California Democrat plans ballot proposal to cut public employee pensions By Kevin Martinez, March 17, 2015, wsws.org Chuck Reed, the former Democratic Mayor of San Jose, is planning to reintroduce a ballot measure that would eliminate constitutional protections for public employee pensions in California, Reuters reported last week. (read article) LAPD officers union approves proposed...
It’s not just right-to-work: Bills targeting unions multiply By Jonathon Mattise and Nicholas Riccardi, March 10, 2015, Associated Press It’s not just Gov. Scott Walker. Republican lawmakers in statehouses nationwide are working to weaken organized labor, sometimes with efforts that directly shrink union membership. Walker’s signing of right-to-work legislation in Wisconsin on Monday puts his...
Last November’s election saw some of the most craven political tactics ever seen in California. Fearful that they would lose the two thirds supermajority in both houses, many anti-taxpayer candidates – usually Democrats – attempted to portray themselves as friendly to taxpayers and in favor of Proposition 13 when, in fact, the exact opposite was...
In previous articles, the connection between the SEIU and President Obama and their desire to turn America into a socialistic totalitarian dictatorship have been presented. President Obama’s actions since the 2014 Midterm Elections, as outlined below, support this position. The President is utilizing the SEIU’s “Persuasion of Power” by incorporating its corporate campaign strategy to...
Latest attempt to end BART strikes deserves high marks for creativity Contra Costa Times editorial, March 3, 2015, Bay Area News Group Assemblywoman Catharine Baker’s bill to end BART strikes highlights the difficulty of crafting legislation that’s politically viable, has teeth and doesn’t produce unintended consequences. Baker, R-San Ramon, won election last year in a swing East...
With Contract Negotiations at Impasse, Los Angeles Teachers Edge Closer to Strike By Stephen Sawchuk on February 23, 2015, Education Week The Los Angeles district and its teachers’ union have hit a formal impasse in contract negotiations, with pay and teacher evaluation among the top issues. The impasse means that the state’s Public Employment Relations Board...
Are private unions cooling toward Democrats? By Shannon Bream, February 17, 2015, FoxNews.com President Obama has long been a friend of organized labor, wholeheartedly supported by unions that helped boost him to victory in both his presidential campaigns.But increasingly, there now is a divide between unions in the public and private sector when it comes...
“Agent Keen, in this world there are no sides, only players.” – Raymond Reddington, played by actor James Spader, NBC’s “Blacklist,” February 12, 2015 To exemplify the intensifying battle of players regardless of sides, look no further than California’s two competitive State Senate special elections set for this March. In Orange County’s Senate District 37,...
The U.S. Senate HELP Committee recently contacted me about my experience with labor elections and my insight about how this ruling would harm businesses and employees across the country. This week, the points expressed in my original blog and documented in The Devil at Our Doorstep will be debated and voted upon, as reported in recent headlines...
Illinois Governor Acts to Curb Power of Public Sector Unions By Monica Davey and Mitch Smith, February 9, 2015, The New York Times Gov. Bruce Rauner, the newly elected Republican who has often criticized public sector unions, took his first step toward curbing their power on Monday by announcing an executive order that would bar...
There is a clamor in Sacramento for “tax reform.” But for every political pundit, politician and bureaucrat in the room, there is a different definition of “tax reform.” For fiscal conservatives, tax reform means tax cuts. The State of California takes too much of our money now and this heavy tax burden unquestionably hurts working...
Rauner says state must curb union powers, lower salaries February 3, 2015, Chicago Tribune Gov. Bruce Rauner said Monday that Illinois must curb government union powers and reduce spending on state employees’ salaries and benefits, stepping up what labor leaders said is an attempt to “vilify” workers ahead of the Republican’s first major policy speech....
Public Sector Unions Gain Power, Lose Popularity, says Economist By Nancy Thorner, January 26, 2015, Heartlander Magazine While becoming more and more powerful, public sector unions are losing favor with taxpayers, Daniel DiSalvo, author of “Government Against Itself: Public Union Power and Its Consequences,” said during a forum hosted by The Illinois Policy Institute Tuesday...
In January 2010 the California’s legislature passed into law, perhaps uncharacteristically, an excellent new law. Entitled “Public schools: Race to the Top,” SB 54 created two mechanisms for parents to exert greater control over the education of their children. There are two components: (1) The Open Enrollment Act mandates that the California Department of Education to...