State of the Unions
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By Bill O'Reilly for BillOReilly.com
Thursday, September 8, 2011
There's lots of angst in the air after Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa called Tea Party people SOB's and urged voters to "take them out." Immediately, voter registration jumped among members of the Gambino family. Apparently, Mr. Hoffa is angry that some Americans want to put a lid on public sector pensions and perks which are bankrupting municipalities all over the country. Old Jimmy believes this is "taking the bread out of the mouths" of American workers.
For decades, union power has intimidated politicians in both parties. I mean, if you were running for office, would you want big union money flowing into your opponent's campaign? Would you want organized demonstrations at your rallies? How about work slowdowns, sudden mass worker illness, or anti-you phone campaigns? Unions have power and power rules.
Thus, many American unions have secured lucrative benefits for their members—benefits that have drained treasuries. The Post Office, for example, is on the verge of bankruptcy, not able to repay $5.5 billion in loans from the Treasury Department. The huge cost of postal retirement benefits is one of the main reasons an American institution may collapse.
All of this is not the fault of the workers. They did their jobs and are entitled to what was negotiated. But public money has run out, and going forward, big changes will have to be made if the American economy is to expand. Jimmy Hoffa can huff and puff all day long, but if he succeeds in blocking economic reform, he will indeed blow the entire house down.
President Obama needs union votes to win reelection. Therefore, he did not condemn Hoffa's over-the-top rhetoric even though he campaigned for verbal restraint in his Arizona speech. Mr. Obama will also not go up against the unions and demand fiscal reform. He will position himself as the champion of the working stiff, even if it means more disasters like the Post Office.
Previously in this space, I discussed my membership in AFTRA, a union that represents TV and radio people. When some greedy suits tried to con me and my colleagues at the syndicated program "Inside Edition" out of pension money, AFTRA fought them and won. So, unions are needed, but they should be optional. No American worker should be forced to pay union dues. Employees must weigh self-reliance against union protections.
With union power in decline, Jimmy Hoffa needs an enemy to rail against, and the Tea Party provides him that. But if he were honest, Hoffa would see the Tea folks simply want financial responsibility and fairness in the public sector. Living within your means is a key to economic success. Gaming the system through intimidation and threats is not.
Hoffa's not looking out for his country on this one.
##
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Bill what can we expect from Hoffa . He is corrupting and part of the Mafia family of Chicago. Remember that them Senator Obama said that the American should judge him for the people he will surrounding in his administration? Yes we judge him for that, people that belief in Mao, in Communist, and all the Chicago politic that is the most corrupted since 1920, remember Al Capote? Nothing had change since them. Obama is a product of Chicago wih all his corruption and socialistic ideas
Posted by meira R. on September 09, 2011 at 1:05 PM
Jimmy Hoffa has some nerve! Eighty-nine percent of the workers in the U.S. are NON-union! Jimmy won't take this country away from the rest of us, even with all his goons, and the BO admin in his pocket. There are still plenty of good, decent, hard working people in this country, and most of them are NOT union workers, I'd be willing to bet. We have all heard the stories about union workers telling the new guy not to work so hard, because then it would be expected of all others. As I stated once before in this forum, unions are like perfume--a little is nice; too much stinks!
Posted by Karen R. on September 09, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Originally the unions were needed and performed great service for American workers. But then many became corrupt and power mad. It is all about those dues and power. I agree - people should not be forced to belong to a union OR pay dues. I grew up in Western PA in the 40's and 50's and my experiences with unions were NOT good. They drove the steel companies out and even Krogers which I worked for for a time.
Posted by Eileen on September 09, 2011 at 12:04 PM
Where are some old great companies like PAN-AM, Eastern Airlines, The Steel industry of Pennsylvania? Oh! Yes I forgot, THE UNIONS brought them down and out of business. Now we have to import steel and our Aviation industry is American Airlines and Delta. Workers of the World United and break the United States economy.
Posted by Jorge K. on September 09, 2011 at 9:49 AM
The best example of unions helping their workers is the steel industry. We used to be the biggest steel production country in the world. Can anyone name a U.S. steel company?
Friday, September 9, 2011
"It's his fault! o speaks again! More money for the rat hole.
Thanks John & Yvette!
John & Yvette Massey
Subject: FW: It's HIS Fault
Subject: Fw: It's HIS Fault
Subject: It's HIS Fault
These facts are all public information easily checked. Don’t let the BS and theatrics confuse the issue.
PLEASE KEEP THIS ONE GOING IN HOPES THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHOSE FAULT THIS HUGE DEFICIT ACTUALLY IS!!!
B-b-b-But It's HIS Fault
The Washington Post babbled again today about Obama inheriting a huge deficit from Bush. Amazingly enough, a lot of people swallow this BULL. So once more, a short civics lesson:
Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democratic Party.
Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for FY 2008 & FY 2009 as well as FY 2010 & FY 2011. (FY=fiscal year)
In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.
For FY 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budgets.
And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete FY 2009. Let's remember what the deficits looked like during that period: (below)
If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the FY 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, including Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.
If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself.
In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th.
There is no way this will be widely publicized unless each of us sends it on!
This is your chance to make a difference.
Stay Focused, Connected, Informed & Inspired.
John & Yvette Massey
Subject: FW: It's HIS Fault
Subject: Fw: It's HIS Fault
Subject: It's HIS Fault
These facts are all public information easily checked. Don’t let the BS and theatrics confuse the issue.
PLEASE KEEP THIS ONE GOING IN HOPES THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHOSE FAULT THIS HUGE DEFICIT ACTUALLY IS!!!
B-b-b-But It's HIS Fault
The Washington Post babbled again today about Obama inheriting a huge deficit from Bush. Amazingly enough, a lot of people swallow this BULL. So once more, a short civics lesson:
Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democratic Party.
Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for FY 2008 & FY 2009 as well as FY 2010 & FY 2011. (FY=fiscal year)
In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.
For FY 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budgets.
And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete FY 2009. Let's remember what the deficits looked like during that period: (below)
If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the FY 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, including Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.
If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself.
In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th.
There is no way this will be widely publicized unless each of us sends it on!
This is your chance to make a difference.
Stay Focused, Connected, Informed & Inspired.
Greedy Non-Representatives of our Partnership Republic
Alan Simpson, Senator from Wyoming , Co-Chair of Obama's deficit commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared "Social Security" to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.
August, 2010.
Here's a response in a letter from PATTY MYERS in Montana ... I think she is a little ticked off! She also tells it like it is!
Listen up.. Direct from Ms Myers:
"Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight..
1. As a career politician, you have been on the public dole for FIFTY YEARS.
2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63).
3 My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme that would have made Bernie Madoff proud..
4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission is proposing to move the goalposts YET AGAIN.
5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the game. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay the bills.
6.. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why? Because you incompetent bastards spent our money so profligately that you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.
To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bullshit" on your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for YOU.
1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during your pathetic 50-year political career?
2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the American taxpayers?
3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?
4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual, have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?
It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That's right, sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it.
And you can take that to the bank, you miserable son of a XXXX.
If you like the way things are in America delete this. If you agree with what a fellow Montana citizen Patty Myers says, PASS IT ON!!!!
August, 2010.
Here's a response in a letter from PATTY MYERS in Montana ... I think she is a little ticked off! She also tells it like it is!
Listen up.. Direct from Ms Myers:
"Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight..
1. As a career politician, you have been on the public dole for FIFTY YEARS.
2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63).
3 My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme that would have made Bernie Madoff proud..
4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission is proposing to move the goalposts YET AGAIN.
5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the game. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay the bills.
6.. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why? Because you incompetent bastards spent our money so profligately that you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.
To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bullshit" on your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for YOU.
1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during your pathetic 50-year political career?
2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the American taxpayers?
3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?
4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual, have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?
It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That's right, sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it.
And you can take that to the bank, you miserable son of a XXXX.
If you like the way things are in America delete this. If you agree with what a fellow Montana citizen Patty Myers says, PASS IT ON!!!!
USA Today 9-8-2011 Headline story
Yesterday's USA Today headline story was "'... or the terrorists win".
Osama bin laden was such a devil to plan and carry out 911. It took a while to put it together and to find the suicide bombers smart enough to learn to fly, and who cared more for the crazy idea than for their lives. Osama was so proud of his feat! He felt that the Afghans could turn back America as they had the Russians, but he forgot that he was able to buy American weapons from our greedy American providers in that war. Nearly three thousand dead at one time! And by a sneaky surprise attack. To the extent that it changes the lives of the American citizens the report exxagerates that the terrorists may have won.
With the current president who apologizes to all parts of the world for America, who claims "I am a muslim", who claims America is not a Christian nation, the terrorists have a temporary victory. Into two of history's longest wars, not yet ended, and faced with the sneakiest and most coweardly set of enemies, they have temporary wins, but they will be defeated! First, let's get this terrorist out of the presidency!
God bless America!
Sam
Osama bin laden was such a devil to plan and carry out 911. It took a while to put it together and to find the suicide bombers smart enough to learn to fly, and who cared more for the crazy idea than for their lives. Osama was so proud of his feat! He felt that the Afghans could turn back America as they had the Russians, but he forgot that he was able to buy American weapons from our greedy American providers in that war. Nearly three thousand dead at one time! And by a sneaky surprise attack. To the extent that it changes the lives of the American citizens the report exxagerates that the terrorists may have won.
With the current president who apologizes to all parts of the world for America, who claims "I am a muslim", who claims America is not a Christian nation, the terrorists have a temporary victory. Into two of history's longest wars, not yet ended, and faced with the sneakiest and most coweardly set of enemies, they have temporary wins, but they will be defeated! First, let's get this terrorist out of the presidency!
God bless America!
Sam
Doctor's visit ... thanks Terry Krause!
Concerned that I wasn't getting enough exercise, my doctor asked me about the activities I had performed yesterday, I told him about my day:
"Well, yesterday afternoon, I waded across the edge of a lake, escaped from a coyote in the heavy brush, marched up and down a steep hillside, stood in a patch of poison ivy, crawled out of quicksand, and jumped away from an aggressive snake".
Inspired by my story, the doctor said "you must be an awesome outdoors man"
"No" I replied, "I'm just a lousy golfer."
"Well, yesterday afternoon, I waded across the edge of a lake, escaped from a coyote in the heavy brush, marched up and down a steep hillside, stood in a patch of poison ivy, crawled out of quicksand, and jumped away from an aggressive snake".
Inspired by my story, the doctor said "you must be an awesome outdoors man"
"No" I replied, "I'm just a lousy golfer."
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