Caveat Lectores on Grievance Mediation: Part 1

12-26-2010

I am going to generically define grievance mediation as a voluntary non-binding process using a professional labor mediator to assist the parties in negotiating a mutually acceptable resolution to their grievance dispute, where there is an alleged violation of a contract. It is “Let’s Make a Deal” in real life.

Labor arbitration is the heart and soul of Collective Bargaining. Without and grievance procedure ending in binding arbitration when the parties cannot settle a grievance a collective bargaining agreement cannot be enforced. However, arbitration the final option available to the parties not a desired result.

The Lector, as a labor attorney, has suggested grievance mediation many times to labor union clients. Sometimes successfully; sometimes not. Success occurs when the parties agree to mediate the dispute. All grievances do not have to settle during the mediation to be successful. If the grievance does not settle, the parties at least know more about the facts and issues as they go into arbitration, if it goes that far.

With labor leaders and managers who are not familiar with the process, there is sometimes resistance. This is unfortunate but expected. Mediation requires the parties to enter the process with a desire to settle a dispute. All too frequently, one side or both will only accept an absolute win or loss. If compromise is not an available option, the parties must go an outsider, a labor arbitrator, to cram an unpleasant result on one or both. So be it.

Binding arbitration is a valuable resource for resolving grievances which, for many good and bad reasons, may be beyond the ability of the parties to settle themselves. However, whether the negotiated grievance procedure includes binding arbitration, or does not, mediation of unresolved grievances can be an efficient and cost effective means of resolving many disputes.

My personal experience with grievance mediation, in Florida, has been overwhelmingly positive when I can get the parties to the mediation table. The few times when the process was not successful occurred when the real decision maker was not at the mediation meeting and later nixed the agreement made between the people at the table.

Installment Number 2 will focus in why grievance mediation is not more common.

More valuable information on grievance mediation is available in the Survivor’s Guide to a Successful Public Sector Union available at the Lectores Labor Consulting website.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
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Caveat Lectores on Florida’s Tax Burden 12-18-2010

Never one to just believe everything pushed upon me by the media, politicians and Teabaggers, the Lector decided to do a little elementary but secondary research into just how bad we Floridians are getting gouged on taxes.

Let’s face it; the state and local governments are out of control with all those wasted tax dollars. Right? They are bilking us out of everything we have just to support a bunch of lazy public employees. Right?

If you believe what the right wing conservative nutjobs like our governor-elect Rich Scott are telling us, you are one complete dumbass, and you deserve all the bad things that go with Rich Scott style tax reform.

Should you decide you cannot take any more Florida tax oppression and find the need to move, you will find your opportunities for tax freedom are limited to Wyoming, Nevada or Alaska.

We have been bombarded with lies about how much taxes we pay in Florida. We are 47 on the list. That number is suspiciously close to the same number that ranks Florida’s education system. I guess you get what you pay for.

The governor and the Florida legislature are about to go into session to see if they can make your life a little more difficult by making sure you have less service for what you actually do pay.

Rich Scott wants to destroy state and local government to create 700,000 jobs. HOW? He wants to treat state employees like third class citizens. They were already treated like second class. He wants to decimate the prison system. He wants to “reform” the 4th cheapest state to make it cheaper yet. The right wing nut jobs called Florida legislators are willing to help him do it so long as they can get their cut of the vig.

Now get your ass to work. If 12% of Floridians who are unemployed would work harder and for less, they would not be unemployed. What?

BOHICA. If you are public employee, you need to find a right winger and get them to kiss you before they screw you.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

8700 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
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Caveat Lectores 0n Unemployment and Jobs 12-18-2010

OK…. Maybe the Lector is an idiot but maybe not. The politicians of the state of Florida and the nation for that matter, rePuPlican, Democrap and Tea Bagger alike, are stuck on the subject of jobs. There is an unemployment rate (UR) crisis. No Shit!

If UR for the nation is 9.3%, and the Florida UR is 12%. That Sucks! The UR for The Tampa Bay area is 12.6%. That Sucks … even more!

So what is the answer that politicians suggest will fix the problem of unemployment?
• Lower taxes for rich
• Borrow more money to pay for essential government services
• Reduce Social Security (FICA) taxes in a system that is starving for cash
• Reform and reduce government
• Take away pensions from government workers or at least reduce them
• Layoff government workers
• Reduce government regulation of business
• Reduce environmental regulations
• And on and on ad nauseum

Question: OK, what is there about these suggestions that will create jobs?

Answer: Not a FUCKING thing!

We are consumed by the economic malaise that covers our country. Things just are not as good as when we were borrowing dirty money on homes whose prices were inflated beyond reality to pay for things made elsewhere. Things are not as good as when we were making imaginary money on stocks from companies that did nothing more than sell stock. (ENRON)

Since Bernie Madoff and a host of others got caught in their Ponzi schemes, investors cannot get obscene returns on investments. How is our country supposed to survive without imaginary profits to support the wealthy?

The obvious answer is to dismantle government and put public employees out of work or at least back into subsistence level wages and benefits along with much of the private sector. Make it easier for unscrupulous businesses to cheat the public and ruin the water and air we breathe. Make sure that the livelihoods of our older citizens are ruined so they must work until death or dementia to avoid starving. That will make the employment rate soar.

When we were last involved in an even worse economic meltdown, called the Great Depression, we came out of because of the economic vitality that came to the USA because we supplied the world’s war effort with war products. We had the industrial capacity to manufacture and sell death all over the world. That will not work this time.

So what will work? It beats me. I have some ideas but none of them include what the leaders of this country are suggesting right now.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
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Caveat Lectores on Minorities and Politics 12-12-10

The Lector has been nearly silent since the November midterm elections disaster. I am not sure exactly why except that I was just trying to get a fix on where we are heading with all this. Where the ship is headed is more important than reliving its sinking. Quite simply, the middle class, the working but soon-to-be-poor and the pseudo-wealthy wannabees screwed themselves on Election Day. The chronically poor just sat back and watched the rape of social civilization like they usually do. I am tiring of worrying about the minorities, the poor and oppressed when they will not even vote.

But who are the minorities, the poor and the oppressed? Well….let’s see if I can identity a few of the traditionally recognized minorities:

• African Americans are the most visible because they are a different color. Their leaders make a lot of noise about their plight and their numbers. However, they do not spend money on elections, and worse yet they do not vote in sufficient numbers to achieve the impact they desire.
• Women are the most numerous, but they do not spend money on politics, either. They are easily splintered into factions who will vote against their best interests.
• Union Members spend money through their unions but not from their wallets. Unfortunately, many do not even vote which could be a good thing because they are even more splintered and vote consistently against themselves.
• Senior Citizens are a cruel joke. They make a lot of noise but their focus is so limited they are unreliable, self-centered and interested only in things that will last long enough to outlive them. Right wingers count on the adage that liberal people become more conservative as they get older.
• Gays and Lesbians come under the heading of “do not play well with others.” They will spend money and are usually quite liberal and somewhat numerous but ineffective without support from other minority groups. Because they are not fully socially accepted as a political force, they have to reside in the shadows for fear of alienating their not so loyal “friends.” The G&L community is a part of all the other groups and will side with any group that will endorse its agenda.
• Religious Factions are potent but inconsistent. Sometimes liberal; sometimes conservative, but only if it comports with their idea of what their “god” would endorse. Remember, they rely on direction from religious leadership that claims a special connection to something or someone who may not exist except in the faithful imagination of believers. They will flip in a heartbeat.
• Ethnic Minorities are growing rapidly but not politically visible, do not spend money and do not vote as a group because their interests are so diverse.

Wealthy People and Corporate Interests are neither poor nor oppressed. They are the smallest minority of all, but they are easily the most potent. They vote and spend money to get the other minorities to vote against themselves. They have successfully bought the most powerful legislative majorities in recent history.

BOHICA

For the first time in my adult life, I am truly concerned that the right wing conservative nutjobs may do harm to me and others like me that will not be undone in my lifetime.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
8900 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries

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Caveat Lectores on Sanity, Relevance and Peace of Mind. 12-04-2010

Recently, the Lector commented on Facebook as follows:

“A look at the Caveat Lectores statistics for the month indicates we lost three readers. YES!! We must be doing something right. Remember: Read at your own risk. "...la plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas!"

Caveat Lectores is sometimes a morsel of unvarnished truth flavored with a ...dash of humor. Rarely too tough to swallow but occasionally a little tough to chew.”

Here is the Caveat Lectores warning to its readers: “Read at your own risk. You may learn something you did not want to know about ALL Public Employees: Firefighters, Paramedics, Law Enforcement, General Employees and Teachers.

Caveat Lectores mission: to incite you to smile or frown at what you read here. If it does neither, it is a waste of our time.”

After that post, we promptly lost about 35 more “Friends.” I guess that tells me there were quite a few who have been observing my Rants without agreement but quietly allowing them into their Facebook world. When I laid down the gauntlet, they made their feelings known by turning Caveat Lectores off. Or it could be because I sometimes punctuate the Rants with vulgarity and various forms of profanity. Or it could be because I constantly try to insult right wing nut job conservative rePuPlicans and Teabaggers. Or it could be because they are just tired of reading my Rants.

I recently received a phone call from a good friend and client who is a Republican union leader. He expressed concern that I was going too far to the left in the Caveat Lectores Rants. It was just after the midterm elections, and he felt that the right wing nut job conservative rePuPlicans and Tea baggers had now become mainstream. He suggested that my sanity and relevance were in question.

Sanity has been an issue for me since I left the relative security of the fire service for the unknown world called “labor lawyer land.” I knew I was casting my safety line aside for the insecurity of doing things my way. It is a curse not a blessing to think you are smarter than the other members of the wolf pack. I may be insane but have enjoyed every minute of my insanity.

Relevance is what really matters to me. I will miss some of my “Friends” but will continue to Rant about the things I feel are important to public employees; those who receive the services they provide and pay their salaries.

Comments are always welcome. I just ignore the ones that do not agree with my support for employees.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

8700 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
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Caveat Lectores on S. 3194: Update 12-2-10

In July 201o, the Lector penned a wonderful blog piece directed to the “Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act” aka S. 3194 aka “Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Bill.” It is captured below for you edification and education, if you care to learn something you may not want to know.

Today, I heard that it might come up for a vote in the Senate so I did a little research into what happened. Nothing happened so far as I can determine.

All I can say is that it is shameful what the rich and right wingers will do to try to keep working people from exerting a legal right that all people should have. The lies being spread are without parallel. In order to refute the lies, I would have to repeat them which would reinforce the ignorance of the ignorant.

If this propaganda is any indication of what it will be like in the near future as the right wing conservative rePuPlicans and tea baggers begin to try to legislate, all I can say is we are fucked. The only good news is that they will fuck themselves at the same time.

Beam me up Scottie.

Caveat Lectores on S. 3194: Lies and Deception

The Lector has avoided weighing in on the discourse about S. 3194: officially the “Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act.” The main reason was my laziness. As a political hack, I knew what I would read about the bill on any given day was slanted one way or the other. As a lawyer, I knew that I would only have to live with what was passed by Congress not the labor or management spin. Either way, I was waiting on the end result before really getting engaged.

If it passes, public safety employees in anti-employee states will get a boost in their efforts at recognition of their rights. Fire and police in states that already sanction collective bargaining will see very little change unless the state law in effect is substantially inferior to the federal law.

Both sides have been spinning this piece of legislation to the point of absurdity, but the management side has certainly won the grand prize for lies and deception.

By management I mean the “right to work” anti- employee political factions who are insanely fearful of losing the death grip they have on the "second class public sector workers" of this country. These “factions” are typically right wing conservatives and tea baggers; however, there are some Democraps who would like to see S.3194 fail as well.

Naturally, nearly all management oriented lobbying groups oppose S. 3194 because that is what they do. It is their job to oppose worker rights. The more professional groups tend to publicly take a somewhat less fraudulent stance in opposition but not all.

The Internet and other media are inundated with nearly identical scripted stories about the “Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Bill.” Each details the horror of what will happen when public safety employees are given the right to participate in their professional careers by deciding whether to form a union and voting on whether to become part of the collective bargaining process. The scripts refer to big labor and union bosses who will place police officers under their thumbs and bankrupt local government. The scripts claim firefighters will watch buildings burn while on strike if the poor public agencies do not succumb to their greedy demands.

Googling the term “Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Bill” produced 1,020,000 hits. Right wing bloggers are having spasms as they draft pretty much the same story of how the world we know it will end if S. 3194 passes. Letters to the editor, in what is left of newspapers, abound with the same distorted message. The public is being encouraged to plead with their elected officials to save them from the ever dreaded scourge of collective bargaining.

Here are some sad examples of the false “facts”:
http://www.teapartypatriots.org/BlogPostView.aspx?id=eff325c4-04f0-4d49-abdd-204ee0fef6cd
http://www.theledger.com/article/20100716/EDIT02/100719890?Title=Beware-Public-Safety-Unions

The current state of public sector collective bargaining law is a mess that needs attention. There is no federal law for state and local public employees like the NLRA (passed in 1935) which requires a certain level of conformity among the states and applies the rule of law to a subject that is fraught with dispute.
Here are some facts:
• Twenty-six states that allow collective bargaining for public employees are: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
• Twelve states have laws that provide bargaining rights to specific groups of workers (e.g. state workers, teachers, or firefighters) but not to all state and local government workers are: Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
• Twelve states do not have collective bargaining laws for public employees and some actually forbid collective bargaining. They are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

What troubles me most is not that management opposes S. 3194. I would not expect anything different. It is the extent to which the right wing conservatives will lie and distort the facts to try to win the battle against worker rights. I actually know the facts about public sector collective bargaining, and I know the world will not end with the passage of S. 3194. Neither will the problems associated with terms and conditions of employment in anti-worker states come to an end, but it will be a start in the right direction.

Too many of the firefighters and law enforcement officers in this country want to align themselves with single issue conservative causes. These misguided brothers and sisters continue to support those who seek to dominate and harm them. That is the classical definition of a tragedy.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
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Caveat Lectores on Bill Moyers

The Lector has had some role models in the quest for credibility. I want to write like Lewis Grizzard, Donald Kaul and Carl Hiaasen, and to deliver lectures at USF like Lewis Black and Ron White. However, I would give up my entire quest for other people’s talent if I could just think like Bill Moyers. Should I ever develop that quality, I will find a way to put it on paper.

Bill Moyers: "Welcome to the Plutocracy!"

Wednesday 03 November 2010 by: Bill Moyers, t r u t h o u t | Speech
Bill Moyers speech at Boston University on October 29, 2010, as a part of the Howard Zinn Lecture Series.

I was honored when you asked me to join in celebrating Howard Zinn’s life and legacy. I was also surprised. I am a journalist, not a historian. The difference between a journalist and an historian is that the historian knows the difference. George Bernard Shaw once complained that journalists are seemingly unable to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization. In fact, some epic history can start out as a minor incident. A young man named Paris ran off with a beautiful woman who was married to someone else, and the civilization of Troy began to unwind. A middle-aged black seamstress, riding in a Montgomery bus, had tired feet, and an ugly social order began to collapse. A night guard at an office complex in Washington D.C. found masking tape on a doorjamb, and the presidency of Richard Nixon began to unwind. What journalist, writing on deadline, could have imagined the walloping kick that Rosa Park’s tired feet would give to Jim Crow? What pundit could have fantasized that a third-rate burglary on a dark night could change the course of politics? The historian’s work is to help us disentangle the wreck of the Schwinn from cataclysm. Howard famously helped us see how big change can start with small acts.

For more, go to:
http://www.truth-out.org/bill-moyers-money-fights-hard-and-it-fights-dirty64766

And oh yes, have a nice Day?
Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
8500 Readers in 566 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries

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Caveat Lectores on New Ways to Cheat Employees

This just in from FPF President Gary Rainey and Lobby Tools.

Not satisfied with robbing employees of their pensions, business and government found a way to short the amount of lump-sum payments when Employees take the cash. Ya gotta love ‘em.

It is a little hard to read without paragraphs so you may want to go to the hyper link.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703374304575622780390118868.html?mod=WSJ_Finance_MIDDLETopNewsSecond

Pensions: the Lump-Sum Gamble

The Wall Street Journal 11/27/10

More than 90% of employees opt for a lump-sum payout from their pension plan when given the choice. That could be a mistake. Under rules that became effective in 2008 and that affect millions of workers, companies such as AT&T Inc., Chevron Corp., and Dow Chemical Co. have been quietly changing the way they calculate lump-sum payouts from their pension plans phasing out their use of a Treasury-bond rate to calculate lump sums and replacing it with a higher composite corporate-bond rate. The result: substantially lower payouts to employees who are changing jobs, being laid off or retiring anywhere from 10% to 60% or more, depending on age and other factors. Younger employees face the largest reductions. A 55-year-old employee who took early retirement or switched jobs would get about 25% less under the new legislation, while a 45-year-old would take a 50% cut, according to calculations prepared for The Wall Street Journal by Beth Pickenpaugh, a pension actuary and financial adviser at Gianola Financial Planning in Columbus, Ohio. View Full Image Melissa Golden for The Wall Street Journal Donna Rhine, of Bethany Beach, Del., with her husband Bob, took a one-time payout from her employer instead of keeping a monthly pension. A lump sum is essentially the amount of money a person would need to invest today to equal the stream of monthly pension checks he would receive beginning at age 65, and lasting his lifetime. If the investments are assumed to return 4.26%the 30-year Treasury rate that employers have used to calculate lump sum she would need to set aside more money today than if the investments are assumed to return 5.2%, the most-recent composite corporate-bond rate. About half of large pension plans at private employers give departing employees a choice between taking their pension as monthly payments in retirement, or as a one-time payout. Many public employees have lump-sum options as well. For employers, it can mean millions in savings. Whirlpool Corp., for example, estimated the new method would lop $39 million off its pension obligations, according to company filings. Whirlpool declined to comment. The changes are part of the Pension Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. John Boehner (R., Ohio) and signed into law by President George W. Bush in August 2006. Employers had complained that the Treasury rate was so low that departing employees were getting a windfall and asked Congress for relief. Flashback to the '90s Companies had been using the 30-year Treasury bond rate to calculate lump sums since 1994. Before then, they were using a lower rate, and complained that employees taking lump sums were getting a windfall. Companies persuaded Congress to let them replace it with a then-higher 30-year Treasury rate, which at the time was about 8%. The change to the then-higher rate angered employees, who realized their payouts would be reduced by tens of thousands of dollars. But the current change has received little notice. Unlike other moves that reduce pensions, employers aren't required to notify employees of the change, and most financial advisers are unaware of it. The change is being phased in over five years, through 2012, so someone contemplating changing jobs or retiring and taking a lump sum might want to evaluate the impact of taking a distribution before the change is fully phased in. Employers aren't required to use the new, less-favorable rate, and some have delayed implementing it. Northrop Grumman Corp. and BP PLC, among others, began phasing in the new rate this year. When the Pension Protection Act was passed in 2006, the spread between the corporate bond rate and the 30-year Treasury rate was approximately 1.1 percentage points. It ballooned to an average of 2.5 points in 2008, and is about 1.35 now. "The spreads between Treasurys and corporate bonds are greatest in times of economic uncertainty," says Ms. Pickenpaugh. The difference in payouts can be substantial. Consider a 40-year-old who has earned a pension worth $3,000 a month at age 65. If the new rate had been used in December 2008, when the spread between corporates and Treasurys was a steep 3.77 points, his lump sum would have shrunk from $242,839 to $71,148.Even without the interest-rate change, lump sums can be worth only 80%or even less of the value of the pension in retirement, since the payouts may not include the value of early retirement subsidies. 'Inferior Option'" I've advised a number of clients that have been offered lump-sum payouts, and in every case thus far, the lump-sum amount has been an inferior option," says Louis Kokernak, a planner with Haven Financial Advisors in Austin, Texas. Many people favor lump sums because they are worried they could lose their pensions if their employer went bankrupt. But that fear is often overblown. If the pension plan is healthy, they wouldn't lose their benefits. When a well-funded pension plan is terminated, its assets are used to buy annuities that replicate the pension payments. If the plan is significantly underfunded, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp. the federal agency that insures pension plan stakes over the plan and pays benefits up to the guaranteed amount, which is currently a maximum of $54,000 a year for a single person who starts collecting benefits at age 65. However, a person with benefits above the guaranteed amount could lose a substantial chunk of their pension, and early retirees and surviving spouses could also take a big hit. Yet lump sums won't necessarily provide a lifeboat to those whose underfunded pensions are at risk in a bankruptcy. The 2006 pension act prohibits plans from paying lump sums if the company is in bankruptcy, or its funding level falls below 60%. William D. Starnes, a financial adviser with Mallard Advisors in Hockessin, Del., evaluates taking pension income streams versus lumps sums for clients from local and state employers. For each option, he calculates the tax liability every year until their death, looks for other sources of cash flow and income, including Social Security, adjusts for inflation and looks at mortality, among other factors. In the end, the decision often comes down to subjective factors. Donna Rhine, who took a lump-sum payout when she retired from Verizon Communications Inc. in 2003 at age 52, and her husband Bob were in a position to assume a little more risk than most people. Mr. Rhine, 60, has a pension from Boeing Co. The couple, who live in Bethany Beach, Del., had little debt, had been paying down their mortgage and still work part-time. With these resources, they felt they could risk taking the lump sum though they were wary of aggressive sales pitches."They were telling me I could make tons of money quickly," says Mrs. Rhine, who attended seminars and met with several advisers before deciding to take the payout. "I didn't believe you could make 15% to 20% a year." Write to Ellen E. Schultz at ellen.schultz@wsj.com

And oh yes, have a nice Day?
Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

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Caveat Lectores on Business Regulation

I hate regulations. Regulation keeps me and my law practice and Lectores Labor Consulting from just doing anything, no matter how unethical or illegal that seems like it will make a profit. In fact, none of what I could do would even be illegal without those pesky regulations. OK, maybe I have an internal moral compass that guides me as well, but all those rules are stifling. We know that the competitive markets will govern themselves if just allowed to do so without government interference. Right?

The right wing conservative nut jobs are screaming for less regulation saying it is this over regulation that is causing all the unemployment and economic malaise. Let’s just get back to the old days when the meddling government stayed out of people’s lives. A time when a man could make a buck and keep it all.

Less Taxes + Less Regs + Fewer Unions! = More Jobs and Prosperity for All!

JFTDC. What about Bullshit cannot you understand?

The regulation of business is a necessary evil in today’s world. Our wonderful country has a long and fabled history of abusing itself in the name of profit. Slavery was actually legal. That was the ultimate lack of business regulation.

We are witnessing a time when business is now fully in control of the government. The fox is watching the henhouse and wants to tear down the walls. Corporate wealth has control of its sycophants who will do the bidding in any manner directed. We call them right wing conservative legislators. The price is high to own one of these.

The right wing is successfully blaming the economic woes of the country, created by the lack of following the most basic of ethical business rules, on the government and its public employees some of whom tried but failed to reign in the cheaters who sought profit above all else. Does burst real estate bubble ring a bell? Mortgage crisis? How about Enron? Bernie Madoff? Investment bankers?

Government is to serve all the people’s interests not just serve as a facilitator for business to profit.

I found a website called Corporate Narc, http://www.corporatenarc.com/
that may interest you in what happened so far this year:

BOHICA

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
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Caveat Lectores on the Devil’s Neck Political Disaster 11-08-10

E/S and I traveled to the Devil’s Neck this weekend to get away from the fun in Tampa after the election. It was just one celebration after another for us as we joined in the celebration of imagining the prospect of having a world governed by right wingnuts and tea baggers. JFTDC we are screwed. One and all. The only consolation is that most of those who voted for an R last week will suffer just as much as I will suffer. That is little solace.

Judging from the comments and bumper stickers we saw, the lands adjacent to the Devil’s Neck Convention Center are owned largely by tea baggers and right wingnuts.

Even Alliburton Gator was in hiding until after our friends, who shall remain unidentified to protect them from ridicule, left the property. Dr. Hobby Boo has not been heard from since Tuesday night.

I can report that I own a Rick Scott bumper sticker that Dr. Hooby Boo removed from the bumper of a tea bagger. I hope he was not found out. Maybe that is why he has disappeared.

The Lector will wait a couple of more days before entering the fray so see what really happened to him. More to come. Now GET TO WORK.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
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Caveat Lectores on the Rally to Restore Insanity Report

The Lector must announce the Devil’s Neck Rally to Restore Insanity was an unmitigated flop. Everyone who should have come to the Devil’s Neck went to Washington DC for the Northern version.

We stocked the larder with hundreds of pounds of fresh stone crabs and vegetables that went to waste because no one came except for E/S and B/G and the Lector who could only eat 5 pounds between us. We dumped the remainder in the lake for Alliburton Gator to eat. We found out he and Dr. Hooby Boo are allergic to shell fish, and we had to take them to the walk-in clinic for treatment of anaphylactic shock. The whole affair was a big disappointment.

My oldest grandson Joseph attended the Rally in DC, and we expect a full report from him any day now once he recovers from all the civility that permeated the air. Let’s hope those wonderful people find their way to a voting booth to make their feelings known to the politicians who should have been paying attention on Saturday.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
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Caveat Lectores on the Evils of Unemployment Benefits

There is a Harvard professor who is apparently a rightwing nut job tea bagger as well. Robert Barro writes in the Wall Street Journal recently that jobless benefits are the root cause for continued high unemployment rates.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/careers/did-millions-reject-jobs-and-stay-on-unemployment/19686576/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-sb-w%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk2%7C180254

That is kind of like saying that the reason so many people get sick is because they have insurance to pay for the treatment; therefore, we should eliminate healthcare insurance to make the world a healthier place to live.

Or… we could eliminate law enforcement and do away with crime. No more fire department would mean no more fires.

I think I’m gonna call a BULLSHIT foul on that theory.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
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Caveat Lectores on Return to Political Sanity

As midterm election day approaches and the Dems are wallowing in disorganization and what appears a tacit admission of defeat, I have to make one more attempt to salvage what could be a turning point toward sanity in government.*

On the local, state and national levels, the Dems may have squandered an opportunity to get us back in the direction of having a government which works for all the people instead of the corporate world and the wealthy. Please do not get me wrong here, I am all for economically successful people and a thriving business environment. However, it seems that in order to adequately appease the greed of the wealthy and corporate interests, we must do so at the expense of the largest segment of the economy… everybody who is not rich.

That is BULLSHIT.

Tea baggers may have ignorantly boorishly tried to follow their hearts in their infancy, but they have been totally co-opted by the portions of the right wing dedicated to serving corporate masters. If the right wing nut jobs and tea baggers are victorious, they will turn back the clock at least one hundred years on our successful system of government and contemporary social democracy. The wealthy corporate interests will prosper and these ignorant dupes will suffer right along with you and me. (Before you condemn me as a fascist, communist or a socialist, do a little research into the definition of contemporary social democracy.)

The right wing nut jobs and tea baggers, in the name of freedom from the alleged oppression of government, want to close the border; eliminate Social Security and any social program of which they do not approve or profit from; make sure our failing healthcare system continues to fail; eliminate collective bargaining, the minimum wage and overtime for workers; reverse Roe v. Wade; privatize all government services they can. They want to place us back in a time in history when woman and minorities had no rights, workers were practically slaves to their corporate masters, public education did not exist, the old and ill had only to die to relieve their suffering, business could make all the unregulated and untaxed profit the markets would endure.

If you would like to facilitate the catastrophe to occur, you should vote for one of these idiots or maybe just not vote at all.

If they are successful in sending a majority to Washington and other governmental venues, one bit of news that could be encouraging is that government will be made up of a contingent of incompetent politicians so incapable of governing they will be no more successful than other right wing nut jobs have been in the recent past. Reagan and Bush; Newt Gingrich and other right wing nut jobs were most successful at raising the national debt and punishing the poor and elderly for living. Oh yeah, I almost forgot; they were in charge when the middle class began to disintegrate. Oops, my bad.

That is little consolation for me.

*When the Lector started the Caveat Lectores Blog in 2009, the reason was to focus mainly on issues relevant to public employees both union and non-union. However, with the upsurge of right wing and tea bagger politics, I could not resist the temptation to Rant at will because the nonsense was too much temptation for me to ignore. Along the way we found over 8000 readers.

A few weeks ago, I decided to cut back on the political rhetoric. Frankly, I was having so much fun that I was spending most of each weekend pecking away at the keyboard drafting my “prosaic masterpieces.” The need to make money to pay the bills and work on the remodeling project to convert an 86 year old house into my law office required more time and less ranting.

I also realized the Lector had the potential for becoming irrelevant because of my near fanatical and intense dislike for right wing nut job rePuPlicans and tea baggers; so I retreated a bit and began to prepare to focus on issues of employees in a hostile environment known as public employment.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
8500 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 26 Countries
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Caveat Lectores on Moral to the Story for Politicians

The Lector received this in an email and decided to pass it along. I hope it becomes viral.

HEAVEN AND HELL

While walking down the street one day a Corrupt Senator was tragically hit by a car and died.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the Senator..

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really? I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the Senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They played a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having a good time dancing and telling jokes.

They are all having such a good time that before the Senator realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises...

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him, "Now it's time to visit heaven…"

So, 24 hours passed with the Senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."

The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell..

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.

"I don't understand," stammers the Senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

The devil smiles at him and says, Yesterday we were campaigning, Today, you voted…"

Vote wisely on November 2, 2010.

Also remember to vote early and often.



And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
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Caveat Lectores on Rally to Restore Insanity

When the Lector heard that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert teamed up to combine their Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, I knew Caveat Lectores had to make an effort to counter something that makes sense out of nonsense. There will be none of that at Caveat Lectores.

Caveat Lectores announces the House on Devil’s Neck and the Devil’s Neck International Convention Center will be open on October 30th to accommodate all those who could not attend the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.

Although the DNCC does not have a television for people to watch or a phone, we do have a lake with Alliburton Gator and lots of mosquitoes this time of year to keep everyone busy and active. DNCC calls this event the Rally to Restore Insanity. There is no thematic focus or cause to promote. With only three days before the elections, we all need some rest from anything worthwhile or stressful.

There will plenty of liquid beer-flavored refreshment and smokables as well as carbohydrate replenishment for those who get the munchies.

As you know, last week we announced the appointment of Roberto “Well Hung” Burnett as Executive Director of DNCC, but he never showed up for work. Dr. Hooby Boo has graciously returned and will be in charge of the festivities. He is pretty laid back these days, and this no agenda weekend is just what he needs to get back into harness. There will be no charge for the event but a required love offering of $250.00 per person to cover the cost of housing and feeding the masses is expected.

Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Opera Winfrey will wish they had thought up the Rally to Restore Insanity at the Devil’s Neck International Convention Center.

Call 1-800-UBDUPED for reservations. Cash Only!

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
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Caveat Lectores on Sartorial Correctness, Revisited

Recently, the Lector became aware of a possible issue with an allegation some firefighters were politicking while wearing their uniforms. There was an additional allegation the firefighters exhibited some “acting out behavior” toward an opposing candidate. No doubt, the complaint originated with an unfriendly elected official who believes that public employees should be forbidden from participating in the electoral process. Imagine that.

The allegations were probably untrue or at the very least overblown, but the scenario causes the Lector to reflect on some issues that should not have to be addressed at all but….

Wearing what might appear to be a firefighter uniform is not a good idea even if legal. The members should be out there assisting and supporting a candidate not announcing who they are. These days the only people who need to know the firefighters are working for a candidate are the insiders in the campaign. Leave the uniforms and Union T-shirts at home in most cases. I realize some people disagree with me on this, but I stand by my advice. We discuss political invisibility at length in my lobbying seminar.

Very few people vote for a candidate because some FF union tells them to. Public endorsements are warm and fuzzy to the members and loser candidates who want to wrap themselves in a fire fighter's turnout gear for a few votes but ineffective in today's political climate. Money and sweat equity are effective.

The members should be educated on how much they can hurt the cause by "acting out" their frustrations no matter how reasonable.

While I do get a charge out of "screwing around" with the unfriendly politicos, it is usually not a productive thing to do. I suspect the adverse party here has embellished what actually happened, but all must remember that you probably do not live in a community that supports unionism. Low profile and guerrilla warfare works far better than "in your face" activity. The reason public sector unions do so poorly in various adversarial situations is because they do not have enough "friendlies" to support them. Pissing off the ones who are the decision makers without putting them out of office is a guaranteed loser idea. You have to win them over or defeat them. Merely annoying them will serve no productive purpose.

The simple facts are that the public does not care about you or your welfare so long as you show up when they call.

PR means making the public respect and support you. Pissing off the general public and the politicians is counterproductive.

The above statement comes from a labor consultant with 36 years experience watching public employees screw up because they are human. Politics is not for humans.

The Lector addresses these and other important methods to gain success in The Survivor’s Guide to a Successful Public Sector Union.

Here is the Caveat Lectores Rant from nine months ago.

Today’s rant has been festering inside me for at least a quarter century. Now that I have a forum, here it comes. It has to do with the appearance union leaders make before the public. This is more than a little sensitive to some and will rile up those who do not agree with me but…..

Union leadership needs to move away from the notion that they always need to look and dress alike to show unity. That methodology works fine when you want to show unity and strength. It works fine when you want to rally the troops. Everybody wearing a union logo ball cap and shirt is fine for union meetings, conventions, picnics, charity events and generally any group outings for union members and where group unity is valued.

HOWEVER…. Stop looking like the Three Stooges, Village People or the Harlem Globetrotters when you go to public hearings, private hearings, private meetings, public meetings, negotiations, grievance meetings, political functions or any type of situation where you need to blend in. Wearing union garb is not as good an idea as it seems to many of my brothers and sisters. Here are some reasons why:

• Politicians, friend and foe, and management are not impressed with the union uniforms.

• If a politician does not know who you are without your showing him/her your union baseball cap, you are a loser in the lobbying profession. You must have a relationship that has already made you well known.

• Sadly, not all politicians are comfortable appearing in all public arenas with union folks. You must blend in the picture.

• Management, politicians, business people and the general public should not be able to tell the difference between labor and management by what you are wearing unless you are wearing better looking conservative clothes than them.

• Casual and poorly fitting or worn clothing of any kind is not appropriate in a professional setting.

• Business casual for union people should be nothing less than a collared shirt, trousers and possibly a blazer for the men. Women’s clothing should be similarly appropriate. I never wear a slit skirt or a “wife beater” to a business meeting and neither should you. By not understanding that fact, some people subtly place themselves in an inferior position they must later overcome.

• Not all settings require the same boring clothes, but make sure you can identify who you are trying to impress and dress at least as well as they do.

• Over dressing can be as damaging as under dressing. Good fashion judgment is a must.

• Your cause is what is important … not your comfort.

If you do not normally wear business clothes, buy at least one properly fitting blazer type jacket and a couple of broad cloth white or blue shirts that fit. Assume they will shrink and you will gain weight so buy them ½ size larger than you normally buy. Get two conservative ties that match the shirts.

There is more for me to say on this topic. I have already done enough to piss off some but have caused others to nod in agreement.

And Oh yes… Have a nice day?

wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
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Caveat Lectores on “Public Employees under Attack”

The Lector found this in an AFL-CIO blog called “Today’s Workplace.” It is worth a read. My suggestion is to go to the Blog site and subscribe.

October 13th, 2010 | James Parks

The people who teach our children, protect us from crime, put out fires in our homes and make sure our water is clean are under attack. Conservative pundits and politicians across the country are using the economic crisis to attack public employees and portray them as privileged compared with everyone else. They use the fact that public employees, many of whom are union members, have been able to keep their well-funded pensions, reasonable hours and decent pay to stir up rage from those who have lost these benefits in the private sector.

Many cash-starved state and local governments have used these same arguments as a cover to cut services, personnel and pension benefits to balance their budgets and weaken unions.

Several new studies should put those arguments to rest. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that state and local public employees are actually underpaid. In “Debunking the Myth of the Overcompensated Public Employee: The Evidence,” Rutgers University professor Jeffrey Keefe found that, on average, state and local government workers are paid 3.75 percent less than similar workers in the private sector.

The study also found the benefits that state and local government workers receive do not offset the lower wages they are paid. The differential is greatest for doctors, lawyers and professional employees, the study found. Read Keefe’s report here.

Public employees also work hard for their lower pay, often putting themselves in danger. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), nearly two in five state and local government workers—more than 1.4 million— worked in either physically strenuous jobs or jobs with difficult working conditions. Notably, almost half (47.5 percent) of local government employees between ages 55 and 65 held such jobs. If the retirement age were increased, the report says, many of these workers, due to the physical challenges of their jobs, would have to leave the workforce before they are eligible for full retirement benefits. Read the CEPR report here.

Writing in the New York Daily News, Dan Morris of the nonpartisan Drum Major Institute for Public Policy says the attacks on public employees are absurd and dangerous.

…if public-sector workers become cheap, expendable labor, they will contribute less to the tax base and spend less, blunting private-sector job creation. A healthy public sector is just as good for the investment banker as it is for the unionized electrician.

EPI estimates that every 100 public-sector layoffs result in about 30 private-sector layoffs because the subsequent loss of income dampens consumer spending and thus weakens the economy.

Says Morris:

The race to the bottom is a callous attempt to lower expectations for employment at a time when millions of people are counting on them to be raised. No victory worthy of the name can be achieved on those terms.

This article was originally posted on AFL-CIO Now Blog.

About The Author: John Petro is an urban policy analyst at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy. He runs the Progressive Urban Model Policies (PUMP) Project, a first-of-its-kind initiative to organize and share best practices in policy design and implementation. His writing on urban issues has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and his recent research has been covered in Politico, The New York Times, Reuters, and other media outlets.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

8000 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com

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Caveat Lectores on the Pink Heals Tour

I got a chance to see the Pink Heals Fire Trucks on I-275 yesterday. What a sight!! Here is the web address for the Pink Heals Tour:

http://www.pinkfiretrucks.org/

My wife Helen Ann Kaup Carnes lost a battle to the death with breast cancer nearly 23 years ago. She fought valiantly for 4 years but lost the war. She never got to celebrate her 40th birthday. When I first heard the Fire/Rescue Service and IAFF members had gotten involved with Pink Heals, all I could do was smile because I knew they would get involved in a big way like always. Her struggle may have been a little less hard on her if she had the Pink Heals guys and gals on her side.

Here is what the Lector found on the Pink Heals website:

For women in their twenties, thirties and early forties, a cancer diagnosis and the journey that follows can be especially devastating. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments can strip young women of their looks, confidence and sense of self – in what would ordinarily be the prime of their lives. After months of exhaustive treatments, finding a ‘new normal’ can be difficult, especially amidst pressure to move forward and get on with life. Pink Heals is dedicated to helping young women regain their strength and beauty with fun, confidence building programming and events. Ladies, put on your favorite heels… it’s time to reclaim your mojo!

Pink Heals Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization and is solely dependent on the generosity of donors.

Please join Pink Heals in supporting young women who are recovering from cancer treatment. I think the Pink Heals tour and the Pink Heals Foundation may be separate organizations. The intent is the same. Support your women who are fighting cancer.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
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Caveat Lectores on Recent Absence from the Internet

In answer to the many thousands* of inquiries about why there have been no recent Rants, the Lector must admit to being busy. There is plenty about which to write, but no time.

My home is being renovated to accommodate becoming an office for Lectores Labor Consulting, and I have been doing some of the work. JFTDC, I hate painting 80 year old wood work. I now remember why I quit doing home repair work to go to law school.

Please believe me. When I get back to writing, this experience will have not have mellowed me nor will it have civilized any of the politicos who threaten us daily.

*OK, there have only been a few inquiries, but I may have missed some of the calls.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
Caveat Lectores on Facebook

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Caveat Lectores on Greedy Public Employees!

HOO HAA. What am I saying? I take a few days off and change my attitude toward public employees. Fat chance of that. Hell has not frozen over.

Here is a link I want you to go to for some information that you need to know about the differences in pay for public employees and those in the private sector. I could just cut and paste the whole article, but I do not want to get into issues with copyrights and intellectual property.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/09/public_employees_dont_make_mor.html

“Public Employees Don't Make More Than Private Employees” is the name of the news article.

If you are unwilling to learn something that does not fit what you want the result to be, just do not bother. If you think it might be a good idea to arm yourself against those who seek to destroy your future, go ahead and click the hyperlink.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
Caveat Lectores on Facebook
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Caveat Lectores on Eliminationism and Unsustainabilty

Eliminationism is a new word for the Lector. I have been using other words, like “demonizing” and “scapegoating”, to describe what the right wingnut politicians, media and pundits do to encourage the ignorant and uninformed workers in this country to follow along like lemmings as they usher them over the cliff. After doing some reading on the subject, the more accurate term is eliminationism. “Isms” usually mean beware of what comes next.

Eliminationism is the belief that one's political opponents are "a cancer on the body politic that must be excised — either by separation from the public at large, through censorship or by outright extermination." This whole idea and the relatively newly coined word come from political scientist Daniel Goldhagen and Hitler's Willing Executioners (1996). The book suggests that the German people not only knew about, but also supported, the Holocaust because of a unique and virulent "eliminationist anti-Semitism."

Goldhagen argues that eliminationism is the root cause of every mass murder perpetrated in the 20th and 21st centuries is his follow up Worse Than War: Genocide, Eliminationism, and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity (2009). These eliminationist exercises would include: atrocities in Darfur, Islamic terrorist suicide attacks, genocide in Rwanda, Nazi German atrocities and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (I find it uncomfortable to include the WWII atomic bombings that we would like to think ended a war, but how could we have condemned 250,000 civilians to instant death if we did not totally marginalize them to the point of being unworthy of living?)

Eliminationist rhetoric is now the tool of choice for the right wing media, rePuPlicans and tea baggers to provoke hate speech and derision directed toward anyone who does not adopt their views of how we will all be better off if we become a third world country. Remember, there is an alarming percentage of these people who are counting on the Rapture to occur soon to take them out of their misery so they can hook up with Jesus. They want to prepare for the “end times” by making sure the quality of life for everyone is reduced to the point where we are all praying for the end of the word to come soon.

Public employees are certainly not the only ones who are a target of the wingnuts but they are targets none the less. The less taxes, less regulation, less government mantra equates to reducing the jobs available to workers. From that, we see direct attacks on individual sectors such as firefighters, law enforcement, educators and general employees. The accusations are usually factually false but what do they care? They just say whatever they think will enflame the populace to act irrationally. AND it’s working.

Unsustainable is another word de jour in the right wing lexicon. It seems like any right wingnut opponent to a living wage, adequate benefits and reasonable service levels from any entity that employs people (public or private) has learned the use “unsustainable” as the term that will provide a complete defense to layoffs, wage reductions and pension benefit obliteration for employees.

Please understand the right wingnuts who use the term are correct in that, if they continue to starve government and employees, nothing is sustainable. WTF will happen when pensions and Social Security are destroyed, benefits are completely voided, pay is reduced to poverty levels and no one has a decent job?

Our economy is in near shambles. The reason why we are in such trouble is not because middle class wage earners exist. Wages, benefits and pensions that provide a middle class standard of living did not cause the financial crisis we now face. Yes, further reductions in government expenditures and taxes along with reductions in employment for the public and private sector will put more money in the hands of the very rich.

They have enough money to weather any economic storm. How many millions do you have saved up?

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
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Caveat Lectores on Thoughts in Celebration of Labor Day

Here is the Caveat Lectores annual message for Labor Day. The simple truth is that no matter what we do, we are all laborers in one manner or the other. Please note that President Jimmy Carter is the only person in the group below who is still with us. We need some new heroes for labor to follow. The old guard has nearly disappeared.

Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.1 With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed. They have done more for decency, for honesty, for education, for the betterment of the race, for the developing of character in men, than any other association of men.2 Every advance in this half-century -- Social Security, civil rights, Medicare, aid to education, one after another - came with the support and leadership of American Labor.3 It is one of the characteristics of a free and democratic nation to have free and independent labor unions.4

Only a fool would try to deprive working men and working women of their right to join the union of their choice.5 If capitalism is fair then unionism must be. If men have a right to capitalize their ideas and the resources of their country, then that implies the right of men to capitalize their labor.6 In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, as 'right-to-work.' It provides no 'rights' and no 'works.' Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining.…7

If you are making a decent salary in a non-union company, you owe that to the unions. One thing that corporations do not do is give out money out of the goodness of their hearts.8 If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves.9

The words of...1 Abraham Lincoln, 2 Clarence Darrow, 3 Jimmy Carter, 4 Franklin D. Roosevelt, 5 Dwight D. Eisenhower, 6 Frank Lloyd Wright, 7 Martin Luther King, Jr., 8 Molly Ivins, 9 Lane Kirkland

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
7500 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
Caveat Lectores on Facebook

Do the Lector a favor: If you like the stuff we post, share it on your Facebook profile by clicking the "Share" link under the item you like. Also, please use the "Suggest to Friends" link below our logo in the upper left corner to tell others about our Facebook page!

Caveat Lectores on Statistics, Lies and Damned Lies

The Lector has been doing some in depth research into what the American public thinks about certain subjects. Frankly, I was shocked. Below is what I found and below that are the citations for the sources of this knowledge.

• 62% of the American public believes there is an afterlife.
• 71% have adopted a religion.
• 14% are gay but only 30% of gays are women.
• 18% of the American public thinks Obama was not born in the U.S.
• 46% of Republicans believe Obama is Muslim.
• 77% of Tea Partiers believe Obama is Muslim.
• 86% of Tea Partiers do not know what “tea bagging” means.
• 12% of the American public thinks there are extraterrestrials in our midst.
• 44% of Republicans think the US would be better off without government interference.
• 98% of Democrats think taxes are necessary for government to operate.
• 100% of what you have just read was made up by me with no factual basis whatsoever.

See how easy it was to just spout “facts” with no basis. Some of you believed the bullshit at least for a few seconds. If it was a Fox News analyst spouting the falsehoods, think how many people would still believe the bullshit?

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
7312 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
Caveat Lectores on Facebook
Do the Lector a favor: If you like the stuff we post, share it on your Facebook profile by clicking the "Share" link under the item you like. Also, please use the "Suggest to Friends" link below our logo in the upper left corner to tell others about our Facebook page!

Caveat Lectores on Labor Day at the Devil’s Neck

Once again Caveat Lectores (CL) and Lectores Labor Consulting (LLC) is sponsoring the 25th Bi-annual Public Employees Labor Day Labor/Management Kumbaya Retreat (BAPELDL/MKR) at the Devil’s Neck Convention Center (DNCC).

CL and LLC spend a lot on money putting on this BAPELDL/MKR, and we like to promote it to maximize attendance. The first BAPELDL/MKR the CL and LLC sponsored was scheduled for Labor Day weekend 1985 when hurricane Elena spent the weekend stalled off the west coast of Florida. Things were a little wet and windy. Attendance suffered. Since that time, the BAPELDL/MKR has grown to an turnout of less than 15,000 attendees from all over the world.

This year, the political climate has made getting politicos, pundits and candidates to attend a breeze. We expect Sarah Phalin and Glenn Feck to be here early on Monday to explain to the working people of the world just why they should support tea baggers who are intent on destroying their careers and future. This should provide for some fun filled discussion.

Later in the morning, we will enjoy the reptile show when Alliburton Gator reenacts the suntan oil spill he created earlier in the summer. E/S will be there once again to save the day by sawing down yet another 100 year old Cypress tree to harvest the Spanish moss to soak up the oil. Remember how much fun we had earlier in the year when we burned the oil soaked moss. The mosquitoes are just beginning to return. Wow.

Dr. Hooby Boo will run the Wet T-Shirt Contest concession where the attendees can pour cold water on political candidates who volunteer to spread their spin on how they and they alone will save the world from politicians. That is always a hoot.

After that we open the free beer kegs and things will get a little fuzzy, but we always have a good time. Admission is free but parking is $100.00 per car. Cash only.

The history of Labor Day is vague enough to dissuade me from writing endlessly about how and when it all started. He are some Labor Day facts that you should know:

• About 1 out of 10 workers (9.6%) in this country do not have any work to do. It is called unemployment.
• The first American Labor Day celebration was in NY in 1882. The uniquely (?) American holiday probably started in Canada in 1870 because of a strike protesting a 58 hour workweek.
• The first state to recognize Labor Day as a state holiday was Oregon in 1877, then Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York joined the party later that year.
• In 1894, Congress made the first Monday in September a national holiday to celebrate working people.

"Labor Day differs in every essential from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor.

"All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation." Samuel Gompers was a cigar worker and reputed to be a Lector early in his labor career.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
7312 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
Caveat Lectores on Facebook

Do the Lector a favor: If you like the stuff we post, share it on your Facebook profile by clicking the "Share" link under the item you like. Also, please use the "Suggest to Friends" link below our logo in the upper left corner to tell others about our Facebook page!

Caveat Lectores on Political Party Loyalty

The primaries are over and it now comes down to voting for candidates based on beliefs and party affiliation. The Lector dredged this up and dusted it off for consumption prior to the general election of 2010.

I do not know what happened to me, but...

OK, I had this politically epiphanal moment while driving recently. There was this realization that I have been all wrong in my lifetime condemnation of the Republican Party. My family and the state of the world warped me into looking at life only from the viewpoint of a Democrat.

It is not about the party. It is about the viewpoint of the candidate. My new mantra is... Vote for the candidate that fits your values not the party. I was just a blind follower of a political dogma that has become passé. R & D / liberal and conservative do not have the meaning they once did.

Here are the top ten political traits that I will seek in a candidate. I will assume that this person is not dedicated to the destruction of government by finding ways to disallow the provision of vital services by asserting that paying for those services through taxes is Un-American.

1. Must be willing to let a woman decide her own reproductive destiny;
2. Must be willing to separate church and state;
3. Must support the First Amendment;
4. Must appreciate the role of the working person and the value of collective bargaining to society;
5. Must have more concern for persons of color than how cheaply they will work;
6. Must be willing to provide some meaningful oversight to business and industry;
7. Must be willing to attempt to remove us from the strangle hold of the fossil fuel industry;
8. Must be willing to seek peace in a way that does not presume total annihilation of anyone who disagrees with the USA.
9. Must have enough intellect to be willing to accept the reality of evolution;
10. Must believe that the environment is more than an outhouse for humanity and a playground for development.

Should such a person exist who is registered as a Republican, I may vote for that person.

I am not worried about ruining my prior record of never having voted for a republican. I guess I set my standards too high.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?
Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

7312 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.

Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
Caveat Lectores on Facebook

Do the Lector a favor: If you like the stuff we post, share it on your Facebook profile by clicking the "Share" link under the item you like. Also, please use the "Suggest to Friends" link below our logo in the upper left corner to tell others about our Facebook page!

Caveat Lectores on Inexperienced Politicians and Insanity

Today’s Caveat Lectores Rant is specific to Florida, but I am willing to bet it applies in the other 49 states as well. If it does not apply to your state, please let me know so I can start plans for the move.

We have heard this before. It seems when some of the public becomes disenchanted with the current political climate, the cry is… “Throw the bums out!” The Lector could not agree more when I look at many of the current crop of incompetents and easily corruptible nincompoops who for some reason want to devote their professional lives to harming the best interests of me and the general public. BTW, not all are rePuPlicans. The Democraps are fully capable of some, though not all, of the insanity that comes from the heart and soul of a right wingnut.

While I am just as frustrated with the political climate and incredibly poor policy-making as anyone else, the anti-incumbent mantra has some real problems as does the notion that term limits is the answer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a “career politician” unless that person is also incompetent and/or corrupt. Yet, this is the disparaging tag many are placing on incumbents as if experience is a bad thing. WTF is in their minds if there is anything at all?

Term limits are not the answer because it makes sure that inexperienced people will run government. Inexperienced people end up relying too heavily on cronies, staff and lobbyists for background to make good decisions. The very notion that someone who is incompetent can make sound policy decisions is insane. Who is at fault if the public keeps voting for the same bad candidates over and over again? Throwing the good elected officials out of office to get rid of the bad ones makes no sense. Term limits are fundamentally wrong because it is telling me who I cannot vote into office. It may not be unconstitutional but it is wide of the mark.

The notion that only inexperienced people with business backgrounds and no public policy experience will automatically be effective is naïve insanity. As soon as the neophytes assume office they become incumbents. If these people get elected and run government like so many businesses are run, we will go bankrupt for sure. If we start running government like GM, the financial industry or the textile industry, the country will implode in less than a generation.

In Florida, we have two candidates running for governor who, once we look at them, have “issues.” (There is a third candidate who does not count unless he decides to stay in the race and hurts Alex Sink.)

• My personal favorite is Alex Sink. She is a Democrat, competent and experienced. Her brief tenure as an elected official as the CFO of Florida does not qualify her as a “career politician.” She is from my home state of North Carolina which could be a negative since we both apparently are exiled in Florida. Her prior professional career was former president of Florida Operations at Bank of America. This has some baggage attached. Yes, she has vast experience in business, but it is an industry that I have lost all respect for because of the current mortgage fraud crisis that has threatened out economy. Was she a part of the problem or just incompetently ignorant of what was occurring? Even with her possible negatives, she is clean and energetic, rich but not too rich to take her daughter to a movie on a Saturday afternoon recently (I saw them), bright but not a nerd, shrewd but not a thief like some. We must not let the fact that she is not a dynamic public speaker get in the way of electing her. (She speaks with a NC harsh southern accent when she is excited)

• Rick Scott is the right wingnut rePuPlican candidate who came from nowhere and beat a career screw up by using his own money to buy the election. He touts his incompetence as a politician. He has promised to do everything in his power as governor to wipe out government, reduce service, lower taxes and annihilate that pesky government regulation that gets in the way of unlimited profit for corporations. That will make him the darling of right wingnuts, tea baggers, real estate developers, regulated corporations and anyone else looking for short term profit-making utopia. He is rich beyond imagination because of a career in an industry so dysfunctional and sometimes corrupt that it has condemned America to being nearly third world-like in its provision of healthcare. Scott was the CEO of a healthcare company that pleaded guilty to too many fraudulent practices charges to list here. “Scott was forced to resign in the wake of the initial fraud charges in 1997. ” http://www.forbes.com/2000/12/15/1215disaster.html His modern day political defense is that he was never personally charged with fraud. “He was the fucking boss. The question becomes. Was he a knowing conspirator with criminal culpability or an unknowing dupe with serious problems with his ethical accountability? Is he an unindicted criminal or an unsuspecting incompetent? Either way, he has problems that should disallow him from being elected to the highest position in Florida government …. Sure, he can run but surely no one would trust his ability to make good decisions. ” http://wjcarnes-caveatlectores.blogspot.com/2010/08/caveat-lectores-on-convenient-truths.html

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

7312 Readers in 498 Cities, 46 States and 22 Countries
Read at your own risk.

Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
Caveat Lectores on Facebook

Do the Lector a favor: If you like the stuff we post, share it on your Facebook profile by clicking the "Share" link under the item you like. Also, please use the "Suggest to Friends" link below our logo in the upper left corner to tell others about our Facebook page!