Government working class crisis

Hundreds of thousands are now facing their second week without a paycheck, and also facing the reality of having to rely on food pantries, and various charitable organizations just to be able to feed their families.
They've been shown complete and total disregard and complete disrespect, all the while those in office simply bicker back and forth like grade school children.

For now, it's just the hundreds of thousands who have been placed in these completely unacceptable positions, yet there is no indication of any semblance of cooperation visible. That being said, commendably, they've taken to occupying the halls of Capitol Hill. Workers have begun to stage sit-ins in the capitol, their anger on full, and very much warranted, display.

These are the unfortunate hundreds of thousands who face the desperate circumstances we hear about daily on the evening news. These are the hundreds of thousands who now must rely on food pantries and many have even taken on second jobs to keep the roof over their heads.

While this is truly a horrendous situation for these workers to find themselves in, for many millions more this is the very reality they face on a regular basis. From this, there is a opportunity to achieve a greater degree of understanding.

Those who are fortunate enough to have employment in fields that have strong union representation now stand to be given a glimpse into the conditions of millions of individuals who don't happen to share those same benefits of representation.

From a former union member, a strong union willing to fight for the rank and file is definitely where it's at, but there is a continued, and in recent years, increased effort to break any attempts at unionization. Why? Because the bosses and business owners fear unions, they give the average worker a voice to speak out with, provided there are enough rank and file who are willing to fight, and so far fight they have done. 

Unfortunately there are millions of those who don't enjoy the protections and voice that a union gives, and they're being exploited at a truly alarming rate. These are the workers who work multiple jobs, often one full time, and another or even a third part time job. These are the workers who desperately need a voice over anything else.

Maybe it's about time we workers start talking amongst each other? Maybe it's about time that the masses speak out in a singular voice, as it seems that our leaders are slowly but surely failing us. Maybe it's about time to stop putting the members of the military in harm's way for the sake of increasing corporate interests. Maybe it's time to actually start listening to your constituents.

There has been a clear and evident display of the inability to conduct the people's business effectively without the influence of personal conflicts and interests. If it were possible, in my opinion, a motion of no confidence would most definitely be in order.

-Richard Trotsky

Note: Technical difficulties prevented me from posting this in a timely manner.
Yet the "deal" lasts only up until February 15.
If Congress refuses to waste money on funding an ineffective wall,  Trump is threatening another tantrum.

What price for?

$4 billion dollars, that's how much the current government shutdown has cost us. $1 billion dollars every week that passes with the issue unresolved. How very ironic that the amount in dispute is $5.7 billion, that amount will be met one week and three days from now.

What we've been deluded with in regard to illegal immigration isn't supported by any significant factual data, it's a deception. It's the most effective type of deception, one that takes just a pinch of truth and surrounds it with misdirection. These are the most dangerous of them, because they're so easily believed by many.

So are we to believe that for the will of a few, there are hundreds of thousands who are suffering, and potentially millions more in the coming weeks, who will be the ones who truly pay the price for the current child like behavior of our leaders. I said in a prior post that they truly have no regard for us and the truth to that is becoming ever increasingly clear.

What's even more outrageous is the thought that for the interests of the few, the very economy itself was placed at risk. Several economists anticipated a weaker first quarter for the 2019 year, which would be somewhat offset by the tax return season.

$140 billion dollars is injected into the economy each year at tax season, enough to keep the economy stable in a period of weaker activity, but it you take that cushion out from under it...well it doesn't exactly take an economic guru to see how foolish that decision is.

What's more, the presented solution to this hijacking of the people's business is forcing 60% of the employees of the IRS to report to work unpaid to process tax returns. The blatant contempt for the workers is on full display and couldn't be any clearer.

Perhaps those potential consequences hadn't been considered by those making the decisions, but just the willingness of those in power to be so readily willing to flirt with the notion of potentially destroying an entire nation's economy for the sake of interests that could be truly questioned is abhorrent in my opinion.

Where is the display of leadership in that?

-Richard Trotsky

Shutting down workers lives

We're entering week 3 of the shutdown, thousands of workers have been forced to work without pay, and now it stands to extend into the airline industry as well. TSA screeners stand to not see a paycheck on Friday if there's no agreement on the budget issue. In my last post I stated it didn't affect us directly, however I should have clarified that it didn't affect us directly yet. That's slowly starting to take shape as TSA screeners have begun a degree of sick outs leading to delays in traveling. Can any of us really blame them though? What would you do if you were told you had to show up to work and not get paid?

We were told Mexico would pay for this pet project, yet now, as there was never any way to see that realized from it's first inception, and now we're told that we, the taxpayers, will be forced to pay for an endeavor the overwhelming majority of us see as a complete and total mismanagement and misuse of funds. How many of us (that are now being told will be forced to cover the cost at the behest of Trump and Co.) really see such a barrier as a true necessity when virtually all the factual data gathered about illegal immigration and national security actually runs in complete contrast to the "official" narrative from the White House?

I heard the most ridiculous thing while watching the evening news earlier. I actually heard the president, a billionaire, a member of the elite, actually had the audacity to say he can relate to the workers who have been forced to work without pay. At what point in his life did he ever have to go without? I'm very curious as to the answer of that question.

Perhaps one of the more unsettling aspects of this situation comes down to the potential for millions of individuals who receive assistance from the government to go without the very funds they utilize to feed their families with. There have been several states report that they'll have funding remaining to cover the expenses for January, but have nothing available for the month of February. So we work our bodies to death and you're telling us that now we may have to starve as well?!

Fortunately we've been potentially spared the further misery of possibly not receiving tax returns on account of a plan to write individual pieces of legislation to keep individual government departments open. For millions of us this is the silver lining in this situation, as we're eagerly waiting for our tax returns for down payments on big ticket items. Tax season is a very significant booster for the economy and should not be disregarded as an annual source of economic bolstering.

When will we realize that the very leaders that we elect to represent us truly have no concern at all for us. Perhaps there is some semblance of familiarity when the politician is still on a local level of politics, but once the national stage has been taken, it seems as if they become so much more than us mere serfs as we continue to toil away for our menial lives. Does anyone besides me see the contempt with which they see us all? Do any besides myself feel that this is not just disturbing, but a justifiable outrage?

I'll put it very straight forward and bluntly, they're rich, they don't give a damn about what we go through because it will NEVER AFFECT THEM!

-Richard Trotsky

Look for the Union Label & Representative

And I am back at work. Hired into a new position and happy to work there.
And then there is that jANUS decision that says that I don't have to join a union as a teacher anymore and I can still get the contract & benefits.

Bull.

The Union President didn't have to sell me on joining the Union. I sold him on why I needed to join.

From the salary, benefits, retirement package, professional development, support, and a whole ton more.

The Unit that I joined, after jANUS, maintained 100% membership.
They understand that Unions are the reason that they have what they have.

I read of a charter school in Buffalo that had four (4!) teachers for a class in one year. What did those students learn? Really?
That turnover improved student achievement?
Teachers in charter schools leave  because of the poor conditions - low pay, no benefits, if any, no rights. 

I attended my first meeting today with pride because I belong to a good unit.
We covered quite a bit and talked about the impact of the 2018 Election and what it means for teachern in NY.
We also discussed the use of the court system ( spell check tried to make that corpse system. This tablet is pretty smart & has a sense of humor.) by the reactionaries to destroy Unions.  We hit on local, state, and federal issues. Got to love solid and educated Union leadership.

Workers need to take note - Unionized work places have what they have because the workers band together.
The capitalist class is not going to give us fair pay and benefits unless we demand and fight for them.
It took how long to get $15 an hour?
Strong Unions would have had that long ago.
You want better pay and benefits - join a Union.
It's that simple.

To a Union I belong.
Because of a Union, I am Strong.

Look for the Union Label.

Government Shut Down Who Exactly?

So the government has been shut down, government workers are now without income on account of our elected officials inability to agree on a budget. The main point of contention is the approximately $5 billion dollars in funding proposed for building of the infamous "wall". This stalemate is all on account of the notion of national security.

This comes with a huge degree of irony since the shutdown has adversely affected a system that the Department of Homeland Security maintains for verification of I9 information presented to employers. That system is none other than the E-Verify system. Yes, a system utilized by employers to verify identities is now completely inoperable on account of the government being shut down. How does this in any way benefit national security?

So let's think about this for a second. The money for the "wall" is what's being pressed by the Republicans, which is being opposed by the Democrats, has led to the inability to pass a budget, which led to a temporary government shut down, which has resulted in the shut down of a site used to verify identities. And this benefits national security in what way? Is it only me that sees the absurdity in this entire scenario?

Yes, the E-Verify issue is more of a minor insignificance, and information can be submitted after it's back up and running, however that won't be until the government is operational once again. From appearances, heels are just starting to get dug in, so we'll have to just wait and see how the scenario will play out. However it's not just that limited area that's affected. Yes, essential functionality may still be retained, but who are the ones paying the toll for the inability of the elected to come to a compromise? That would be us, you and I, perhaps not directly, but it does affect us.

Even worse think of those it does directly affect, there are workers who have been forced to work without pay because they're considered "essential" personnel. It's very easy for those who live in castles to be unaffected by the peasants' issues....or be less concerned with them rather. I'm sure there will be those who will bring up national security and illegal immigrants, but statistically the data just doesn't support those declarations.

History is an excellent teacher, and it teaches us that when you venture into other nations and pull the strings of governments and organizations without genuine concern for the people of these nations, the long term result is situations so horrible that thousands risk their lives each year to escape them. There are many reasons that these desperate masses venture to the borders here, yet the origins of these reasons will only be known to those who search for the answers found within history.

Richard Trotsky

Policing the Cameras

So the Buffalo Police Department is getting cameras. And the choice to turn them off if they feel a situation does not warrant being recorded.
Wrong.

Each incident needs to be recorded to the end, whether it has a positive or a negative outcome.

This is a perfect case of the fox watching the hen house.

And apparently there is one person deciding if footage from a body camera can be released.
This needs to be decided by a panel, not one person.

I need to read the full guidelines on the use of the cameras, but I am not impressed with what I have heard on the news so far.

I do agree and believe that they can be a force for good in policing the police.
I have a problem with the discretion.

Say No to these Juuls

The Buffalo News has a story about students using vaping devices. In school no less.  And because of the flavored  juice, teachers can't tell if it's kids getti g "juiced on a Juul" or some kid having an Axe attack. (Or whatever scent they put too much of o  their bodies to cover up the fact that they didn't shower).

Juuls, or any vaping technology, is just another way to get people hooked on nicotine so that tobacco companies don't' lose money.

The industry does not even know if these devices are safe and do not have to reveal the chemicals they use in their "juices."  If a scientist took the time to read the Safety Data Sheets on the chemicals used in the juices we'd know in a heartbeat how dangerous vaping is.

Let us remember that the tobacco industry fought labels that stated that smoking cigarettes causes cancer.   This is just their next step in the game because people do not see vaping as being dangerous.

Face the fact - the people using vaping devices are the test subjects.  We will know in a decade how dangerous these devices are now.

There are better ways, and safer ways, to quit.
We need to have scientists receive all the industry  information on vaping devices now so that we can have accurate information onnthe safety of these devices.

Remember the last time we trusted corporations to police themselves?
They never do.

Remembering the fallen

The Buffalo News is geaturing those that have passed on in the last year.
Thry are remembering the "Great" Men and Women of local history.

And what of the working class  men and women that passed on?
How many workers died in industrial accidents that the News only covered out of ? Sales?
I can' t tell you how many times I have heard fro  journalism students the line "If it bleeds it leads."
And that is the extent of the coverage.
There might be a bit of a human intrrest story on the family, if they had one, or the parents.
That ends it.

We need to remember the fallen workers that made this region what it is.
It is not growing because of the good graces of the 1%.
It grows because of the work that the working class does.

No workers, no economy.
That is a simple rule that we need to remember.

So, to all the fallen workers who died from accidents, exposure to toxic chemicals or substances, or because Wall Street  demanded another dollar,
We salute you.

Fallen members of the WNY Working Class, Presente!