Di Leo: Would You Like Fries With That Demonstration?

On a cool May morning, as McDonalds’ shareholders met to determine the fast food giant’s future course, some 2000 protesters, hailing from as far as Kansas City and New York, descended upon them to present a list of demands. Raise the starting wage to $15/hour, they threatened, lest the company be forever branded with such monikers as Exploiter, Villain, Robber Baron and Tyrant!


The Chicago Tribune, newspaper of record in the blighted metro area that McDonald’s calls home, was happy to give front page coverage to these protesters, telling their tale and helpfully spinning the story as favorably for the protestors as any could hope. The days of restricting opinion to the Opinion page are long gone indeed.


Read more at the Illinois Review Read More......

Republican not happy with Oregon's GOP Legislators

OREGON CATALYST by In the news, Thursday, March 8. 2012 - Why is the GOP supporting an SEIU idea? by Anonymous
I am a management service employee in State Government. I am also as Republican as they come. Working in such a Democrat-dominated government is more than frustrating.  ✧ HB 2020 was bad enough. Then HB 4131.  So many Republicans agreeing with an idea that originated in the research offices of SEIU. I just want to know where this thinking comes from. I can’t believe that SEIU has anything in mind except the collection of more dues from the employees they have removed from the supervisory ranks.  ✧ Where do you think those dues are going to go?  To Republican candidates? Really? I get the bloated government problem. I see it everyday. But this method will only put money in the coffers of the SEIU, embolden them and their Democratic buddies, and worst of all it will make a hash of the management service. Nice job GOP. Read More......

In defense of Rep. Dennis Richardson

DEMOCRAT HERALD, 4/11/2011 (Hat tip: D'Ann Matthews) - Hasso Hering set the record straight today regarding NEA, AFSCME and SEIU's untruthful smear campaign against Rep. Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point) in an editorial in the Democrat Herald. Editorial: Three unions' nasty attack.

Honest details and factual history make a difference! Read More......

Rep. Richardson: Oregon's Political War Has Begun

REP. DENNIS RICHARDSON (R-Central Point), 4/7/2011 NEWSLETTER - The “Co-Chairs Budget” was the subject of last week’s newsletter. It was signed by my two Democrat Ways & Means Co-Chairs, Senator Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin), Representative Peter Buckley (D-Ashland) and me. ∴ This Co-Chairs Budget was agreed upon after weeks of daily meetings and negotiations between the Democrat and Republican Co-Chairs. ∴ While Oregon’s fiscal problems are being addressed in a bipartisan manner requiring thoughtful and well-reasoned compromise, it was disappointing to learn that three of Oregon’s most powerful political groups, the Oregon Education Association (OEA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), are now trying to disrupt this bipartisan work through deception, intimidation and demagoguery. ∴ Consider the deceit in their political attack ad now being aired from Portland to Ashland: Click Here. Unfortunately it has caused anxiety and fear for vulnerable and confused seniors who have been deceived by it.

We three Co-Chairs and the rest of your Democrat and Republican legislators on the Ways and Means Committee are working together to face the reality of a difficult state economy. Such is not the case with three of Oregon’s most powerful unions, the OEA, AFSCME and SEIU. Instead, they collaborate and propagate lies. Their ad says: “Richardson wants to make drastic cuts to services we depend on … so Richardson can keep more than $440 million in unspent funds for his political priorities.”

This statement is false. The ending balance belongs to all Oregonians for protection from further recessionary pain.

As far as I am concerned, the airing of this fear-mongering statewide political attack ad is intended as a warning to other Legislators. They want to scare them into dancing to the unions’ tune, or risk being the subject of the next attack ad. The goal is to motivate the “unions’ legislators” to abandon fiscal prudence and perpetuate Oregon’s history of unsustainable spending. It was this kind of denial of economic reality that has grown Oregon’s all-funds budget by 50% in just the last four years.

Meanwhile, these very same public employee unions stand against every government reform intended to stabilize Oregon’s out-of-control spending, including the reforms suggested by former Governor Kulongoski’s Reset Cabinet and those proposed in Governor Kitzhaber’s recommended budget.

People in Oregon are tired of such negative political smear campaigns, and long for truth, transparency and meaningful reform. For the past decade Oregon unemployment has been above the national average. Yet during this same period, Oregonians have watched state government spending balloon by more than 100% in only ten years.

While hundreds of thousands of Oregon workers have taken pay cuts or lost their jobs, these public employee unions have negotiated sweetheart benefit deals, automatic pay increases and lucrative retirement packages. Even Wisconsin’s employee unions have allowed something to be paid by their members toward their retirement plans and health benefits. But not Oregon.

The attack ad states, “Richardson wants to make drastic cuts to services we depend on….” It implies the “we” are seniors, kids and vulnerable Oregonians. In fact, the opposite is true. The unions are angry because I suggest that their union members pay something toward their retirement and group insurance plans, which would free-up hundreds of millions of precious dollars that could provide services vital for Oregon’s most vulnerable seniors, disabled and children.

Oregon has great teachers who are members of the OEA, and dedicated public servants who are members of AFSCME and SEIU. These teachers and public workers should be embarrassed. While they work hard and earn their pay, their union bosses and lobbyists wield political power like aristocrats and take home six-figure paychecks, while acting as if they have actually contributed something to society.

The public sector unions get their employers to collect their union dues for them, which they use to recruit, fund and elect “their legislators.” These legislators pass pro-union legislation that gives the union members favored pensions, positions and pay. Such “sweetheart” union power brokering is incestuous and is threatening the financial stability of our local, state and federal government.

Political war has been declared against me and other fiscal conservatives by the OEA, AFSCME and SEIU. I am unimpressed. I will continue to work with Republicans and Democrats to pass a balanced budget that will meet the needs of Oregon’s most vulnerable citizens with the revenue we have available.

If we win, we pass the best balanced budget possible, end this legislative session and go home. In short, if we win, Oregon wins.

Sincerely,

Dennis Richardson
State Representative Read More......

MoveOn.org is holding a 50 State speak-out against Republicans

To MoveOn.org email subscribers (Hat tip: Jan W. @ Oregon Conservative):

Say no to Republican budget cuts
Tomorrow in Portland
Host: <>, MoveOn member
Where: Senator Wyden's Portland Office (in Portland)
When: Thursday, Feb. 24, at 11:45 AM
What: In dozens of state legislatures and in Congress, Republicans are proposing massive cuts to education, police, emergency responders, and vital human services—instead of asking big corporations and millionaires to pay their fair share. This is a moment for national action, so we're holding Invest in America speak-outs tomorrow (Thursday) and will follow them up with rallies in all 50 state capitals on Saturday.

Here's the new SEIU fight song...

[The music group] Dropkick Murphys release new song in support of Wisconsin workers!

"Take 'Em Down"
He'll put us down
You've gotta stand your ground
When the boss comes calling
Don't believe their lies
When the boss comes calling
He'll take his toll
When the boss comes calling
Don't you sell your soul
When the boss comes calling
We gotta organize

Let them know
We've gotta take the bastards down
let them know
We've gotta smash 'em to the ground
Let them know
We've got to take the bastards down

Read More......

THE HILL: Obama names 15 recess appointments, including union lawyer

THE HILL, 3/27/2010 by Tony Romm - President Barack Obama on Saturday wielded his recess appointment powers for the first time, clearing 15 nominees to assume posts that have remained vacant for months due to insurmountable congressional roadblocks. ∴ Among the 15 named just days before the Senate departs for Easter recess are Craig Becker and Mark Pearce, the White House's two, hotly contested nominees for the National Labor Relations Board. ∴ Republicans have staunchly opposed both nominees, Becker especially, for their pro-labor positions. Business associations were also opposed to the appoinment[sic] of Becker, an associate general counsel to both the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and AFL-CIO who was nominated by Obama to the NLRB but failed this February to secure 60 votes in the Senate for confirmation. Read more at The Hill... Read More......

SEIU behind anti-tea party website

AMERICAN THINKER, 1/30/2010 by Rick Moran (Hat tip: Linda Weimer) - We received numerous complaints yesterday from AT readers who were concerned about a Google Ad that bashed the tea party movement. It turns out, that the website the ad was linked to was created with funds contributed at least partly by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Read more at American Thinker... Read More......