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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2013)
Who’s On Our Side? By Tom Chamberlain A s I write this article, the presi- dent and Congress are work- ing to reopen government and raise the debt ceiling. Most suspect that a “Grand Bargain” will be reached in the next week. In the meantime, tens of thou- sands of public employees have been unpaid and sit idly at home and wait; millions of Americans haven’t received the federal bene- fits they qualify for; highway funds have dried up and construction projects stopped, leaving thousands more without work; federal regula- tory agencies are working at mini- mum staffing levels. Whether you realize it or not, every American has been impacted. The shutdown was failed politi- cal brinksmanship at the expense of our nation, at the expense of work- ing men and women, at the expense of families, at the expense of the disabled, the elderly, and poor. Rest assured that when the “Grand Bargain” is reached, busi- nesses and the wealthy will be held harmless. They may even come out ahead, seeing their share of sup- porting our nation reduced. The “Grand Bargain” will tell the rest of us — those whose jobs and livelihoods have been affected, that to end the shutdown we must take on other burdens — to pay. The 99 percent will see more prom- ises reneged on, and a continuing of decades of unraveling America’s already tattered social safety net. This is a pessimistic prediction, for sure. It is based on three decades of an increasingly pro- business pro-wealth agenda based on the premise that if you decrease federal, state, and local funding re- sponsibilities for the 1 percent, jobs will be created. This agenda be- lieves that we can build the middle class from the top down. It is Ronald Reagan’s trickle-down eco- nomic strategy on steroids. This strategy didn’t work for a 1980s America, and after three decades of shifting more and more funding responsibility from the 1 percent to the 99 percent, it should be clear that this is nothing short of a disastrous policy for our nation. Oregon reached its own “Grand Bargain” this month, raising much- needed funding for public educa- tion. Part of the funding package included a tax increase from wealthy seniors and some busi- nesses. But the lion’s share of the revenue came from state and local retirees and future retirees — Ore- gonians who, on average, receive less than $30,000 per year in retire- ment. The Oregonian newspaper — and almost all of the business asso- ciations in the state — mounted months of campaigning focusing on the PERS $1 million Club: those few PERS retirees, such as retired University of Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti, who earn over $500,000 per year. This campaign was designed to create political leverage to reduce PERS benefits far below what was agreed to in contract. This classic diversionary strat- egy changed the focus to reducing the cost of government, rather than looking at who is paying for gov- ernment. They were successful, and took a Grand Bargain victory lap across the media. There was no mention of the sacrifice of the hard-working Ore- gonians who will collectively forgo billions in promised retiree benefits in our effort to increase funding to state and local governments. “Grand bargains” equate to business give-aways and worker take-aways. After 30 years of eco- nomic and funding policies that have resulted in fewer middle-class jobs and less funding for essential programs, while trying to appease the 1%ers with more and more in- centives, history has taught work- ing families when they hear gov- ernment is trying to reach a “Grand Bargain,” it is time to hold onto your wallets very tightly. History has taught us that no Grand Bargain is on working peo- ples’ side. Tom Chamberlain is president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. Federal shutdown hurts rank-and-file workers Portland members of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) rallied outside the Portland Federal Building on Oct. 1 — Day 1 of the federal government shutdown. In the photo right, Amanda Schroeder, president of Portland-based AFGE Local 2157, tells Fox News that many federal employees are either locked out from working or are re- quired to work for free. Either way, they won’t get paychecks until the U.S. House ends its refusal to fund the gov- ernment. Majority House Republicans have tried to make President Barack Obama and the Democratic-led Senate agree to concessions — including de- lay or repeal of Obamacare — in ex- change for voting to continue funding the government. Until some agreement is reached, an estimated 800,000 federal employees, including 27,700 in Oregon, are going without pay, and the public is going without myriad services. The shutdown entered its third week as this issue went to press. On Oct. 12, AFGE national Presi- dent J. David Cox Sr. sent a letter to PAGE 10 EE R F BARGAIN COUNTER Free classified ads to subscribers DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication Published 1st and 3rd Fridays Now accepting e-mails Send to: Michael492@comcast.net Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213 (Please include union affiliation) • 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue • All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) • Ads MUST include area code or they will not be published A UTOMOTIVE 4 MICHELIN X-radial tires, P225/60R 16, 75% tread, paid $500, sell for $200 obo. 541-812-1771 ’86 FORD LTD Crown Victoria, 63,000 miles, maroon inside and out, runs great, DEQ cert, $3,000. 503 252-2136 1987 KawasaKI motorcycle, KZ305LTD, low miles, $800. 503-539-0288 4 TIREs, 195 x 14 whitewall w/rims for small bolt pattern Dart or Valiant, excellent cond, $125. 503-798-6517 H OUSING ROCKawaY BEaCH rental, 3 bed, 2 bath, sleeps 10, Jacuzzi, 5 min to beach/shops.Vacationhomerentals.com/4 3026 LINCOLN CITY vacation rental, 3 bdrm, 2 bath. sleeps 8, wi-fi, 2 blks from beach, 3 blks from casino. 503-653-2069 ROCKawaY ocean front, 503-777-5076, 5 bdrms/2ba, huge home on the beach! http://rockawaybeachfrontrental.com S PORTING G OODS RVs, trailers, bicycles, autos, lawnmow- ers, cash paid will pick up 503-880-8183 U.s., GERMaN, Japanese military items, uniforms, aviation, hats, helmets, swords, daggers, bayonets, rifles, pistols. 503-852- 6791 BUYING Us & world coins to add to col- lection, paying fairly, any amount wel- come. 503-939-8835 COLLECTOR, cash paid, old fishing tackle, wood plugs, reels, creels, salmon fishing photos, etc. 503-775-4166 COLLECTOR PaYs cash for older toys, oil paintings, american art pottery, and costume jewelry. 503 703-5952 THIs OLD HOUsE, July 2013 issue. 503- 667-1093 M ISCELLANEOUS REaR sTaBaLIZER for travel trailer or 5th-wheel, adjustable width, $40. 503- 761-0003 8-INCH DRILL PREss with drill press vice $90; pipe tap set, half inch through two inch, $100 obo. 503-622-0899 PIONEER sPEaKERs, big old 3 ways, great sound, fair grills; Model Cs-G403. $50/pair. 503-233-1657 DUMBBELLs, hexhead, 10 lbs, 15 lbs, and 25 lbs, one pair each, $55. 503-975- 9011 sPRINGFIELD aRMORY, XDs .45, case, 2 mags, book, 2 high capacity mags, $620 503 894-2126 sIG P229 40 CaL with night sights, rail, 2 mags, holster and original box, gun is in great shape. 503-369-0692 Obama asking the president to consider declaring an emergency that would al- low FEMA to make zero interest loans to any federal worker who is not re- ceiving his or her paycheck. The national AFL-CIO is calling on union members and the public to share stories of how they’re affected by the shutdown, and to sign a petition calling on Congress to end it, at http://www.afl- cio.org/Legislation-and-Politics/Shut- down. W ANTED OLD wOODwORKING tools, planes, lev- els, chisels, handsaws, slicks, adzes, wrenches, folding rulers, axes, hatchets, leather tools, tool chests. 503-659-0009 MOTORCYCLEs, quads, boats, tractors, NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS OCTOBER 18, 2013
