Wisconsin Protests

[ruckman101]

There are twice as many conservative "think tanks", or "policy institutes", as there are similar left leaning organizations, and on average, the conservative organizations are much better funded.

neal

[airkooledchris]

on average, the conservative organizations are much better funded.

that makes sense though, as most of them are just fronts to push laws that lower taxes for the richest in the country.
spending a few million here and there is a small price to pay when you have billions in the bank.

just remember to name your organization something clever like "Americans for prosperity" because "tax breaks for the top 1%" doesn't sound as appealing to the majority of the folks that get suckered into helping promote their agenda.

[chitwnvw]

What if we factor in unions as left leaning organizations with an agenda to push?

[ruckman101]

I don't think unions are funding any "think tanks", just direct contributions to candidates. Unions and Soros, vs hundreds, more likely thousands of corporations and the "think tanks" they fund.

Let's take a look at ALEC, it's membership includes 177 republican national legislators, 29 democrats, and 2,400 state legislators, with no doubt just as heavy a lean towards republicans.


neal

[chitwnvw]

I don't think unions are funding any "think tanks",
neal

That isn't what I meant. But they are well organized and really well directed, and have an agenda. I have a friend in SEIU, she is crazy but great. Unions are part of the ying or the yang.

[ruckman101]

Unions are representing the interests of people, not corporations. That's why there is such a concentrated effort to knee-cap them. No voice allowed but that of corporations.


neal

[chitwnvw]

Neil,

I think unions are in business to represent their members, not the ''people".

[ruckman101]

Aren't those union members people? I'm not in a union, but I enjoy a 40 hour work week, with overtime for any hours over, at worst at minimum wage, paid vacation days, paid sick days, health benefits, a safe, non-toxic work environment and such, all because union's represented their members. Corporations fought every step of the way, and continue to fight to roll it all back.


neal

[chitwnvw]

Aren't those union members people? I'm not in a union, but I enjoy a 40 hour work week, with overtime for any hours over, at worst at minimum wage, paid vacation days, paid sick days, health benefits, a safe, non-toxic work environment and such, all because union's represented their members. Corporations fought every step of the way, and continue to fight to roll it all back.


neal

In a sense you are correct. People working for a union don't see it as a unified front though, they are representing their people against some thug with hard tactics, and they respond in kind.That is their business, they aren't saints, they get paid to do so. And sometimes they do a good job.

[ruckman101]

True, it has always been a struggle. Complacency certainly helps the oppressors.


neal

[RussellK]

I've been exposed to unions as both management and as a rank and file member. In the real world it's just people. Some are jerks - some are reasonable. When I was in the union the leadership was elected from the rank and file and the executive staff came from Las Vegas. The rank and file were Democrats and the executive staff, because of their hatred for all things Kennedy, were Republicans. Neal has it right. Everything we enjoy today in the way of improved working conditions came from the sacrifices made by previous members of organized labor. Now can we all just hum a little of the "Looking for the union label" jingle?

[turk]

I know organized labor helped "worker's" rights in the early parts of industrial revolutions, and the 20th century. I don't doubt that. But it's fair to ask: what have they done in the last, say 40 years, to help "worker's" rights? What good are public sector unions to the rest of society? So, the public sector union collectively bargains with the public it serves, for its wages, benefits, and working conditions. As if the public is out to exploit the public sector workers. As if they don't have mutual best interests at stake. So, in this case, the public sector union has a bargaining unit to bargain with the state, the public, as its employer. Does the public have a equal bargaining unit representing its interests? So, with these questions answered, I think there's a case to be made for NOT having a public sector union with collective bargaining privileges against the public it serves.

[ruckman101]

http://conference.freepress.net/session ... h-brothers

My peeps. Amy Goodman Friday shot her show, Democracy Now!, live from the conference. Sinister.


neal

[turk]

You know the FCC chairman Julius Genachowski's agenda - the "net nuetrality" stuff actually sets up so corporations could control more web ports, therefore less stuff will be available to us little guys for free, like we can get now. In other words, it encourages bad behavior by corporations.

[RussellK]

What the unions have done is help keep those rights from being eroded. Its checks and balances Why should a public sector employee not have the same rights and privileges as the rest of us. Quite frankly that you and others may think otherwise convinces me of the very necessity. I have no issue with negotiating in earnest with labor, that's how it should be, but why tip the scale in favor of one of the parties at the table. Again we are misdirecting where the responsibility lies; place it on the elected officials that agreed to the contracts.