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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2017)
PAGE 2 | January 6, 2017 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Drain the swamp? Trump cabinet would be richest ever NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 in Portland, Oregon as a voice of the la- bor movement. Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non-profit mutual benefit corpo- ration owned by 20 unions and councils including the Ore- gon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Office location: 4275 NE Halsey St., Portland, Oregon Mailing address: P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213 Phone: (503) 288-3311 Web address: http://nwlaborpress.org Editor & Manager: Michael Gutwig Associate editor: Don McIntosh Office manager: Cheri Rice Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks, by members of Teamsters Local 747-M. 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Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6 Paula Presidential candidate Donald Trump pledged to “drain the swamp of corruption” in Wash- ington, D.C., and proposed a five-year ban on executive branch officials becoming lob- byists. Lobbyists are considered to be a problem because they work behind the scenes to get laws and rules written for the benefit of the wealthy and pow- erful. But with his cabinet ap- pointments, president-elect Trump would cut out lobbyist middlemen and put the wealthy and powerful directly in charge of federal agencies. If Trump’s nominees are con- firmed by the Senate, they’ll be by far the wealthiest cabinet in U.S. history, with a combined net worth of $14 billion — 50 times wealthier than George W. Bush’s cabinet. Many of the nominees are a lot like Trump: They were born wealthy, at- tended elite schools, and went on to amass even larger fortunes as adults. And a number of them were big donors to the Trump campaign. It’s not like President Barack Obama’s cabinet was filled with working stiffs either. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker is from a Chicago family worth $29 billion. Secretary of State EDUCATION: Bil- lionaire Betsy De- Vos thinks taxpay- ers should pay for private school. LABOR: Fast food CEO Andrew Puzder opposes minimum wage increases. John Kerry is worth over $200 million and is married to the widow of a billionaire. But Trump’s cabinet tops them by far: His pick for Secretary of Commerce, worth an estimated $2.5 billion, is investor Wilbur Ross, a specialist in leveraged buyouts. Ross once helped Trump when his Atlantic City casinos were in financial trou- ble, and he gave $200,000 to Trump’s election campaign. His pick for Secretary of Ed- ucation is Betsy DeVos, who was born rich and married richer. Her husband is CEO of Amway and is son and heir to the Amway founder’s $5.1 bil- lion fortune. Betsy DeVos — ers. His net worth is estimated at $40 million. Trump’s nominee for Secre- tary of Labor is Andrew Puzder, CEO of the company that owns the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s fast food chains. Puzder has a net worth estimated at $25 million, and he and his wife gave COMMERCE: Bil- TREASURY: For- $300,000 to Trump and the Re- lionaire investor mer Goldman publican National Committee. Wilbur Ross once Sachs partner Steve Puzder would oversee enforce- rescued Trump Mnuchin profited ment of wage and hour and oc- casinos. from foreclosures. cupational safety laws and the who never attended public administration of unemploy- schools herself — is a longtime ment insurance, workers com- advocate of taxpayer funding to pensation, and work visa pro- grams. charter and private schools. In a Dec. 1 statement reacting Trump’s nomineee for Secre- to Trump’s cabinet picks, AFL- tary of State is Rex Tillerson, CIO President Richard Trumka chairman and CEO of Exxon- called the appointments incon- Mobil. America’s 29th highest sistent with the pledges Trump paid CEO, Tillerson has a net made in the campaign: “After worth estimated at $150 million. the election, we made clear that Treasury Secretary Steven we would hold Donald Trump Mnuchin, whose signature accountable to the promises he could soon be on U.S. currency, made to working people. His was the chief fundraiser for the initial nominations fundamen- Trump campaign. A former Goldman Sachs partner, hedge tally threaten these promises. fund owner, and Hollywood Taken together, the appoint- film investor, he made millions ments push President-elect on films like American Sniper Trump away from the values and Mad Max: Fury Road, and and issues that working class as part owner of a bank that voters said were most important foreclosed on 36,000 homeown- to them.”
