How to rebuild the American middle class

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.yorkdispatch.com/letters/ci_6203444

How to rebuild the American middle class
Article Last Updated: 06/22/2007 10:51:31 AM EDT

Restoring good wages, health care, retirement security and good jobs -- this is the way to rebuild middle-class America, and this is what the Pennsylvania union movement does best.

Today, we have that opportunity to do just that. The Employee Free Choice Act -- passed by the House of Representatives and up for a vote in the Senate -- will help middle class families regain their place in the U.S. economy.

How?

By providing working people with the opportunity for a real voice on the job, through union representation, along with the standing to negotiate with employers so that workers are no longer treated like the expendable property some employers would like them to be. Contrast these goals with the all-too-typical actions of today's corporate management.

Just a few months ago, Circuit City fired 3,400 workers simply because it decided that their wages -- about $11 to $12 an hour for most -- were just too high. These workers were fired despite the fact that they were experienced and well-qualified, and their pay was based on merit.

Management did invite these workers to reapply for their jobs -- at half pay.

Why aren't more workers in the United States joining unions?

A new poll tells us that nearly 60 percent of eligible workers would join a union if they could. So what's going on?

FULL story at link.

[Robson]

1. Let's be honest here

Who really does care about middle America?

I don't see Democrats in DC pulling out the stops to advance the middle class. I don't see the DNC and many mainstream Democratic candidates make an agenda of advancing middle America as their primary goal. And if they do support amnesty for illegals there is a huge disconnect because amnesty is about making the rich richer, giving the churches more money and hoping that said illegals will vote for Democratic politicians. Amnesty is only a negative for the middle and lower class as it provides only more wage suppression and tax escalation for middle Americans.

Some might say that the United States needs a party that represents the 65% in the middle...not the far left or far right. I'd buy into it.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Because There Is Zero Political Price To Pay For Sodomizing The Middle Class

It utterly blows my mind that of the three Democratic front-runners for President, one voted for job-obliterating permanent 'free' trade with China (Edwards), and another was a huge cheerleader for it (Clinton). There's no way a person with half a brain could have voted for that without understanding that free access to $2-a-day labor wouldn't totally fuck the Middle Class. No way.

And now, one of them is even positioning himself as the pro-Labor candidate!

Zero consequences.

[Robson]

3. Would FDR approve of the current DLC /DNC logic and positions?

FDR represented a different era of Democrats. There was never a nuance as to whether he supported our US labor and middle class versus the governments of Mexico or China...such as present day Democrats..including Bill Clinton.

Yet the DNC wonders why they lost the South and lost those many millions of Americans that voted against their economic interests.

The reasons are quite straight forward....the DNC doesn't straight forward represent the middle class and working Americans. The DNC/DLC represents many causes.....but American labor and the middle class aren't front and center. Their interests are buried somewhere between the primary issues of the far left and the pro-corporate agenda of the far right. The US middle class economic interests really has no hard core political representation IMHO, and I view that has a HUGE failure of the Democratic Party.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. FDR's Doing 3600 RPM in His Grave These Days

But we are enabling this behavior - as long as it is verboten to vote for a third party, the 'Democrats' will continue to get away with their "we suck a little less" strategy.

[Robson]

8. Refreshing if DNC became the Labor Party

It would be refreshing change if the Democratic Party made a focused and rash change in policies, and offered a statement that the Party's new agenda will be to advance the populist interests of Americans that aren't part of the "have mores" and part of corporate executive America.

Corporate America has basically had their way with our country since Reagan for 25 years, and that's why CEO compensation has increased 10 fold in relation to average employee compensation, and corporate taxes are declining to null and replaced with revenue from individual taxes.

The focus of the Party has gone from individuals to the New York City money people and the financial sector which is skimming off a huge disproportionate amount of the economy as commissions on trades, banking, financing, etc. While much of the US economy struggles to keep up, the financial sector that essentially contributes nothing of value or production, is flush with bonuses and fees.

[MichiganVote]

6. Got that right.

[Demeter]

4. I'd Be Happy If The PTB Would Just Stop Ambushing Us!

A cease-fire, or the equivalent, would be merciful.

[Robson]

5. What's PTB? - nt

[Demeter]

11. Powers That Be

[Robson]

12. Thanks

Ah....that works! When I first looked it up here, nothing seemed to fit LOL...but there it is right in front of my eyes.
Thanks
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/PTB

[Rene]

9. A VERY important point......Thank you for stating it so well.

I will never set foot in a Circuit City again after learning this info. I think a strong consumer boycott can teach this company and others of their ilk a good lesson. Let's start with a huge impact(loss) to Circuit City. I'm going to let my consumer dollars do the talking --- I'm walking out of CC.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

10. Where are the good Socialists when you need them?

Eugene V. Debs, Reverend Norman Thomas.