06/18/04

E Messenger

The Electronic Newsletter of the Florida AFL-CIO

New Members according to the AFL-CIO Work in Progress
This week's WIP: 2,155
Year to date: 66,576

 FTAA POLICE BRUTALITY VIDEO NOW AVAILABLE!  HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENDED! 

At the 2004 Legislative Conference we screened a 12 minute video of the police brutality following the 20,000 strong march for fair trade during the Fair Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) ministerial meeting in Miami .  Dozens of labor leaders wanted to secure a copy so that they could spread the word about what happened on the streets of downtown Miami .  The AFL-CIO is continuing to push for accountability in various legal channels but too many people still don’t know what happened and how bad it really was.  Hundreds of union members, students and retirees were victimized by the over 3,000 members of the law enforcement community and we have the video to prove it!  Funding for the massive police build-up was provided by President Bush from the original $87 billion Iraqi war legislation and you should see what your tax dollars paid for.  This video makes a disturbing but powerful statement as to the lengths in which President Bush and his supporters are willing to go to hand control of our nation and our planet to the biggest multi-national corporations.  This is an excellent organizing and mobilization tool that will fire up the troops for the election battles that lie ahead.  This is the footage the corporate media doesn’t want you to know about! 

 COPIES OF THE VIDEO CAN BE ORDERED AT OUR WEBSITE AT www.flaflcio.org.  

 Check out the following article:

Panel faults police during FTAA
Miami Herald 6/3/2004

 (From the AFL-CIO Work in Progress)  

'POLICE TRAMPLED FTAA MARCHERS' RIGHTS'--Activists who went to Miami Nov. 18-20 to protest the closed-door meetings to finalize the Free Trade Area of the Americas were met by the equivalent of martial law. In some cases, police reacted with an "unrestrained and disproportionate use of force" and "civil rights were trampled," according to a draft report released late last month by the Miami-Dade County Independent Review Panel, which is examining police conduct during the conference. At a public hearing in December, union members, retirees, students and community members described mismanagement by police officials in Miami that led to numerous instances of obstruction, intimidation, harassment and repressive tactics against 20,000 peaceful protestors during a march in downtown Miami Nov. 20. To read a copy of the report, visit http://www.miamidade.gov/irp/Library/5-19-04_FTAA_Exec_sum.pdf .

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Make sure you see this movie!  

Fahrenheit 9/11 sparks controversy
(06/18/2004 © Panama City News Herald)
LOS ANGELES While the White House and the Republican National Committee have taken an official 'no comment' approach to Michael Moore and his new anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, some groups have mobilized a letter-writing campaign and crafted ads that slam the film

 Check out this preview clip

http://politicalhumor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.fahrenheit911.com/trailer/

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* Click on blue, underlined text to open full article

 STATE NEWS  

Florida election 2004  

GOP hopefuls target lawyers, unions, IRS
Miami Herald 6/17/2004

 GOP candidate takes lead in state ad launch
(06/18/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
Republican Doug Gallagher, offering himself as a 'Florida bolt of lightening,' became the first GOP Senate campaign to strike the airwaves Thursday with more than $1 million in ads. Also going on television this week is Democrat Peter Deutsch who is spending

Gallagher, Deutsch launch TV ad campaigns
( 06/18/2004  © St. Petersburg Times)
Two more U.S. Senate candidates have launched TV ad campaigns with very different messages as they introduce themselves to voters. Republican Doug Gallagher and Democrat Peter Deutsch unveiled their ads

 GOP candidates stick to similar messages
(06/17/2004 © Orlando Sentinel)
WEST PALM BEACH -- There were few fireworks and no big gaffes from the seven U.S. Senate candidates who debated Wednesday night and mostly trumpeted themes designed to appeal to Republican primary voters.

 More local candidates tap into own funds
(06/17/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
William Barkins will spend at least $100,000 to win a Broward School Board job that pays $36,694 a year, joining a growing list of local candidates who are sinking their own big bucks into their political campaigns.

 Candidates decry mudslinging
(06/17/2004 © Ft. Myers News-Press)
Former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack III says his visit to Fort Myers today to promote cancer screening is not a political move designed to support his sons GOP congressional candidacy, already rife with finger-pointing.

 Senator relishes role, aims for 4 years
(06/17/2004 © St. Petersburg Times)
ST. PETERSBURG - State Sen. Dennis L. Jones has spent almost a quarter of a century in the Legislature, but he says he still has more to do. So he's running for another term in the Senate. "I enjoy the political process," said Jones, 62, of Treasure Island .

 Sign law costs candidates
( 06/17/2004  © Daily Commercial)
LEESBURG Any candidate who bought political advertising early is busy retrofitting signs to abide by a new law. A new election law requires different language appear at the bottom of political advertisements, and although the content of the signs and brochures is unchanged, it could cost candidates a hefty amount to fix the wording.

 Cowin: Sign bill never read, debated
(06/18/2004 © Daily Commercial)
A law requiring a change in syntax on campaign disclosures was never read or debated by legislators before it was passed, according to the chairwoman of the Florida Senate Ethics and Elections Committee.

 Law has candidates reading their fine print
( 06/17/2004  © St. Petersburg Times)
TAMPA - Rich Glorioso got to his printer just in time. The Plant City candidate for a state House seat was able to stop an order of 1,000 signs that soon would be in violation of a new state law. But Glorioso, who is running for the seat being vacated by House Speaker Johnnie Byrd, had already printed 12,000 handbills that he recently learned will violate the law.

 Another stolen election?   

GOP seems blind to appearances on voting issues
( 06/17/2004  © Tallahassee Democrat)
You know that edgy, finely honed sensitivity you feel after an ugly argument with your spouse? That icily polite interregnum that progresses from glum silence to a period of extra a ccommodation and anticipation, as you try to avoid anything that might re-ignite the fight? Well then, you have to wonder how Republican couples ever patch things up.

 Defend voters rights
( 06/18/2004  © Florida Today)
Better open your wallet. Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood is hitting taxpayers with a bill of at least $125,000 for lawyers to keep citizens from checking the lists of people to be purged from voter rolls. In other words, she's making you pay lawyers to fight against your own right to see records that your own money paid for.

32,000 retrieve voting rights
(06/18/2004 © Jacksonville - Florida Times Union)
TALLAHASSEE -- Nearly 32,000 ex-felons have had their voting rights restored in Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush announced Thursday, prompted in part by a 2001 lawsuit in which the state admitted failing to help former criminals regain the right to vote.

 Education

 State may have erred on charter schools F s
(06/17/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
The state may have made mistakes grading five local charter schools, including three that received F's, Florida's education chancellor acknowledged Wednesday. "There are schools that were graded that shouldn't have been, and schools that should be graded that weren't," Chancellor Jim Warford said.

 State, feds differ on the tale of the FCAT
( 06/17/2004  © Jacksonville - Florida Times Union)
The difference between federal and state education standards is the difference between a microscope and a telescope: Florida likes the big picture while the feds prefer a detailed inspection. Both base their conclusions on the same test -- the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test

 Appeals court says NAACP challenge to One Florida is moot
( 06/18/2004  © Bradenton Herald)
TALLAHASSEE , Fla. - An appeals court dismissed Friday a legal challenge filed by the NAACP against rules that eliminated racial and gender preferences in Florida 's public university admissions.

 Internet schools fall short on tests
(06/18/2004 © Miami Herald)
When the Florida Legislature created two taxpayer-funded Internet schools for students as young as 5, critics wondered if parents could effectively teach their children at home using a computer. FCAT results released this week confirm those concerns: Students at Internet schools -- in which a certified instructor monitors progress but parents do most of the teaching -- tested well at reading,

 From FCAT to GED
(06/18/2004 © St. Petersburg Times)
The sudden surge in teenagers seeking alternative diplomas is a predictable result of Florida's tough new high school exit exam, but education officials seem all too eager to deny the obvious. Asked to explain why 21,000 teenagers took the GED test last year, an increase of 78 percent

 Schavio case still unresolved

Time to bow out
( 06/18/2004  © Daytona Beach News-Journal)
The struggle over the fate of Terri Schiavo has been dominated by emotion and deeply held beliefs. As a consequence, fundamental constitutional safeguards that protect us all from an overbearing government have been trampled. The Florida Supreme Court is on track to set things right.

 Schiavo on fast track
(06/18/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
The politically contorted legal dispute over the fate of Terri Schiavo was destined to wind up in the Florida Supreme Court from the moment Gov. Bush intervened and pushed an unconstitutional law through the Legislature.

 Other state news

 50-year planners push for wider job base
(06/17/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
VERO BEACH -- Heavily dependent on construction for its booming economy, the Treasure Coast must diversify its job base to survive the next economic downturn and housing bust that likely will follow, members of a three-county consortium said Wednesday.  

State gas tax relief to come in August.
( 06/18/2004  © Jackson County Floridan)
Though prices at the pump are fluctuating, Jackson Countians and others driving through the state can be assured they will see at least an eight-cents per-gallon drop in the price of gasoline in August.

 High Court Won t Block Bullet Train Repeal Effort
( 06/18/2004  © Tampa Tribune)
TALLAHASSEE - The state Supreme Court rejected a request Thursday to block authorization of signatures gathered for a ballot measure that would repeal the voter-mandated bullet train. The Polk County businessman seeking the injunction, C.C. ``Doc'' Dockery, argued the petitions are invalid because the names and addresses of the paid signature gatherers were not included,

 NATIONAL NEWS  

Election 2004

 Graham s book timed to influence election
(06/17/2004 © Miami Herald)
WASHINGTON - Sen. Bob Graham's book on the intelligence battles over terrorism and Iraq will be published Sept. 7, less than two months before the presidential election, Random House announced Wednesday.

 Bush, Kerry Battle Over Economic Optimism: Each Says He Has A Better Vision
Washington Post 6/18/2004

 PRESIDENTIAL RACE: Kerry, Sharpton unite at event
Detroit Free Press 6/18/2004

 Kerry vows to boost Detroit unions, jobs
Detroit News 6/18/2004

 9/11 Report Spurs Kerry Attack
Los Angeles Times 6/18/2004

Kerry Breaks Bush Record For Pace of Fundraising 
Washington Post 6/17/2004

 Pausing campaign, Kerry looks for a running mate
Philadelphia Inquirer 6/17/2004

 Hey hey, more tax breaks…if you’re rich! 

 House Approves $140 Billion in Tax Breaks
NY Times 6/18/2004

 George Bush’s answer to the gas crisis (from earlier this year)

 Tax break has Hummers rolling off lots

David J. Cieslak
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 1, 2004 12:00 AM

Here's the perfect way for a Valley business owner to truly ring in the new year:

Buy a shiny new Hummer or a fully loaded Cadillac Escalade, then get a hefty tax deduction on the monster vehicle, all compliments of Uncle Sam.

Dozens of wide-eyed customers packed into the Valley's Hummer and Cadillac dealers on New Year's Eve to take advantage of a federal tax windfall allowing them to buy the oversize gas guzzlers and deduct the purchase from their 2003 tax bills.

Dealers said they were selling more than double the average daily number of the specialized vehicles, with much of the rush coming as their doors were set to close.

"We're selling a ton of cars, and everybody's having fun," said Bob Monahan, sales manager for Lund Cadillac Hummer Saab in Phoenix , who watched 35 Hummers and Cadillac Escalades roll off his showroom floor Wednesday.

"It's been great for everybody," said Monahan, who estimated his average daily sales at 15 vehicles.

The deduction for business owners, approved in May by President Bush as part of his federal tax-cut package, gives a deduction of up to $100,000 for new or used vehicles that weigh more than 6,000 pounds. Aside from Hummers and Cadillacs, the choices ranged from the Dodge Durango and the Ford Expedition to the Lincoln Navigator and the GMC Yukon.

Dealers across the Valley pledged to stay open late on New Year's Eve to handle the rush of customers, many of whom came straight from their accountants' offices after receiving advice about the tax deduction.

"Most of these people have done a lot of research to make sure they qualify for the program, and now they're coming back and buying the vehicles," said Eddie Espinosa, general manager of Kachina Cadillac Hummer Saab in Scottsdale .

Phyllis Tsai, 27, drove to Scottsdale from Snowflake to buy a new Hummer H2. Tsai, whose boyfriend owns a motel in the northern Arizona community, said they jumped at the chance to own a Hummer after realizing the 2003 write-off deadline was Wednesday.

"To me, a vehicle is a vehicle, but my boyfriend was really excited about it," said Tsai, who was the last customer at Kachina before the dealership closed shortly after 8 p.m.

But to Dave Bresnahan, the Hummer is much more than just a vehicle. In the eyes of his three sons, buying the "sunrise" orange Hummer for $55,000 made him the hippest dad in the Valley.

"I bought it mostly because my boys think it's cool, and I'm a boy who thinks it's cool, too," said Bresnahan, 42. "It's awesome. I feel like a king."

Bresnahan, vice president of Lex International, which sells customer-retention products to car dealerships, said he knew about the tax deduction for six months but didn't make a decision until New Year's Eve, when he drove by the Kachina dealership in Scottsdale .

"I didn't go in thinking I was going to buy anything, but I walked out with one," Bresnahan said.

The windfall doesn't come without a price for the government. One expert estimated that if 100,000 people utilize the loophole, it will cost the country about $1.5 billion in tax revenue.

Lawmakers earlier this year upped the deduction amount from $25,000 in the hopes it would encourage businesses to invest in new equipment sooner.

The deduction is available for tax years 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Dealers say the tax break encourages people to buy cars, which contributes to a healthy economy.

"Our customers are speaking to their accountants and making a good business move at the end of the year," said Greg Schamp, new car sales director of Coulter Cadillac and Oldsmobile in Phoenix . "It's a good time to be a Cadillac dealer."

Reach the reporter at david.cieslak@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8208.

Working Americans

House Dems Unveil Jobs Plan
Wisconsin Radio Network 6/16/2004

 Dems to Unveil Plan to Help US Workers
Associated Press 6/15/2004

 Berkeley's Living Wage Ordinance Is Upheld in Federal Appeals Court
KTLA-TV WB 5 Los Angeles 6/17/2004

 Employment numbers up for Hispanics, but not wages
Long Island Newsday 6/17/2004

 World Trade  

China May Face Anti-Dumping Legislation
USA Today 6/17/2004

 U.S. Plans Duties on Chinese Furniture
Los Angeles Times 6/18/2004

If you have suggestions on how we may improve this online publication or have information you would like to see posted please contact our communications director at (850) 224 – 6926 or at rtemplin@flaflcio.org. 

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