For this week’s reading list, we have articles on the latest unemployment numbers, eliminating subsidies for the energy industry, the impact of money on politics in Chicago, the causes of poverty, and an report from a person who attended the pro-labor rallies in Madison.
If you have any feedback on the articles below, or would like to recommend something for next weekend’s reading list, let us know at the Winning Progressive Facebook page.
Statement on February Unemployment Report – Statement of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities about the February unemployment report, which showed 12 straight months of economic growth, but also continued high levels of unemployment.
Get The Energy Sector Off the Dole – Jeffrey Leonard’s article in the Washington Monthly about how eliminating the approximately $20 billion in annual subsidies to the energy industry – the vast majority of which goes to coal, oil, and ethanol – would reduce the deficit, improve the environment, and help level the playing field for renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
The Collapse – Ramsin Cannon’s article at Gaper’s Block about how the election of Rahm Emanuel as Mayor represents the virtual completion of the replacement of the old machine politics with a new approach focused on large campaign contributions, selling off of assets, and introduction of profit seekers into our schools.
Poor Reason – an essay by Stephen Steinberg about how poverty is a structural, political, and historical phenomenon, rather than a cultural one.
If there is a silver lining to the attacks on public employees and their unions that Gov. Walker, Gov. Kasich, the Koch Brothers, and other conservatives have launched, it is that they appear to be awakening a progressive movement that has been dormant for far too long. Thursday saw pro-labor rallies attended by more than 500 in Pittsburgh, 1,000 in Philadelphia, thousands in Milwaukee, hundreds in each of 18 different towns in Wisconsin, 500 in Duluth, and numerous other communities throughout the country. In short, we are winning this battle because we are making our voices heard.
Help to continue building this movement by attending one of the rallies over the next few days listed below, writing letters to your local newspaper editor, and contacting your elected officials. And, please let us know at the Winning Progressive Facebook Page if you know of rallies, etc. to add to this list.
On Saturday, February 26 at noon, MoveOn and other progressive organizations are holding rallies in solidarity with public employees and their unions in front of every state capitol in the country. These rallies are going to be used to launch an organized national effort to Rebuild the American Dream. Please attend the rally in your state if you can, and also share the information with your friends, family, and neighbors.
Here is a list of rallies occurring in Milwaukee, Wausau, LaCrosse, Whitehall, Sturgeon Bay, Eagle River, and numerous other communities throughout the state.
* Contact Governor Mark Dayton – 651-201-3400 – thank him for coming out in strong support of public employees and their unions!
* Write a letter to your local newspaper editor – links available here
COLORADO
Legislation to reverse former Democratic Governor Bill Ritter’s executive order allowing collective bargaining has been stopped so far. Ultimately, however, the issue is expected to come down to how hard new Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper is willing to fight for public employees and their unions.
Pro-Gov. Walker ad paid for by “Americans for Prosperity”, aka the Koch brothers
(By Mark McCutchan)
The rallies in Wisconsin, Ohio and across the country in solidarity with public employee unions have been a great success in drawing the public’s attention to the GOP attack on collective bargaining rights. In a recently released Gallup poll, Americans oppose eliminating collective bargaining rights for state unions, 61% to 33%.
It has also come to light that those devilish Koch brothers are likely behind Gov. Walker’s attack on the public employee unions. The Koch’s puppet organization “Americans for Prosperity” was behind the weak Tea Party counter-protest in Madison on Saturday that was outnumbered by progressives 70,000 to 2,000. In addition, the Koch brothers have also opened a lobbying office in Madison in the last few days, to be closer to their man Walker.
In a recently published Mother Jones story, it was revealed that Walker’s campaign received its second highest contribution from the Koch brothers, $43,000. The Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) also spent a hefty $3.4 million on media attacking Walker’s opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
Here you can find the audio of a blogger imitating billionaire David Koch, getting a lengthy phone report from lackey Gov. Walker on his union-busting progress. Walker also discusses how he will trick the hiding Democratic senators into returning to the statehouse, to achieve a quorum and allow budgetary votes to take place. Walker’s spokesman, Cullen Werwie, has confirmed that it is the governor on the call. This is just the latest example of the obedience that our elected officials owe to rich donors and powerful businessmen, to the detriment of our representational democracy.
There is also an interesting story at the Daily Kos about the Koch brothers’ motivation to union-bust – they don’t just despise unions for their ability to balance corporate power, they may be scheming to buy up Wisconsin’s public utilities without a solicitation of bids. I have emailed the link to Wisconsin’s hiding Democratic senators for comment, and I’ll let you know how they respond.
Finally, the Koch brother’s organization “Americans for Prosperity” has just made a $342,000 ad buy in Wisconsin to support Gov. Walker in his bid to bust public employee unions, accusing them of “abandoning our children”.
What can we do to stop the Koch brothers from ruining our democracy?
* Hurt the Koch brothers in the wallet – Join “Boycott and Defeat Koch Industries” on Facebook. I am encouraging the page owner to coordinate with Greenpeace, Common Cause and other groups to start a boycott and demonstrations of a Koch Industries customer like Lowe’s. Georgia-Pacific is owned by Koch Industries, and makes building materials popular at this home improvement store. A publicly owned company like Lowe’s is sensitive to its public image (and stock price), and may give in to public pressure to stop carrying Georgia-Pacific products and find a substitute supplier. Once Lowe’s complies, the boycott and demonstrations can go on to the next target, and this can continue until Koch Industries and the Koch brothers stop funding climate deniers, Tea partiers, and shadow libertarian organizations. Details of the boycott will be reported at “Boycott” and at Winning Progressive soon.
* Pass the word by “liking” Winning Progressive’s Facebook page, and suggesting it to your Facebook friends. Winning Progressive can’t do this on our own; we need you to spread the word and stand together to stop the pro-corporate political machine.
After more than a week of protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, and throughout the country, the tide appears to be turning against the attacks of Governor Walker, Governor Kasich, and the Koch Brothers on public employees and their unions. In a poll released today, 61% of Americans oppose restricting or eliminating the right of public employees to collectively bargain over wages, benefits, and working conditions, as the Republicans are seeking to do. More and more Democratic Governors across the country – including Mark Dayton in Minnesota, Deval Patrick in Massachusetts, Dannell Malloy in Connecticut, are coming out strongly in favor of the right of public employees to collectively bargain. And Republicans in Ohio are already weakening their anti-union legislation, SB 5.
Let’s keep up the momentum by continuing to make our voices heard at rallies, in letters to newspaper editors, and in calls to our Governors and state legislators.
Below is a list of ways to take action. Please let us know at the Winning Progressive Facebook Page if you know of rallies, etc. to add to this list.
On Saturday, February 26 at noon, MoveOn and other progressive organizations are holding rallies in solidarity with public employees and their unions in front of every state capitol in the country. These rallies are going to be used to launch an organized national effort to Rebuild the American Dream. Please attend the rally in your state if you can, and also share the information with your friends, family, and neighbors.
WISCONSIN
*Donate to help provide food and supplies for the protesters in Madison
Here is a list of rallies occurring in Green Bay, Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Manitowoc, Wausau, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, and numerous other communities throughout the state over the next five days
Legislation to reverse former Democratic Governor Bill Ritter’s executive order allowing collective bargaining has been stopped so far. Ultimately, however, the issue is expected to come down to how hard new Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper is willing to fight for public employees and their unions.
This video from the Wisconsin AFL-CIO states perfectly the belief that motivates the union movement and progressivism – We Stand Together, or We Fall Together. Now is the time for us progressives to continue to stand up and continue to fight for our union sisters and brothers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and other states that are under attack by conservatives who are doing the bidding of the Koch Brothers and other billionaires.
On Tuesday, more than 5,000 people showed up in Ohio to protest SB 5, Governors Mark Dayton in Minnesota and Deval Patrick in Massachusetts came out with strong statements in support of public employees and their unions, and hundreds of people showed up at solidarity rallies in Boston, Providence (Rhode Island), Juneau (Alaska), and everywhere in between. We are winning the battle on this issue, but need to keep on making our voices heard through letters to the editor, calls to our Governors and legislators, and attending rallies that are continuing through this week.
Legislation to reverse former Democratic Governor Bill Ritter’s executive order allowing collective bargaining has been stopped so far. Ultimately, however, the issue is expected to come down to how hard new Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper is willing to fight for public employees and their unions.
Monday saw the seventh straight day of protests by thousands of people opposed to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to destroy public employee unions in that state. Also on Monday, solidarity rallies attended by hundreds to thousands of people were held in Indianapolis, Olympia (Washington), Helena (Montana), Las Vegas, Carson City (Nevada), Raleigh (North Carolina), Salem (Oregon), Charleston (West Virginia), and elsewhere throughout the country. This impressive show of force by progressives in support of public employees and their unions will continue throughout the week and beyond.
It is critical that all of us progressives get involved in fighting back against the conservative assault in Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states on one of the primary backbones of the progressive movement. We can do so by attending rallies, writing letters to newspaper editors, and contacting our state elected officials to express our support for public employees and their unions.
Below is a list of rallies and links for raising your voice on this critical issue. Please let us know at the Winning Progressive Facebook Page if you know of rallies, etc. to add to this list.
WISCONSIN
*Donate to help provide food and supplies for the protesters in Madison
Legislation to reverse former Democratic Governor Bill Ritter’s executive order allowing collective bargaining has been stopped so far. Ultimately, however, the issue is expected to come down to how hard new Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper is willing to fight for public employees and their unions.
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