News to be thankful for

Bailout.

Bridge loan.

Rescue package.

Whatever! With all the spin going on over the Big Three needing cash there has been some welcomed positive coverage, mostly from the blogosphere (go team!), here are some highlights. (I will undoubtedly miss some; apologies and please add anything worthwhile in the comments section.)

The Washington Post puts some pundits in their place!

It is the rankest hypocrisy for well-paid journalists to decry the "high" pay of UAW-represented employees. I doubt that there is one UAW critic in the media, or on Capitol Hill, who would be willing to settle for a UAW paycheck. I'm almost certain there isn't one who would be willing to trade his or her relatively cushy employment for a year on an auto plant assembly line.
Criticism of "improvident labor contracts" thus smacks of class bias. It reeks of the notion that some work, such as that involving manual labor, inherently deserves less compensation than others, such as expressing one's opinion. It's more baloney.

WOW! You have got to read the rest!

Blogging For Michigan has had several posts:

The Problems Facing Big Three Belong to All of Us
Hey Steny. Got Your Justification Right Here.
Citigroup vs. General Motors
Lt. Governor Cherry Answers Romney in Today's NYT
Financial industry vs. auto industry double-standard

Michigan Liberal:

Media myths about Big Three workers
House leadership snubs Heartland (this one really documents the feelings of many in the UAW right now.)
What next for the Big 2.5?
Enough about the friggin' planes already!
Hey Mitt, mind your own $%#&! business!!

Firedoglake:

Be Grateful You Have A Job Or We’ll Send It To China
Saving Citi But Not GM
Richard Shelby Wants To Place US Government In Bankruptcy And Eliminate Military Pensions And Benefits

Rachel Maddow chimes in:

Talk me down! Since when are auto workers the fat cats?

The “news hour” from PBS did a great national story on Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant the story and link to video are here:

Michigan Autoworkers Face Uncertain Future

Huffington post:

A Kid from Car Country

AFL-CIO blog:

Corporate Class War: Pit Worker Against Worker
Stakes High as Auto Plan Deadline Approaches

There is a great group supporting the UAW once again and it is refreshing to see the tone much friendlier from team “left”! Sometimes, reading the comments section of articles regarding the big three you would think that everyone in the country is against us; thanks for your support!

The View From Here

With the outcome of the last 2 election cycles clearly in favor of Democrats you would think that Labor would be jumping for joy over their new influence and overwhelming representation of the officials they helped elect. In my opinion our party is not only letting us hang but they are dangerously close to abandoning the very people to whom they owe their jobs.

With the recent news that the Speaker wants the CEO’s of the big 3 to bring them a plan I have a few questions:

1.) Citigroup (twice), AIG (twice), Bear Sterns, Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, OK this list is just way too long so here is a link to a pretty good list of the money already handed out, most of it with no obligation whatsoever to repay it. Where will the new library, for the plans of the more than 30 companies already on the government dole, be located? D.C. or Wall Street?

I can only assume that the speaker is a very busy woman and hasn’t been keeping a close watch on the American auto industry. For the Democratic leadership to rely on the incompetence that brought us the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid to produce a plan that will save the jobs of millions is shocking. The legacy of bad management has been witnessed by the millions whose livelihood depend on the company’s success and frankly has left many of us in a state of shock at anyone believing that the heads of these corporations could plan a trip to the bathroom let alone the salvation of an industry on the brink of collapse!

2.) Why has no one mentioned the concessions that the UAW have already made over the last decade?
Wage concessions – active workers had aprox. $4 an hour diverted to cover retiree health care (VEBA).
Retirees have health insurance costs taken from their pension checks monthly and can incur more than $750/year in health care costs; they had no vote on this issue. (this concession came in the middle of a contract)
The two tier worker – our sons and daughters now work side by side with us for less than half the wages. These workers will NEVER have a pension. These workers will NEVER have retiree health care provided by the company. (according to the 2007 contract)
Hey Democratic leadership … Lead! Party leadership weren’t the only ones letting us down President Gettelfinger also missed an opportunity to get on a soapbox in front of congress. (it would have been nice to see a member from outside of the rustbelt stand up for us.)

3.) Why hasn’t anyone mentioned the steps towards fuel efficiency already taken? Sure these steps are late in the game but GM alone has 20 vehicles that get better than 30 MPG! As well as more hybrid vehicles than anyone else.

I hope my instinct that the Democratic leadership is just buying themselves some political cover with this “plan” is accurate. But if I am wrong, to hand the Right wing a gift like crumbling the UAW after getting smacked down in back-to-back elections must feel like a Christmas gift they will never forget.

Deal?

It would seem all of the madness may be drawing to a close… at least temporarily!

Auto state senators reached a deal on a last-ditch agreement to provide $25 billion in quick aid to automakers today, but it was unclear if the Senate and House would approve it before they adjourn for the year, congressional aides said.
A press conference is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. today.

Yeah team Michigan! Word is Levin and Stabenow are the ones that put this thing together.

On the mend

The election is over and thankfully we won!

I am on the mend from an injury that occurred in the final weeks of the election. I chose to ignore the injury and consequently have been out of work for a week. But we won! I thought that any readers that I have left deserved to know why I haven’t written about the victories.

My body on the mend, my mind and heart a little more at ease, I will return soon with renewed vigor.

Farleftfield.

Early Shenanigans in Florida

This is crazy!

Three Hialeah voters say they had an unusual visitor at their homes last week: a
man who called himself Juan, offering to help them fill out their absentee
ballots and deliver them to the elections office.
The voters, all supporters
of Democratic congressional candidate Raul Martinez, said they gave their
ballots to the man after he told them he worked for Martinez. But the Martinez
campaign said he doesn't work for them.

Here we go again in Florida! The mess continues:

Hernandez said he worries his ballot was stolen or destroyed. He and two other
voters told The Miami Herald that the man was dispatched by a woman caller who
also said she worked for Martinez. But the phone number cited by the voters
traces back to a consultant working for Martinez's rival, Republican congressman
Lincoln Diaz-Balart.

You really have to read the rest of this story it gets really slimy! Check it out.