06/04/04
E
Messenger
The
Electronic Newsletter of the
Florida
AFL-CIO
New
Members according to the AFL-CIO Work in Progress
This week's WIP: 2,248
Year to date: 61,929
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
THE BUDGET
THE BUDGET THE BUDGET THE BUDGET THE BUDGE
Veto
power
(06/02/2004 © Ocala
Star Banner)
Like the first
round of budget vetoes he issued five years ago, Gov. Jeb Bush dug deep
and took on his own party's legislative leaders this year. In so doing,
his record $349 million in vetoes served to reinforce a necessary point
of fiscal discipline: State money ought not
be doled out simply to those with powerful political patrons.
Bush
vetoes highway projects
(06/02/2004 © Tallahassee
Democrat)
Gov. Jeb Bush
has vetoed $10 million for two proposed new highways in Gulf County that
have been supported by The St. Joe Co. Opportunity Florida, an economic
development group for eight Panhandle counties, says the projects are
needed to encourage economic growth in Gulf County. But Florida TaxWatch
and some environmental groups in the region have questioned the
proposals.
What
s a turkey?
(
06/03/2004
© Bradenton
Herald)
Poor Johnny Byrd
must be fuming mad at Gov. Jeb Bush right now. Bush's annual
"turkey hunt" in the state budget bagged the House speaker's
pet project, an Alzheimer's research center at the
University
of
South Florida
named for Byrd's
father.
Mayor
whacked on knees by his old buddy Jeb Bush
(
06/03/2004
© Jacksonville
- Florida Times Union)
Mayor John
Peyton must feel like Gov. Jeb Bush pulled the rug out from under him.
Earlier this spring, Bush encouraged Peyton to go after state money to
help pay for security at next year's Super Bowl game in
Jacksonville
.
State
to offer incentives to entertainment industry
(
06/03/2004
© Jacksonville
Business Journal)
The state is
making available $2.4 million in financial incentives to lure film and
television projects to
Florida
. Gov. Jeb Bush
announced the plan today, saying money will be available to qualified
production companies that apply and are approved by the Governor's
Office of Film
Governor
s vetoes hurt at the local level
(06/03/2004 © Miami
Herald)
Gov. Bush
wielded a sharp pen last week as he cut $350 million in spending from
next year's state budget. That doesn't seem like much relative to the
$58 billion budget. Nonetheless, it hurts at the local level when the
needs are great and worthy causes go unfunded -- particularly when
South Florida
faces funding hits in
education, healthcare and other vital services.
State
shifts cost of DJJ; county must foot the bill
(06/03/2004 © Sumter
County Times)
Law takes effect
in October Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill last week shifting about $922,000
in state juvenile justice costs to Citrus County. Senate Bill 2564 will
become law on Oct. 1 unless a court challenge is filed by one of
Florida
's 67 counties.
Constitutional
amendments
|
|
Minimum
Wage Proposal Debated
(06/04/2004 © Tampa
Tribune)
TALLAHASSEE
- Boosting the minimum wage in Florida by a buck could put
several hundred dollars more in the wallets of thousands of
workers while costing consumers just pennies, an economist
said Thursday.
|
Bullet
train opposition leader faces charges
(06/04/2004 © Palm
Beach Post)
A suburban Boca
Raton retiree who began a crusade against the state's proposed bullet
train to keep it out of his neighborhood now faces a possible $16,000
fine for violating state campaign finance laws.
Economist:
Minimum wage boost could add a dime to meal tab
(06/03/2004 © Lakeland
Ledger)
TALLAHASSEE,
Fla. Boosting the minimum wage in Florida by a buck could put several
hundred dollars more in the wallets of thousands of workers while
costing consumers just pennies, an economist said Thursday.
Fight
Against Bullet Train Disingenuous
(06/04/2004 © Lakeland
Ledger)
Gov. Jeb Bush
and Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher have launched a
full-fledged disinformation campaign to discredit and defeat the Florida
high-speed-rail project voted into our constitution in November 2000.
Proposal
to repeal high-speed rail makes first milestone
(
06/01/2004
© Gainesville
Sun)
TALLAHASSEE
,
Fla.
A proposed ballot
measure to kill
Florida
's voter-mandated
high-speed rail project cleared its first milestone Tuesday, with enough
signatures to warrant review by the state Supreme Court.
High-Speed
Rail Foes Run Into Dockery Suit
(06/03/2004 © Tampa
Tribune)
TALLAHASSEE -
The Polk County businessman behind the effort to build a high-speed rail
system in Florida filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday seeking to declare
rail opponents' petitions invalid. C.C. ``Doc'' Dockery claims in his
suit that petitions submitted by the organization
A
Deceptive Mailing
(
06/03/2004
© Tampa
Tribune)
Recently a
letter was delivered to my home from Tom Gallagher, ``Florida Chief
Financial Officer.'' The face of the envelope reasonably could be
interpreted as implying official state government connection. The
envelope advised to ``open immediately,''
It
sounds good, but this low-tax initiative is a scam
(06/03/2004 © Tallahassee
Democrat)
There's a good
master's thesis or doctoral dissertation to be done, if it's not too
easy and obvious, on the theory that societies begin to decline when
citizens figure out how to vote themselves all sorts of goodies and send
the bill to their grandchildren.
Foes
of high-speed rail sued over petition repeal effort
(06/02/2004 © Ft.
Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
TALLAHASSEE --
Backers of the high-speed rail project required by a 2000 constitutional
amendment asked a judge Wednesday to throw out thousands of petition
signatures collected by a group that wants the project killed
Local
government lobbies contribute to tax reform initiative
(06/03/2004 © North
Port Sun Herald)
Two of Florida's
most influential political lobbying organizations -- the Florida
Association of Counties and the Florida League of Cities -- have
contributed $150,000 to former State Senate President John McKay's tax
reform campaign and proposed constitutional amendment.
Benson:
Amendment issue too sensitive
(
06/03/2004
© Pensacola
News Journal)
Changing how
voters amend
Florida
's constitution proved
to be too politically sensitive an issue to tackle during this
legislative session, state Rep. Holly Benson said Wednesday. Benson said
it is not easy for legislators to tell their constituents 'you are
really smart in voting for me but
Education
Editorial:
Shoddy pre-K plan deserves no more than Bush s veto
(
06/03/2004
© St.
Petersburg Times)
In 2002, the
people of
Florida
voted to create a
voluntary, universal system of pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds. This
new 'pre-K' system is supposed to begin with the 2005 school year. It
was a popular idea. It passed by almost 60 percent of the vote.
Do
pre-K right, this year
(06/02/2004 © Palm
Beach Post)
Palm Beach Post
Editorial Wednesday, June 2, 2004 Now that Gov. Bush has vetoed the only
promising part of Florida's pre-kindergarten plan, the worst that could
happen is inaction on the issue until next spring.
Private
Support Should Fill Bill
(
06/03/2004
© Ft.
Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Florida
's community colleges
and state universities soon must display an American flag in every
classroom. It's a new expense that comes at a time of tight budgets, but
school officials shouldn't have to worry. There's huge potential in
obtaining private support for this new mandate of the Florida
Legislature.
Editorial:
Board shows no spine on chiropractic college
(06/03/2004 © Palm
Beach Post)
The state Board
of Governors shows no sign of bucking the unwillingness of Gov. Bush and
the Legislature to adequately pay for much at Florida's public
universities except lawmakers' pet projects. The board, which met last
week at
Florida
Atlantic
University
, shrugs off the
constitutional power
Teachers-backed
group airs ads criticizing president s plan
(
06/03/2004
© Naples
Daily News)
TALLAHASSEE
? A newly formed group
backed by the National Education Association began airing television ads
in four key election states Wednesday criticizing President Bush's No
Child Left Behind Act.
New
group attacks education reform law
(06/03/2004 © Palm
Beach Post)
Florida's public
school superintendents failed in their underground revolt against the
president's No Child Left Behind Act earlier this year, but a new
lobbying group using Florida's teachers as spokesmen took up arms
Wednesday against the sweeping education reform law
Florida
Election 2004
Kerry
s visit reinforces Florida s importance in election
(06/01/2004 © Daytona
Beach News-Journal)
RIVIERA BEACH --
John Kerry chose a scenic waterfront spot, with rows of uniformed law
enforcement officers behind him, to launch his latest attack on
President Bush's national security policies.
Likability
a key to presidential race
(06/02/2004 © Jacksonville
- Florida Times Union)
Both the George
W. Bush and the John Kerry campaigns should remember political history
and note that in 1984, President Reagan won re-election over former Vice
President Walter Mondale not based on any one issue, but more on a vital
intangible.
FEC
fines contributor to Penelas mayoral
campaign
(06/02/2004 © Miami
Herald)
MIAMI - The
Federal Elections Commission has fined a former Venezuelan commerce
minister for making $2,500 in illegal campaign contributions to the 2000
re-election campaign of Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas,
now a candidate for U.S. Senate. Jose Casal,
a former Venezuelan senator and minister of commerce, agreed to a civil
penalty of $8,250 for violating federal campaign finance laws
Democrat
aims north to boost campaign
(06/03/2004 © St.
Petersburg Times)
TAMPA - Alex Penelas
alternates between English and Spanish as he describes how his father
fled a Cuban firing squad for freedom in America. The dozen mostly
Hispanic businessmen gathered around a long table at
Valencia
Garden
restaurant listen
intently as waiters deliver baskets of warm Cub
Senate
hopeful hires GOP strategist
(
06/02/2004
© Palm
Beach Post)
Republican U.S.
Senate candidate Karen Saull, still a
largely unknown political quantity, has hired veteran GOP operative Rick
Wilson as a communications strategist. Tallahassee-based
Wilson
was a media consultant
for Katherine Harris' 1998 campaign for secretary of state,
Kerry
cools off with scoop of local flavor
(06/02/2004 © Palm
Beach Post)
WEST PALM BEACH
-- The folks taking in the air conditioning at Sloan's ice cream parlor
Tuesday afternoon learned firsthand that Democratic presidential
candidate John Kerry likes coffee milkshakes -- extra thick -- tips
'like 300 percent' and is not above buying oversized, sugar-candied red
lips
A
unique way to get votes
(06/02/2004 © Sarasota
Herald-Tribune)
During a recent
stop in Sarasota, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.,
found himself reflecting on his 32 years in politics. While recounting
tales of campaigning in the early 1970s, Nelson told an audience of 80
at
Sarasota
City Hall
about his first run
for office. He and his wife, Grace, were walking the streets of
Melbourne
in 1972,
Tax
cuts and fiscal conservatism on Byrd s mind
(06/03/2004 © Panama
City News Herald)
The break room
of Berg Steel Pipe Corp. was a good deal quieter and cooler than the
main floor Wednes day, and the lunching
workers looked up with interest as Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd,
wearing a hardhat, entered the room.
Lawmaker
wants one more shot at legislation
(
06/03/2004
© St.
Petersburg Times)
ST. PETERSBURG
- After six years in
the Florida House, Frank Farkas says he
still has unfinished business. So the St. Petersburg Republican is
running for a final term before term limits force him out in 2006.
"We have more to do on education and health care," Farkas
said. "There are many issues that have not been finished."
Sullivan
s limit: one House term
(06/03/2004 © St.
Petersburg Times)
TALLAHASSEE -
After a decade in the state Senate, Don Sullivan spent one session in
the Florida House of Representatives before calling it quits. Sullivan,
a vice president at
St. Petersburg
College
, announced Wednesday
he won't run for the House seat he won in a special election last year.
Sheriff
to seek seat in House
(06/04/2004 © St.
Petersburg Times)
ST. PETERSBURG -
Pinellas County Sheriff Everett Rice plans to announce as early as today
that he will run for the state House seat vacated by Rep. Don Sullivan.
Rice, 59, is not seeking re-election and planned to retire when his
fourth term as sheriff expires at the end of the year.
Florida
voting…will
it matter?
Eroding
confidence
(
06/02/2004
© Florida
Today)
After the
presidential-election debacle of 2000, every effort should have been
made to increase public confidence in the integrity of the ballot.
Instead, the Florida Legislature and Gov. Jeb Bush have weakened it,
with legislation that opens the door even wider to vote fraud in
absentee ballots.
Child
welfare - DCF
Florida
ranks 34th in child health and well-being study
(06/03/2004 © Jacksonville
- Florida Times Union)
TALLAHASSEE --
The percentages of teen girls having babies, children living in poverty
and children dying before age 14 have all dropped significantly since
the mid-1990s, according to a national study of child health and welfare
indicators.
Child
agency, DCF talks snarled over $1 million for foster care system
(06/04/2004 © Ft.
Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Child welfare
advocates said Thursday that, after months of negotiations, they are
haggling with state officials over $1 million in funds to launch a
mammoth new foster care system in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
Kids
Obesity May Be Worse Than Thought
(06/04/2004 © Ft.
Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
LITTLE ROCK,
Ark. -- Forty percent of public schoolchildren in Arkansas are
overweight, and nearly one in four is obese, a sign that obesity among
children nationwide is probably far worse than health officials had
thought.
Jeb still pushing for
“free trade” (actually it costs workers a lot)
Bush
touts Miami for Free Trade Area
(06/03/2004 © Northwest
Florida Daily News)
TEGUCIGALPA,
Honduras - Florida Gov. Jeb Bush stumped for Miami to host the proposed
Free Trade Area of the Americas as he visited Honduras on Wednesday.
Honduran President Ricardo Maduro, standing
alongside the governor, gave his endorsement of
Miami
.
Gov.
Bush begins trade mission in El Salvador amid protests
(06/01/2004 © Ft.
Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
TALLAHASSEE --
Gov. Jeb Bush was planning to attend a luncheon in El Salvador on
Tuesday to mark President Tony Saca's
inauguration, while members of a guerrilla coalition-turned-political
party protested the swearing-in ceremony.
Other state news
State
senator thankful for stolen bus recovery
(06/02/2004 © Palm
Beach Post)
PORT ST. LUCIE
-- State Sen. Ken Pruitt's little yellow school bus, the vehicle that he
drove to 28 community colleges and 11 public universities to gain
support for state Bright Futures scholarships, was stolen but quickly
recovered early Monday.
State
s 1st security chief will move on
(
06/03/2004
© Orlando
Sentinel)
TALLAHASSEE
--
Florida
's first domestic
security chief is leaving for another position within Gov. Jeb Bush's
administration, law enforcement officials confirmed Wednesday. Steve
Lauer, a retired Marine Corps officer, will leave his $83,220-a-year
position at the end of June to become inspector general in the state
Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Florida
Supreme Court asked to hear Terry s Law appeal
(
06/01/2004
© Lakeland
Ledger)
TAMPA
,
Fla.
An appeals court
Tuesday moved to put the legal battle over the fate of a brain-damaged
woman on the fast track to the Florida Supreme Court while attorneys for
Gov. Jeb Bush responded with a request to halt the case.
NATIONAL
NEWS
New
AFL-CIO “Ask A Working Woman” Survey
Spotlights
Women’s
Top Concerns in 2004
Finding
and Keeping a Good Job Heads List
Half
Report Personal Experience with Job Loss in the Last Year
WASHINGTON
,
DC
, June 2 -- Finding and keeping
a good job with basic benefits in today’s economy is the leading
concern of working women, both personally and as public policy,
according to a new survey of women nationwide commissioned by the
AFL-CIO.
Nearly
half – 48 percent – of working women say they have been out of work
in the past year or have a family member or close friend who has been
out of work. And having a
job does not ensure having basic benefits, the survey finds.
One-quarter to one-third of employed women lack basic benefits
including affordable health insurance, prescription drug coverage,
pension or retirement benefits, equal pay and paid sick leave.
Rising health costs are the biggest worry for working women,
leading to a dramatic increase in support for laws to make health care
more affordable since 2000.
The
“Ask A Working Woman” survey, the fourth
in a series, was conducted for the AFL-CIO by Lake Snell Perry &
Associates. It confirms
that working women contribute a majority of their families’ incomes,
and many work irregular hours and shifts different than their spouses or
partners.
The
report results reflect high economic insecurity due to steady job loss.
Even though there has been a slight uptick
in recent months, the country
has lost 2.2 million private-sector jobs since
January 2001, with the heaviest losses in the manufacturing sector.
Overwhelming
numbers of working women of all races -- 90 percent -- say they know how
tough it is to find a job that pays well and provides benefits in
today’s job market, the survey finds.
“This
survey dramatically demonstrates that the jobs crisis deeply affects
America
’s working families,” said
Linda Chavez-Thompson, AFL-CIO Executive Vice-President.
“New jobs being created offer 20 percent lower wages, on
average, than those that have been lost, and many don’t offer basic
benefits. Women from all
backgrounds and from across the country fear
for their future, because they find it harder and harder to find good
jobs.”
Women of color have
the greatest personal experience with job loss.
Sixty-one percent of African American women, 56 percent of
Latinas and 52 percent of Asian Pacific American women have or know
someone who has been out of work in the past year.
A
surprisingly large share of working women say they lack key
benefits that are important to them:
·
95 percent say secure, affordable health care is an
important job benefit, but 31 percent say they lack it.
·
93 percent say
prescription drug coverage is an important benefit, but 36 percent do
not have it.
·
93 percent also
say equal pay and paid sick leave for themselves are important, but 25
percent say they do not have equal pay and 31 percent do not have paid
sick leave for themselves.
In
addition, a shorter, non-scientific survey on the AFL-CIO web site
received over 13,000 responses from women.
Eighty percent of Internet respondents answered one of two online
questions -- “If there was one thing you could tell President Bush,
what would you say?” or “If there was one
thing you could tell the other candidates running for President, what
would you say?” The over
10,000 responses were delivered to President Bush and 9,000 to Senator
Kerry on Tuesday, June 1.
Support
for laws to make health care more affordable has risen sharply
over the last four years – 81 percent of working women say such laws
are personally very important today, compared to 69 percent in 2002 and
just 57 percent in 2000. Laws
to make health care more affordable, laws to strengthen Social Security
and laws to strengthen pensions are women’s top legislative
priorities.
The survey also found
that more
than nine in 10 working women support stronger laws to constrain
corporate
America
. Working
women want to see overtime pay guaranteed, limits on CEO compensation,
stronger equal pay laws, stronger affirmative action laws and stronger
laws to challenge discrimination. Women of all ages and races support
these laws.
Strong
support for legislative solutions to job problems may reflect the
primary role women now play in household finances and the changing
nature of jobs. The survey
confirms that many women work irregular hours, and most contribute half
or more of their families’ incomes, increasing the pressure they feel
concerning good jobs. Four
in 10 working women work evenings, nights or weekends on a regular
basis, and one-third work shifts different than their spouses or
partners. Women of color are more likely to work evenings, nights or
weekends and are more likely to work shifts different than their spouses
or partners. Three in 10
working women make all or almost all of their families’ incomes.
Three in five earn about half or more of their families’
incomes.
More
working parents play 'beat the clock'
Christian Science Monitor
6/2/2004
Ask
a working woman, get an earful
Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette
6/2/2004
Women
critical of corporate America
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
6/2/2004
Survey:
Women greatly fear layoffs
Atlanta
Journal Constitution
6/2/2004
Women's
Work: They Take It Off, but They Also Put on Suits, Uniforms and Blue
Collars
New York
Times
6/2/2004
Election 2004
History
profs rate Bush a disaster – http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/tom_brazaitis/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1085218488152532.xml
Distaste
for Bush Spurs Liberals to Push for Kerry
Los
Angeles
Times
Liberal
activists lukewarm on Kerry
Boston
Globe
Progressives,
Preparing To Advance in One Direction
Washington
Post
Some
Big Conservative Donors, Unhappy With Bush, Say They Won't Back His
Campaign
New York Times
Democrats
Starting to See Chance of Keeping Senate Seats in South
(
06/02/2004
© Sarasota
Herald-Tribune)
CHARLOTTE
,
N.C.
, May 29 Not so long
ago, the South provided a bleak landscape for Democrats. Struggling to
recover from devastating defeats in the 2002 off-year elections, the
party saw five of its incumbent senators announce their retirements
Bush
culls presidential memos for campaign tips
(06/02/2004 © St.
Petersburg Times)
ARLINGTON, Va. -
Two years ago, White House political czar Karl Rove sent Matthew Dowd on
a secret mission. Dowd, a top Republican strategist, was sent to the
libraries for presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George Bush to
study old memos, polling reports and organizational charts
Kerry
Will Target Threat of Weapons
(06/01/2004 © Ft.
Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Sen. John F.
Kerry, who has struggled to lay out a distinctive policy for Iraq, will
attempt this week to draw a compelling contrast with President Bush on
another pressing national security issue: reducing the chance that
terrorists can obtain chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
Cheney
defends Patriot Act, attacks Kerry
(
06/01/2004
© Miami
Herald)
KANSAS CITY
,
Mo.
- Vice President Dick
Cheney on Tuesday defended the government's use of the USA Patriot Act
to fight terrorism and criticized presum
The
Bush economy
WALL
STREET RECOVERS--FOR BUSH--The
nation's financial and insurance industries have funneled more than $12
million to President George W. Bush's campaign war chest, and many of
those contributions came from firms that have cashed in on Bush's tax
cuts and other policy changes, according to a May 24 story in "The
Washington Post." "Such measures were explicitly designed to
encourage investment, thus channeling billions of dollars through Wall
Street investment banks." At the same time, the "Post"
reported Bush's elimination of the estate tax and big reductions on
capital gains taxes will cost the
U.S.
treasury about $248.5
billion in revenue through 2010. The article also notes Bush's plans to
privatize parts of Social Security "are potentially even more
lucrative for the securities industry."
SPECIAL
INTERESTS WIN INFLUENCE--Bush
administration actions have fueled a corporate-backed dismantling of
public safeguards, a new report revealed. "Special Interest
Takeover: The Bush Administration and the Dismantling of Public
Safeguards" outlined how the Bush administration, with the strong
backing of the corporate community, has rolled back workplace safety,
environmental, public health and other protections and reveals that many
former business executives have won appointments to regulate the same
industries in which they formerly worked. The report, released May 25,
was prepared for the coalition Citizens for Sensible Safeguards, the
Center for American Progress and OMB Watch. To read the report, visit http://www.sensiblesafeguards.org
.
Enron
Traders' Calls Gloated About Cheating
Assosciated
Press
6/3/2004
Fiscal
Shenanigans
New York
Times
6/3/2004
Pity
the CEO scraping by on just a few million a year
Baltimore
Sun
6/2/2004
More jobs
created – great news, but not if you are still out of work.
Report
Says U.S. Economy Added 248,000 Jobs in May
AP
Job
Growth Shows Signs of Greater Confidence in Economy
New York Times
Services
growth slows, but job prospects improve in May
Reuters
46,000
Michigan jobs headed overseas
Detroit
News
Medicare scam
Drug
discount cards trickle into use
USA
TODAY
6/2/2004
PRICE
HIKES NEGATE DRUG CARD SAVINGS--Soaring
prices for prescription drugs drastically undercut the small savings
seniors might see with new Medicare prescription drug cards, two new
studies found. The studies, by Families USA and AARP, found drug prices
are climbing at up to four times the rate of inflation. "It's the
functional equivalent of going to a used car salesman and being told
you're getting a good deal because you got a $3,000 discount. Only
before you came, he raised the price by $4,000,"
said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. The drug discount
cards, offered through Medicare-endorsed private companies as part of
the Medicare prescription drug law signed by President Bush, were
supposed to reduce drug costs before the Medicare drug benefit takes
full effect. But the law benefits drug companies and leaves seniors with
huge gaps in coverage. For more information on the
studies, visit http://www.familiesusa.org
and http://www.aarp.org
. For more information on the Medicare drug
law, visit http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/medicare
or http://www.retiredamericans.org
.
The
Union Difference: A Case Study
Organized:
Local 226, 'the Culinary,' Makes Las Vegas the Land of the Living Wage
New York
Times
6/3/2004
American
Dreamers | The Waitress: Crossing the Border
Into the Middle Class
New York
Times
6/2/2004
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