06/08/04
E
Messenger
The
Electronic Newsletter of the
Florida
AFL-CIO
New
Members according to the AFL-CIO Work in Progress
This week's WIP: 2,492
Year to date: 64,421
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
.
Union members take it
to the streets
WALK TO VICTORY--In June, working family activists in battleground
states will go door-to-door to get the word out about
America
's real
priorities: good jobs, overtime pay, affordable health care and other
critical issues in this election year. The massive labor-neighbor
mobilization will put thousands of union members on their communities'
streets to talk to their neighbors about the Bush administration's
failed policies--lost and exported jobs, unaffordable health care, job
safety rollbacks and attacks on overtime pay and workers' rights. The
battleground states, where union household voters can make a big
difference on Election Day, are
Arizona
,
Florida
,
Iowa
,
Maine
,
Michigan
,
Minnesota
,
Missouri
,
New Hampshire
,
New Mexico
,
Nevada
,
Ohio
,
Oregon
,
Pennsylvania
,
Washington
,
West Virginia
and
Wisconsin
. There's
plenty of work to be done in all 50 states, so visit http://www.aflcio.org
to sign up to join the fight for America's working families in your
community and to find out how you can reach out to your friends, family,
colleagues and neighbors to urge them to join in, too. After you sign
up, you will be contacted about specific activities you can join in your
community.
The 2004 Election promises to be a defining moment in the history
of our movement. AFL-CIO
President John Sweeney has said that these elections represent “A
fundamental struggle for the very survival of
America
’s
labor movement.
The future of our movement and over 100 years of progress for
working families is at stake, we must be victorious.”
Make no mistake, if George Bush wins this next election he and
his neo-con administration will fundamentally change the social order to
benefit the big corporations and most wealthy at the expense of the rest
of us. If we are to succeed
we must all pitch in and lend a hand, our families’ futures are at
stake. In two weeks, in
Broward
County
we will have a chance to do something
real and take our message to the streets.
Broward
County
AFL-CIO
Invites ALL Union Members and Their Families
Labor 2004 Precinct Walk and BBQ
Saturday, June 12th and Sunday, June 13th
WE’RE COMING OUT EARLY AND
WE’RE COMING OUT STRONG!
Saturday, June 12th
9:30 A.M.
BBQ at
1:30
Sunday, June 13th
1:00 P.M.
BBQ at
5:00
Federation of Public Employees Offices
1700 NW 66th Avenue
Plantation
,
FL
33313
(Behind
Sears
Repair
Center
on
Sunrise
Blvd.)
*** To
volunteer, contact your local union office, or call
Janet Conner
at 954-240-9936
* Click on
blue, underlined text to open full article
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATE
NEWS
Florida
election 2004
POLITICAL
TICKER: Castor touts new poll in her campaign for Senate nomination
(06/07/2004 © Jacksonville
- Florida Times Union)
U.S. Senate
candidate Betty Castor of Tampa, who has an upcoming fund-raiser in
Jacksonville, touted a new poll showing she still has a firm lead in the
Democratic Party's primary race.
Report:
Gore calls Penelas treacherous and dishonest
(
06/06/2004
© Winter
Haven News Chief)
MIAMI
? Former Vice
President Al Gore unleashed a thinly veiled attack against U.S. Senate
candidate Alex Penelas, saying Miami-Dade
County's mayor was 'the single most treacherous and dishonest person I
dealt with' during the 2000 presidential campaign, a newspaper reported
Sunday.
Gore
s remarks are death blow for Penelas bid
(
06/08/2004
© Miami
Herald)
Is it too late
to draft Al Gore for president? Calling Alex Penelas
''the single most treacherous and dishonest person I dealt with during
the campaign anywhere in
America
,'' the former vice
president has not only gut-shot Penelas'
senate campaign but in all likelihood ended the political
Graham,
Nelson come to Penelas defense over Gore
comments
(06/07/2004 © Lakeland
Ledger)
MIAMI Florida's
two Democratic senators defended Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas
on Monday after former Vice President Al Gore called the U.S. Senate
candidate 'the single most treacherous and dishonest person I dealt
with' during the 2000 election.
In
U.S. Senate Race, Byrd Runs As Johnnie-Come-Lately
(
06/07/2004
© Tampa
Tribune)
PANAMA CITY
- Johnnie Byrd,
wearing a hard hat and safety goggles, walks into a room where
steelworkers are taking a lunch break. He introduces himself as a
candidate for U.S. Senate and immediately hits on the central theme of
his campaign.
Senate
rivals begin airing TV ads
(
06/08/2004
© Jacksonville
- Florida Times Union)
Democrat Alex Penelas
and Republican Johnnie Byrd have brought the first network TV ads to
Jacksonville
screens at important
times for their campaigns for U.S. Senate. Penelas,
mayor of
Miami-Dade
County
, began airing
30-second ads about himself on Thursday for at least 10 days.
Kerry
Suspends Campaigning
(06/06/2004 © Miami
Herald)
BOSTON -
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Sunday that he was
suspending 'overtly political' campaigning in the coming days in
observance of former President Reagan's death.
Democrats
gather in S. Fla. to build momentum for Kerry campaign
(06/06/2004 © Stuart
News)
MIAMI- Every
other week, Janee Murphy gathers up her
troops and walks the precincts throughout her home of Hillsborough
County, determined to persuade one more voter to the Democratic side.
Murphy, the 33-year-old chairwoman of her county's party organization,
said she tells every volunteer
Hispanic
vote could cost Bush
(06/08/2004 © Panama
City News Herald)
MIAMI President
Bush's policies toward Fidel Castro's regime and the war in Iraq are
threatening to fray traditionally solid Republican ties to
Cuban-American voters, the largest segment of Florida's fast-growing
Hispanic community.
Candidate
will take 5 veterans aloft, to lunch
(06/06/2004 © Orlando
Sentinel)
A month ago,
judicial candidate Brian Toung's campaign
announced a Memorial Day drawing to select a veteran for a "very
special plane ride up the coast to Flagler County for lunch at a very
unique place." Who won? "Actually, we only got five
submissions, and I'm going to take them all," said Toung,
who faces competition from Daytona Beach attorney Robert W. Rawlins III
and New Smyrna Beach legal
Putnam
Announces He Will Seek Third Term in U.S. House
(06/08/2004 © Lakeland
Ledger)
BARTOW -- U.S.
Rep. Adam Putnam, still the youngest member of Congress after almost two
terms, officially announced his re-election campaign Monday and was
introduced by his junior and senior high school principal.
Martinez
gains support of GOP senate campaign head
(06/08/2004 © Palm
Beach Post)
WASHINGTON --
Mel Martinez, showcasing his support among Washington political
insiders, received the endorsement Monday of U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va.
Allen, head of the Republican National Senatorial Committee, stressed
that he was not endorsing Martinez in his capacity as the chairman
Polling
firm sues Klayman for back pay
(06/07/2004 © Lakeland
Ledger)
MIAMI A polling
firm sued Republican Senate candidate Larry Klayman
on Monday, arguing the candidate's campaign failed to pay $60,000 in
fees.
County
GOP to pay fines of $3,000
(06/08/2004 © St.
Petersburg Times)
NEW PORT RICHEY
- Accused of omitting three hefty contributions and an expensive mailing
from its 2002 campaign finance reports, the local Republican Party
reached a settlement to pay $3,000 in fines to the Florida Elections
Commission.
The march to another
stolen election continues…
Delays,
Purge Hit Voter Rolls
(06/07/2004 © Tampa
Tribune)
TAMPA - For the
second straight presidential election, Florida's law against former
felons voting, a law grounded in Old South racism, may prevent thousands
of people from voting. Some of those people may be legally entitled to
vote
Michael
Peltier: Election supervisors eye November
with confidence, caution
(
06/07/2004
© Naples
Daily News)
TALLAHASSEE
? Election officials
from across the state are hoping their $3.2 million effort to bolster
voter participation will pay off in November.
Groups
file suit for release of voter rolls
(06/08/2004 © Ft.
Myers News-Press)
TALLAHASSEE
Florida is about to revisit the agonies of the 2000 presidential
election, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson warned Monday as he filed legal papers
seeking access to a list of supposed felons to be removed from voter
rolls.
Kast
quits as Florida elections chief 5 months before election
(06/07/2004 © Bradenton
Herald)
TALLAHASSEE,
Fla. - Less than five months before the Nov. 2 election, veteran
elections official Ed Kast is quitting his
job overseeing the state's voting machinery. Secretary of State Glenda
Hood named the agency's top lawyer, Dawn Roberts, to replace him.
Constitutional
amendments
The
truth about high-speed rail
(06/08/2004 © Orlando
Sentinel)
Gov. Jeb Bush
and Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher have launched a mail
and e-mail disinformation campaign to discredit and defeat the Florida
high-speed-rail project voted into our constitution in November 2000.
Here's what they are saying that just is not true:
Justices
grill lawyers on malpractice issues
(06/08/2004 © Miami
Herald)
TALLAHASSEE -
Florida's highest court grilled lawyers for the state's trial bar Monday
over three constitutional amendments the attorneys hope to put on the
November ballot that would punish doctors who commit repeated
malpractice.
Officials
fears don t slow tax petition
(06/08/2004 © Daytona
Beach News-Journal)
Advocates for a
tax-saving measure that would double Florida's homestead exemption have
been swept along with a 'firestorm' of support -- even as they raise
fears of scorching local government budgets.
Voters
scheduled to decide on proposed abortion notification
(
06/07/2004
© Naples
Daily News)
Most parents
don't get to choose when they'll become grandparents, but some
Floridians could help to make that decision come November. A state
constitutional amendment requiring parents to be notified if their
under-aged daughters want to have abortions is scheduled to appear on
the November ballot.
Medical
malpractice battle moves toward November ballot
(06/06/2004 © Lakeland
Ledger)
TALLAHASSEE,
Fla. Lawyers and doctors fought all last year over medical malpractice
and neither was happy with what the judges of the fight - the
Legislature - decided to do.
Scripps
watch
Gov.
Bush hopes to build on Scripps success
(06/06/2004 © Ft.
Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Still riding the
wave of last year's success, Gov. Jeb Bush and other state officials are
once again hunting for treasure at the biotech industry's largest trade
show, trying to lure more jobs to diversify the state's tourism-heavy
economy.
Universities
seeking space near Scripps
(06/07/2004 © South
Florida Business Journal)
Florida Atlantic
University President Frank Brogan is working with Palm Beach County to
find enough land for his proposed partnership of Florida universities
near where the Scripps Research Institute will open.
Big
spending on Scripps a gamble that could pay off
(06/08/2004 © Palm
Beach Post)
SAN FRANCISCO --
An economist with the Milken Institute
Monday called Florida's $510 million effort to bring The Scripps
Research Institute to Palm Beach County a risky gamble, but one that
could pay off big.
Florida
not the best
place for kids
State
works to streamline adoption of foster kids
(06/07/2004 © Daytona
Beach News-Journal)
TAMPA -- Mike
and Linda Hurley saw a spark in the friendly, outgoing 13-year-old girl
they met at an outing in February designed to introduce foster children
to prospective adoptive parents.
Tribune
editorial: Much work left to do for children
(
06/08/2004
© Ft.
Pierce Tribune)
Despite the
theme parks, the beaches and the parks,
Florida
remains a lousy place
for children. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, a child advocacy
organization, last week released its annual Kids Count report, ranking
states on the basis of 10 key indicators for child well-being.
Debate
swirls on Fla. tuition plan
(
06/07/2004
© Palm
Beach Post)
From his pulpit
in the church of affordable higher education, the Rev. Stanley Tate has
heard the voices of the naysayers, and he
admits to being worried. 'I think the program is at risk -- without a
doubt,' says Tate, 77, who in truth is a wealthy developer and chairman
of the Florida Prepaid
Florida
government news
Bush
says less need for leased space
(
06/07/2004
© Tallahassee
Democrat)
Gov. Jeb Bush is
always looking for ways to "shrink the size of government."
Around
Tallahassee
, that translates to
reducing the number of people state agencies employ. Sometimes, it means
cutting the number of programs government administers.
Reform
the PSC
(06/08/2004 © Florida
Today)
It's about time
the Florida Commission on Ethics digs into the fetid mess called the
Public Service Commission. Hearings started last week on the PSC's
cozy relationship with the utilities it's supposed to be watchdogging.
Closing
a loophole
(06/08/2004 © Gainesville
Sun)
ith
a stroke of a pen last week, Gov. Jeb Bush closed a loophole in
Florida's campaign-contribution law that made it difficult for voters to
know what interest groups were bankrolling political-attack ads.
Legislature
s senior class shows its immaturity
(
06/08/2004
© St.
Petersburg Times)
Not many people
have as much first-hand knowledge of the way the modern Florida
Legislature works as Don Sullivan. He represented
Pinellas
County
in the state Senate
from 1992 to 2002. Forced out by term limits, he took a rare step for an
ex-senator and was elected to the House.
Ethics
in
Florida
politics
Big
Wheel recycles politicians
(06/08/2004 © Panama
City News Herald)
The Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a permit to the Big
Wheel Construction & Debris Facility in Bay County even though the
company was not registered with the Florida Department of State.
Watchdog
Hammers Pollution Oversight
(06/08/2004 © Tampa
Tribune)
TALLAHASSEE - A
Florida Panhandle landfill with a long history of environmental
violations is center stage in a controversy with a group of players as
diverse as Alabama con men and high-level friends of Gov. Jeb Bush.
NATIONAL
NEWS
AFL-CIO says
“Count Every Vote”
MY VOTE, MY RIGHT--To ensure every vote is counted in the 2004
election and no eligible voter is intimidated, the AFL-CIO is launching
the My Vote, My Right campaign. Working with affiliated unions,
constituency groups, state federations and local central councils, the
federation will mobilize union members by reminding them of past
election problems and providing information on how to protect their
votes. Voters' Rights Protection Advocacy Teams will be established in
32 communities in 12 battleground states--
Arizona
,
Florida
,
Michigan
,
Minnesota
,
Missouri
,
Nevada
,
New Mexico
,
Ohio
,
Oregon
,
Pennsylvania
,
Washington
and
Wisconsin
. Teams will
work with community allies to lobby for changes to protect the right to
vote and to use media and the courts, if necessary, to ensure these
changes are made. If you live in a battleground state and need more
information, call Lora Foo at 202-508-6922.
Materials, including state voting bills of rights and fact sheets, will
be available online.
The
Bush Economy
Despite adding
248,000 new jobs last month, the nation's economy is still mired in a
long-term jobs crisis with more than 8 million workers unable to find
jobs and the average length of unemployment rising. The overall jobless
rate held at 5.6 percent in May, reported the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS), but the average length of unemployment rose to 20 weeks last
month, up from 19.7 weeks in April. Nearly 22 percent of all jobless
workers have been without work for 27 weeks or more. For more
information, visit http://www.aflcio.org
.
Job
losses likely election issue
Milwaukee
Journal
Sentinel
6/6/2004
Jobs
and the Recovery
New York
Times
6/5/2004
248,000
Jobs Added In May
Washington
Post
6/5/2004
BUSHWHACKED
BY THE ECONOMY--The
wealthiest Americans gained during the recent economic recovery, while
workers lost out, according to the Labor Research Association (LRA). The
group reports that total corporate profits are at the highest level ever
(totaling $1 trillion in 2003). At $6.2 million per year in 2003 or
about $120,000 a week, the median compensation for corporate CEOs is 232
times the average weekly pay for
U.S.
production
workers. To read LRA's analysis, visit http://www.lraonline.org/story2.php/356
.
Election
2004
Kerry
Plan Could Cut Insurance Premiums
Washington
Post
6/5/2004
New
Bush Ad Touts Economy, Jobs
Washington
Post
6/5/2004
Rallying
for jobs, against Bush
Observer-Reporter (PA)
6/08/04
Republican
'Soft Money' Groups Find Business Reluctant to Give
Washington
Post
6/08/04
A
Bill Eases Vote Curb on Churches
New York
Times
6/08/04
Corporate news
Stalled
Corporate Tax Bill Gets $10 Billion Sweetener
New York
Times
6/5/2004
G.M.
to Spend Over $3 Billion to Expand in China
New York
Times
6/7/2004
Wal-Mart Watch
Wal-Mart
Answers Critics With Changes on 2 Levels
New York
Times
6/5/2004
Unions
huddle on strategy to crack Wal-Mart
Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette
6/6/2004
Wal-Mart
looks in the mirror
Portland
Oregonian
6/08/04
Labor
news
Workers
still want to join unions
Detroit
News
6/7/2004
Thousands
of Home Aides Begin a Strike
New York
Times
6/8/04
High
Court Opens U.S. Roads to Mexican Trucks
Washington
Post
6/8/04
Supreme
Court clears way for Mexico's trucks
Houston
Chronicle
6/08/04
CALIFORNIA
/
Health care battle shaping up as ballot 'blockbuster' / Businesses
trying to end obligations under 2003 law
San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate.com)
6/08/04
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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