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Home Archives for labor unions

6/10/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Harmful Card Check Bill Union Cash Cow, Michael Bennet Still Undecided

Update: It's also worth noting that EFCA supporters have engaged in a full-fledged campaign of deception. Someone should ask Senator Michael Bennet if he's buying it. We know the so-called Employee Free Choice Act (aka card-check): Deprives workers of a secret ballot in workplace elections, exposing them to intimidation Imposes costly government bureaucratic intervention in private workplace negotiations Threatens to cost our fragile national economy and hard-working Americans of many thousands of jobs Now, thanks to a new report released by the Workforce Fairness Institute, we see more clearly and concretely the real beneficiaries of this three-headed monster legislation: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Americans, appointed, bailout, beneficiaries, Big Labor, Bill Ritter, bureaucratic intervention, card-check, cash cow, clearly, Colorado, concretely, decide, disability, Employee Free Choice Act, fragile, good, government, Governor, hard-working, hide out, intimidation, jobs, labor unions, legislation, little, longer, membership, Michael Bennet, mismanaged, monster legislation, months, national economy, pension funds, political activity, private, report, Republican Party, revenue, Rocky Mountain Right, secret ballot, silent, Sotomayor, spending, still, take the heat, trust funds, U.S. Senator, union dues, vote, workers, Workforce Fairness Institute, workplace elections, workplace negotiations

6/5/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Is Bill Ritter’s SB 180 Veto a Dare to Big Labor to Challenge His Office?

Update, 9:30 AM: AFL-CIO press release in response to Ritter's SB 180 veto pasted below the fold. Also, Amy Oliver notes that several legislators from northern Colorado went against the will of the people in voting for SB 180 -- having benefited from thousands in labor campaign contributions. Yesterday I gave Governor Bill Ritter kudos for the veto of SB 180. Today's Denver Post follow-up by Lynn Bartels is headlined with the statement that Rep. Edward Casso and organized labor interests see the decision as a "tipping point". It could be my imagination, but I got the impression from reading the story that Ritter essentially is saying something like this to the unions:So yeah, I have this penchant of making a wide spectrum of different … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, PPC Tagged With: bad policy, Big Labor, Bill Ritter, Chamber of Commerce, change his mind, dare, decision, Democrat, Denver Post, different, Edward Casso, follow-up, good policy, Governor, groups, imagination, impression, indecisive, intentions, interests, issue, known, kudos, labor unions, last minute, Lynn Bartels, mad, motivation, Municipal League, open enemy, organized labor, penchant, politics, prevented, primary, SB 180, story, string along, tipping point, Unions, veto, wait

5/15/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Will Bill Ritter Really Pursue “Best Public Policy” and Veto Big Labor Bills?

So Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has a couple tough decisions to make. That could pose a problem. This morning the Denver Post's John Ingold follows up on the political challenges posed to Ritter from the legislature placing Big Labor bills Senate Bill 180 and House Bill 1170 on his desk. The Governor sure is talking a good game:"This is not a zero-sum game," Ritter said. "The way I approach this is not based upon this notion that somebody wins, somebody loses. The way I approach this is 'What is the best public policy for us?' " In that case, from the standpoint of "best public policy", vetoing the costly and intrusive SB 180 is a no-brainer -- for all the reasons I've previously explained. HB 1170 is problematic for its own reasons, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, PPC, property rights Tagged With: Big Labor, Bill Ritter, Colorado, contract disputes, costly, decisions, Denver Post, desk, Governor, high-minded, House Bill 1170, intrusive, John Ingold, labor unions, legislation, leverage, lockout, no-brainer, political challenges, pose, posturing, problem, public policy, reasons, rhetoric, Senate Bill 180, shameless, standpoint, tough, unbalance, zero-sum game

4/8/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Is It Time to Step Up Advertising on Colorado Conservative Blogs?

Over at RedState, Erick Erickson makes a great point about rebuilding the conservative movement that can be applied to Colorado:In the past few years, SEIU, AFL-CIO, NEA, DCCC, and a host of other left-wing organizations have been buying ads on left of center blogs keeping those blogs going — allowing the bloggers on the left some financial incentive to keep blogging for the left.... In addition to all of that, you’ve got the Soros gang and SEIU engaging in a host of left-wing activities online that recruit and fund online writers — bloggers, journalists, etc.... Every day in Washington, there is some right-wing group somewhere bemoaning the efforts of the right online. Sadly, for them and the rest of the right, their first … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, Labor, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: advertisers, bloggers, businesses, Colorado, conservative movement, Erick Erickson, existing talent, George Soros, great point, ineffectiveness, journalists, labor unions, left-wing organizations, members, modest rate, operators, owners, Peoples Press Collective, rebuilding, RedState, Rocky Mountain Alliance, SEIU, take heed

3/3/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Will Colorado Democrats Really Line Up and Bow to Big Labor on Card-Check?

Is Colorado's Democratic Congressional delegation really going to play Pavlov's dog to Big Labor officials? News came out earlier today that Colorado Democratic Congresswoman Betsy Markey has agreed to co-sponsor - just as U.S. Senator and former Congressman Mark Udall did in the recent past - the poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) -- aka card-check. Or as my colleague and fellow blogger Amy Oliver put it: "Markey pays back labor unions". If not for the money, why else would Markey leap into action as an EFCA co-sponsor? As policy, it's terrible for business and the rights of workers. As 4th Congressional politics goes, it's equally bad - opening the door wide for a strong, credible, business-backed challenge in 2010. At … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 2010, 4th Congressional District, AFL-CIO, Amy Oliver, bad legislation, Betsy Markey, Big Labor, blame, business, card-check, co-sponsor, colleague, Colorado, Congressman, Congresswoman, Democratic, Ed Perlmutter, EFCA, email reminder, Employee Free Choice Act, labor unions, letter, Mark Udall, Michael Bennet, Pavlov's dog, payback, politically, response, take a stand, U.S. Senator, workers' rights

2/12/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Is Barack Obama for Transparency, Except As It Might Apply to Labor?

For all the serious disagreements I have with President Barack Obama over policy and philosophy, I have been pleased to hear him promote the idea of greater government transparency. That's something all citizens can rally behind, regardless of partisan affiliation. Only a few days into office, Obama sent out a memo to department heads about the Freedom of Information Act:A democracy requires accountability, and accountability requires transparency. As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, "sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants."... All agencies should adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure, in order to renew their commitment to the principles embodied in FOIA, and to usher in a new era of open Government. The presumption of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: accountability, Barack Obama, Bloomberg News, burdensome, bureaucrats, Bush administration, campaign, Charles Craver, citizens, collect, comment, commitment, corporations, democracy, Democratic, disagreements, disappointing, disclosure, disinfectants, dues money, excited, financial reports, FOIA, Freedom of Information Act, funded, Generational Theft Act, George Washington University, government transparency, Harry Reid, idea, instructions, Justice Louis Brandeis, Labor Department, labor law, labor unions, memo, Nancy Pelosi, open government, openness, organizations, outfoxed, partisan affiliation, philosophy, policy, President, presumption, promote, proposed, rule changes, shoved, spend, testing ground, The Union Label, Transparency

10/30/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Believe “Nonsense” Against Colorado Amendment 49? “Don’t Be Stupid”

The Rocky Mountain News today provides the most systematic deconstruction of the grossly misleading, multi-million dollar Protect Colorado's Future campaign against 49:There's no obligation for political campaigns to be fair, let alone balanced, but there are times when messages go beyond the pale. Case in point: the advertising, largely bankrolled by labor unions, to defeat Amendment 49, the "ethical standards" initiative. Muzzle workers and endanger public safety? "In what way? The amendment doesn't say unions can't collect dues. It just says government can't collect dues for them." Threaten public employees' paychecks? "Nonsense." Silence small business? "Bizarre." Backed by multinational corporations? "What a joke." Or as … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: Amendment 49, bankrolled, Ethical Standards, grossly misleading, labor unions, multi-million dollar, political campaigns, Protect Colorado's Future, Rocky Mountain News, systematic deconstruction

10/27/2008 By Ben 6 Comments

Mark Hillman Cuts Through Deception Used Against Amendments 47, 49, 54

Another prominent, respected Colorado voice joins the chorus of those denouncing the nonsensical attacks against Amendments 47, 49, and 54. Former state treasurer Mark Hillman makes a couple of terrific points in his piece:Amendment 49 (”ethical standards”) prohibits state and local governments from intercepting a worker’s paycheck to collect dues or contributions for unions, lobbyists or any other special interest. It simply requires all interest groups to ask supporters directly for their contribution, rather than use government payroll systems as their collection agency. Groups from the National Rifle Association to the Sierra Club rely on voluntary contributions, so why can’t labor unions and other special … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: Amendment 47, Amendment 49, Amendment 54, ask directly, attacks, Big Bad Wolf, Coloradans for Middle Class Relief, Colorado, commercial, Denver Post, dishonest, dues, employees, Ethical Standards, firefighter, government payroll system, greedy owners, indentured servants, labor unions, lobbyists, Mark Hillman, membership, National Rifle Association, Political contributions, profit motive, Protect Colorado's Future, respected voice, Sierra Club, special interest groups, state treasurer, voluntary contributions, white noise

10/8/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Ultra-Rich Colorado Lefties Will Pay You Money to “Educate the Idiots”

Apparently the Lefties are willing to pay quite a bit for you to help them campaign here in Colorado. I got this email recently:Get Paid To Ensure A Progressive Majority In The Colorado Legislature Earn $500 For 4 Days Walk Precincts And Drop Literature For The Colorado Citizens’ Coalition Saturday, November 1st- Election Day Tuesday, November 4th The Colorado Citizens’ Coalition is the group dedicated to using grassroots organizing to educate voters about the progressive candidates for State House and State Senate. To get involved contact Final Four Director Cory [N] at [PHONE #] or [EMAIL] Join the Colorado Citizens’ Coalition for the Final Four Days to make a difference this election cycle. We are recruiting a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: "Educate the Idiots", 527s, attorney, bookkeeper, campaign, Colorado, Colorado Citizens Coalition, Colorado Democracy Alliance, cozy relationship, Julie Wells, labor unions, Lefties, liberal funders, Mark Grueskin, paperwork, Pat Stryker, Progressive Majority, Rutt Bridges, Secretary of State, Tim Gill

10/1/2008 By Ben 5 Comments

Protect Colorado Future’s Deception Starting to Get Monotonous

Protect Colorado's Culture of Corruption Future, opponents of the good government reforms Colorado Amendment 49 and Amendment 54, must be going after the world record for most deceptive campaign. They're certainly making a run for it, as their latest effort may take the cake. In today's Rocky Mountain News, CBS4 reporter Raj Chohan dissects their latest out-of-this-world fable:A new political commercial suggests that a trio of Colorado ballot measures would give special breaks to multinational corporations such as Halliburton. The 30-second spot comes from a union-backed group called Protect Colorado's Future. Ad: This is a voter alert. Colorado ballot amendments have built-in loopholes. Amendments 49 and 54 would not apply to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: "educational" forum, advertising, Amendment 49, Amendment 54, ballot measures, CBS4 reporter, Colorado, deceptive, ethical reforms, global warming, good government, Halliburton, international terrorism, labor unions, lobbyists, Lyme disease, mailer, male pattern baldness, millions of dollars, misleading, most deceptive campaign, multinational corporations, North America, political clout, Protect Colorado's Future, Raj Chohan, reforms, Rocky Mountain News, scare tactics, special interest groups, television ad, voters, world record

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About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

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