Early reports show the AFL-CIO spent $49 million (27 percent of its total annual budget) on political and lobbying activities but only $30 million (or 16.5 percent) to represent its members. That gap contributed to the breakaway from the AFL-CIO of the Teamsters, the Service Employees and other unions.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Organized labor's leadership spends more on democrats instead of representing working families
Redstate's Mark Kilmer has a great thread on Redstate, that I highly recommend. I can't say I'm not surprised, especially with the three BS attack ads on my answering maching from their goon squads.
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Non-profits (considered corporate money for elections purposes) in general are used often for political purposes under the guise of "issue advocacy". "Call so and so, and tell him to stop being a bad guy"
A solution I see to the non profits is simple. Eliminate tax exemptions for all "non-profits", and require full disclosure. If they want to be in politics, I don't have a problem with it, but it should be out in the open and I'd like to know who their major benefactors are.
If charities don't like it, then they should be helping people instead of lobbying or being political organizations.
Welcome aboard.
First, re: Pete Hoekstra - He's a congressman from West Michigan. He was rumored to run when I put the poll up. I didn't want to take it down when it is was off. I should update it though.
As for Zandstra, I have the two debate threads on the sidebar, as well as my endorsement post for Jerry Zandstra.
I'm not against any of the senate candidates. All are conservative and are running as conservatives - but I'm backing Jerry mostly because of one major reason. The economy, and ability to win.
Butler is mostly running on social issues, and Bouchard is running mostly on security. Those are important, but I don't think those aren't the key issues in this state, at least from the people I've heard. Those are secondary issues to the economy.
Zandstra is running on the economy first and has the background to back up his points. He's the director of programs from the Acton Institute, a think tank based in Grand Rapids. - http://www.acton.org/ - He's dealt in public policy around the world.
He's not the choice of most party bigwigs (although he has a lot of support among activists). That's not a big deal with me, as I'm more of a grass roots guy. His message is resonating since he is competitive, if not winning in many of the polls, and is doing no worse than the others currently against Stabenow (and in one poll leads) - despite very little name recognition.
I think Jerry has the best chance with crossover support because of his message - http://www.jerryzandstra.com/ - much of it at his website. He's also a very good communicator of his message. He's intelligent without sounding like a college professor.
I recommend calling his office and going to an event near you where he's speaking and talk to him. In the end, that's what convinced me to support Jerry.
I could not imagine why any union member would wish to have their union support a Republican. The Republican agenda is to take away pensions, destroy unions and reduce healthcare. It's a race to the bottom for union benefits while CEO's take profits and jobs overseas.
Democrats are clear on supporting the bread and butter issues that unions are support.
Republicnas are NOT!
Democrats clearly support a minimum wage increase, Republicans do not.
While you all sound intelligent in your posts, your blinders are clearly on when it comes to what the Republican agenda is all about.
Are you serious? Spending money on Democratic candidates is representing working families, and spending money, or even voting for a republican, is working against the economic self-interest of middle class Americans.
I guess your view as union member
"""So has Zandstra ever run for office before? Does he have any name recognition anywhere in Michigan?"""
He has some over in Kent County, and it gaining it elsewhere. He has a wide lead in the polls out in West Michigan and North Michigan, and is working East Michigan hard. He has not run for office before, which is an obstacle.
"""One thing I like about Bouchard is that he gets his name in the paper frequently. I suppose he is probably less well known outside the metro area but every little bit helps. Another good thing about Bouchard is that he has a lot of political experience."""
True, but what is Bouchard known for? Sheriff.
"""I think that Debbie Stabenow will be hard to beat in the fall no matter who wins the primary. Even thought the economy is bad in Michigan I don't hear people blaming her for Michigan's problems. For the Republican's to win they will need to convince voters that Debbie could be doing more than she is."""
Debbie isn't very popular out here, but voters need a reason to vote FOR a candidate, instead of just against Debbie. That's where I think Jerry does best.
"""Probably the best hope for the Republican party is to create an economic recovery plan that they can sell to voters. Still, there is a lot of anger in Michigan and there are bound to be a lot of people who use their vote to punish incumbants.""""
Agree 100%
"""I saw the bit about the MCRI which said that Zandstra is the only Senate candidate to support it. That sounds kind of risky. Didn't Republican candidate for Governor DeVos come out against it? Why is Zandstra supporting an amendment that the rest of the Republican party opposes?"""
Most of the party supports MCRI. Many of the leadership opposes it. They oppose it since they are afraid of being tagged as racist by the mainstream media.
I think you would be most surprized just how popular Debbie Stabenow is with Republicans. There is not one of these candidates who can beat her and her popularity among Republicans in Livingston County is stunning.
Your comment on why the Republican party doesn't support MCRI should show you just how 2 faced the Republicans have become.
Guess what they don't want to overturn Roe V Wade either as they would lose their big GOTV tactic. You who are Republicans seem to support phoniness.
Your party and your ideals do not match up.
I love it. Bosses making large six figure saleries, taking junkets to Las vegas etc, spending money on politics (yes, I got one of their cheesey phone calls on my msge machine) and the workers are fighting to keep their jobs. The truth hurts. If union members want to work to keep their jobs they should start by electing labor bosses who care more about jobs than their Democrat backroom politics.
Debbie popular with Republicans? pleeease. She has made a carear of doing nothing. You dems are clearly living in a fantasy world.
"let us raise taxes, socialize your health care, run like cowards from the enemy, and talk bad about walmart and america will be just fine." Nice platform. For disaster.
No wonder your only hope is to leave nasty messages on answering machines and talk negative. You should be embarrassed.
All three candidates signed a clean campaign agreement. I hope they stick to it and to issues. A mud fest only helps Debbie. I'll be voting for the primary winner, whoever it is. None of the three are bad people.
I don't know when Zandstra is next going to visit Wayne County as I don't follow the campaign in Wayne County as much as I probably should. I'd call his office and ask them when he's going to visit the area.
I agree about broadcasting the debates. I hope as many of them as possible are televised for those who can't make them.
How can anyone be against social justice? Affirmative Action is good for our country, plain and simple.
Debbie Stabenow gets it, Republicans don't.
Mr Richards,
Love your stuff and more importantly your philosophy!! keep it up.
I heard Mike Rogers speak recently on jobs and the economy. He was fantastic. He covered alot of ground. From "consumerism" in health care to his work on breaking down trade barriers with countries like china. I was very impressed. I met him briefly and didnt get to ask him why HE isnt running for US Senate. He could run circles around all three of the current candidates and give Stabbenow a real race. Anybody have any idea why he is not running? Is he waiting for the Governors race?
To the last anonymous:
"Anybody have any idea why he is not running? Is he waiting for the Governors race?""
My guess is that it is because he got on the committee he wanted in Congress. (Intelligence) I expect him to be there for awhile.
Wow, another long, incoherent rant. I don’t hate you because I don’t even know you, but don’t try and tell me I’m your friend, especially after I present an argument you don’t like and you roll out the personal attacks. I expected to be attacked, and that’s fine. But it’s so disingenuous to personally attack someone then say you’re going to “treat me like a friend.”
I have no problem taxing booze and cigarettes, and if the consumption of those items went down we would see it made up in a savings in health care costs. To say only the poor smoke and drink is untrue and discriminatory.
You’re right, “It is the working class that suffers the most from high gas prices.” So why are we giving away millions of tax dollars to oil companies that are already recording record profits to pump oil from public property without paying royalties? Progressives have been saying for years we need to find alternative energy, but some how it's our fault for high gas prices because we didn’t. I remember living in California in the mid-70.s when he had high prices and shortages. We knew we had a problem then. What’s changed? The fact that huge oil corporations wrote the administration’s energy policy might have a little to do with it.
“Our media which you say is impartial won't print articles that make our President look good.” What BS. I have heard the right pushing that political strategy since Nixon, and it wasn’t true then and it’s not true now. You would think that after more than 30 years of that propaganda, you would have more proof than just a book from a disgruntled conservative like bernie goldberg to show for it. There was a reason Shotgun Cheney chose faux news – AKA the official propaganda tool of the right – to face softball questions about his hunting accident instead of the Washington Press Corps.
Just because you say “Michigan has the 2nd highest business taxes in the U.S.? Did you know that Michigan is ranked as having one of the worst business climates in the U.S.? Did you know that Michigan is the only state with a Single business tax.” Doesn’t make it true. If you say it, I don’t believe it. If it is true, why is it the Democrats fault? You control the Senate and the House, as well as the Supreme Court, and Engler was in office for 12 years. Why was it not addressed or fixed when you had no opposition at all, and at a time when the economy was booming and the coffers were full? Why is a national problem the fault of Jennifer Granholm and the minority party? Ford and GM closed plants all over the country, not just in Michigan.
“We'll just get the U.S. government to print money to pay for our needs.” Or bush could create an even larger budget deficit, it that’s possible.
“Democrats want to choke off free trade.” How is a communist country producing the lion’s share of our consumer goods free trade? The race to the bottom in cutting the wages cannot be good for our economy. Granted, you’re an economist, and I am not. But if good paying jobs are fleeing overseas I the race to the bottom where the wages are artificially controlled under a repressive, communist regime, then who’s going to have a job to buy those goods, or who will have a good enough job to buy anything other than the basics?
“Democrats have created a wonderful plan to dictate how Americans should live their lives?” Are you serious? It’s the conservatives who want to dictate how you will live your lives. They want to dictate who you can marry, who you can worship and limit your privacy.
I agree with you when you talk about lawyers, and it’s nice for use to finally find some common ground. Public Protection Lawyers should be allowed to sue anyone because with the current administration rolling back workplace protections and other protections the courts are the last resort for the little guy to fight back against unscrupulous corporations.
kevins, get out the koolaide line before it is to late!
Energy prices are up because the Dems blocked the energy bill for YEARS that would have expedited the gas pipeline from alaska (would have reduced natural gas prices by 30-40%, stoped any new refineries for 25 years (consumption up, supply down, prices up), required over 75 different types of gas be produced (costs go up)fight anwar (enough oil to tell saudi to jump in the lake), and whine that gas prices go up. you guys are a mess. Bush and a GOP congress finally are getting biodiesal, ethynol and clean coal technology pushed to the forefront (dems voted no) and a natural gas pipeline and more refinery capacity!!!! common sense over your idea of price setting and your emotional bable will save america.
You quite obviously never made a payroll either. The SBT is a tax put on business by Dems. Gov Engler began the phase out a few years ago. It was stopped by your lawyer Governor Jenifer. She also just vetoed a Small Biusiness tax relief package that us small, middle class business owners desperately needed. If I can't make payroll no one gets paid. No regulation, no rule, no tax hike, no new government madate is going to change that. You want to help the middle class, Kevins? Get your big government, lawsuit happy, big union bosses out of my way and let good old fashioned American hard work, innovation and risk taking have at it. I pay my people well when sometimes I dont get paid. I will take care of them, make payroll, pay taxes, insurance, comply with untold regulation, fight your frivolous lawsuits and somehow make this work.
Dont be angry because someone made it in America, shout their praises. Dont take away from others because you dont have it yourself just try harder.
What that’s called is being skeptical, and I’m very skeptical of anything a republican says, and even more skeptical when something is presented with no source. I don’t think I called you a liar, but if you interpreted that way, I can’t help that. I stand by what I said.
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