Michigan's Governor and Republicans in the Legislature are Contemptable Greedy Bastards

The branch of the Republican party typified by the Koch brother and the high rollers who funded the oligarch, Mitt Romney's, failed run for President of the United States of America see the writing on the wall.  They are on their way out and their true-believer free market religion is sick and may die as it's recognized for what it truly is -- a plan for serfdom of the common citizen wrapped in the framed myth of "individual liberties" and "freedom" (without having much to do with either.  Why do I think this?  Because the Republicans in Michigan are behaving like angry feral cats that are trapped and about to be neutered.  They are striking out and clawing as hard as possible at the source, as they see it, of resistance -- the Unions.

The paradigm is changing.  We've heard about it since the re-election of President Barack Obama.  The make up of the population is changing.  Unfortunately for conservatives and other plutocrats, the shift in the population is favoring Progressive issues such as marriage equality, abortion rights, pot legalization, the election of non-white Presidents, and Labor rights.  In the case of the Michigan Republicans, the last election didn't work out all that well for them and Democrats, who are generally more pro-Union, picked up seats while Republicans lost.  While the Republicans currently have a super-majority in the Michigan State Legislature, they will loose that single party dictatorship in January.  Their back is against the wall and they have chosen to do as much damage as possible to their largest progressive opponents.  Not only have Unions stood for the Middle Class (having had a significant hand in creating it) and all workers, they are willing to put their money where their mouth is by funding politicians who support Labor.  As many Republicans have been bankrolled by corporations or have bought the party line meant to benefit management, most Union money goes to Democrats who do support workers' issues.  So, in Michigan, they moved to eliminate one of the greatest accomplishments of American Society and that of the world as a whole.  The so called "right to work" law is not about economics.  It is not about giving workers choice.  It's about politics and nothing more.  The Republicans see their position is eroding and they are trying to do as much damage as possible before they loose control by starving or bankrupting the Unions.

What about Rick Snyder, Michigan's Governor?  Either he's a coward or he's been lying to the citizens of Michigan.  His past statements are more than adequate to demonstrate his hypocrisy on this issue -- having both said he wanted nothing to do with it and that his signing of the "right to work" law would be too divisive for Michigan.  Within the last week, he has entirely reversed the positions he supposedly previously held and signed the anti-Union bill the moment it was rammed through the legislature without public comment and under extremely questionable circumstances.  He is nothing but an enemy of the Middle Class.  He has chosen to side with his plutocrat and oligarch masters.  No matter how hard he tries, he can't polish this turd and must be held accountable.  Perhaps a recall is in his future.  I hope one is.

Expect more of this kind of behavior in the future.  We've already seen how disruptive the do-nothing House of Representatives has been in Washington, DC.  Likewise, the abuse of the filibuster and anonymous member holds in the Senate has further illustrated the plutocrats unwillingness to accept reality and work to help ove this country forward and towards the benefit of all citizens.  As the old boys club Republicans and their oligarch masters start realizeing their backs are against the wall, they will start doing more and more actions like those in Michigan.  They want to keep their power over the rest of us.  Money will flow.  Politicians will be bought and more and more anti-Labor, anti-Choice, anti-Marriage Equality laws will be past in legislatures controlled by conservatives while they still have power.

If these conservative plutocrats are allowed their agendas, we will be further on the path towards corporate and oligarch domination of the common person.  We will continue to work more for less while our corporate overlords continue to try and distract us with phrases like "freedom" and materialistic bangles like iPads and designer jeans.  The United States has been a leader in the fight for Workers' Rights and we must fight to continue our progress toward equal rights for all people.  We must stand in Solidarity!  By allowing Republican plutocrats to behave like they are in Michigan, we will harm the Middle Class and we will further prevent those living in poverty from improving their lives.  Michigan is a call to action!  The game is changing and the push towards laws meant to protect the 1% and their obscene profits off of the backs of workers will increase and we can not afford to sit on the sidelines.  It is up to all of us to write our representatives and let them know behavior like this is unacceptable.  We must boycott.  We need to be ready to prtest.  If forced into the situation by management, we need to be ready to strike.  Remember these insults upon the working poulace of Michigan and the
Country when you go to the voting booth.  Vote these greedy bastards out of office!  We must elect people who are willing to represent all of us regardless of our financial situation.

Get Your Money Out of Banks!

In the past, I've written about the importance of budgeting and being frugal.  Not only does it help you and your family, it works towards depriving the oligarchs their lifeblood -- money.  Today,  Occupy Wallstreet and other activists are promoting another wise way to protect your money and work toward an equitable future for everyone.  Today is Move Your Money Day!

Partially spurred on by the, now dead, move by Bank of America and other banks to charge their customers a monthly fee to use their debit cards (in addition to all the other ridiculous fees they charge), Move Your Money Day was thought up as a way to have people register their disgust with the banks and keep their money local.  As many people know, banks like Bank of America and Wells Fargo took bailout money from the Government after they helped create the financial crisis from which we are currently suffering.  These "too big to fail" banks then proceeded to generate outrageous profits and give enormous bonuses to their 1% officers -- all on the backs of the 99%.

Now, there is nothing wrong, on the face of it, in making profits or giving bonuses.  However, these banks were only able to do so because they took the people's money.  Had they not taken the cash, they would have, if not failed outright, crumbled partially functional bankettes as they would have had to possibly divest to survive.  Sure, they paid the money back BUT they have yet to be held accountable for the damage they have wrought upon the economy of the United States, Europe, and the World!  Seeing how the Government is proving to be spineless when it come to making Wallstreet pay for its crimes and more than happy to give these banks a free pass, it is now up to the people.

How do we get at them?  Through their religion -- the free market.  That's right!  You have a choice and you can take your money out of these "too big to fail" felons and put it into a local banking establishment.  First, you'll be registering your discontent with Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase, and their ilk.  Second, you will be helping support your local economy because local banks and credit unions use local money to make local loans.  Third, you will be helping support a much more equitable banking industry over that of the industrial, heartless TARP-fueled banks of the world.

The Union Legion strongly endorses the use of local credit unions.  Your narrator has exclusively used one for many years.  Often, there are requirements which have to be met before you can join but those requirements may only be that you live in a certain area.  In a credit union, you are not a "customer" per se.  You are an owner.  When you join, you deposit a share.  This share is then kept with the bank and you can not withdraw it unless you are leaving the credit union.  Worried about accessing your share?  Don't be.  The share is a low sum -- around $20 or $25.  Once you are a member, you can enjoy many, if not all, of the products commercial banks offer -- but they will be called something different.  For example, CDs are not called CDs -- they are called share certificates at my credit union.  My "checking" account is called a share draft account.  Regardless of their names, these accounts function exactly the same as traditional accounts.  Plus, I have free checking, a free debit card, and I earn interest on both my draft and savings accounts.  Many credit unions also share an ATM network and, wouldn't you know it, they don't charge ATM access fees!

Even if you feel a credit union isn't the right answer for you, there are still local, traditional banks.  Again, these banks keep your money local but, most importantly, they aren't responsible for the economic mess everyone is slogging through.  As technology has improved these small banks have proven they too can provide the services of the big monster banks.

Don't get worried about moving your money.  It is a fairly simple process.  Take this point of advise though -- do your research first and know the features of your prospective new bank.  Then, open your new, local account first and link up your bill payments and direct deposits before you move your money.  Otherwise, you may run into some automated headaches later in the month when your rent isn't automatically paid.  Once your new account is set up, close out your account with the "too big to fail" bank.  I would even go so far as to encourage you to politely tell them why.  When finished, you will be saving more of your hard earned cash, keeping your money local to do local work, taking control over your money away from the "too big to fail" banks, and doing your part to let the wealthiest 1% know there will be an accounting for their actions.

Vampire. Serial Murderer. 1%

For your Halloween delectation:

The Right's War on Labor and Everyone Else

Ignorance must be blissful. Otherwise, I can not see how Conservatives live their lives. How else can one deliberately deny the evidence they can see with their own eyes? How else can they forget recent history? It does not matter if the issue is Global Climate Change, Human Rights, or Poverty, Conservatives will almost certainly vote against their best interest and for the interests of Big Business. Now, the nascent Astroturf (né “Tea Party”) movement gives a populist shine to the corporate turd which it conceals. This continues despite the evidence of the Koch brothers' direct orchestration in the movement and the continuing disparity between the moneyed oligarchs that run this country and the Citizenry.

Americans, it seems, go around believing they are going to become millionaires someday. Sorry to piss on your parade but the odds are very slim this will ever occur to most of us. Somehow deluded into this belief by billionaires, these people then vote as though they were greedy millionaires. See, I don't believe they view themselves as greedy. Of course they don't – they're voting “responsibly” (because that's what the Kochs and their ilk have told them). Lacking any sort of critical thinking skills and an inability to take into consideration their actual situation, these people vote to put more money into corporate coffers and less into their own pocketbooks.

These same people, for the most part, have shunned the Labor Movement in the private sector of the economy. They actually believe that Home Depot is an “employer of choice”. What the hell does that actually mean? Home Depot wants you to believe it means you don't need a Union to represent your interests and that they've got all your needs covered. Despite this fact, I personally know at least two Home Depot employees who continued to work with serious conditions when they should have been home recuperating. Additionally, I have exchanged stories with workers at one store where plantar fasciitis is a chronic epidemic. These people can barely stand on their feet – despite the fact their job requires they stay on their feet all day without appropriate measures to prevent this type of an injury. Why do they stay? Easy. They need the money. They live paycheck to paycheck. A work force that is underpaid is a workforce that is easily manipulated. These people, as a group, have not utilized their right to organize and be represented because it has been placed in their heads that the Labor Movement is “bad”. What are the results of this blind acceptance of the message put out by the wealthiest and corporations? The adjusted income for non-unionized private sector workers has decreased. For the first time in history, the standard of living of a child can be expected to be less than that of his or her parents!

In an effort to continue a concentration of their power, the oligarch and plutocrats that run this country have now set their sights on the last stronghold of Unionized Labor representation – public sector employees. Social workers and their kin have managed to hold on to their standard of living. While the private sector's income has decreased, the modest income of public sector workers has held and, in doing so, has become a source of envy and jealousy. Not being stupid, Astroturf founders have utilized these emotions to gain a foothold in public opinion. You see, they don't want people in the private sector realizing they can Unionize or worse, acting on it. You see, public employees are not paid too much – the private sector is paid too little.

The United States of America is a Corporatocracy. Pure and simple. If you doubt my position, just take a look into the money that is thrown into politics and where it comes from. Not only that, lobbyists often write laws that are then voted on completely unaltered. The concept of Democracy has been corrupted when corporations are writing our laws. Now, corporations are considered “people” when it comes to free speech thanks to a Supreme Court dominated by individuals beholden to the moneyed oligarchy operating our political system. In New York, we have Andrew Cuomo who was bought by the Kochs (they paid him more than Wisconsin's Governor Walker). His recently passed budget directly attacks things like public employees, public education, and MedicAid. All of these areas are ones where the Kochs of the world lust after in the hope of turning a profit. We also have other legislators who have been bought and paid for by their respective lobbies trying to pass laws to mess with our fully-funded pension plan, and undermine the Triborough Amendment.

Privatization was once hailed as the answer to all of Governments problems. In a society where the Poor and Middle Classes are under represented by their government, I say somethings should never be privatized. In the interest of representing everyone, the government must maintain control of certain areas. As I write, conservative Republicans are now suggesting the privatization of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. This really is an attempt to drive more money and more profits to the ruling class. Corporations are salivating at the money in pension plans, Social Security, and Medicare-aid yet they can't get to it. They can't make a profit on that money and, in turn, reward their masters with enormous bonuses. Privatization is nothing more than an attempt to redistribute wealth from the poorest in society to the wealthiest. It has nothing to do with efficiency or savings. There is a class war going on but it isn't coming from the Left.

We have to stop this trend in centralizing power. Hell, the United States was founded by people dead-set against the centralization of power in an elite few. Yet, we, as a nation, are allowing it to happen. Fortunately, history is on our side. It is because of Progressive movements like Labor that women can vote, slavery was abolished, and people can expect to work in a safe environment. We can do it. We have done it in the past. Now is our time to take a stand and push back against the rich elitists and their faux-populist movement. Not just for ourselves as individuals but, rather, for everyone regardless of the amount of money they have.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité!

Budget to Help Yourself and to Help Weaken Plutocrats

In honor of the agreement (behind closed doors) and passing of the New York budget, I thought I would take a moment to write a little about how the poor -- because there will be more -- and the middle class can help remove themselves from the system that created monsters like the Kochs who fund Plutocrats like Cuomo.

I am well aware of the boycott of products made by Koch Industries or their subsidiaries.  While I support the boycott in principle, most people will be inclined to engage in it only for a limited period and, while it does single out a specific target, it does little to nothing to damage the system that created the Kochs and those like them.  A system which undervalues human rights and views people as a "resource".  A system profoundly anti-labor, anti-equal rights, and dedicated to a financial caste system.  If people want to take a stand against this system, it really isn't as hard to do as one might think but it does require a change in lifestyle and, surprisingly spending less and saving more.

While I do not have a credit card and haven't had one for almost 20 years, I realize getting rid of yours may prove rather difficult.  The United States, in particular, has become addicted to debt.  However, getting rid of a credit card and budgeting wisely will go a long way towards improving your personal financial health.  Think of it this way: every time you buy something with a credit card, instantly add 20% (or whatever your interest rate is) to its cost.  In other words, a $100 purchase really costs you $120 -- but only if you pay it off before the interest is added to your balance.  Then, that $100 becomes $120, then $144 and so on.  You can see the pattern, in short order (on the order of months) the value of your $100 is over shadowed by the debt generated by your credit card.  In an effort to eliminate financial waste this cycle has to be stopped.

While getting rid of your credit card makes good sense for your pocket book, how does it limit the system that creates plutocrats?  Simply put, the "economy" (the term is ironic because our financial system is not efficient) runs on debt.  Things like interest and debt are what makes the system run.  "Me alone can't make a difference", you might say.  I would counter that small groups of people, working together can change history -- and they have time and time again.  Look at Gandhi's salt protests or the American Revolution.  Keep that in mind whenever you feel overwhelmed by society's inequalities and corporate indifference.  You are not alone.  Only a 3% decrease in the debt generated in the United States would have a reverberation that could not be ignored.  The place to start is getting rid of your credit cards.

Alright, getting rid of your credit cards may involve a lifestyle change you need more time to prepare for and there are many websites (like Getting Rich Slowly) out there that can help along the way.  Fundamental to a change of this nature is coming to an understanding of the differences between "wants" and "needs".  The most basic needs would be things like nutritious food, clean water, and safe shelter.  As you can see, Society fails many of its Citizens on these basic needs -- largely as a result of a mistaken faith in the "free market".  Think about that for a moment, the "economic" system that feeds the Kochs denies some of its most vulnerable Citizens of their essential needs. 

Back to how "wants and needs" can be used to help you take a stand against plutocrats and corporatocracy.  Every single time you buy something, ask yourself "Do I NEED this or do I WANT this?"  There is nothing wrong with wanting something.  However, corporations go to great lengths to confuse us with what we want and what we need.  Have you ever told yourself you "need" that new pair of shoes or smart phone?  Sure, it is immediately followed up with a rationalization as to why you "need" that thing but, the truth is, you do not need a new pair of shoes unless you have worn out your last pair.  Smart phones....while they are pretty damn cool no one really needs one (yes, I have one but I'm honest with myself -- I wanted it).  Instead, be honest with yourself and your rationalization will become an explanation!  Instead of saying you "need" (the lie) a new pair of shoes for a job interview (the rationalization), realize you want a new pair of shoes (honest statement) for the interview (now, an explanation).  If one consistently applies this method when shopping for anything, you will find that you will see a beneficial impact on your budget.  You see, you will become aware of how much you buy that you do not really need and, possibly, may not want.  If you are uncertain as to whether you need or want something, put off the purchase for a week or so.  If you suffered no ill effects, you didn't need that item; you wanted it.  By decreasing your consumption, you put less into the system that demands rampant consumerism to survive.

Food budgets are a large part of most families budgets.  If you are a public servant like a teacher who may be laid off, your food budget is going to take up even more of your household budget should your income be cut off because of plutocratic cuts to the services you used to provide.  How can one make a significant impact in this spending area?  First, never, never buy your food with a credit card.  if you ever find yourself in a situation where you do not have the cash to buy food, ask family or friends to borrow some cash.  You can pay them back and not have to pay interest and you will be turning to your support system -- not a debt machine -- for assistance and, in doing so, you will be actually engaging society.  We should be depending upon each other and not some heartless corporation. 

Ask yourself if you want or need that food you are looking to buy and make sure you make a grocery list before you go in to the store.  Seems simple but, a lot of the foods sold in groceries these days are nothing but junk food meant to be bought on an impulse and no one "needs" them.  Having said that, the cheapest way to eat is to make your own food.  The real needs for a healthy diet are the raw ingredients, vegetables, meat, flour, and so one.  Instead of buying factory-prepared foods, buy the raw ingredients and learn to cook that food at home.  Not only will you be spending less, you will be learning how to cook, and you will be giving less monetary fuel to the likes of the Kochs.  For example, I can feed my daughter and I for about $40 a week.  Before I got smart about my shopping, I would spend around $100 a week just on myself (before I became a dad).  The difference?  I cook.  I cook everything from pizza to bread, to gumbo, to whatever catches my fancy and I cook extra -- to have leftovers for lunch at work, etc.  Recently, I've started looking into the cooking of the Shakers (a Christian religious sect known for their woodworking but who were also very efficient and hardy cooks).  Books like Seasoned with Grace: My Generation of Shaker Cooking can provide valuable tips.  Whenever possible, buy local food or grow your own.  The food is usually cheaper (when things like transportation are figured in), you cut out the middlemen (read: the Kochs and their ilk), and you keep the money local (thus helping preserve local agriculture).  Oh yeah, avoid fast food restaurants.  Sure they are convenient and their food tastes good but it is overpriced and continues a system that hates workers rights.

Ok.  I've written enough for one post and, undoubtedly you're ready to anything more exciting than continue reading (oh, things like cleaning your toilet probably seem more interesting).  No, I'm not some grubby Hippy so put that thought away.  I'm just like you -- an honest American worker trying to do the best he can for his family in a time where the government and society is run by greedy corporations.  I'll write more in later posts but before I go, I want to leave you with this thought,  the less you pay to ensure your needs are met and you maintain a comfortable quality of life, the more efficient you are.  The more efficient you are, the less money you waste and give to the wealthiest 1% and, therefore, limit the amount of money they can use to buy plutocrats like Cuomo, Obama, or Walker.  Finally, a great book to read to help get a grip on your finances is Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Revised and Updated for the 21st Century.  There are many tips and techniques in that book which will go a long way of letting you take control of your budget and, as a result, take a little power back from the corporations that are running our country.

Andrew Cuomo's Koch Problem

I was handed the flyer below by a student at yesterday's rally in support of Wisconsin Public Employees and Worker's Rights by a student.  I foolishly forgot to ask his name so that he could get proper attribution for his work.  However, he did some leg work I was planning on doing and, low and behold, he found what I expected would be the case -- Andrew Cuomo has a Koch habit.

As you can see in the pdf below, Cuomo has accepted $92,000 from the Kochs -- yes those Kochs who are working as hard as possible to eliminate the Human Right of Collective Bargaining in Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinios, and New Jersey.  The very same people, so addicted to greed that they feel entitled to trample on the lower and middle classes in their quest to acquire more.

Cuomo's Koch Problem

In case you were wondering if this was faked, I went and checked it out myself.  Granted, the first time I did it was the really dumb, hard way of scrolling through names (I didn't see the link for the search page!).  As this student demonstrates, there is an easier way.  You can check for yourself by going to the New York State Campaign Financial Disclosure Database's Search Page and entering the search criteria he outlined above (Andrew Cuomo 2014, Inc.; 1/1/2009 to 1/1/2011; donations from $1 to $100000).  If you want to skip entering everything online, you would get this page.  Then, just hit <alt>F in your browser to find text and enter "Koch".  You can see for yourself.

If the student who distributed this flyer reads this post, contact me if you want me to give you appropriate credit.