U.S. Trade Unions and building our infrastructure

Paraphrased: “When the government of a country wants to build a high-speed rail system, it is done.” This is what I heard Pres. Obama say several months ago.

In my opinion, he was saying countries like China do not have to deal with the politics of multiple trade unions to build meaningful infrastructure projects.

I wonder if there were trade unions involved in the building of the Great Wall of China or the pyramids in Egypt or the building of the city of Dubai? If there were trade unions, were they involved in the politics of the country or did they just mind their own business tending to the time consuming affairs of building? Were race and ethnicity a concern?

I am mindful that the re-building of the World Trade Towers has not been completed in the ten years since the beginning of its construction. I am mindful of the many calls highlighting our crumbling infrastructure and the desperate pleas for something to be done. And finally, I am mindful in the U.S., when any construction is proposed, multiple trade unions are the threads that bind; the proverbial rock and hard place.

Wisconsin Republicans Sneak Through Union-Busting Bill without Democrats
E.D. Kain, Contributor
Excerpt:
Well if they flip the state senate, which is obviously their goal with eight recalls going on right now, they can take control of the labor unions. If we win this battle, and the money is not there under the auspices of the unions, certainly what you’re going to find is President Obama is going to have a much difficult, much more difficult time getting elected and winning the state of Wisconsin.

And
This is what the union-busting bills across the country are about. In Michigan, in Indiana, in Ohio, in Wisconsin, and elsewhere. They’re about breaking the Democratic party and demoralizing and defunding its base.
Read more at:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/03/09/wisconsin-republicans-sneak-through-union-busting-bill-without-democrats/

God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-SPAN and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB
P.S. Could efforts at union busting have been the underlying factor for Citizens United Vs. Federal Election Commission (FEC)?

Reid determines weapon for “Fight”

I have long been suspicious of the political moves of Sen. Harry Reid, Democratic Senate Majority Leader. In my opinion, his decisions lack the substance and clear-headed processes one would associate with such a highly visible leader of the free world.

The recently passed Debt Ceiling Bill calls for a selection of twelve members of Congress to figure out how to cut a little more than a trillion dollars from the federal budget by the end of this year. There are to be six Republicans and six Democrats and it was incumbent upon Mr. Reid to choose three of them.

Mr. Reid has chosen Patty Murray (D-Wash), Max Bacus (D-Mont) and John Kerry, (D-Mass). At this time, I have no political issues with this trio and wish them well.

However, I do wonder if the good Sen. Reid has just announced his intentions of bringing a gun or a knife to the fight. I find it curious Mr. Reid is first in announcing his chosen weapon to be interpreted by the opposition and the names of his Generals.

If would have been fun having all twelve candidates on stage being revealed by opening door number one, door number two etc., (Smile)
As always,
BB

S&P downgrading and Letters from Camp

Ever since the downgrading of America from AAA to AA+ by Standard and Poor’s, we have gotten interpretations and opinions from the President to Donald Trump to Richard L. Trumka, AFL-CIO President to Rachel Maddow.

I am mindful of the letter we got from our daughter when she had her first Summer Camp experience. The letter was different than excerpts below but non the less, no less amusing. I Googled “Letters from Camp”.

Dear Mom: Thanks for the package you sent. I’m sending you something back. It’s the wrapper from a cough drop. The nurse gave it to me when I had an ear ache. Then I threw up. And she gave me an allergy pill. I don’t think she really knows what she’s doing.
Love, Twirl
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/sabusykids/2011/07/dear-mom-letters-from-camp/

And

Dear Mom and Dad,
Our Scoutmaster told us to write to our parents in case you saw the flood on TV and were worried. We are OK. Only one of our tents and two sleeping bags got washed away. Luckily, none of us got drowned because we were all up the mountain looking for Chad when it happened. Oh yes, please call Chad's mother and tell her he is OK. He can't write because of the cast. I got to ride in one of the search and rescue jeeps. It was neat. We never would have found him in the dark if it wasn't for the lightning.

And
By the way, what is a pedophile?
Read more (hilarious) at:
http://www.tysknews.com/LiteStuff/letter_from_camp.htm

As always,
BB

S&P and its credibility

This past Friday evening, the credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) downgraded the U.S. from AAA status to AA+ and serious questions have therefore been raised.

Prominent amongst the questions is due to the fact in 2007, S&P is one of the credit agencies giving generous AAA ratings to toxic asset bundles of real estate sold throughout the world. The toxic bundles nearly brought the monetary systems of the world to a state of total collapse.

And so it is, this same rating agency has downgraded us for the handling of raising our debt ceiling. Other than their sterling rationales as to the reason for the downgrading, the question we are asking is, “Why me?” Could we have had the rationales as threats or good advice minus the downgrading? What S&P has done is once again effecting monetary systems around the world to the negative.

Since we have always been told to follow the money, answers to the “Why me?” question could well be found within the monetary structure of S&P.

If on last Friday evening the monetary structure of S&P is the same as it was circa 2007, the logic of seeing red flags flying all over the place is, in my opinion, appropriate.

Have the Banksters of 2007 struck again? Is the downgrading of America another bite of the apple?

We have all learned that being above the law in America has its advantages including huge bonuses and high political positions. As the song says, “Nice work if you can get it”.

As always,
BB
P.S.
There are those who want to make a relationship between Banksters and TeaBaggers. There are those who would call such efforts, “Classic mis-placed anger”.

Tim Geithner and the missing memo

- Oh, Wow! New furniture, new desk and take a look at that snazzy new leather chair! Looks good. New drapes? Nice. Smells fresh and clean in here. They must’ve cleaned the carpets, but hey, wait a minute, this carpet is new! Looks good. I see they finally cleaned those windows. I’m impressed. It was about time. What a difference a week-end can make.

- Mr. Geithner! Mr. Geithner!! Sorry, I heard that you came in and I tried to catch you before you came here to your old office.

- Old office? Did you say, "Old office?"

- Yes sir. We were told….we were told…

- Speak up, Melisa, you were told what?? Tell me!

- We were told you weren’t coming back! (Boo-hoo)

As always,
BB

U.S. Downgrade Heralds a New Financial Era
Viewpoint
Excerpt:
All of that said, there a sliver of a silver lining — and an important one. America’s downgrade may serve as a wakeup call for its policymakers. It is an unambiguous and loud signal of the country’s eroding economic strength and global standing. It renders urgent the need to regain the initiative through better economic policymaking and more coherent governance.
Read more at:
http://www.pimco.com/EN/Insights/Pages/US-downgrade-heralds-a-new-financial-era.aspx