Big Labor's Deep Pockets

[Corlyss_D]

Big Labor's Deep Pockets

Labor unions are again ruling the roost on Capitol Hill this year -- with big legislative victories already scored in the House on the minimum wage, drug price controls, taxes on big oil, and other high priority items. Yet just last week the Labor Department reported that a smaller percentage of Americans work for unions than in anytime in the past five decades. So why are the Democrats so completely beholden to Big Labor?

The answer is money. We recently calculated that of the gargantuan $583 million in political contributions made by the labor sector since 1990, $536 million, or 92%, went to Democrats. This staggering disparity is not mirrored by business sector donations to Republicans. Over the same period, the real estate and venture capital industries only gave 54% and 48% (respectively) of their donations to Republicans.

These spending figures, from the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, also show that labor union contributions to Democrats went down slightly during the decade of GOP rule -- from 96% in 1994 to 86% in 2006. But now that Democrats are in the majority, their haul will certainly climb again. In comparison, despite the then-GOP majority and despite the fact that Democrats made Big Oil their favorite whipping boy in last year's election, the energy industry gave only 76% of its contributions to the GOP.

Labor donations, as Republicans are painfully aware, are funded largely out of compulsory union dues. Republicans typically receive between 30% and 40% of the union vote but only 10% of labor campaign contributions.

An even bigger problem for Republicans is that business donors are now dividing their political dollars fairly evenly. In 2006, industry gave $608 million to the GOP and $509 million to Democrats. With Democrats now controlling both Houses of Congress, Republicans would be lucky just to achieve parity in 2008. Already the party of Big Labor, Democrats are on their way to becoming the party of Big Business too.

-- Stephen Moore and James Tyler Grimm
*************************************************************

Maybe before I die, the percentage will be down to 0.

[Ralph]

I hope you live to the biblical age of 120. And then union money will still talk.

[RebLem]

Its not just about money, though that IS part of it. First of all, it needs to be emphasized that little (though not no) regular dues money is spent on political agendas. Some IS spent on lobbying activities where the law intersects with the ability of unions to do their work, and regular dues money is spent on things like non-partisan voter registration drives, but actual campaign contributions to individual parties and candidates are free pf regular dues money. Here, unions rely on strictly voluntary contributions from their members. My union, AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, & Municipal Employees), has a separate fund called PEOPLE (Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality), admittedly a rather tortured construction (Equity, IMHO, would be better than Equality, but what the hell) to which members may or may not contribute. I contribute the magnificent sum of a dollar a month out of my pension check to it, and I belong to the Retirees section of AFSCME, an organization to which contributions are, in themselves, entirely voluntary. No one every holds an election to represent retirees. You join or not; its entirely up to the individual, and I chose to join.

Do you want to pass a law against that, Corlyss?

Some unions give higher priority to political action than others. AFSCME is the largest political contributor of all the AFL-CIO unions. Think about it a moment and you will intuit why. AFSCME deals with thousands, perhaps scores of thousands of public employers all across the country. A union which only needs to worry about the Feds has it easy. They have considerably fewer than a thousand people to deal with. AFSCME is the largest union political spender for the same reason that the real estate industry is the largest political contributor on the business side of things; there's just a lot more pols that can mess you up if they are of a mind to. It amounts, in the case of both AFSCME & the real estate business, to about $35 million every biennium.

But the biggest reasons union support is so important is that their influence goes far beyond mere money. Most union members are strongly for their union's political agenda. Few employers have much influence over how their employees vote; unions do, and that is almost entirely because their members feel that their union is dedicated to their interests. They are able to marshal thousands of campaign workers from among their members because of this, and coercion has almost nothing to do with it. Granted, union staff members are really expected to volunteer, and those who are ambitious in terms of internal union politics feel it is in their best interest to volunteer whether it would ordinarily be the wont or not. But these are exceptions. The vast majority of union volunteers in political campaigns are exactly that--free will volunteers. These are the people who do the nitty gritty work--canvassing the precincts, distributing campaign flyers, pollwatching, and getting their plus voters out on election day. Money doesn't, with the noted exceptions, buy that kind of loyalty. People give it because they know their union is working in their interests.

You want to pass a law against that, Corlyss?

In addition, there are millions of Americans who are not members of unions but wish they were. People involved in organizing campaigns, people who have been involved in organizing campaigns that failed because of employer intimidation. People who have moved up in an organization and out of the bargaining unit, but who still understand that their interests are bound up with the interests of the unions and union members. And then, of course, there are all those people who are not members of unions, but whose spouses or devoted friends are.

You want to pass a law against that, Corlyss?

When I laid down a deposit on the apartment where I now live, the first thing I did was go down to the AFSCME Council 18 office about a half mile from the apartment and ask them where they did their banking because I wanted to do business at the same bank. They told me they banked at the Union Savings Bank, and so I opened an account there.

Should what I did be illegal?

[Stonebraker]

I eat food.

Do you want to pass law against that, RebLem?

I just ate food, two slices of plain pizza, and drank a cola.

Should what I did be illegal?

Labor unions are again ruling the roost on Capitol Hill this year -- with big legislative victories already scored in the House on the minimum wage, drug price controls, taxes on big oil, and other high priority items.

Rasing minimum wage? Drug price controls? TAXES ON BIG OIL?

While i dont affliliate with either of the two parties in our two party system, all of those things sound good to me. My apologies to any affiliated with oil companies, please don't kill me.

[Ralph]

I eat food.

Do you want to pass law against that, RebLem?

I just ate food, two slices of plain pizza, and drank a cola.

Should what I did be illegal?

Labor unions are again ruling the roost on Capitol Hill this year -- with big legislative victories already scored in the House on the minimum wage, drug price controls, taxes on big oil, and other high priority items.

Rasing minimum wage? Drug price controls? TAXES ON BIG OIL?

While i dont affliliate with either of the two parties in our two party system, all of those things sound good to me. My apologies to any affiliated with oil companies, please don't kill me.

*****

Would you like to tell us why you ate PLAIN pizza? No toppings for you? is that a political statement?

[RebLem]

I eat food.

Do you want to pass law against that, RebLem?

I just ate food, two slices of plain pizza, and drank a cola.

Should what I did be illegal?

My point, which you chose to avoid, is that much of the "power" of unions derives from the fact that they are dear to the hearts of most of their members, and many others as well, because working people believe unions have their interests at heart. I made that point several times; I don't know how anyone could possibly avoid understanding that that was my argument, except as a result of the exercise of an iron willfullness.

Now, as to plain pizza and cola. No law should be passed against it, but I do favor strong remonstrances and efforts to show you the error of your ways. A family intervention and demands for a commitment to a rehab program seem appropriate.

Colas suck. The preferred beverage with pizza, for adults, is a good beer, and not that Bud, Schlitz, or Coors swill either, which I wouldn't even feed to pigs. Something like a good Sam Adams brew, or the product of a good local brewery, like Rio Grande Pils here in New Mexico, would be fine. Failing that, or if you are just eating too much pizza to have beer with all of it, a good diet fruit drink is fine. My favorite non-alcoholic carbonated beverage is Sunkist Diet Orange, but Shasta make a lot of diet fruit flavored drinks that are very good, too.

Few things are more pathetic than plain pizza. Its like spaghetti without meatballs or sausage, a bed without a pillow, a kiss without a hug. My usual pizza has onion, green pepper, double mushrooms, double sausage, and extra cheese, with a nice sprinkling of dried oregano on top. If you keep kosher, substitute anchovies for the sausage. Personally, and I know this will stir controversy, I have never liked pepperoni on a pizza. And I also like two cheeses. A layer of parmagiana reggiano right on top of the sauce, and mozarella on top, just before you add that oregano. Oh, yes, one other thing. None of this crap with a big, bulbous, doughy rim around it, with the toppings other than sauce starting an inch in from the inner edge of the dough bulb, either. Ya gotta have thin crust, all toppings out to the edge, no doughy rim to it; in fact, with some cheese spilling out over the edge. YUM !

[Stonebraker]

*****

Would you like to tell us why you ate PLAIN pizza? No toppings for you? is that a political statement?

The plainess of my pizza is a direct result of coupons accumulated from buying 10 pizzas. Upon collecting my 10th coupon, I was entitled to, and I quote, "1 LG. PLAIN PIZZA FREE For eat in or take out only". If i had my way, I'd order a white pizza, with spinich, ricotta cheese, and tomatoes.

My point, which you chose to avoid, is that much of the "power" of unions derives from the fact that they are dear to the hearts of most of their members, and many others as well, because working people believe unions have their interests at heart. I made that point several times; I don't know how anyone could possibly avoid understanding that that was my argument, except as a result of the exercise of an iron willfullness.

Now, as to plain pizza and cola. No law should be passed against it, but I do favor strong remonstrances and efforts to show you the error of your ways. A family intervention and demands for a commitment to a rehab program seem appropriate.

Colas suck. The preferred beverage with pizza, for adults, is a good beer, and not that Bud, Schlitz, or Coors swill either, which I wouldn't even feed to pigs. Something like a good Sam Adams brew, or the product of a good local brewery, like Rio Grande Pils here in New Mexico, would be fine. Failing that, or if you are just eating too much pizza to have beer with all of it, a good diet fruit drink is fine. My favorite non-alcoholic carbonated beverage is Sunkist Diet Orange, but Shasta make a lot of diet fruit flavored drinks that are very good, too.

Few things are more pathetic than plain pizza. Its like spaghetti without meatballs or sausage, a bed without a pillow, a kiss without a hug. My usual pizza has onion, green pepper, double mushrooms, double sausage, and extra cheese, with a nice sprinkling of dried oregano on top. If you keep kosher, substitute anchovies for the sausage. Personally, and I know this will stir controversy, I have never liked pepperoni on a pizza. And I also like two cheeses. A layer of parmagiana reggiano right on top of the sauce, and mozarella on top, just before you add that oregano. Oh, yes, one other thing. None of this crap with a big, bulbous, doughy rim around it, with the toppings other than sauce starting an inch in from the inner edge of the dough bulb, either. Ya gotta have thin crust, all toppings out to the edge, no doughy rim to it; in fact, with some cheese spilling out over the edge. YUM !

I did not read your original post, so I take offense that you think I "avoided" you point in any way.

As for the rest of your post, there's many issues to address; however, let me start first by pointing out that you're choice of "diet" sodas negates the value of your comments regarding carbonated beverages. If i wanted to drink diet anything, I'd just drink some soda water with food coloring. However, your choice of shasta brand soda is commendable; there are few people I know that are familiar with Shasta brand beverages, and fewer still who recognize the greatness of Shasta.

I'd like to point out that I clearly state in my signature that I'm twenty years old, so your comments regarding alcoholic beverages could be considered influencing a person who is underage to drink alcoholic beverages. I reserve the right to report you to the ATF at any point in time.

That said, I've long passed my bud, and coors phase. The lowest I'll go nowadays is Yeungling, but even that is a rare occurance. Samuel Adams seasonals, as well as their Boston Lager and Ale are my domestic beers of choice. However, Bourbon and branch is the way to go, whether you're eating pizza, cereal, getting up in the morning, or driving to work/school.

I'm going to go eat some Chili with Sour cream; do you want to pass a law against that RebLem?

[BWV 1080]

Hey! plain pizza or plain spaghetti when made with fresh ingredients (fresh tomatos, good olive oil, real mozzarella, real parmesan etc) beats any amount of toppings. Reblem lives in New Mexico, so I doubt he can get Pizza anywhere but Pizza Hut or Papa John's, hence his resentment.

[Stonebraker]

Hey! plain pizza or plain spaghetti when made with fresh ingredients (fresh tomatos, good olive oil, real mozzarella, real parmesan etc) beats any amount of toppings. Reblem lives in New Mexico, so I doubt he can get Pizza anywhere but Pizza Hut or Papa John's, hence his resentment.

What if you use fresh ingredients, and fresh toppings? 0.o

And are you sure theres Pizza Hut or Papa John's franchises in New Mexico? I was under the assumption its a wasteland out there, like the Dakotas, or California.

[BWV 1080]

Hey! plain pizza or plain spaghetti when made with fresh ingredients (fresh tomatos, good olive oil, real mozzarella, real parmesan etc) beats any amount of toppings. Reblem lives in New Mexico, so I doubt he can get Pizza anywhere but Pizza Hut or Papa John's, hence his resentment.

What if you use fresh ingredients, and fresh toppings? 0.o

And are you sure theres Pizza Hut or Papa John's franchises in New Mexico? I was under the assumption its a wasteland out there, like the Dakotas, or California.

Now you go to far - nowhere with good Mexican food is a wasteland (and the reverse is true as well)

[RebLem]

Hey! plain pizza or plain spaghetti when made with fresh ingredients (fresh tomatos, good olive oil, real mozzarella, real parmesan etc) beats any amount of toppings. Reblem lives in New Mexico, so I doubt he can get Pizza anywhere but Pizza Hut or Papa John's, hence his resentment.

Good pizza is hard to find here, there's no doubt about that. So, I often find myself making my own, using English Muffins or, preferrably, flour tortillas for a base. There is a place that makes magnificent NY style pizza, but they only make them in the 18 inch size. They don't deliver. I do get one now and then, and store half of it for the next few days. But even they don't use enough oregano.

The thing for Stonebreaker to have done was take the pizza home, freeze it, then next day add his own ingredients and rebake.

Yes, we do have Pizza Hut, Papa John's, and Domino's. And a few local pizzerias that are better, but nowhere near as good as the pizza at an average Chicago pizzeria, much less the better ones.

A wasteland? Well, as far as places to get good ready made pizza, yes, pretty much. But there is Tully's, an Italian grocery where you can get your own premium quality ingredients. Its named Tully's because when Tulio Carmuglia came here about 40+ years ago, he found a lot of bias against Italian names. Tully sounded a little Irish, which was more acceptable, so he named the place Tully's, per his British wife, with whom I fell into a very imformative conversation one day as I ate one of her delicious deli sandwiches.

And New Mexico has its own cuisine. Pinon coffee, for example. The Frontier Restaurant, one of ABQ's few non-chain 24 hour establishments, across from UNM on Central Av (the ABQ leg of the old Route 66) serves huevos rancheros you would not believe. Go in and order the huevos rancheros with cheese. "Red or green?" they will ask, by which they mean red or green chile. This is a standard question in every New Mexican restaurant that serves items with chile. If you say red, they will give you that. But if you say green, at the Frontier you will get another question that you don't get anywhere else that I know of, even in New Mexico: "Green chile chopped, green chile salsa, or green chile stew?" Say green chile stew, and your eggs (I always ask for them sunnyside up or over easy) will appear covered with a half inch layer of stew, with the two yolks perking up above the liquid like a couple of flattened periscopes, two huge flour tortillas, already buttered, on a separate dish, with honey for them, if you wish, available at the condiment table. One word of warning, though. The only sweetener they have for coffee is sugar. If you use something else, bring your own.

I can assure you, pinon coffee and green chile stew alone are worth having to make your own pizza. Wasteland? Albuquerque is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. In the 2000 census, it was 448, 678 just in the city; the Census Bureau estimates it is now about 485,000, and is expected to be about 510,000 in the 2010 census. No, its not a wasteland. In the 1990 census, we were the 38th largest city in the country; the 2000 census moved us up to 35th place, and we will move up again in 2010, I am sure.

Oh, yeah, one more little thing. Remember US Senator Fred Harris of Oklahoma, for whom I voted for President in the 1976 Democratic Illinois primary? Well, he's teaching poli sci at UNM these days.