Working For Less Law

It is a foregone conclusion that the Republican controlled legislature in Madison, Wisconsin will pass a so-called “right-to-work (for less) law, and probably within the next week. They have been itching to do it ever since Scott Walker became Governor. But while it might be a done-deal, please don’t tell the workers of Wisconsin this is all about them.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) recently proclaimed just that. “This is  . . . about worker Freedom!” At the same time Mr. Fitzgerald was also calling unionism an “antiquated system,” and they had to change it.

Now who would benefit from such a radical change?

Some of the supporters of this “worker rights” law turn out to be the very manufacturers that many of these workers work for! What a coincidence. These people (and other ten percenters) would be able to pocket more of their profits, while the workers would loose wages, benefits, buying power, and their middle class status—and perhaps their homes.

The fact is that it is quite possible the state as a whole could suffer economically because of this move by the Republican legislature and its governor. The truth is there is little if anything to support the dismantling of unions. Remember, “right-to-work” laws started in the south, in places like Alabama and Mississippi, and such states hardly stand out as economic powerhouses and job creators. Quite the opposite! And such a law will not solve Wisconsin’s nearly $2 billion deficit.

So why do it? For some years now the Republicans have had their eye on the old rust belt states of the Midwest. Their first move was to attack and destroy public unions, so now it is the private unions they have in their sights. Once upon a time, these states had some of the strongest union supporters in the country, but since hard times have hit (US corporations moving to China, dropping of tariffs, etc.) unions have been on the decline. Nationally, unions only make up 7% of the private workforce. What better time to strike? And don’t forget if the unions disappear, there will be less money and support for Democrats! Suddenly there will be little or no political competition. (China and Russia have a single party system, too!)www.cbsnews.com

But this Republican show is not just about workers in Wisconsin. The Republicans want to go beyond the state’s limited borders. Walker and other candidates want to take their philosophy to the nation. A president Walker would be able to do that. But keep in mind those who will benefit. Will it be the workers? Think again! If the Republicans can put one of their own in the White House while maintaining control of the Congress, they will have found the Holy Grail. No more national labor laws. Public schools might disappear. No more Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid, as we know it, to name a few changes. To paraphrase Republican President Calvin Coolidge, The business of America will be business, again. And, once again, the wealthy will have their proper place in the sun.   

The Faustian Choice: The world of big money politics

Forget about Iowa and the first caucuses for president in January 2016, or even the New Hampshire primary scheduled for a few days later. The real Republican political caucus for president opened this January in 2015 in California amongst the desert sand dunes near Palm Springs. Southern California is particularly nice this time of year for such events. It is here—where the truly wealthy roam—that the billionaire Koch brothers' were out to reveal what, or in this case, who, their money could buy.

Beyond its political implications, this Palm Springs gathering is also a real world demonstration of trickledown economics in action. Forget about the wealthy giving their “have not” gardener a raise and watching him/her spend the extra money on bread or shoes. Politics is where such billionaires can really make a difference in the economy. With nearly a billion dollars to spend on elections, this is where they can really spread the wealth . . . but only amongst the chosen few.

Evidently, the Kochs’ have formed a separate party of sorts within the Republican Party, and they can enforce their separate beliefs by doling out more money to candidates than the so-called mainstream Republicans.

But to spread their beliefs, the brothers will need others to do their bidding. This is why the Kochs’ invited a select group of politicians to meet in private in a California luxury resort. And behind this closed-door get together is where the transgression starts. But it isn’t just with the Kochs’. Transgressions against an open society happen each and every time a politician meets with a donor. No matter the party, a Faustian play or bargain is reenacted. Every time a Koch or some other rich donor offers money to a candidate from any party, the politician is forced to make a pact with the devil. How badly do you want to be president, Mr. Candidate? (Enter the Robber Barons with their pockets full of cash.) Among these few politicians in California—this particular band of brothers—is Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, as well as Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Tennessee, and Ted Cruz of Texas. These politicians went there to personally be shepherded through an ancient rite of passage, to pander to the Kochs’ deep pockets, and to acknowledge that the Koch brand of Social Darwinism is still alive and well. (Yes, Virginia, the rich truly know better than the rest of us about how best to rule our country.) And let's remember tonight when we say our prays to give thanks where thanks is due: thank you US Supreme Court for allowing this to happen and for reminding us (as if we needed reminding) money equals more free speech for the wealthy than for the rest of us. Amen.

Incredibly, the Supreme Court has taken a broken election system and made it worse! It has helped to create this Faustian choice politicians must ponder. Once they take the money, to whom will these politicians owe for getting them into office? And what will these Barons want in return for such millions? Welcome back to Gilded Age II (ladies and gentlemen), the sequel. Remember, the Gilded Age was a time when the wealthy (including monopolies and oligopolies) controlled the politics of the country, and not surprisingly, it was a time before regulations, the income tax, health insurance, workers compensation, the popular election of senators, minimum wage, the middle class, environmental laws, and unions, to mention a few. Ah, the good old days . . . when no one else counted, but the rich! 

What do you think our brave band of brothers discussed behind those closed doors? Who will gain economic clout, people like the Koch brothers or the middle class? Most of all, think about money-politics when you are voting next year, and think about who will win and who will lose in this type of system.