Tonight June 18th, 2007
Charleston City Council - Pet Lovers Advocacy
As you may have heard members of the Public Safety Committee voted unanimously for the proposed animal bill, but now the vote goes before all 27 members of council. Councilwoman Mary Jean Davis urged members of public to be present at next Monday's meeting to show support and the best way to do that is to have bodies in the audience.
After a year of a lot of hard work and long hours we are very close to getting a great new animal ordinance on the books. I thank you all for your support over the last several months. If any of you could show up at Monday's meeting it would be most appreciated, and if you bring some friends with you, even better! The more supporters we have the better. The city council meeting is this coming Monday, at 7pm , the 18th, 3rd floor in council chambers of city hall. The meeting shouldn't take that long.
Natalie Tennant
You are invited to celebrate West Virginia Day and help Natalie Tennant kickoff her campaign for SECRETARY OF STATE
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
10:00 am
Riverside Steps of the State Capitol
Another Passing of Sadness
Si Galperin, former state senator, dies [Charleston Gazette].
Magazine features local Patriot
Check out the new issue of MetroValley magazine, now on the newsstand, for "The Cost of War," by the Reverend Jim Lewis, board member of WV Patriots for Peace.
Presidential Candidate Updates
Union bill has narrow prospects in Senate
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Senate Republicans have vowed to kill organized labor's legislative priority of the year, and they may soon get their chance. The bill, which would make it easier for workers to form unions, cleared the House earlier this year on a party-line vote. It has been awaiting action in the Senate since March, and the majority leader, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said he will try for passage before the July 4 vacation. A Republican filibuster is a certainty, and in a Senate narrowly divided along party lines, there is virtually no chance that the bill's supporters can get the 60 votes needed to prevail.
Hillary Clinton's labor problem / One of her top strategists is CEO of a union-busting P.R. firm. Doesn't labor deserve more respect?
By Joe Conason
Salon.com
Jun. 16, 2007
There must be moments when the leaders of America's labor movement mutter the dark lament of the late Rodney Dangerfield, because so often they "get no respect" from the same Democratic politicians who depend on union endorsements and funding. This week they could certainly feel that way, after voicing their "concern" over the actions of a huge union-busting public relations company headed by Sen. Hillary Clinton's top political strategist, Mark Penn -- and getting no satisfactory response.
Edwards: Organized labor is the key
By Rob Daniel
Iowa City Press-Citizen
Sunday, June 17, 2007
CORALVILLE -- Labor unions will play a key part in expanding the American middle class, Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said Saturday. "If we want to strengthen and grow the middle class, ... the organized labor component is critical for that," said Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina.
Staking His Campaign on Iowa, Edwards Makes a Populist Pitch to the Left
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
New York Times
June 18, 2007
Four years ago — facing what seemed to be a certain defeat in the Iowa Democratic caucuses — John Edwards recast his presidential campaign with weeks to go before the vote, unveiling an emotionally powerful speech about poverty that he delivered relentlessly across the state. Mr. Edwards came within a few thousand votes of victory. To this day, he tells associates he would have won with another week. …… Mr. Edwards's latest trip here offered evidence of just how much he studied the lessons of his Iowa defeat last time, though he would prefer to view it as a near victory. It also suggests the extent to which the rhythms of Iowa Democratic politics have shaped Mr. Edwards's decidedly different candidacy this time around.
AP Enterprise: Obama's life and record in Springfield, Ill., hint at the president he would be
By RON FOURNIER
Associated Press
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Ask those who served with him in the Illinois Senate whether Barack Obama is ready to be president, and they will tell you he is a dogged consensus-builder known for his empathy, intellect and unbounded ambition. They will call him cautious and calculating, a disciple of shady patrons, a liberal lawmaker and conservative poker player. But they will not quite say he is ready for the presidency.
Editorial: What a union is due
Chicago Tribune
June 18, 2007
The 1st Amendment is a vital guarantee of the right of Americans to speak, write and worship freely. But it has often been distorted by those attempting to use it in ways never intended by the framers of the Constitution. It would be harder to find a less plausible claim than the one addressed last week by the U.S. Supreme Court, which was less about free speech than about union power. ........ But not all union funds go for collective bargaining. Some go to finance campaign activities on behalf of candidates. It's obviously unfair to force workers to finance political efforts they may not agree with.
How the Feds Force States to Hire Unionbusters
By Nathan Newman
TPM Café blog
June 15, 2007
Oregon this week joined New Hampshire in this legislative session in allowing state employees to organize a union whenever a majority sign cards asking for a union- a majority signup provision that's part of the federal Employee Free Choice Act that the Senate will be voting on next week. But here's the thing-- states like Oregon & New Hampshire have the power to protect the labor rights of employees who work directly for them, but the second they hire a contractor to perform any public service, federal law prevents them from screening out companies that repeatedly violate their workers labor rights. This is one reason so many state legislatures have passed resolutions demanding tougher labor enforcement by the feds, including passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), but it's a criminal situation that repeat labor law violators have mandatory federal access to public funds.
The Drema Dems Coalition E-Newsletter produced by Capitol City Communications
Subscribe | Unsubscribe