Tea Party Events expose anti-Collectivism ... As a disperse and decidedly grass-roots movement, the Tea Party Protests will undoubtedly encompass a wide variety of groups and interests. What’s quite clear, however, is that activists aren’t simply angry about taxes, rather the philosophy behind those taxes. What’s being protested is a government that is increasingly oppressing its citizens rather than protecting them. A government that, through immoral bailouts, confiscatory taxes and staggering spending, is crushing America’s economy and amassing greater control over each of our lives. Government is on track to commandeer nearly half our income, micromanage private businesses and erect a welfare state that will unquestionably stunt progress and hinder the quality of life for rich and poor alike. The trend has been described by many as socialism, fascism or communism, each of which may be true in a particular context. The overriding and primary philosophy that’s growing is collectivism. From the bailouts to the stimulus checks to stays on foreclosure, this is the dominant ideology now directing our government and culture. Collectivism holds that the individual has no rights. Your life, your existence, your interests and the product of your labor now belongs to the group. If the group needs a bailout, heath care, green cars, low mortgage rates, a job, an education—anything at all, it now becomes your responsibility to provide it, weather you want to or not. You see it in both the redistributive legislation, which takes money from people who’ve earned it and give it to those who have not, along with the language itself. Phrases like “we’re all in it together”, “I am my brother’s keeper” and “shared sacrifice” boil down to the same frightening reality: You are here to serve. And unlike the charity of volunteerism, the “will of the people” is implemented by force, not by voluntary trade. This is a profoundly anti-American ideal. (smartmoney.com)
Gov't uses racist ordinance to block anti-Socialists ... The town under a microscope is Greenwood, Mississippi. Matt Staver with Liberty Counsel and Liberty University explains what has transpired. "Greenwood officials have denied the use of city hall as a venue for the upcoming taxpayers' protest," he says, "[and they] relied on a 1963 ordinance that was designed back then to literally stifle civil rights marches and other protests." Wednesday's TEA party -- Taxed Enough Already -- in Greenwood is another type of protest against high taxes and government interference and control. Staver says the town leaders are on shaky ground. "This is unconstitutional. It's blatant," says the attorney. "They have absolutely no defense to deny use of this area for this event for April 15 for the TEA parties." (onenewsnow.com)
Global leaders prep for poverty, famine ... You write columns, you get e-mails, and what some tell you is that capitalism is a failure, that people are suffering and what we need is Obama-style socialism - virtually unfettered government taking over everything that moves and spending at a rate that could add something like $9 trillion to our debt over the next decade. The first response has to be that we are now facing is essentially a blip, an exception, not the rule, and that, yes, it is painful but not nearly as painful as socialist societies are practically all of the time and for just about everyone, except for the authoritarians running things. Free-enterprise economies have transformed the world, as the scholar Michael Novak observed in "The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism." "Of all the systems of political economy which have shaped our history," he wrote, "none has so revolutionized ordinary expectations of human life - lengthened the life span, made the elimination of poverty and famine thinkable, enlarged the range of human choice - as democratic capitalism." (newschief.com)
Cuban communists urge U.S. to do more for them ... Word that President Barack Obama had loosened restrictions on family travel and remittances -- among other measures softening U.S. sanctions against the communist-run country -- elicited cheers and a few tears in Havana on Monday. Other steps taken Monday by the White House include expanding items allowed in gift parcels sent to Cuba. The administration also will begin issuing licenses for companies to provide cellular and television services to Cubans, and letting family members pay for relatives on the island to get those services. But for many, the moves are only a beginning. Alberto Sal, a 68-year-old retiree, said he had high hopes when Obama was elected but is still waiting for significant action. For instance, the president said nothing Monday about bipartisan measures in both houses of Congress that would effectively allow all Americans to travel to Cuba. "He should do more and lift travel restrictions for all Americans," Sal said. "Until he does that, I don't think he's doing much." (cnsnews.com)Related video: Obama sets Cuba P2P
Inept management deserves unions ... Two highly visible Washington state companies, Starbucks and Costco, have jumped into the most contentious organized labor issue in decades. They now find themselves facing sharp criticism from all sides in a nasty fight over legislation that would make it easier for unions to organize. “It’s pretty tough,” said Jim Sinegal, Costco’s chief executive. “To get both sides shooting at you, you either have to be a duck or inept.” In late March, Costco, Starbucks and Whole Foods announced they had formed the Committee for a Level Playing Field and suggested a “third way” be found to reform the nation’s labor laws. The three companies are generally regarded as having among the most progressive employee relations in the country, offering salaries and benefit packages that are among the best in the industry. Despite that reputation, some labor analysts say Costco, Starbucks and Whole Foods could be among the first facing unionization if the Employee Free Choice Act, or EFCA, became law. “I don’t know their motivation, but all three are vulnerable to unionization,” said Michael Honey, a humanities professor at the University of Washington Tacoma who has written several books on labor issues. Organized labor denounced the effort by the three companies as “naive,” anti-union and misguided because the fight over EFCA was far from finished. (thenewstribune.com)
Ending the Age of Prosperity via Mussolini-style publicly-funded collectivism ... Many liberals despise us conservatives, but they sure love our money. How is it that they get our money? Well, many liberal and supposedly non-ideological nonprofits receive taxpayer funding. In return, they support big government, and oppose conservative values and policies. Many charities are based in Washington, and are part of the Washington establishment that is anathema to conservatives. Taxpayer-financed charities have become sycophants for corrupt politicians and the big-government machine that give them our taxpayer dollars. But it’s more than a matter of politics. Nearly every week we find a story about corrupt politicians funneling taxpayer money to nonprofits they created. That’s legal theft. Most Republicans in Congress seem oblivious to how Democrats are making this a one-party country by giving taxpayer money to nonprofits advocating and lobbying for the liberal agenda. The ones who understand the problem and who try to do something are too few to make a difference just yet. Conservatives can do two things to buck this: (1) stop contributing to charities that receive taxpayer money, and (2) stop contributing to big-government Republicans who fail to halt the flow of our tax dollars to liberal nonprofits. Conservatives should instead give money to those who support our interests. We now have a liberal community organizer and disciple of radical leftist Saul Alinsky in the White House who knows how to do one thing perhaps better than anything else: spread socialism using conservatives’ money. (newsmax.com)Bonus links:
• Summary of Saul Alinsky's 'Rules for Radicals'
• More Saul Alinsky stories: here
• 'Rules for Radicals' at amazon.com
Militant CWA forces workers to strike against their will ... A St. Louis AT&T Inc. worker has filed federal unfair labor practice charges against a union for allegedly making legal threats against him if he refused to go on strike. David McBride, of Granite City, Ill., filed charges alleging that Communication Workers of America (CWA) union officials threatened to “take (him) to court” if he refused to participate in a strike despite his previous decision to resign from the union, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation said Monday. Union officials also failed to give McBride a financial breakdown of all union expenditures, which are required to allow non-union workers to opt out of union dues related to workplace negotiations, said the foundation, which is providing free legal aid to McBride. Requests for comment from Kevin Kujawa, president of CWA Local 6300, were not immediately returned. About 20,000 AT&T (NYSE: T) workers nationwide appear on the verge of going on strike. About 9,000 union and salaried employees work for AT&T in St. Louis. Three New Jersey AT&T employees have filed unfair labor practice charges against CWA Local 1101. (bizjournals.com)
366 labor-state jobs moved to worker-choice state ... Gardner Denver Inc. announced Monday that it will close its Thomas Products manufacturing division in Sheboygan, where the company employs 366 people, and move the operation to an existing plant site in Monroe, La. The decision is part of the Illinois-based company's plan to consolidate the two sites in an all-or-nothing move that will create jobs in Monroe and leave Sheboygan empty-handed. (sheboyganpress.com)
AFSCME joins P2P scheme in Florida ... This time it's the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees endorsing Miami Congressman Kendrick Meek's bid for the U.S. Senate: "I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about our support for Congressman Meek’s bid for the U.S. Senate,” said AFSCME international president Gerald W. McEntee. “Throughout his tenure in Congress, Rep. Meek has stood solidly with the members of AFSCME on a variety of important issues, from raising the minimum wage to increasing our nation’s investment in children’s health care. He has been there for working people in Florida and throughout our nation, and we know we can count on his continued advocacy and dedication when he is elected to the Senate.” (blogs.tampabay.com)
Where is Jimmy Hoffa? ... Records of grand jury proceedings that led to Jimmy Hoffa's conviction on jury tampering charges should be unsealed because the government may have used illegal wiretaps and other shady practices, a retired law professor testified Monday. William L. Tabac told U.S. District Judge Todd J. Campbell that he believes the government tampered with a Nashville jury in the Teamsters leader's case. Campbell said he would rule on the request later. Tabac also said an informant who provided testimony that led to Hoffa's 1964 conviction in Chattanooga may have perjured himself with the government's knowledge, according to his research. Edward Grady Partin, a Louisiana Teamster who was facing embezzlement and perjury charges, provided the damaging testimony. Prosecutors told Campbell that Tabac had not substantiated his claim. Hoffa was last seen in 1975 in suburban Detroit, where he was supposed to meet with a Mafia boss and another Teamster leader. He was declared dead but his body has never been found. The disappearance has spawned numerous theories about what happened to the union leader's body. Among the theories: he was entombed in concrete in Giants Stadium in New Jersey, ground up and thrown into a Florida swamp or disposed of in a fat-rendering plant owned by the mob. (chicagotribune.com)Related video: Ballad of Jimmy Hoffa
Labor-backed Dem Obama appointee redefines health, human services ... President Barack Obama's health secretary nominee got nearly three times as much political money from a controversial abortion doctor as she told senators. The Health and Human Services Department said Monday that the omission was an oversight that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius would correct. In a response to questions from the Senate Finance Committee made public last week, Sebelius wrote that she received $12,450 between 1994-2001 from Dr. George Tiller, one of the nation's few late-term abortion providers. But in addition to those campaign donations, records reviewed by The Associated Press show that Tiller gave at least $23,000 more from 2000-2002 to a political action committee Sebelius established while insurance commissioner to raise money for fellow Democrats. Sebelius did not tell senators about that additional money, although Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., asked specifically about any Tiller donations to her PAC. (washingtontimes.com)
Obama appointees continue to redefine public service ... Shortly before joining the Obama administration, Deputy Secretary of State Jacob J. Lew reported in a little-noticed government filing that he intended to collect a bonus for his 2008 work at Citigroup even though the Wall Street firm had just received a massive federal bailout. Now administration officials - who expressed outrage when other bailed-out firms such as American International Group Inc. (AIG) awarded bonuses to executives - are steadfastly refusing to say whether Mr. Lew accepted the money in January or how much of his nearly $1.1 million compensation from Citigroup last year was paid in the form of bonuses. "Like so many, Deputy Secretary Lew returned to government to serve the public. A review of his public financial disclosure report and his federal salary speaks to that commitment," State Department spokesman Robert A. Wood said, refusing to answer questions from The Washington Times about the size or date of any bonus. (washingtontimes.com)
SEIU steps up hardball in Santa Cruz ... Things are starting to heat up behind the closed doors of meetings between SEIU union officials and the County Administrator’s Office, according to SEIU Budget Action Team chairperson Alison Hayes. “I would say the tone is changing,” she says. “We’re pulling off the gloves a little bit in the next couple of weeks.” (santacruz.com)
Obama getting rid of oppressive non-union construction work ... On Feb. 6, President Obama signed into law an executive order that sent shock waves through the construction industry and reignited a debate that has raged for decades. At the heart of the order is support for use of so-called project labor agreements, or PLAs, for large-scale, federally funded construction projects — and there will be many of these put in the pipeline over next several years as a result of a massive federal economic stimulus package. Under PLAs, those managing large construction projects — be they private corporations or government entities — agree to use exclusively union labor in return for the unions’ pledge not to strike. Indeed, Beeman stated in his piece that, if the $150 billion in infrastructure projects contained in the stimulus package were built under PLAs, it would cost the taxpayers an additional $20 billion due to less competition in the bidding process. “Our experience with PLAs as they relate to our membership with open-shop, non-labor contractors is that they are discriminatory and our people can’t work under them,” said Beeman, “because of the requirement in the PLA that calls for all of the labor to come from the union hall.” Beeman and others in the open-shop camp, the voice of non-organized labor, also feel that PLAs do not adequately represent the overwhelming majority of the construction sector’s workforce. With 85% of the state’s building-trade workers non-unionized, the use of PLAs will effectively cut out the competitive nature of project bidding, which ultimately means higher prices for those projects. (businesswest.com)
UAW-Dem P2P boosts Americans in time of need ... Millions of workers who have already lost their jobs and others are in danger of losing theirs because of the current economic crisis. How many of them have received or will receive a going- away present from the taxpayers worth in the range of $49,000 to over $100,000? This is what some auto union members are getting, thanks to John and Jane Doe taxpayer. Meanwhile, millions of not-so- privileged workers who lost jobs must still contribute to these payoffs out of their taxed unemployment checks. Is this a fair distribution of wealth, or just another sleazy political quid-pro-quo payoff to the United Auto Workers union for all its political support? (pressconnects.com)
Workers' Paradise: Bitter strike enters 3rd year ... A strike at the Guardian Fibreglass plant in Erin (Ontario) is approaching the two-year mark. And a United Steelworkers of America official said the company is unlikely to return to the bargaining table until the economy turns around. The plant, which produced fibreglass insulation, has been dormant since June 2007. At that time, 84 unionized employees walked off the job over plans by Guardian to freeze wage increases and cut benefits. Mary Simms, USWA Local 271G staff representative, said just 47 of those employees continue to maintain the picket line at the entrance to the facility. Others have moved on to other employment. The picketing continues daily and around the clock. (news.therecord.com)International Collectivism
Leftist Values: She was 16, he was a Catholic bishop ... Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo admitted Monday that he's the father of a 2-year-old boy who was conceived when Lugo was still a Catholic bishop. Lugo made the surprise announcement five days after the boy's mother, Viviana Carrillo, filed a paternity suit against him that contained more than just the explosive claim about the father's identity. In it, the 26-year-old Carrillo said they began having sexual relations when she was 16. As bishop of San Pedro, Lugo sometimes stayed at the rural home of her godmother, where Carrillo also lived, she said. McClatchy Newspapers obtained a copy of the nine-page paternity suit on Monday. Carrillo said that she first met Lugo when she was studying in preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation in her church, and that their personal relationship began one night shortly thereafter. She said she'd just brought bed sheets to his room at her godmother's house and then asked him if he needed anything else. "He told me yes," Carrillo wrote, "that he needed me." That view was shared by Pastor Vera, the mayor of San Pedro, an impoverished city with dirt streets in south central Paraguay, where Lugo served as the bishop until 2004. "Most people will see it as a private affair," Vera said by telephone. "What's important is that he assumed his responsibility." Monsignor Ignacio Gorgoza, who headed the Paraguayan bishops conference last year, sharply criticized Lugo. "It's a big blow for the Catholic Church and a bad example that could cause a loss of confidence in the church by the citizenry," Gorgoza told Ultima Hora Monday. By the time Lugo resigned as San Pedro's bishop, he'd made a name for himself by opposing powerful and corrupt interests that had long governed Paraguay. Lugo renounced his position as bishop in December 2006 to begin an underdog campaign for president. It wasn't until July 2008 - 14 months after his son was born - that Pope Benedict XVI relieved him of his chastity vows by allowing him to resign from the church. Besides Lugo, at least two other recent Latin American presidents - Alejandro Toledo and Alan Garcia, both of Peru - have admitted to fathering children out of wedlock, before they took office. In addition, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet have openly admitted to having children before they were married and before they took office. (miamiherald.com)
Chávez celebrates his Resurrection as communist dictator ... A failed coup against the government in April 2002 tried to stop the "revolution in Venezuela and put out" similar movements emerging elsewhere in the hemisphere, only to have the opposite effect, said on Monday Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez. "The US Empire and its allies (…) tried to stop the revolution not only in Venezuela (…) but the revolutionary forces that were felt in all Latin America. They failed and today, throughout this hemisphere a true revolution is going on (…) which started in the Bolivarian Venezuela," said Chávez during a ceremony held to commemorate the seventh anniversary of that day, AFP reported. On April 11th, 2002, there was a power void when the president stepped down for 48 hours. On April 13th, military officers loyal to President Chávez organized a counter-coup which ended with the return of the president, who had been in the hands of insubordinate military officers. "There is nothing similar in 100 years of history of this planet to what happened here in Venezuela on April 13th, 2002. There is nothing similar in the world. It is an unprecedented event," said Chávez. According to Chávez, that day was the actual beginning "of the socialist and anti-imperialist revolution in Venezuela." For him, April 13th, 2002 is the synthesis of "two unfinished revolutions." (eluniversal.com)
