Caveat Lectores on Firefighter Values II

3-5-2011

By far, the most often viewed Rant has been Caveat Lectores on Firefighter Values from March 2010. It is the #1 keyword used to find us on Google. I find that interesting and have not a clue why that term comes up so often in word searches.

Firefighters and all public employees are taking a whipping these days. They are frequently portrayed as lazy, overpaid underachievers who feed at the public trough to the detriment of the tax payer. Yet, they continue to answer the calls for help without question as to why. It is what they do even when the news media and too many right wing sycophant politicians threaten to destroy their future.

Firefighter values are what make them get on the truck in the middle of a snow storm or in a freezing rain to try to get somebody out of trouble usually caused by the one who needs the help.

Firefighter values are what cause them to work a code on a heart attack victim until exhaustion makes them collapse only to be replaced by another.

Firefighter values are why they enter a building with intense heat, smoke and flames around them looking for someone’s child.

Firefighter values are why they work through the tears when that child dies in their arms.

Firefighter values are the real reason why they do not go on strike when the public and the politicians spit in their eyes and call them unworthy of respect or a decent living.

A paycheck is what allows them to live while they follow their firefighter values. Few will do what a firefighter does just because of the money.

The current attempts by the right wing nut jobs to vilify public employees are a shameful effort by those without enough heart and soul to do the jobs they will not do themselves. There is a reason why they call public employees “civil servants.”

Don’t get me wrong, firefighters are not the only worthy servants of the public. All public employees deserve to be able to go to work without being persecuted. I was once a firefighter and am now a public university teacher, labor lawyer and consultant. One day I will admit to being a senior citizen who would like to have something remind me of my years of service than a kick in the teeth. There was never a day I was not proud to be a firefighter.

I willingly gave up my fire service career and pension to do something else I wanted to do. They are trying to take your pension and employment rights away from you.

There is a difference. Do not let them do it.

Know your enemies. Make them pay every day, in every way. Make some noise.
And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

Read at your own risk. 10,000+ Readers in 576 Cities, 48 States and 43 Countries

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Caveat Lectores’ Weekend for Tea Baggers at the Devil’s Neck

3-5-2111

In order to show the Lector’s good will and commitment to diversity, Caveat Lectores announces the 1st Annual Tea Bagger Appreciation Weekend Getaway at the Devil’s Neck Convention Center.

I know. I know. It seems like the Lector has a mean spirited contempt for ignorant right wing nutjobs and tea baggers, but that is all just an act to stir the troops into action.

The Lector and the entire Caveat Lectores staff are just a frolicking bunch of good natured, heterosexual, conservative, white, home folks who take ignorance of government and the Constitution with a grain of table salt. We do not want to pay taxes or see our investment earning going to help others any more than the next right wing conservative nutjob.

We thought it would be a good idea to show our good faith by offering use of the Devil’s Neck Convention Center site as a love offering. Caveat Lectores and the DNCC will make no charge for property rental.

We do not want to interfere with the arrangements being made by the Koch brothers for other get togethers so we will wait a few weeks until they have fully done all they can do to interfere with democracy up north in Wisconsin and Ohio. If we offered to hold something in the dead of winter, I fear the sunny Florida weather would interfere with their plans. We will wait until August when the Florida weather will compete less. That way we can be sure that only real tea baggers will attend.

The Lector would like suggestions from the Caveat Lectores readers on what some of the weekend activities should be. Here are a couple ideas I and a few other Lectores supporters thought of right away.

• Political sign making contest to see who can come up with the most inane slogan.
• Cross construction lessons. Good for burning or worship.
• Reading classes for those who actually want to know what is in the Constitution.
• Seminar entitled: R U Smarter Then a Liberal??
• Sarah Palin look-alike contest for the evening entertainment.
• Seminar entitled: How to Ignore and Distort Research and Facts 101.
• Seminar entitled: Ms. Manners’ Class on Disrespectful Disagreement.
• Seminar entitled: Learning to Interfere with Groups Who HELP Others.

In order to assure our inclusive posture to allow anyone to become a Tea Bagger, we are foregoing the traditional "three tooth minimum."

More information to come ASAP or call 1-555-UBN-DUPD.

And oh yes, Have a nice Day?

Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
Read at your own risk.

Over 10,000 Readers in 576 Cities, 48 States and 43 Countries

Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
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Caveat Lectores: Labor Quotes

2-28-2011

With all this noise about basic rights and values, I wonder why the right wing nut jobs and tea baggers want to hurt workers? I wonder if it is because they are idiots who have been co-opted by the wealthy? Hmmmm

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. It is one of the characteristics of a free and democratic nation to have free and independent labor unions.

5. Only a fool would try to deprive working men and working women of their right to join the union of their choice.

6. 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.

7. 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.…

8. 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.

9. If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves.

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

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
Read at your own risk. 9400 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries

Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com

Caveat Lectores on Facebook

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Caveat Lectores on Gotminegetyourownitis

2-21-2011

There is a malaise going ‘round that can no longer be ignored.

It is called gotminegetyourownitis.

This disease is particularly prevalent among older workers who have vested in their pension or are already collecting. It comes from the mistaken belief that a benefit you have been granted will never be taken away or even reduced. These unfortunate persons suffer from the delusion that their Social Security and/or pensions are safe just because it is too late to fire them before they begin collecting.

When your former employer decides that the employer no longer wishes to fund the benefit, and the fund does not have enough money to pay perpetually, the employer will send you a letter and inform you that your benefit is being reduced.

They can’t do that you say! Really? They made the rules. They can change the rules and they are trying to do just that.

They can’t do that. I have a contract. Contracts are breached every day. All you have to do is hire a lawyer and in about 10 years a jury made up of people who do not have pensions will decide whether your heirs should get the money.

As you smugly think you are secure from the disaster that threatens the future of active public employees by naively believing nothing can happen to your pension, think again.

How could this happen? Easily. When the current employees and future employees are placed in defined contribution plans, the existing pension funds will begin to dry up when new money is not going onto the funds. If all the funds have to depend on are good investment return years and no employer or employee contributions, they will soon show signs of financial anemia. You will receive less than promised. If it gets bad enough, the plans will be dissolved, and you will get your share of what is left. This ain’t rocket science. It is reality.

How do you combat this?

• You could die soon to avoid the future. That seems a bit harsh, but it is an option. Your spousal beneficiary may or may not approve of that option.
• You can stop supporting right wing causes that support destroying your future. This is a real threat to you. The government taking your guns away so you cannot fight a civil war and making you have an abortion are not worth worrying about. You are too old. Get over it.
• You can lend your years of experience in politics to try to defeat the right wing nutjobs who want to use political opportunism to harm you and your family. You are the ones who fought to get these rights. Now get in the fight to keep them for yourselves and others.

If you are too busy in retirement to help your brothers and sisters as they fight to keep their pensions and collective bargaining rights, you will not be too busy to look for a job after you get the letter telling you the pension check is not coming next month.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

Read at your own risk. 9900 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries

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!