In just about a month from now, Progressive Blue will celebrate 2 years!! Woo Hoo!! In this short time, we have built a small but pretty dedicated community here--one I hope of which we are all proud.
We've weathered some storms, outlasted the nay-sayers, and shown that while civil discourse isn't always easy, it sure beats the alternative!
Since few media outlets have a reporter assigned to the labor beat anymore, we've heard little this year about one of President Obama's best cabinet appointments: Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.
Tracy Kurowski wrote a good post at Blog for Iowa about the Department of Labor's annual Statement of Regulatory and Deregulatory Priorities, released three weeks ago (full report here). The gist is that Solis is getting her department "back to the business of looking out for labor rather than commerce."
As some of you may already know, I live in Philadelphia. (BTW, I was ballot number one in my division today. How exciting is that?) I work in Center City and commute using the Regional Rail system run by SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Today was the first day of the TWU strike here in Philadelphia which stopped service on everything but the Regional Rail, whose workers are covered by a separate contract. All through the day I heard what people were saying about the strike. Some of the statements, and my thoughts on them, below the fold.
I live in a Bronx neighborhood that is known for cookies. For my entire life I've been enjoying the sweet smell of Union Made Stella D'Oro cookies and biscuits. After the long cold winter that Brynwood Partners forced on the workers, those cookies don't smell so sweet anymore.
The owners are seeking to slash wages by as much as 25%, do away with Saturday overtime and impose a new, crushing, 20% employee contribution to worker health care benefits. They also are insisting on eliminating four holidays, one week of vacation, and all 12 paid sick days.
Yesterday there was a Solidarity rally in support of the workers who have been locked out of their jobs for the past ten months!
(Burr is up for reelection in 2010... - promoted by poligirl)
Richard Burr is the no count, nondescript, idiot Republican Senator from my State of North Carolina. He is anti-anything other than Corporate whoring.
The good news?
Hilda Solis, President Obama's nominee for Labor Secratary has finally, after 66 days of Republican obstruction, been confirmed by the Senate for this position on a vote of 80 -17.
(Lincoln was a liberal... :D - promoted by poligirl)
On this 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, I am reminded of some very intriguing ideas, that he brought to the National Dialog. As one of our greatest Americans Presidents, his words and ideas are certainly worth remembering, heeding, and perhaps even studying.
Here's an intriguing example, of Lincoln's likely Progressive leaning:
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed".
-- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864
(letter to Col. William F. Elkins)
Ref: The Lincoln Encyclopedia, Archer H. Shaw (Macmillan, 1950, NY)
Corporations have been enthroned?
Kind of sounds like Lincoln was the 1st Champion of Labor!
(on the new Middle Class Task Force... - promoted by poligirl)
If you've had "your fill" of the Blago tour, and Rush Windbag project, and the non-stop spinning from the GOP (the Grand Obstructionist Party) -- How about spending a few minutes on "some News you can use!"
Obama Says Economic 'Disaster' Requires Focus on Middle Class By Roger Runningen and Holly Rosenkrantz - Bloomberg -- Jan 30 2009
The president cited a Commerce Department report showing the economy shrank 3.8 percent at an annual pace in the last three months of 2008 as he said Vice President Joe Biden will head an expanded task force that will come up with policies to help middle-income Americans. ...
"We have to reverse many of the policies toward organized labor," President Obama said. "I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem."
(we need EFCA! Petition to sign at bottom! - promoted by poligirl)
The pending Bill in Congress, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) will prove what Congress is made of in the next session. It should prove which side your representative is on -- the side of the CEOs, or the side of the Workers:
See Saw - National Ad for the Employee Free Choice Act
We wait and watch, with baited breath President Obama's decisions about who will serve in senior positions in the Administration.
When it comes to the critical issues of climate change and the creation of a clean energy future, some appointments have created great elation, fostering hope for Change toward something better.
Euphoria has, more than once, shifted to confusion with appointees whose devotion to and experience for creating a sensible path forward remain (generously speaking) open to question.
That confusion (dismay even) can shift quickly, as it did today.
Yesterday, we had news of three absolutely stunningly impressive appointments when it comes to the arenas of science, global warming, and energy.
Today is a day for great elation and Hope. Let us hope that tomorrow provides reason for more elation.
