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10/28/03
E
Messenger
The
Electronic Newsletter of the
Florida
AFL-CIO
New
Members according to the AFL-CIO Work in Progress
This week's WIP: 1,141
Year to date: 127,884
STATE
NEWS
Biotech firm
gets huge gift…what will workers get?
Well
the special session has ended and…surprise!
Jeb got his huge corporate welfare package.
The Scripps deal could be a modern economic development success
story or it could be an historic boondoggle.
It is troubling that amendments that would have forced Scripps to
keep
Florida
’s money in the state
or repay the money should they make billions failed.
These and other measures which would have tightened the deal for
taxpayers all failed because Jeb thought they represented “legislative
micromanagement.” We hope
the deal is a success and that thousands of good paying jobs are created.
Unfortunately, all we know for sure right now is that scientists
making 6-figure salaries will have a new home and
Florida
’s workers will get to
clean their pools. Hopefully,
the deal will work and for the next several years we will keep a close eye
on the money and keep our fingers crossed.
Fulfill
Scripps' promise by keeping promises
(MONDAY,
10/27/2003
© Palm
Beach Post)
The
logic of it has serious holes
(MONDAY,
10/27/2003
© Sarasota
Herald-Tribune)
This
Script For Scripps Was Way Too Predictable
(MONDAY,
10/27/2003
© Tampa
Tribune)
Scripps
Deal Could Exempt Some Meetings From Public Oversight
(MONDAY,
10/27/2003
© Alachua
County Post)
Hasty
Scripps venture needs more deliberation
(TUESDAY,
10/28/2003
© Tallahassee
Democrat)
Can
Florida become a high-tech state?
(MONDAY,
10/26/2003
©
Ft.
Pierce
Tribune)
Governor's
Goal to Make Florida a High-Tech Hub
(MONDAY,
10/27/2003
© Lakeland
Ledger)
Political
Squeeze Play for Colleges
(MONDAY,
10/27/2003
© Lakeland
Ledger)
Inside Politics
– Once again Byrd wins the stinker award
If
Byrd flies north, would the mischief go with him?
(TUESDAY,
10/28/2003
© St.
Petersburg Times)
House
Speaker again under fire for fund-raising
(TUESDAY,
10/28/2003
© Charlotte
Sun Herald)
Jet-setting
governor has rock star following
(TUESDAY,
10/11/2003
© St.
Petersburg Times)
Lawmakers
skip out for Marlins
(TUESDAY,
10/28/2003
© Miami
Herald)
Lawmaker
eyes envied House speaker job
(MONDAY,
10/27/2003
© Ft.
Myers News-Press)
Donor
list under wraps
(MONDAY,
10/26/2003
© Gainesville
Sun)
Florida
Election 2004
What
does U.S. Sen. Graham's political future hold?
(TUESDAY,
10/13/2003
© Miami
Herald)
McCollum
Points to Years of Service
(TUESDAY,
10/17/2003
© Lakeland
Ledger)
Maybe they will
build it…now that it’s the Disney train.
Rail
Authority Scheduled to Select Bullet Train's Builder
(MONDAY,
10/27/2003
© Lakeland
Ledger)
Direct-to-Disney
rail line chosen
(TUESDAY,
10/28/2003
© Orlando
Sentinel)
Bullet
Train Route, Builder Selected
(TUESDAY,
10/28/2003
© Lakeland
Ledger)
Hey…more tax
cuts please!
Report:
State loses more than $1 billion a year in tax loopholes
(MONDAY,
10/26/2003
© Ft.
Pierce Tribune)
House
Panel Readies Corporate Tax Cut
(TUESDAY,
10/27/2003
© Bradenton
Herald)
They get a
party…you get a higher phone bill! Thanks
Jeb. !!!
Phone
firms give donations
(TUESDAY,
10/28/2003
© Orlando
Sentinel)
Shall
we dance? We'll pay later for PSC party
(TUESDAY,
10/28/2003
© Miami
Herald)
Seniors
challenge phone hike proposal
(TUESDAY,
10/27/2003
© Daytona
Beach News-Journal)
Shreve
leaves retirement behind to fight once more for consumers
(MONDAY,
10/27/2003
© Gainesville
Sun)
Education
Trial
FCAT alternative program to be tested
(TUESDAY,
10/28/2003
© Ft.
Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Students
say longer year is a bad idea
(TUESDAY,
10/17/2003
© Bradenton
Herald)
NATIONAL
NEWS
Economic
losses, gains – who cares, workers are stuck in the middle
A
Rosy Picture, but for Those Who Saw Pink, Pain Lingers
The
New York
Times
10/27/03
Gains in Wages Expected to Give Economy a Lift
Wage increases for employees at almost all income levels
are
giving important and unexpected support to the nation's economy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/27/business/27WAGE.html?th
There's
a Catch: Jobs
While analysts assure us that the tax cuts and the billions being spent on
Iraq
are good for
the economy, the workaday folks are locked in a less sanguine reality.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/27/opinion/27HERB.html?th
Job
Creation Math: The Three-Card Monte of Economics
The
New York
Times
10/26/03
Election
2004
Democrats
in Debate Clash Over
Iraq
War
Democratic presidential candidates, debating in
Detroit
on Sunday
night, attacked one another on whether Congress should have authorized $87
billion for the effort in
Iraq
.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/27/politics/campaigns/27DEMS.html?th
Dean
Wins Support of Two Key Unions
LA Times
10/28/03
Democrats
uniting to battle Bush Scoring wins on key issues
USA
Today
10/27/03
Washington
insider's campaign for governor of Mississippi draws GOP heavyweights
(TUESDAY,
10/27/2003
© Daytona
Beach News-Journal)
Health
care still on the chopping block
MEDICARE
DRUG BILL COSTS SENIORS--A series
of television ads by the
Alliance
for Retired Americans urges viewers not to
let Congress turn over Medicare to private insurers as a
Republican-dominated conference on Medicare prescription drug legislation
is proposing. Meanwhile, a new study of the Medicare prescription drug
bills under consideration by a House and Senate conference committee says
as many as 13.4 million seniors and people with disabilities will be
forced to pay more for their prescription drugs under the bills'
provisions. According to "Paying More for Less" by the USAction
Education Fund (USAEF), the prescription drug premiums, deductibles and
co-payments in the Senate bill would cost $1,100 a year, more than 48
percent of seniors and people with disabilities (13.4 million people)
currently pay. The proposed bills also would increase out-of-pocket costs
for doctor visits and laboratory tests for 32.5 million of Medicare's 40
million beneficiaries. The USAEF report reaffirms the Congressional Budget
Office's finding that the bills will encourage employers to drop their
retiree drug benefits, leaving as many as 4.5 million without their
current employer-provided drug coverage. In addition, on Oct. 22, the
Republican-led conference committee released an outline of the final bill
that not only imposes higher Medicare costs on beneficiaries and provides
less prescription drug support for lower-income recipients but also
requires privatization of Medicare services. A bipartisan group of 41
senators wrote President George W. Bush telling him, "a
partisan conference report that jeopardizes Medicare and does not provide
meaningful assistance to elderly and disabled should not and will not
pass." For a copy of the report, visit http://www.usaction.org
. To send to send a message to your lawmakers, visit http://www.aflcio.org
.
Congress
Planning to Curb Growth of Medicare Budget
The
New York
Times
10/25/03
Acquisition
Would Create Nation's Largest Health Insurer
Anthem will buy Wellpoint Health Networks for
$16.4
billion,
creating the nation's largest health insurer, with
26 million plan members in 13 states.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/28/business/28care.html?th
Negotiators
on Medicare Bill Fear That Premiums Might Vary
The
New York
Times
10/27/03
Grocery
workers still on strike – for all of us
GROCERY STRIKE
CONTINUES--Health care for all workers is on the line as grocery workers
for several chains in four states are on strike to save affordable health
care. Management proposals include a 75 percent cut in employer health
care contributions for new workers and a 50 percent slash for current
workers. On Oct. 30, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, United Food and
Commercial Workers President Douglas Dority
and other union leaders will announce an initiative to support the
striking workers, including financial support. Striking workers include
70,000 in
California
, 10,000 in
St. Louis
and 4,000 in
West Virginia
,
Ohio
and
Kentucky
.
As
Pickets Persevere, Shoppers Venture In
Los Angeles
Times
10/27/03
Workers
caught in grocery strike lean on principle
St. Louis
Post Dispatch
10/25/03
Family
helps strikers Kroger
workers won't qualify for food stamps
Charleston
Daily News
10/28/03
Don’t
forget the MTA workers
MTA
declares impasse in Los Angeles transit strike
The LA Times
10/28/03
Wal-Mart
Watch
Wal-Mart
Threat May Spur Grocers to Look Past Prices
Los Angeles
Times
10/27/03
Cleaner
at Wal-Mart Tells of Few Breaks and Low Pay
The
New York
Times
10/25/03
Grand
Jury, Wal-Mart Probe Hiring Of Workers
The
Washington
Post
10/27/03
UAW
picks an important fight in Alabama
Rural
Alabama auto plant turns into UAW battleground
Detroit
News
10/27/03
Another
crazy judge
EXTREMIST
BUSH NOMINEE SLAMMED--Janice
Rogers Brown, whose nomination to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia has been condemned by the Congressional Black
Caucus, the Leadership Council on Civil Rights, the NAACP, the AFL-CIO and
a host of labor, women's and other groups, appeared before the Senate
Judiciary Committee Oct. 22. Brown, who serves as an associate justice on
the California Supreme Court, "has authored opinions restricting free
speech rights, undermining health and safety protections and banning
affirmative action...She has written dissents that would have barred civil
rights claims [and] denied effective remedies to victims of unlawful
discrimination," the AFL-CIO wrote in a letter to the committee. The
committee vote on Brown, who is part of President Bush's drive to pack the
federal courts with ultraconservative and ideologically driven judges, is
expected later this fall. For more information visit http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/factsheet_ns04242003.cfm
.
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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Rich
Templin
Communications Director
Florida
AFL-CIO
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