STOP DEMONIZING THE DAMN UNIONS!!!
By Gigi
JUST SOME FACTS:
1. WHO CAUSED THE ECONOMIC CRISIS?
Banks, fat cat Wall Street speculators, mortgage lenders, rich global corporations shifting jobs from the U.S. overseas…
2. WHO IS PROFITING IN THE RECESSION?
Corporate profits, 3rd quarter of 2010, were $1.6 trillion, 28 percent higher than the year before, the biggest one-year jump in history! Meanwhile, average wages and total wages have fallen for all incomes, except the wealthiest Americans whose income grew five-fold.
3. WHO IS NOT PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE?
In U.S. facing a budget shortfall, revenues from corporate taxes have declined $2.5 billion in the last year. In Wisconsin, two-thirds of corporations pay no taxes, and the share of state revenue from corporate taxes has fallen by half since 1981. According to a general Accountability Study out today, nationally, 72% of all foreign corporations and about 57% of U.S. companies doing business in the United States paid no federal income taxes for at least one year between 1998 and 2005.
4. ARE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OVERPAID?
State workers typically earn 11% less and local public workers earn 12% less than private employees with comparable education and experience. Nationally, cutting the federal payroll in half would reduce spending by less than 3%.
5. WOULD PAY AND BENEFIT CONCESSIONS BY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES STOP THE DEMANDS?
Absolutely not!!! The republican/tea party/conservatives have made it clear. It wants to cut public pay, pensions, and health benefits, restrict collective bargaining for public sector workers and prohibit public sector unions.
6. WILL THE RIGHT BE TROUBLED IF CUTS IN WORKING STANDARDS MAKE IT HARDER TO RECRUIT TEACHERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS?
No. Because although teachers have accepted wage freezes and other cuts in recent years, many right-wingers goal is to privatize education and destabilize public schools. They’re slowly shredding the government workforce and gutting all government services and will make it harder to crack down on corporate abuse or to implement other public protections and services.
7. WILL THE RIGHT-WINGER STOP AT CURBING PUBLIC WORKERS RIGHTS?
No. Right wing governors and state legislators are seeking new laws to restrict union rights for all private and public employees.
8. DOES EVERYONE HAVE A STAKE IN THIS FIGHT?
Yes. The rise in living standards for the middle class in the 1950s was the direct result of a record rate of unionization in America. It is of course unions that won the 8-hour day, weekends off, and many other standards all Americans take for granted that are now often threatened with the three-decade long attack on unions spurred by that right wing icon Ronald Reagan. Increased wages and guaranteed pensions put money into the economy with ripple effect that creates jobs and spurs the economy for all.
SO IT’S TIME FOR ALL OF US TO SAY IT LOUD:
No more cuts in public sector pay, pensions, or health benefits
Balance budgets by closing corporate tax loopholes, restoring fair share taxes on corporation and wealthy individuals
Guarantee retirement security and healthcare for all
By Gigi
JUST SOME FACTS:
1. WHO CAUSED THE ECONOMIC CRISIS?
Banks, fat cat Wall Street speculators, mortgage lenders, rich global corporations shifting jobs from the U.S. overseas…
2. WHO IS PROFITING IN THE RECESSION?
Corporate profits, 3rd quarter of 2010, were $1.6 trillion, 28 percent higher than the year before, the biggest one-year jump in history! Meanwhile, average wages and total wages have fallen for all incomes, except the wealthiest Americans whose income grew five-fold.
3. WHO IS NOT PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE?
In U.S. facing a budget shortfall, revenues from corporate taxes have declined $2.5 billion in the last year. In Wisconsin, two-thirds of corporations pay no taxes, and the share of state revenue from corporate taxes has fallen by half since 1981. According to a general Accountability Study out today, nationally, 72% of all foreign corporations and about 57% of U.S. companies doing business in the United States paid no federal income taxes for at least one year between 1998 and 2005.
4. ARE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OVERPAID?
State workers typically earn 11% less and local public workers earn 12% less than private employees with comparable education and experience. Nationally, cutting the federal payroll in half would reduce spending by less than 3%.
5. WOULD PAY AND BENEFIT CONCESSIONS BY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES STOP THE DEMANDS?
Absolutely not!!! The republican/tea party/conservatives have made it clear. It wants to cut public pay, pensions, and health benefits, restrict collective bargaining for public sector workers and prohibit public sector unions.
6. WILL THE RIGHT BE TROUBLED IF CUTS IN WORKING STANDARDS MAKE IT HARDER TO RECRUIT TEACHERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS?
No. Because although teachers have accepted wage freezes and other cuts in recent years, many right-wingers goal is to privatize education and destabilize public schools. They’re slowly shredding the government workforce and gutting all government services and will make it harder to crack down on corporate abuse or to implement other public protections and services.
7. WILL THE RIGHT-WINGER STOP AT CURBING PUBLIC WORKERS RIGHTS?
No. Right wing governors and state legislators are seeking new laws to restrict union rights for all private and public employees.
8. DOES EVERYONE HAVE A STAKE IN THIS FIGHT?
Yes. The rise in living standards for the middle class in the 1950s was the direct result of a record rate of unionization in America. It is of course unions that won the 8-hour day, weekends off, and many other standards all Americans take for granted that are now often threatened with the three-decade long attack on unions spurred by that right wing icon Ronald Reagan. Increased wages and guaranteed pensions put money into the economy with ripple effect that creates jobs and spurs the economy for all.
SO IT’S TIME FOR ALL OF US TO SAY IT LOUD:
No more cuts in public sector pay, pensions, or health benefits
Balance budgets by closing corporate tax loopholes, restoring fair share taxes on corporation and wealthy individuals
Guarantee retirement security and healthcare for all
posted by Gigi @ 6:46 PM
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