level—in Washington, D.C., in state capitols and city halls, in boardrooms and workplaces and in living rooms across this country.
Our message to the banks will be clear: Your risky schemes to enrich yourselves and your friends tanked our economy and took our jobs. You played Russian Roulette with our futures, and it's time you faced up to your responsibilities to the people whose lives you played with. It is time for you to pay back a small part of what you owe the American people instead of continuing to pay yourselves million-dollar bonuses.
Join us as we fight for Good Jobs Now and hold Wall Street accountable.
Together we will fight the complacency and obstruction that are preventing action, and challenge the speculation and greed that stand in the way of the investments that could create the jobs we need today and an economy that will work tomorrow.
The consequences of inaction for working people and their families—the lives put on hold, the homes lost, the communities threatened—are grim. Children in families touched by long-term unemployment are more likely to drop out of high school and less likely to go to college. Young workers entering the job market now are likely to have diminished earnings throughout their careers. Older workers who are dislocated risk never being able to regain the economic standing and dignity that come from having good jobs.
The harm from this crisis to our society will be measured in more than dollars and cents, and only working together can we restore good jobs for all Americans—not just the privileged few.
In solidarity,
Richard L. Trumka
AFL-CIO President "
to the barricades comrades
or at least the class ramparts
or err ..sit down at your job site
umm ...take extra crap breaks
if all else fails
call up mike flugnutz
and ask for autograph
Posted by op | March 8, 2010 3:37 PM
Posted on March 8, 2010 15:37