Welcome to Milwaukee, Mr. President, but Lavern and Shirley don't work here anymore

[Enrique]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-bottari/welcome-mr-president-but_b_706115.html

MILWAUKEE. -- For many Americans Lavern and Shirley remain the enduring icons of the city of Milwaukee. Barack Obama was a teenager when the sitcom about two independent young women working in a beer factory was a popular hit in the late 1970s. But the sad truth about Milwaukee is that Lavern and Shirley don't work here any more.

After 30 years of deindustrialization, Milwaukee is a shell of its former self and the Great Recession has left the city reeling. Into this mix on Monday, steps President Obama, here to celebrate Labor Day in a city where labor is on the rack

The job situation in city and across the great state of Wisconsin is disastrous. 796,000 people in the Milwaukee area are out of work. A statewide jobs report indicates that one in five jobs were lost since the recession began in 2007. A quarter of black workers are unemployed, numbers not rivalled since the Great Depression.

The assault on wages continues as profitable companies squeeze even more concessions of their workforce. Marching in the Labor Day parade with President this year are the 140 remaining members of United Electrical Local 111. This will be the last march Labor Day march for this 73 year-old local. It was founded in 1937 and at it's height represented some 6,5000 Allen-Bradley employees. But the company (now called Rockwell) is intent on moving production overseas and contracting out the remaining tasks to nonunionized workers even though it tripled its global profits in 2009.

Milwaukee's flagship manufacturer, Harley-Davidson, is threatening to move out of its longtime home in the Milwaukee are to Kansas City, Missouri. Even though the firm was profiled recently in the Wall Street Journal for its "soaring profits," Harley wants to carve $50 million dollars of its payroll off the backs of its 2, 000 workers. The company slogan "the road starts here" is not as inspiring when it is the low road of cut wages and benefits.

What does Milwaukee need? "Massive investment in the economy," says Wisconsin AFL-CIO president David Newby who will welcome President Obama to the Milwaukee Labor Fest on Monday.

(...)

[IndianaGreen]

1. Funny but sadly true!

We are becoming a banana republic, while the former banana republics are kicking out their oligarchs.

[MadMaddie]

2. The key to this article is

<snip>
After 30 years of deindustrialization
<snip>

There has been a massive push by many in this country to push all manufacturing to poor countries.

I beleive that we should have a basic manufacturing base in this country, it's a matter of National Security. Not only jobs but we should be able to sustain functioning as an isolated country if we had to.

For example during WWII many private manufacturing companies were able to transition and manufacture materials for the war. I don't believe we can do that now.

[ProSense]

3. The President previously visited Wisconsin three weeks ago

Feingold Statement On President Obama's Visit to a Wisconsin Business

[Enrique]

4. true

it's a bit of a non sequitur from the article, but it is a fact that Obama did recently visit Wisconsin, and you do have the link to prove it.

[ProSense]

6. "it's a bit of a non sequitur from the article" No,

it was a subtle attempt to point out that it's likely the President already knows that Milwaukee isn't the land of Lavern and Shirley.

When the President saved the auto industry, he didn't do it under the misguided notion that it was the auto industry of old. That still didn't stop someone from calling him a snob.

It's always something.

[IndianaGreen]

5. That was in August, now: Obama visit won't include Feingold

Obama visit won't include Feingold

By Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel
Sept. 2, 2010

When President Barack Obama visits Milwaukee on Labor Day to talk to working families and members of dozens of labor unions, one prominent politician won't be there.

A Labor Day schedule put out by the staff of U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) indicates that, while Feingold will be in Milwaukee earlier in the day for a Milwaukee Laborfest Pre-Parade on Monday morning, he will not be in town when Obama is expected to arrive.

Obama's schedule for the day has not been released, but Laborfest will be open from noon to 7 p.m. at the Maier Festival Grounds.

Feingold has two other Labor Day appearances in Janesville, his hometown, and Kenosha. Both cities have strong labor union ties.

When Obama was in Menomonee Falls and Milwaukee last month, Feingold did greet the president in Milwaukee and stayed with him the entire day.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/102063553.html

I wonder what polls Feingold is looking at?