Michigan’s “Right to Work” Legislation

I first learned the word “euphemism” in high school civics class.  The example the teacher gave was the term “right to work laws.”  And all these decades later, rightwing droolbuckets are still pretending “right to work” laws are a good thing.  The right to work — who could be against that?  It’s all about Freedom.  Choices.

As you know, the Michigan legislature — during their lame duck session — is in the process of passing right-to-work legislation.  The legislation should be finalized this week, and Governor Rick Snyder has promised to sign it.

Earlier today, President Obama gave a speech to an audience of Daimler union employees:

“What we shouldn't be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages.  These so-called right-to-work laws, they don't have to do with economics, they have everything to do with politics. They're about giving you the right to work for less money.” 

He also said Michigan is a perfect example of how labor unions have helped to “build a better America.”

Last week, Michigan Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer blasted Republicans on the Senate floor:

“You must be kind of embarrassed right now.  Your floor leader doesn’t know the rules and your leader doesn’t even want his name on this bill. Well I have a simple question: Why are we here today?…Lets be clear, this legislation is petty and vindictive politics at its most disgusting.  You began this two year session by attacking workers and their families with your emergency managers legislation that raised the ire of people around the state and brought thousands of protesters here to Lansing. And now for one of your final pieces of business in this legislative calendar, you want to pass ‘right to work’ legislation that hurts workers and our economy by lowering employee wages, benefits, and workplace protection. Another bow to big business and wealthy special interests at the cost of our people.”

The Michigan AFL-CIO calls Michigan’s right-to-work legislation the “Freedom to Freeload bill” because it allows workers to get all the benefits of collective bargaining agreements without having to join a union and pay dues.

And the Detroit Free Press has an editorial urging Rick Snyder to put the “right to work” issue on the state ballot instead of signing the lame-duck legislation.

Financial Martial Law Coming to Wisconsin?

There’s a vicious rumor that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is planning to import Michigan’s “financial martial law” to Wisconsin.

Walker is denying this. But this is the same lying sack of shit who kept insisting his union-crippling agenda was strictly because of Wisconsin’s budget crisis. He kept repeating this over and over, but then it turned out…

As you probably know, Michigan’s new financial martial law gives Governor Rick Snyder “emergency” powers to single-handedly nullify and rewrite city contracts, and fire city employees — in any city or town where the governor declares an “emergency.”

And now Scott Walker wants to copy this brilliant idea in Wisconsin. The only difference is, Walker wants to do this to counties instead of cities. He denies this. But in a speech two years ago, Walker said:

“For us, we’ve been looking for almost two years at an alternative for county government. Here’s the tease. We’ve looked extensively. I know many others have looked at this. We believe if they don’t — they being the county board, the state legislature, the governor — give us the tools to act on those major reforms, it’s probably time for us to seriously consider looking at the possibility of eliminating county government, and replacing it with something better. That’s a combination of moving assets to the state, moving to municipal governments, doing it other way, that’s totally different.”

But don’t worry. That quote was probably taken out of context by the liberal media.

Citizens’ Recall Drive Against Michigan Governor Rick Snyder

Scott Walker is probably the most famous of the Kochstains who got swept into state legislatures and governors’ offices last November. But Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is even more power-crazed.

If you read political blogs and “alternative” news sites, you probably know about this already. You won’t learn about it from the mainstream corporate-owned “media.” Along with destroying unions and raising taxes on working people and retirees — like the rest of the Kochsuckers — the state of Michigan passed a “financial martial law” bill last month.

This law means Governor Rick Snyder can appoint an “emergency financial manager” to take over the day-to-day governing functions of any city or town in Michigan, if the governor decides it’s an “emergency.” Among other things, local union contracts can be invalidated and rewritten, employees can be fired — all according to the whims of Rick Snyder

Whatever happened to those “local autonomy” and “limited government“ soundbites that conservatives were always spewing out? And shouldn’t the Tenthers have something to say about this?

Who knows what Michigan voters were thinking last November. But now a group called Michigan Citizens United has started a petition drive to get that shitstain out of the governor’s mansion. They’ll need lots and lots of soap, cleanser, disinfectant, bleach…

July 1st is the earliest date that a recall election can be held. Godspeed.

You can visit Michigan Citizens United at their website, FireRickSnyder.org.

And now, on this one year anniversary of the BP oil spill, there’s some good news and bad news. Some folks are making out like bandits.

Others — not so much.

Michigan is the New Wisconsin

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is the most famous of the union-busting Kochsuckers. But the same thing is happening in Ohio, Florida and Michigan, among other states. The Right is getting better and better at creating nationwide corporate-funded stealth campaigns disguised as spontaneous “grass roots” movements.

2009 was famous for those orchestrated choreographed “demonstrations” against health care reform. This year, the red states just happen to be simultaneously passing legislation to destroy unions, disenfranchise voters and other Far Right causes.

Here’s the latest underhanded sleazefest from Michigan: Governor Rick Snyder has signed a law to shorten the length of time for unemployment benefits. Michigan has one of the country’s highest unemployment rates, and their unemployment rate has been higher than 10% for longer than any other state. How’s that Compassionate Conservative thingy workin’ out for ya?

Even more despicable than the law itself is the slippery underhanded method for passing the law. The wording for the law was quietly inserted into a bill that was allegedly going to preserve and increase unemployment benefits. Like the old saying goes, “the large print giveth and the fine print taketh away.”

Rep. Sander Levin (D—Michigan) said:

“It turns the clock back 50 years at a time when unemployment is at historic highs since the Depression. I think that Michigan should not be to unemployment insurance what Wisconsin has become to collective bargaining.”

Michigan voters — start cranking up the recall machinery and get those two-faced corporate prostitutes out of there.

And there’s more news from Michigan. Remember when the Freedom of Information Act was something conservatives hated and kept trying to eliminate? They didn’t want the riffraff finding out about things that were best left to CEOs and their congressional errand boys.

Now suddenly, the Right has flipflopped and decided the Freedom of Information Act is just hunky dory. A group of shadowy rightwing donors has made a massive FOIA request for e-mail records from the labor relations departments at three different Michigan universities.

They want access to all e-mails that contain any reference to “Scott Walker,” “Madison,“ “Wisconsin,” “Rachel Maddow,” and any references to collective bargaining in Wisconsin.

Roland Zullo, a University of Michigan professor, said:

“This is a way that they're going after folks they don't agree with, I suppose. I see it just simply as part of the political environment we exist in right now.”