Iron Your Own Shirt, Ernie

When he got dressed on January 17, 2006 to deliver his budget address, Governor Ernie Fletcher surely donned a suit, underwear, socks, shoes, and a shirt made by sweatshop workers in Asia, Central America, and South America. These workers most likely made his clothes in conditions that were unpleasant, unhealthy, and possibly dangerous and for a very low wage. His shirt was most likely ironed by a Kentucky worker who was under-insured and working at or near the minimum wage in a workplace that was not quite as pleasant as Governor Fletcher’s office.
In the course of his budget address and his State of the Commonwealth address, Governor Fletcher proposed to correct those conditions he perceives as Kentucky’s most pressing problems by seeking a constitutional amendment to limit the amounts juries can award to Kentuckians injured or killed by preventable medical errors, enacting a so-called “right to work” law, and suspending prevailing wage laws for Kentucky construction projects. A person wouldn’t have to go very far out on a limb to observe that anyone who believes that these are Kentucky’s most critical problems does not iron his own shirts.
Kentucky has more than 8,000 physicians and 7,000 of them have never had to pay a medical malpractice claim. Almost half of the medical malpractice payouts over the past ten years have been made on behalf of fewer than 425 doctors. With an average payout of less than $100,000 and about three payouts a year over one million dollars, it doesn’t seem to this observer, who irons his own shirts, that we have a frivolous lawsuit crisis. Perhaps the governor’s medical licensure board has an oversight challenge or the Kentucky Medical Association has an opportunity to improve its policing of its own members, but this does not look like a lawyer or jury problem to me. Curiously, Doctor Fletcher did not prescribe either of these simple remedies.
Governor Fletcher is a member of the political party that has historically been hostile to organized labor, minimum wage laws, and safety standards in workplaces like coal mines and construction sites, so his call for the legislation styled by party spinmasters as “right to work” is no surprise. “Right to Work” is the decades-long attempt by big business to destroy unions. If you don’t believe me, google it. Union representation is very inconvenient for those who would sacrifice a living wage, safety standards, and decent working conditions for the bottom line. Some people who may iron their own shirts have referred to the legislation as “right to work for a lower wage” or “right to die in a non-union coalmine.
It is curious that some of the very same people who think that it is a good idea to suspend prevailing wage for skilled and semi-skilled workers are screaming for the Federal government to close our southern borders. When a state creates more low wage jobs, doesn’t it make sense that the state attracts more low wage workers. Doesn’t that increase poverty and all the problems that poverty brings with it? Do we really want Kentucky’s skilled construction workers to draw unemployment while we import workers to work for sweatshop wages? Or does our governor want more Kentuckians to be sweatshop workers?
Clearly, Governor Fletcher is not speaking for Kentuckians who work for a living and iron their own shirts. Even if you don’t iron your own shirts, it probably makes sense to you that Kentucky is better off with more workers who make a living wage and work in safe and healthy workplaces. Your governor and legislators may need to know what you think because they probably don’t work for minimum wage, change their own oil, mow their own yards, get by without health insurance, or iron their own shirts.

Right to Work

In Kentucky tonight, one of the four stupid things in Governor Ernie Fletcher's State of the Commonwealth address was his call for a "Right to Work" law. "Right to Work" is the Republican euphemism for the right to die in a non-union workplace. The following is an anonymous comment to a post about the speech on BluegrassReport.org:

RIGHT TO WORK its not just about the jobs and money. 7 men were killed in a factory in Corbin Ky due to proven unsafe working conditions. The company busted the union at this factory several years prior to these workers being killed on the job. 3 coal miners have died in Harlen Ky non union mines in 2005. These mines had been union mines,the company shut them down and reopen them under a new name non union, three miners died. While no one wants to be in a race to see who can work the cheapest, being able to go home from work uninjured and alive is more important than creating new jobs and more money. While the right likes to proclaim they are on the side of God, how can they knowingly kick the working man & woman who most needs a helping and still have that holier than thou silly look on their face.

I believe I could have said it more correctly, but not nearly as eloquently!

The other three stupid things?
1. Kentucky's veterans fought for the Right to be able to demand that "intelligent design" be substituted for science. There is no need to elaborate on why this is stupid.
2. Obstetricians and Neurosurgeons are leaving Kentucky in droves because of "frivolous" lawsuits. According to this State agency, Fletcher is lying. Besides, what patient who suffers because of errors during medical treatment considers his/her lawsuit frivolous? Who are you going to believe, this Republican who was once a medical doctor or these people.
3. Ernie proposes a primary seatbelt law and in the next paragraph proposes raising the speed limit to 70 mph on "certain highways." Does he think we'd break even on the death toll? If he wants to save lives, why doesn't Ernie propose a 55 mph limit for trucks on Kentucky's Interstates and confine them to the right lane?

Sago: Metaphor for Republican Rule

A coal mine owned by a billionaire living in a New York penthouse, Right to Work, union-busting, lax regulation, weak enforcement, twelve dead men. Gee, the owner is so very sorry the miners are dead. Wow, so is the President. Questions: Would this mine have been operating with its safety violations if it was a union mine? How many deaths will it take for there to be adequate regulation and strict enforcement? Is this a result of "smaller government?" How many dollars did coal operators contribute to Republicans in the last election? To Democrats? Does the coal industry have lobbyists in D. C?

Questions That Cry Out for Answers

1. How much of your liberty are you willing to trade for the microscopic chance you will be harmed by a terrorist?
2. Who is Henry Hager and when will he be deploying to Iraq?
3. If the "War on Christmas" is a fraud, is there a war on tolerance for religions other than Christianity?
4. How would you like to live in a nation with a Muslim government?
5. How would you like to live in a country with a Catholic government?
6. How would you like to live in a country with an atheist government?
7. How would you like to live in a country run bey born-again Christians?
8. How do you fell about separation of church and state?

Who is Robert D. Lenhard and Why is Bush Nominating Him to the Federal Election Commission?

Could it have anything to do with the fact that he was a lead attorney in a lawsuit to overturn the provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law?

Could it have anything to do with the fact that HE IS VIVECA NOVAK'S HUSBAND? Can you say quid pro quo?

A Living Wage for Gulf Coast Rebuilders

I sent the following to Representative Ron Lewis (R-KY). I am NOT betting on him!

Yesterday, September 19, 2005, I sent you an email asking your position on the President's suspension of the Davis-Bacon Act. Not surprisingly, I have not heard your response. I am following up with this email to notify you of a great opportunity to show the working people of your congressional district that you believe in the American worker, that you believe the Federal government should stand behind a fair wage. You can become the FIRST Republican co-sponsor of H. R. 3763 which would "reinstate the application of the wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act to Federal contracts in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina."

Your President will make sure Halliburton, Fluor, and Bechtel profit from the misery of the people of our Gulf Coast. Why don't you join your colleagues in seeing that the people who actually do the work will receive a fair wage?

Bush Suspends Prevailing Wage

So the White House has issued a proclamation suspending "prevailing wage" in areas hit by Katrina. At first blush, we might think, "What a good idea. We get more bang for our buck in rebuilding new Orleans." Sadly, NO! Dammit! Halliburton gets more bang for their buck. All the Bush cronies and exploiters of illegal immigrants get a green light to flock to New Orleans and force local skilled workers to compound their losses from Katrina by either accepting a 30+ percent pay cut or being displaced by minimum wage workers. The same families who are fighting George Bush's ill-conceived war will bear the burden of keeping Halliburton execs comfortable. But, by God, they better not try to take bankruptcy! The Bushies have already protected the poor banking industry from the working classes. Thanks for caring George! How much more compassionate conservatism can working Americans stand?

Sorry for the profanity! Too angry to try for eloquence. As can be expected, this little proclamation did not attract the interest of the corporate newsies. If you've never had a blister or been paid by the hour, how can you be expected to care about this travesty?

Halliburton Stock Tip

For anyone who doesn't already know how Halliburton got all those multibillion dollar contracts in Iraq, this article might prove lucrative. Anyone who believes the administration will successfully shut up potential whistleblowers by their demotion of Greenhouse should buy Halliburton. Anyone crazy enough to expect Democrats and the media to find enough backbone to shine the light of day on Bushco's Halliburton dealings could sell Halliburton shares short.

A Strategy to Gerrymander New Orleans?

This story from the bible of the rich, the Wall Street Journal, describes a vision for rebuilding New Orleans held by some residents who escaped the worst of the storm and levee breaks. Essentially, their vision of the future includes fewer poor and black citizens. After all, such people are so inconvenient after the beds are made and the floors are scrubbed. Surely there is no link between this kind of thinking and the federal foot-dragging we witnessed last week. That is the sort of talk that could make Kanye West paranoid.