THE REAL POLITIK EDITION: ISSUE 50, VOLUME 78
V FOR VENDETTA
by Malik Isasis
There is a saying, “The strong take from the weak, and the smart take from the strong.” The Republicans are bullies, assholes—and just plain ‘ol vindictive. Even as their party dies from irrelevance, they continue to try and kill any policy that resembles helping working people.
The Republicans in the Senate have blocked the auto loans to Chrysler and GM that would have extended $14 billion in loans, but the Republicans had no plans of going along unless they were able to get a bill that would have completely destroyed the unions, and the livable wages that were fought for over decades.
The Senate Republicans then made a counterproposal under which the automakers would have been required by March 31 to reduce their debt obligations by two-thirds, an enormous sum given that GM alone has more than $60 billion in outstanding debt.
The automakers would have been required to cut wages and benefits to match the average hourly wage and benefits of Nissan, Toyota and Honda employees in the United States. It was over this proposal that the talks ultimately deadlocked, with Republicans demanding that the automakers meet that goal by a certain date in 2009 and Democrats and the union urging a deadline in 2011, when the current UAW contract expires.
Republicans wanted the Big Three (Ford, GM & Chyrsler) to cut their unionized wages down to the rates of Nissan, Toyota and other foreign auto makers’ non-union workers’ hourly rates in Southern states like Tennessee, and Alabama. Republicans wanted these pay cuts in 2009, expecting unionized workers making $23 an hour to make an adjustment to non-union wages of $14 an hour in a year in a matter of months...forget about mortgage, rent, transportation and food.
Republican talking points is as follows: let the Big Three declare bankruptcy to reorganize, just as the airline industry had done. The goal of a bankruptcy is another way of getting the Big Three from under the obligations to its workers, like livable wages, and benefits.
Republicans don’t care that CEOs of failing companies make hundreds of millions, however, they do get worked up over “free-market” wages of blue-collar workers who make a fraction of what their CEOs’ take home. The failure of the Big Three will hurt the economy in loss jobs, but it will definitely hurt states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Detroit—all which voted for Democrats last month.
NO TIME TO PLAY
The Republicans still don’t get it, and won’t; they never do. They are bitter and entrenched in pathological ideology that is irrational on its face. This is why the Democratic Party must not adhere to the calls of governing through bi-partisanship. Republicans don’t care about nothing other than the maintenance of power, even at the expense of the country. They will cut off their noses to spite their ugly faces.
“The strong take from the weak, and the smart take from the strong.” Democrats you are weak, but it doesn’t mean you cannot beat the Republicans at their game. Obama beat them in last month’s elections, by being smarter. Understand, as Obama would say, that the Republicans are out to destroy the Democratic Party at every turn.
On January 20, 2009, you will have a trifecta of influence.
Be smart and drink their milkshake for a change.
V FOR VENDETTA
by Malik Isasis
There is a saying, “The strong take from the weak, and the smart take from the strong.” The Republicans are bullies, assholes—and just plain ‘ol vindictive. Even as their party dies from irrelevance, they continue to try and kill any policy that resembles helping working people.
The Republicans in the Senate have blocked the auto loans to Chrysler and GM that would have extended $14 billion in loans, but the Republicans had no plans of going along unless they were able to get a bill that would have completely destroyed the unions, and the livable wages that were fought for over decades.
The Senate Republicans then made a counterproposal under which the automakers would have been required by March 31 to reduce their debt obligations by two-thirds, an enormous sum given that GM alone has more than $60 billion in outstanding debt.
The automakers would have been required to cut wages and benefits to match the average hourly wage and benefits of Nissan, Toyota and Honda employees in the United States. It was over this proposal that the talks ultimately deadlocked, with Republicans demanding that the automakers meet that goal by a certain date in 2009 and Democrats and the union urging a deadline in 2011, when the current UAW contract expires.
Republicans wanted the Big Three (Ford, GM & Chyrsler) to cut their unionized wages down to the rates of Nissan, Toyota and other foreign auto makers’ non-union workers’ hourly rates in Southern states like Tennessee, and Alabama. Republicans wanted these pay cuts in 2009, expecting unionized workers making $23 an hour to make an adjustment to non-union wages of $14 an hour in a year in a matter of months...forget about mortgage, rent, transportation and food.
Republican talking points is as follows: let the Big Three declare bankruptcy to reorganize, just as the airline industry had done. The goal of a bankruptcy is another way of getting the Big Three from under the obligations to its workers, like livable wages, and benefits.
Republicans don’t care that CEOs of failing companies make hundreds of millions, however, they do get worked up over “free-market” wages of blue-collar workers who make a fraction of what their CEOs’ take home. The failure of the Big Three will hurt the economy in loss jobs, but it will definitely hurt states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Detroit—all which voted for Democrats last month.
NO TIME TO PLAY
The Republicans still don’t get it, and won’t; they never do. They are bitter and entrenched in pathological ideology that is irrational on its face. This is why the Democratic Party must not adhere to the calls of governing through bi-partisanship. Republicans don’t care about nothing other than the maintenance of power, even at the expense of the country. They will cut off their noses to spite their ugly faces.
“The strong take from the weak, and the smart take from the strong.” Democrats you are weak, but it doesn’t mean you cannot beat the Republicans at their game. Obama beat them in last month’s elections, by being smarter. Understand, as Obama would say, that the Republicans are out to destroy the Democratic Party at every turn.
On January 20, 2009, you will have a trifecta of influence.
Be smart and drink their milkshake for a change.
posted by Malik Isasis at
5:41 PM
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