January 10, 2007
How Will the New Congress Fight Terrorism?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is starting off her first week in power with H.R. 1, a hefty bill designed to implement the 9/11 commission recommendations that she says remain undone. Here's our take on some smaller points in the 279-page bill....43,000 New Union Jobs
TSA unionization: Ever since the Transportation Security Administration was created in a hurry in the days right after 9/11, the country's airport screeners–a force that today includes about 43,000 people–have been unable to formally unionize. The House bill gives all TSA employees collective bargaining rights.... John Gage, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, a government union, said Monday..."The new legislation will improve security by stabilizing the workforce and improving morale."
Money for Muslim Children
Funds for Muslim schoolchildren: 9/11 commission member Tim Roemer praised Democrats on Monday for introducing a bill that would ensure "progress on winning hearts and minds around the world." Democrats plan to create an International Arab and Muslim Youth Opportunity Fund that would invest in public education in Arab and Muslim countries. No word in the bill on how much such an effort would cost.
I bet that you didn't know that those provisions were essential recommendations of the 9/11 Commission to protect us from terrorism. Please refer back to G.M.'s post titled "How Do You Spell Ethics Reform Business As Usual?". What a surprise.
Not to ignore the post, Woody...but, my goodness! Nine posts in under 24 hours?
Must remember to hide the Adderal prescription...:)
Posted by jim hitchcock at January 10, 2007 06:50 PM
Jim, I'm dealing with my guilt trip of not being able to do much in G.M.'s absence for a couple of days. Anyway, I was supposed to go out of town today but felt badly, so I stayed home and messed around. I'll be gone Thursday, so these should keep the readers busy.
Posted by Woody at January 10, 2007 06:58 PM
Nothing to feel guilty about, Woody.
BTW, got together with my cousin from Atlanta this weekend...he was visiting his mom and brothers in Reno. He said he wasn't a Braves fan. Imagine that!
Posted by jim hitchcock at January 10, 2007 07:08 PM
Money for schools for Arab kids? If we can institute a curriculum similar to that in our schools this will solve the terrorist problem within the U.S. Their geography knowledge will be so poor they won't be able to find the U.S. or even the next province.
They would also be too busy trying to put condoms on cucumbers, arguing about who offended whom, sexism, situational ethics that they'll be too confused to take any sort of organized action. We should also require that the schools receiving the money abide by the same rules our schools must, no religion or religious symbols in school, no segregation by race, creed, gender, class, etc., no trans fatty acids, ....
I believe we will destroy, not only radical Islam, but Islam completely with this plan. Brilliant!!
Posted by DADvocate at January 10, 2007 08:42 PM
43,000 more worthless union employees. They're like a missile you know they won't work and you can't fire them. Just set around a bleed the taxpayers for money.
Posted by Scrapiron at January 10, 2007 11:29 PM
They should have contracted out the airport screeners to private businesses rather than have made those workers federal employees, which everyone knew would ultimately become union jobs. I hope that they go on strike and that Bush fires the whole lot like Reagan did the air traffic controllers. But, by that time, their numbers would have swelled to 100,000 to make up for inefficiencies.
Posted by Woody at January 11, 2007 10:58 AM
What is wrong with unions? Labor unions provided some important contributions to the American way of life. We'll start with the 5 day work week, benefits for employees, workers comp, child labor laws, fair wages, American workers in jobs not illegals, and the list goes on.
I'm always entertained by the demonizing of labor unions. It is right up there with labeling Democrats as unpatriotic. Labor Unions have contributed so much to America and we have thrown them aside like so much dross.
Labor unions provide a controls to unfettered capitalism. It takes into account the welfare of the employee. It ensures that wages are competitive and ensures that parents can support their families.
As for a Muslim education fund. An interesting thought, but throwing money at problems never helps. It only funds programs we are against. I have a better use for those funds. REBUILD THE PEACE CORPS!!! Send Americans out into the world as missionaries of American socio-political belief. It also might help us rebuild the social capital that Junior has pissed away.
Posted by psyberwolfe at January 13, 2007 10:21 AM
psyberwolfe, every benefit that you listed about labor unions mentioned nothing about increasing productivity or earning new benefits. It all had to do with taking away from business owners and investors and putting their money into union member pockets. You condemned capitalism, but capitalism provided the jobs to the workers and does a better job than "worker control" of means of production. I would be more impressed with unions if they increased wages by becoming more efficient rather than protecting bad workers and keeping useless jobs. In our world market, unions have priced our workers out of most industries. The best that I can say about unions is that they did bring about safety changes in their early days around the beginning of the last century.
Posted by Woody at January 13, 2007 04:56 PM
psyberwolfe - we have more social capital worldwide that we had before, despite Iraq. Start with India - there's a billion people right there.
I used to belong to the union where I work, but dropped out when it affiliated nationally, with the usual bunch of criminals. Good in theory is not the same as good in practice. Good 50 years ago is not the same as good today.
Explain to me about that keeping illegal immigrants out of jobs thing. How's that been working lately?
Posted by Assistant Village Idiot at January 13, 2007 05:26 PM
Union Contests Arrests Of Illegal Aliens
Posted by Woody at January 13, 2007 07:46 PM
