The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Senate voted yesterday to cut $2m from the Office of Labor Management Standards' (OLMS) budget. That's the federal agency in charge of collecting and checking LM-2 forms, which force unions to disclose their income and expenditures. Amongst the revelations contained therein: the Food and Commercial Workers Local Union 1 spent $26k on golf, another (unnamed) union forked-out $3m on hotel bills and Don Hunsucker, President of Local 1288 of The United Food and Commercial Workers Union, pocketed a $679,949 annual paycheck. The OLMS also flags corruption; with their help, the Labor Department announced 13 indictments and seven convictions last month (raising their yearly total to 97 indictments and 115 convictions). With over $30b heading for a United Auto Workers-controlled VEBA health care superfund– that's GM alone– you'd think that our representatives would want to beef-up enforcement, rather than pull the rug from under the watchdog's feet. The Senate's 47 to 46 vote to trim the OLMS' budget was almost entirely along party lines; 45 Democrats voted to cut the funding. Make of that what you will.
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“Make of that what you will.”
OK, thanks for the invitation to say that the Dumocratic party is in the pockets of the socialist unions.
And the average person thinks just “what” of their politicians in Washington?
11% approval rate for the Demoncrat run congress and senate, and 30% approval rate for the Repugnican administration.
Yet, we still vote these anti-constitutional, mouth breathing, knuckle dragging, sub-moronic imbeciles into office every election….
Make of THAT what you will…..
As for me and my household, we’re voting Consitution Party (US Taxpayer Party in Michigan since the Michigan State secretary of state refuses to allow a name change for the 3rd largest party in the nation, in Michigan).
I think I’m gonna be sick.
No wonder everyone distrusts politicians. Doesn’t matter if its an elephant or a donkey, they are all full of it.
Does the rank-and-file have any options? Could they organize a watchdog force that reported on union spending quarterly at a local meeting?
Ryan,
That would require the rank and file to admit (openly)that they don’t trust the leadership. The backlash from that would be worthy of pay per view…
Ryan and Virtual Insanity:
It’s coming. The *real* members of unions, the guys that actually do the work, aren’t going to put up with this much longer and they aren’t going to blindly follow bad orders of their union bosses, either.
I just hope that they wake up before it is too late. Perhaps this will set in motion the kind of union I envision – a self policing unit. Guarantee the employer that you will provide them with the highest quality workers available, then talk about compensation.
A small fraction of 30b buys lots of politicians.
This is all so obvious, why isn’t the media all over this? Oh I forget, they are busy seeing if Brittany got her kids back. I hope the union members understand that once the money is spent, that is it, adios and chow to any further funds. Don’t you think the union members are going to treat the VEBA funds like blank checks also? Get every medical procedure for them and their familieis done. From fat reduction surgeries to viagra it will be spend, spend, spend. The the union management will probably make sure the country club memberships stay current, and the expensive meals keep being ordered. There should be a lottery started as to the date the money runs out.
hltguy,
Aren’t the press mostly pro-labor? And by that I mean pro union, not pro working guy.
I’d say the press is pro-ratings. Editors will only let reporters slam their advertisers if the ratings are there to justify it.
More to the point – Aren’t the Democrats mostly pro-labor?
“The *real* members of unions, the guys that actually do the work, aren’t going to put up with this much longer and they aren’t going to blindly follow bad orders of their union bosses, either.”
Has something changed in the last 70 years that I was unaware of. I expect unions and their members to continue to do what they have always done — like lemmings right over the cliff.
Chump change compared to what happens on Wall Street. But the union details do support the idea that we need a federal government that is prepared to regulate properly and enforce and prosecute where required. Call it left wing or call it right wing whatever you want – do you want to invest your money with some unregulated jokers or scam artist.
Good points, but even worse than Wall Street is – the Fed.
From Wikepidia, regarding (hyper) inflation:
Governments will often try to disguise the true rate of inflation through a variety of techniques. These can include the following:
1) Outright lying as to official statistics such as money supply, inflation or reserves.
2) Suppression of publication of money supply statistics, or inflation indices.
3) Price and wage controls.
4) Forced savings schemes, designed to suck up excess liquidity. These savings schemes may be described as pensions schemes, emergency funds, war funds, or similar.
5) Adjusting the components of the Consumer Price Index, to remove those items whose prices are rising the fastest.
As of right now, the US has 1, 2 and 5. 3 out of 5 ain’t bad, huh? (OK yes it is…)
Landcrusher: If the media is pro-labor, I am having a hard time then understanding the constant, except for some radio talk show hosts and Lou Dobbs, media appearance of pro illegal immigration into this country, which in its own way is hurting american labor. Two million dollar budget cut in the watchdog agency equals a nano second of time in terms of government spending, so obviously there is a political agenda. Add that, as the article stated, the Democrats voted entirely for it, begs the question are the Democrats really pro-labor? Who stands to get hurt the most from a bazillion dollar fund controlled by a union? Do you think union leaders will put themselves in a position to be financially harmed? It would be the union member themselves. Therefore one could make the argument the Democrats have hurt the worker here. Being the majority of the people in the media are registered Democrats (that is a fact), I would not expect too much coverage on this. As much as I hate more government actions overseeing our lives, I don’t know who can be trusted less, a union or a branch of the government. There very well may come a day when the union members will rue the decision to have GM turn over the funds to the union.
Bring back King George! Voters are more tyrannical than any dictator could be.
One only needs to buy about 270 scumbags in Congress…$30B is more than enough. This vote means “We are ready to accept bribes and we don’t want to be audited/caught”. Of course their broadcast media will spin the “crime” to the “briber” and the scumbags in Congress (The ones that actually EXCEPT the bribe) will be the victims of the crime. See Jack Abramoff and Enron.
A Labor Union is just a Socialist politicain’s mini-me…Muggers.
hltguy:
The media is pro-organized labor. They get the “pro human freedom” kick by being pro illegal immigration.
The GM deal with the UAW is a “bailout”, once removed. When the union squanders the VEBA cash cow, the Gov’t will heve to step in to avert the health care/pension crisis that’s sure to develop. However, 401(k)funds will probably go first, of course. These abdications by big business by foisting their future responsibilities onto the workers (who can only rely on unstable investments to have any real chance of a reasonable retiremant income) will turn full circle (in time).
The days ahead look bleak…
But hey, tomorrow’s Friday!