Comments on: California gubernatorial candidate Tom Campbell endorses Citizen Power Initiative

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:57:06 +0000

Unions are NO LONGER NEEDED in this country. They have outgrown their initial purpose and usefulness which was to insure a fair wage and working conditions for the employee. Todays unions have become political mobsters. Did you know General Motors “union workers” made 3 times what a non union employee made. When unions flex their political muscles, our electorate system suffers. Look at the latest version of Obamacare, unions were going to be exempt for 5 years from being taxed on their cadillac plans. Apparently they DO have enough muscle to influence our electorate and it needs to stop! Because of their “special interest” being rewarded in that health care bill, unions have painted themselves as no better than Bel Nelson (cornhusker kick back)! In todays economy with todays labor laws, UNIONS ARE NO LONGER NEEDED!

By: Michelle Quinn

Michelle Quinn — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:00:30 +0000

If you wan’t to live in a state that doesn’t have any unions or a public sector why don’t you move to Alabama or Mississippi?

I don’t need to run away from thugs and theives, i choose to fight!

Maybe you need to live in Europe, i heard ACORN has moved!

By: Michelle Quinn

Michelle Quinn — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:57:17 +0000

Without unions we wouldn’t have a middle class. Read some books and find out what working conditions were like before the union movement.

I think you need to read some books on unions and how they have developed into power houses of corruption and greed.

The CTA is the teachers thugs, plain and simple. The public school system even with the highest paid teachers in the country has been distroyed by the policies and the power of the teachers Union!

Sunny, you either work for a union or are a public servant?

By: David Zenger

David Zenger — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:58:24 +0000

Why-o-why must government union apologists constanly muddle the issue by talking about “union labor.” We’re talking about government employee unions’ stranglehold on local and state government, and the consequent ruination of fiscal solvency by ever-increasing salary and retirement demands.

The inevitable and tedious comparison with corporate involvement in politics is also bogus. Shareholders (who have voluntarily bought stock) elect on their board of directors who set policy. Sure the elections are all pro forma but nobody forces shareholders to keep their interest.

The business about CEOs and how much they make is yet another floater. Completely irrelevant to this discussion, but another inevitable plum to be plucked, Horneresque, out of the pie.

By: Sunny

Sunny — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:56:05 +0000

Thank you. Happy New year!

By: Art Pedroza

Art Pedroza — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:18:37 +0000

Vern,

I agree. Sunny has become one of our best commenters. Gracias Sunny! Prospero Ano Nuevo…

By: Vern Nelson

Vern Nelson — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:00:19 +0000

Sunny, if no-one else has said it, we’re really glad you are on this blog, and as more than just a Loretta apologist. (And don’t go back to “bubbles”)

By: Sunny

Sunny — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:12:43 +0000

You know what gets me about Tom Campbell? He tries to sell himself as a moderate. LOL His voting record is the same as Newt Gingrich’s.

By: Sunny

Sunny — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:11:19 +0000

Without unions we wouldn’t have a middle class. Read some books and find out what working conditions were like before the union movement. You take things for granted. Big things like retirement and health care, but also little things like a lunch break at work, or the right to a few days off. You can thank the union movement for that.

If you wan’t to live in a state that doesn’t have any unions or a public sector why don’t you move to Alabama or Mississippi?

Did you know that Arnold the Republican Pig tried to eliminate the right to take a lunch break? I don’t mean a paid lunch break, but any lunch break at all. Why anybody would let that buffoon govern them is pathetic.

When you cut education and blast corporate propaganda on TV and radio 24/7 you can get people to give up their own rights. It’s scary.

By: Michelle Quinn

Michelle Quinn — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:31:19 +0000

Unions have become nothing but mobsters reaping the public. Most nurses including myself refused to join the union because i did not need scum on my side. I did not want my money going to left wing wack jobs.

Get rid of all unions in this country and you get rid of corruption. Anyone who states that the unions do any good, works for them!

By: Sunny

Sunny — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:12:19 +0000

Re: “California state and local workers are the highest paid in the country. They receive pensions far better than private sector workers – resulting in a pension crisis that threatens state bankruptcy.”

The public sector does not have CEOs making 30 million dollars a year while paying their workers minimum wage. That’s why the public sector can pay a middle class wage and a decent retirement. The money is not all siphoned off at the top.

CA’s budget troubles began when Bush’s friends at Enron manipulated the energy market and robbed our surplus. Then Arnold cut the car tax and began borrowing money. Add to that the housing crisis and massive bailouts for Wall St., etc

THAT is where the economic crisis comes from. It is not due to a fire fightter who gets a decent pension that he deserves!

Republicans want everybody to be working for third world wages without health care or a retirement.

By: Jim Benson

Jim Benson — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:47:50 +0000

Yes our workers are paid better than most places in the country, our cost of living is also overall one of the most expensive in the country. So what is the big surprise?

If you are going to restrict Unions then Wall St corporations,the pharmeceutical industry and other large community groups both liberal and conservative have to be included with equla restrictions.

I favor public funding of campaigns being available to candidates so they do not have seek donations form any of these groups to get thier message out.

I cannot support this proposal in it current unbalanced, unfair and single sided condition. If it is going to be done it needs to be rewritten so it is balanced.

This is just an attempt by the Republicans and Right wing to further restrict the rights of the majority of Californians, under the disguise of reform