Here’s a sobering essay from Forbes magazine (“the capitalist tool”) about a two-pronged plan by the super-rich in the U.S. to gain even more political clout and wealth at the expense of the middle and working classes. Business publications (like Business Week and Fortune) are so much more straightforward in explaining how capitalism works than the bashful mainstream press. Rick Ungar’s meandering essay explains how gutting the union’s bargaining rights in Wisconsin includes a larger campaign to end the payroll check-off programs that allow public employees to painlessly send a few dollars of each paycheck to their union. The money adds up and gives organized labor the capacity to challenge pro-business political donors in some arenas (although it’s worth noting that the total assets of all unions in the U.S. equal less than the bonuses Goldman Sachs paid its executives in 2007-2009). Ungar says ending the check-off is especially important to business now that Citizen United decision allows labor to spend its general treasury money on ads for specific candidates. He then explains a second stick-it-to-the-needy strategy that is gaining support from leading Democrats and Republicans; it’s actually decades old and we see it here in North Carolina: policymakers are cutting corporate taxes or increasing business subsidies while pushing more costs onto the poor and middle-class taxpayer, pensioner and public employee. Ungar says the business elite are tired of paying for warfare and welfare; taxes are for suckers. Sharing the financial windfall from the increased productivity of a computerized workplace is also unthinkable. Hence, we’re back to the biggest gap between the rich and everybody else since the Robber Barons, and it’s growing wider.
1-888-OUR-VOTE|info@democracy-nc.org
and this when profits reach 18-year high:
http://www.allgov.com/Where_is_the_Money_Going/ViewNews/Corporate_Profits_Hit_18_Year_High_110317
Thank you for sharing these materials, especially Rick Ungar’s column entitled, “How the Wealthy Plan to Finance the American Aristovracy With MIddle Class Dollars”. His column’s wording would lead many to believe union dues can be donated as political donations. My understanding is the dues cannot be used as political donations but union can raise political donations from their members. Which is correct?
Recent actions and proposed legislation by some Republican governors do seem aimed at serving the rich rather than all the people. Has anyone reminded people of the biblical perspective of how the poor, the neighbor, the elderly, the widow and children are to be treated? Rather than just concentrating on saving union member’s rights and the contributions of some unions to Democrats, the biblical perspective should be included. Also, in many instances the very corporations recieving tax reductions are the same companies which transferred jobs overseas to make more money. Do the tax reductions have any requirements for the companies to return jobs to the state or even to the U. S. A.? What proof is there the corporate tax reductions will improve employment here?
These changes seem to be a least pattially aimed at public employees such as firemen, policemen, teachers and public admiinistrators who should be viewed as public servants. Rather than attacking them we should be helping them do their jobs better because our saftey, our children’s educations and futures and our own lives are greatly improved by their services.
During this time of economic stress caused largely by major mistakes by leaders of investments banks, failure to set aside enough reserves by at least one major international insurer, speculation, over-building and sometimies dishonesty in the housiing industry and failure of the country to currently pay for wars from their inception, we need to be supporting efforts of the Obama administration and constructive office holders of both parties toward continued efforts to improve our economy. Our citizens need our best efforts now, not attacks on our on public servants who have held the country together and improved everyone’s situation.
Again thank you for sharing your opinions and what others say and do.
Robert P. Williams, Asheboro, N. C.