Friday, October 9, 2015

Comment | Kochs invade KY, bringing inequality

 

Ronald P. Formisano 9:30 a.m. EDT October 8, 2015

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Ron Formisano (Photo: Provided)

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Since the 1980s inequality of income has grown and social mobility has declined more rapidly in the United States than in most economically advanced countries. Wealth in the U.S is more concentrated than in any peer country: the top 10 percent own more than 75 percent of all wealth.

The billionaire Koch brothers, Charles and David, and their network of “think tanks,” lobbyists, and phony grass-roots “citizens” groups — “astroturf” in today’s political lexicon — have expended hundreds of millions in campaigns that have worsened inequality and damaged the quality of life for millions.

And that’s not counting Koch Industries ranking among the top three polluters of the nation’s air, water, and climate with its plants generating 24 million tons of greenhouse gases a year; it has paid out more millions in civil and criminal environmental penalties than any other company.

The Koch-funded lobbying and political action group Americans for Prosperity is in Kentucky working to sustain inequality and drag down our workers to Third World levels. AFP has already denounced any discussion of inequality in the presidential race. AFP president Tim Phillips says that calling attention to economic inequality is “class warfare” and trying to alleviate it “diminishes freedom.”

Regrettably, the Kochs have taken a strong interest in Kentucky, with AFP first running ads in the Republican primary, then launching an expensive ad against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jack Conway. More important than the political meddling of outside billionaires in a state they do not live in, is carrying their crusade for low wages and inequality into Kentucky.

Kentucky AFP’s political director Julia Bright Crigler as a panelist  in July on KET’s Kentucky Tonight opposed raising the federal minimum wage of $7.25, although nearly three-fourths of the public favors raising it and 20 states, including four Red states, have voted to increase their own minimums. (Crigler has worked as a Republican operative in several campaigns and is married to a field director for Sen. Mitch McConnell.) The Kochs do not simply oppose a hike, they want to abolish minimum wages everywhere.

More than 16 million Americans have gained health insurance since enactment of the Affordable Care Act. The Kochs’ relentless campaign distorting it is well known. Less publicized are the millions the Kochs spent in states across the country trying to prevent the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid to poor people with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level (e.g. $32,193 for a family of four). As 30 states opted in and 20 states, mostly with Republican governors, rejected expansion, the Kochs waged fierce campaigns to prevent millions of low-income Americans from getting health insurance. In Tennessee the Kochs launched a radio blitz resulting in 250,000 low-income men, women, and children not receiving health insurance. But in Red Alaska, independent Gov. Bill Walker bucked the Koch ad-machine to add 30,000 newly insured.

The Kentucky AFP has “committed significant resources” to getting the legislature to pass a “right to work” law, unsuccessfully so far. These misnamed laws actually restrict workers’ rights by allowing workplaces to exist where union members pay dues but those who do not (“free riders”) still get union benefits and representation if they have grievances or are fired. These laws interfere with the free market in order to weaken unions and lower wages. In states with right to work laws, overall wages are $1,558 lower than in states without RTW.

While AFP lobbies Frankfort, another Koch-corporate-funded astroturf group, the American City Council Exchange has bypassed the Kentucky legislature and stole up on 10 counties to get local RTW ordinances passed. Unions filed a lawsuit challenging these county ordinances that are now tied up in the courts. The Kochs and AFP also oppose paid sick leave for workers and have sponsored laws preventing states and localities from granting it.

Many minimum and low-wage workers increasingly turn to tax preparers to get cash advances — 21.6 million in 2014. About half receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, with 84 percent of that group low-income. But fly-by-night tax preparers and scam artists in what is a $10 billion business routinely defraud low-income workers. The Obama administration sought to protect the victims by requiring preparers to prove competency and undergo criminal background checks, but the Libertarian Institute, another Koch-funded front group, challenged the regulations in court and won.

Finally, the billionaire brothers hate “Obamacare,” except when they can benefit from it. Koch Industries uses Obamacare’s Early Retirement Reinsurance program for its employees and saves money. The Kochs’ petroleum and timber companies also enjoy government subsidies. Their hypocritical brand of “freedom” means profits and government benefits for them and our freedom to lose.

Ronald P. Formisano is William T Bryan Chair of American History and Professor of History emeritus at the University of Kentucky. He author of "Plutocracy in America: How Increasing Inequality Destroys the Middle Class and Exploits the Poor" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015).

Comment | Kochs invade KY, bringing inequality

Top Democrats warn Illinois could go broke in months, won't bow to Rauner's anti-union push

 

By SARA BURNETT
Published: 10/8/15 6:09 pm EDT - Updated: 10/8/15 6:09 pm EDT

CHICAGO — Illinois will run out of money to operate in a matter of months if lawmakers can't agree on a state budget, top Democrats warned Thursday, but they reiterated they won't bow to Gov. Bruce Rauner's demands to weaken public-worker unions for a deal.

House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie and state Sen. Kwame Raoul said the Republican governor should drop his push to let local governments opt out of collective bargaining, a move they say would lead to lower wages and a less-qualified workforce.

Currie said Rauner should instead be worrying about the state money "going out the door at a very fast clip." Both parties estimate Illinois is on track to spend about $5 billion more than it's taking in because of court orders and state law requiring some payments.

"He needs to get serious about adopting a budget that doesn't mean the state goes totally broke come February or March," the Chicago Democrat said following an unrelated stop in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, where Rauner also spoke Thursday.

Rauner has been stepping up his anti-union push this week, arguing that Democrats have "repeatedly" taken votes against collective bargaining and issuing a news release that listed specific bills and Democratic lawmakers who supported them.

He called their firm stance against doing so now "political manipulation" because Democrats don't want to anger labor unions — some of their biggest backers — heading into the 2016 elections.

Rauner also argues that giving governments a choice of whether to bargain over wages, benefits and other issues will ultimately help the middle class by lowering taxes and sparking a healthier economy.

"The status quo in Illinois ... is not helping our middle class," he said.

Illinois is in its fourth month without a state budget. Democrats want Rauner to agree to a tax increase to help balance the budget, but the governor says he won't do so until the Legislature approves some of his priorities.

Other items on his agenda include freezing property taxes and imposing term limits on lawmakers. But he said Thursday collective bargaining is "one of the most critical things we need to change."

Currie compared him to the Wisconsin governor, whose move to curb bargaining rights drew huge protests a few years ago.

"He's 'Scott Walker light' is what I would call him," she said.

Top Democrats warn Illinois could go broke in months, won't bow to Rauner's anti-union push

Capitol Fax.com - Point taken. However…

 

Point taken. However…

Thursday, Oct 8, 2015

* From a press release…

Governor Rauner yesterday delivered remarks explaining how reforming collective bargaining is a bi-partisan idea and would save taxpayers billions. In fact, many Democrats, including the House Speaker and House Majority Leader as well as the Senate President and Senate Majority Leader, have voted in recent years to limit and remove collective bargaining requirements in an effort to save taxpayers money.

“Twice in the last four years, Illinois Democrats voted to reform collective bargaining, but now they are hiding behind it to try to force spending higher and raise taxes on the people of Illinois,” Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said. “The notion that collective bargaining is sacrosanct to the Democratic Party is nothing more than political gamesmanship to protect the status quo and hurt taxpayers.”

SB 1 (Pension Reform of 2013)
Senate Democrats voting aye:
Biss, Cunningham, Harmon, Hunter, Jones, Landek, Martinez, McGuire, Morrison, Mulroe, Munoz, Raoul, Sandoval, Silverstein, Stadelman, Steans, Van Pelt, Mr. President
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/98/senate/09800SB0001_12032013_005000R.pdf

House Democrats voting aye:
Acevedo, Andrade, Arroyo, Bradley, Burke, D., Burke, K., Cassidy, Chapa LaVia, Conroy, Crespo, Currie, D’Amico, Davis, M., Drury, Dunkin, Evans, Feigenholtz, Fine, Flowers, Gabel, Harris, G., Hernandez, Hurley, Jones, Kifowit, Lang, Manley, McAsey, Mitchell, Moylan, Mussman, Nekritz, Sente, Soto, Tabares, Thapedi, Turner, Verschoore, Walsh, Welch, Williams, Willis, Yingling, Zalewski, Mr. Speaker
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/98/house/09800SB0001_12032013_006000R.pdf

SB 7 (Labor Reform of 2011)
Senate Democrats voting aye:
Biss (House), Clayborne, Collins, Cunningham (House), Delgado, Forby, Haine, Harmon, Holmes, Hunter, Hutchinson, Jones, Koehler, Landek, Lightford, Martinez, Mulroe, Munoz, Noland, Raoul, Sandoval, Steans, Sullivan, Trotter, Mr. President
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/97/senate/09700SB0007_04152011_059000T.pdf

House Democrats voting aye:
Acevedo, Arroyo, Beiser, Bradley, Burke, D., Burke, K., Chapa LaVia, Crespo, Currie, D’Amico, Davis, W., DeLuca, Dunkin, Feigenholtz, Flowers, Ford, Franks, Gabel, Gordon, Harris, G., Hernandez, Jackson, Jones, Lang, Lilly, Mautino, Mayfield, McAsey, Mussman, Nekritz, Phelps, Rita, Sente, Soto, Thapedi, Turner, Verschoore, Williams, Zalewski, Mr. Speaker
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/97/house/09700SB0007_05122011_002000T.pdf

That’s all well and good. However, the governor has proposed some awfully radical legislation

Prohibited subjects of bargaining.

(a) A public employer and a labor organization may not bargain over, and no collective bargaining agreement entered into, renewed, or extended on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly may include, provisions related to the following prohibited subjects of collective bargaining:

(1) Employee pensions, including the impact or implementation of changes to employee pensions, including the Employee Consideration Pension Transition Program as set forth in Section 30 of the Personnel Code.

(2) Wages, including any form of compensation including salaries, overtime compensation, vacations, holidays, and any fringe benefits, including the impact or implementation of changes to the same; except nothing in this Section 7.6 will prohibit the employer from electing to bargain collectively over employer-provided health insurance.

(3) Hours of work, including work schedules, shift schedules, overtime hours, compensatory time, and lunch periods, including the impact or implementation of changes to the same.

(4) Matters of employee tenure, including the impact of employee tenure or time in service on the employer’s exercise of authority including, but not limited to, any consideration the employer must give to the tenure of employees adversely affected by the employer’s exercise of management’s right to conduct a layoff.

Sorry to repeat myself, but no way are they gonna vote for that, governor. No way are even all that many Republicans gonna vote for it, either.

- Posted by Rich Miller

Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Point taken. However…