Yesterday Blue Girl and I attended the labor rally at the IBEW complex in Kansas City. From the AFL-CIO release:

Workers Rally in Kansas City to Stop Legislative Attacks on Middle Class Missourians

Agenda that includes “right to work” and a repeal of child labor laws could undermine Missouri’s skilled workforce and wages

On Saturday March 12 at 12:30 p.m. at the IBEW Local 124 Training Center, 301 E. 103rd Terrace, community groups, students and workers will stand united against an onslaught of anti-worker legislation that have been filed to pay back greedy CEOs and shadowy interest groups.

Working Missourians are saying enough is enough with the same old tired politics that are at odds with Missouri voters. Of major concern, anti-worker legislation such as Senate Bill 1 would undermine Missouri’s top-notch training programs. The extensive training and apprenticeship programs in the state, a $30 million investment, ensure a quality workforce.

Skilled, trained workers result in projects that are built right the first time and provide real value. The ‘short-cuts’ such as “right to work” and repealing child labor laws are not going to fix Missouri’s budget problems. That’s why workers are rallying today to protect good jobs…

###

There were over four hundred in attendance at the rally.

Before the rally got started we had an opportunity to speak with Steve Nickel of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers:

Show Me Progress: …What’s the importance of today, uh, this, this rally today here?

Steve Nickel, Grand Lodge Representative, Midwest Territory, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers:  Uh, to show solidarity and to show to the Republicans and the big money, the CEOs that, um, we’re not gonna take these changes sitting down. We’re gonna stand up, we’re gonna fight for this. Um, and if, if we need to, we’re gonna do everything we can to, um, work hard in the politics and put working people’s friends back in office.

Show Me Progress: Now how do we get, you know, the, the average voter to, uh, understand what this sort of right to get paid less legislation means?

Steve Nickel: They need to understand its gonna affect the communities, it’s gonna affect working families, it’s gonna be less in wages and benefits, it’s gonna hurt the strength of the bargaining of the unions. And when, when that affects the strength of the unions it affects even the non-union people because there’s a, a push down effect, um, to their wages and benefits also. You know, labor sets the standards for wages and benefits in the area. And, and it’s [SB 1] gonna be a downward effect…

United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.

…Show Me Progress: You know, part of this, uh, do you see this kind of, uh, effort, sort of, kind of a divide and conquer kind of effort in, in the rhetoric that people use about, uh, organized labor having it too good?

Steve Nickel:  Yeah, and it’s terrible. There isn’t anybody in organized labor that are rich over this. I mean, they’re working, they’re, they’re part of the middle class. And it’s about, um, the Republicans trying to destroy the middle class and take total control. The unions are the last line of defense for the working class and they’re trying to destroy ’em and have total control over this country.

Show Me Progress: We, we found it is interesting in the rhetoric over the, uh, renewal of the Bush era tax cuts they said that people making two hundred fifty thousand dollars a year weren’t, weren’t rich and now, in, the same people are using the rhetoric that, uh, a public school teacher who might make fifty or forty-five thousand dollars a year is living high of the hog.

Steve Nickel:  Right. And, there was an interesting article, uh, Forbes just came out with their new list of billionaires. More billionaires. More billionaires in the United States, more billionaires all over the world. And, and the rich keep getting richer and the middle class are being pushed into the poor.

Show Me Progress: And, you know, we hear this rhetoric, too, uh, you know, as people talk about this, uh, the, the problem for them, though, is there are more of us than there are of them as you pointed out.

Steve Nickel:  Right. And that’s, and that’s where we can take back this power by, we have, we have the numbers, we just have to get people to understand the issues, see that this is, um, that working class is trying to be taken advantage of to, to the lies and the rhetoric that is being put out there. And we gotta, we gotta take, we gotta take back this country. This is happening all over the Midwest that I have to deal with. It’s happening in Indiana, in Michigan, and in Wisconsin, in Minnesota, and now in Missouri. They’re, they’re trying to kill us. They’re trying to wipe us out. And the attack on the public workers, there’s twelve percent of the union workforce, twelve percent of the workforce is union and eight percent of that is public sector workers. If they wipe out that eight percent you only have four percent, that is something that’s they’re gonna finish crushing the unions then.

Show Me Progress: Well, thank you very much for time.

Steve Nickel: Sure. Thank you.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 53.

International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers.

We are union. We are proud Americans.

United we stand with American pride building stronger unions one member at a time.

We live free and work hard.

Tried and true brotherhoods.

We salute unity for there is strength in numbers.

Listen to our purpose, listen to our call!

“…We salute unity for there is strength in numbers…”

And that is what the republicans are afraid of.

The inherent weakness in the greed and avarice of the super wealthy is that enough will never be enough.

“…One thing is certain, Madison is only the beginning…”

“…The rich have overplayed their hand…”

“…The only thing that’s broke is the moral compass of the rulers…”

“…And, and that is the thing that the rich hate the most about America. No matter how hard they try to buy the votes, no matter how hard they try to own the political process, when it comes down to it, it’s one person, one vote. And there’s a hell of a lot more of us then there are of them. And never forget that, never forget that…”

Because posturing about something going on in Wisconsin and Illinois is more important than dealing with Missouri’s budget and job creation initiatives in our state:

@anonMOlib Anonymous MO Liberal

Seems unconstitutional RT @KOMUnews SJR 22/HJR 33 would vacate the office of lawmakers if they leave the state to avoid a vote 3 hours ago

Three individuals were sitting in a bar. Their conversation moved to their opinions of what constituted the greatest inventions. The first person advocated for the wheel, for, they said, without the wheel we would not have transportation or machinery. The second person differed and offered fire as the best example, stating, without fire we could not forge steel to make wheels and machinery. The third person said, “The thermos. The first person responded, “The thermos? The thing that keeps hot things hot and cold things cold?” The third replied, “Yes, but how does it know?”

The bills:

SJR 22 Provides that a member of the General Assembly shall vacate his or her office if such member leaves the state during a legislative session for the purpose of avoiding any official duty or vote

Sponsor: Parson

LR Number: 1753S.01I Fiscal Note:

Committee: General Laws

Last Action: 3/3/2011 – Second Read and Referred S General Laws Committee Journal Page:

Title: Calendar Position:

Effective Date: Upon voter approval

Current Bill Summary

SJR 22 – This proposed constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, would require a member of the General Assembly to vacate his or her office if the member removes himself or herself from the state during a session of the member’s respective body for the purpose of avoiding any official duty or vote.

JIM ERTLE

The House bill:

FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 33

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES CRAWFORD (Sponsor), LARGENT, ENTLICHER, SMITH (150), GOSEN, BERRY, ALLEN, KELLEY (126), HAEFNER, LICHTENEGGER, LAUER, BROWN (116), BROWN (85), DAVIS, LANT, WHITE, ROWLAND, FRAKER, CONWAY (14), FREDERICK, HOUGHTON, FRANKLIN, WELLS AND DUGGER (Co-sponsors).

1841L.01I                                                                                                                    D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk

JOINT RESOLUTION

Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri, an amendment to article III of the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting one new section relating to a member of the general assembly removing himself or herself from the state for the purpose of avoiding any official duty or vote.

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring therein:

           That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2012, or at a special election to be called by the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or rejection, the following amendment to article III of the Constitution of the state of Missouri:

           Section A. Article III, Constitution of Missouri, is amended by adding one new section, to be known as section 13(a), to read as follows:

           Section 13(a). If any senator or representative shall remove himself or herself from this state during a session of the member’s respective body for the purpose of avoiding any official duty or vote, his or her office shall be deemed vacated.

[emphasis in original]

“…for the purpose of avoiding any official duty or vote…”

So, how would we know?

Maybe they’ll add an exception for checking your e-mail.

Well, mostly organized labor.

Previously:

Rallies in Jefferson City, Saturday, Feb. 26th: support organized labor or teabaggers, your pick (February 24, 2011)

Rallies in Jefferson City, Saturday, Feb. 26th: organized labor or teabaggers – photos (February 26, 2011)

Voices of Organized Labor in Jefferson City on February 26, 2011 (February 27, 2011)

The teabaggers announced they’d be in Jefferson City after MoveOn publicized their noon rally:

…The left via moveon.org and OFA are organizing protests in Jefferson City this Saturday, so the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition is joining the call from Tea Party and 9-12 groups across the state to counter protest on the capital steps.

  When: 10:30AM Saturday, February 26th

  Where: Steps of the Capitol Building in Jefferson City

Speakers are still being scheduled for Saturday. We will meet about 10:30AM to stake out our ground….

We made the drive to Jefferson City, timed to arrive at the capitol at about 11:00 a.m., which we did.

The teabagger rally site on the south side of the capitol at 11:04 a.m.

It was a little after 11:00 a.m. I approached a state trooper and what appeared to be a Jefferson City police officer who were standing back watching the teabaggers. I asked them if the rally had started yet. One of the officers told me, “The speakers are supposed to start at eleven.”

We walked over to the north side of the capitol, the announced site of the MoveOn organized labor rally scheduled for noon. There were a few people gathering. An individual pointed out to the river and told us that there was a bald eagle perched in a tree.

A bald eagle looking over the Missouri River.

We can all thank the Endangered Species Act for that moment of Zen.

After about fifteen minutes I walked back to the teabagger rally site. They had started. A speaker was droning on about the communists who sponsored the rally on the other (north) side of the capitol.

The teabagger rally site on the south side of the capitol at 11:20 a.m.

After a few minutes of teabagger rhetoric I walked back to the north side of the capitol to interview people participating in the MoveOn organized labor rally. And thanks to the teabaggers I had another question I could ask in those interviews.

It turns out that MoveOn and the organized labor folks were more punctual. They started at noon.

The MoveOn organized labor rally across from the north side of the capitol at 12:02 p.m.

IBEW, Local 2, from St. Louis.

Together we bargain, alone we beg.

People continued to arrive after the start of the rally. I even heard a few people, laughing, say that they had gone to the south side of the capitol and realized after a few seconds that they were at the wrong rally.

Slightly late arrivals to the MoveOn organized labor rally – at 12:03 p.m.:

The Koch brother are not our kings, don’t let them buy our democracy (left). Public or private workers have the right to organize (right).

Teachers are not parasites on the system.

Thank a union.

Walker is not healthy for children and other living things.

Previously:

Rallies in Jefferson City, Saturday, Feb. 26th: support organized labor or teabaggers, your pick (February 24, 2011)

Rallies in Jefferson City, Saturday, Feb. 26th: organized labor or teabaggers – photos (February 26, 2011)

Indications of the lunatic fringe, on a vehicle parked near the teabagger rally on the south side of the capitol building in Jefferson City.

From a teabagger web site:

On this Saturday the 26th of February the communist organization moveon.org is organizing a rally in Jefferson City to support  destroying our nation through deeper debt in the name of “protecting the working man”….

[emphasis added]

I heard one of the speakers at the teabagger rally say the same thing, so, I thought I’d talk to some of the good working people at the MoveOn organized labor rally on the opposite side of the capitol.

The MoveOn organized labor rally on the north side of the capitol in Jefferson City.

Show Me Progress: So, why are you here today?

Robert Shoemyer : I heard there was gonna be a rally here to support the people of Wisconsin.

Show Me Progress: And you decided to show up?

Robert Shoemyer : I decided to show up.

Show Me Progress: What does, uh, what does collective bargaining mean for you?

Robert Shoemyer : I farm. And, but, collective bargaining, I mean, I’ve always been in favor of collective bargaining. I mean, without labor nothing would happen. So, I mean, you have to have your salesman, you have to have your labor. But then that’s it.

[….]

You’ve got to love the Teamsters.

….Show Me Progress: …What’s your affiliation.

Rod Herrmann: I’m with the Gas Workers 11-6 out of St. Louis. We represent with Laclede Gas, a public utility.

Show Me Progress: Uh, why are you here today?

Rod Herrmann: In support of unions and all working people. We deserve a fair shake. Uh, feel like, uh, we’re getting railroaded here a little bit and, uh, you know, we want to, we want an honest wage for an honest day’s worth of work. And, uh, it seems like the working man is being pushed down and put back.

Show Me Progress: What does collective bargaining mean to you?

Rod Herrmann: It means a contract with good benefits, good wages. Uh, you know we’re not asking for the world, we’re just asking for what we feel we deserve. Uh, it’s a, it’s a tough situation out there now a days with, uh, being competitive. And, uh, unions, uh, when they bargain, they bargain for safety, uh, productivity, we know, we’re not against any of those issues. And those are what big business wants and we spend a lot of money on training our members in safety and productivity. Something we all want.

Show Me Progress: The group on the other side, uh, uses rhetoric, uh, that sort of labels, um, the people over here. One of the terms that one of speakers said was that, uh, that there are, there are communists over here. Trying to, you know, agitate. Have you run into any communists that you know of?

Rod Herrmann: No, I don’t think there’s a communist in this group. Jimmy Hoffa pretty much sums that up for us in his day, uh, you know, there’s no communists here, uh, they’re basically riding the backside of the union worker that’s blazed the trail, uh, for the future of my kids and my grandkids. Uh, they’re just looking for a free ride.

Show Me Progress:All right. Well, thank you very much for your time.

Rod Herrmann: Thank you.

[….]

Show Me Progress: Why are you here today?

Wayne Parsons:  To stand up for the, uh, for the people up in Wisconsin. Show ’em that I’m their side, we’re on their side and we believe like what they believe.

Show Me Progress: Um, what does collective bargaining mean for you?

Wayne Parsons:  That means, to me, that means you’ve got people that can stand up against the bullies, that they can’t overrun you, and that you can fight for a right to, to, you know, to receive what you deserve.

Show Me Progress: …The, the folks on the other side, um, they use some interesting rhetoric. Uh, they’ve said that, uh, that they think that the communists are, are, uh, organizing this group over here. Have you noticed any communists around here?

Wayne Parsons:  Ah, I don’t believe there’s, really, I don’t really believe there’s any communists in America. And one thing about it, we’re all Americans. We’re not communists, we’re not socialists, we’re Americans. We’re people. You know, we want to be free. Communism is not free. We want to be free. We don’t want the rich man to tell us what we should do or not do. We want to be able to, to be free.

Show Me Progress: …Well, thank you very much for your time.

Wayne Parsons:  Thank you.

[….]

Show Me Progress: Why are you here today?

Chad Smith: Well, standing up for the middle class, for what’s right. It’s just plain common sense really.

Show Me Progress: Uh, what’s your affiliation?

Chad Smith: Uh, IBEW, Local 2.

Show Me Progress: And Local 2 is where?

Chad Smith: In St. Louis.

Show Me Progress: St. Louis.

Chad Smith: Yes, sir.

Show Me Progress: What does, what does collective bargaining mean for you?

Chad Smith: Well, it means my whole life. It means, uh, everything that the middle class has to work for. I mean, without it, you know, you got corporations, they got millions to sit around and have attorneys on retainer and, uh, regular working Americans can’t afford to have attorneys on retainer. And that’s what unions are there for, so, to make a level playing field for everybody.

Show Me Progress: Now, now the folks on the other side use some rhetoric that’s, uh, they think that, that, that this organization over here, this, this crowd here is, uh, basically being prompted by people that have motives, uh, other than what you state. They use the term, calling the people that are organizing this communists. Have you noticed any communists over here?

Chad Smith: I haven’t seen a one. Actually, I , I seen the guys on the south side and, uh, it’s pretty much, you know, basically all I got to say about them is, uninformed voters.

Show Me Progress: Well, thank you very much for your time.

Chad Smith:  Thank you.

[….]

Bobby Wright: I’m from Local 1887 in St. Louis, UAW.  Uh, we came down to show our support for the Wisconsin fourteen and the Wisconsin, uh, public service employees. And, uh, we think what’s going on here’s an attack on the middle class. I think it’s shameful of where our government’s headed. It seems to be organized by corrupt corporate agenda.  And, uh, basically I’m just fed up with it. You know, I’m out here, show my support for what’s going on in Wisconsin.

Show Me Progress: Uh, what does collective bargaining mean for you?

Bobby Wright: Collective barg
aining means for me, is that, uh, as a worker on the lowest level we can collectively get a voice on, uh, efficiency and operations within corporations ’cause we are on the front lines of, of their ability to make money. In my opinion, uh, as a union employee we don’t thrive unless the company survives, so we’re, we’re, our best interest is that the company stays involved and, in collective bargaining issues so that we can progress as a, as a community within the corporation. And talking away that right pretty much, uh, leads to what I would call a dictatorial state, not necessarily Democracy.  And that’s just my opinion and, and, you know, the way it’s headed I think the more information that gets out there I think we’re headed to a renewed labor movement. And I think it’s best what’s for the middle class. It’s a shrinking conglomerate. And, uh, and any time we can step forward as a society and start to get informed on what goes on at the highest levels I think we’ll be better off.

Show Me Progress: All right, thank you very much for your time.

Bobby Wright: Thank you.

Uh, I don’t think communists wear jackets like these, at the MoveOn organized labor rally on the north side of the capitol:

Sprinkler Fitters and Sheet Metal Workers.

American Federation of Teachers.

United Steelworkers of America.

Sheet Metal Workers.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Teamsters.

International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers.

Those are working people’s jackets.

A right wingnut bumper sticker, on a vehicle parked near the teabagger rally on the south side of the capitol:

And, and communists, too, so there.

There is a distinct difference between the south side and north side groups, eh?  

Previously:

Rallies in Jefferson City, Saturday, Feb. 26th: support organized labor or teabaggers, your pick (February 24, 2011)

It was cold. But the day in Jefferson City exceeded my expectations.

There weren’t very many teabaggers, though they did have banners and a beefy sound system. Do you think some billionaire patrons paid for that through an astroturf front organization? Just asking.

Today really wasn’t about the speeches. It was about showing up.

Though a teabagger speaker seemed a tad bit concerned about the “communists” on the other side of the capitol.

The teabagger rally in support of republicans and corporate interests on the south side of the capitol.

The organized labor folks on the north side of the capitol had greater numbers and one barely audible bull horn. I estimate the MoveOn organized labor crowd numbered from 350 to 400.

The MoveOn and organized labor rally in support of Wisconsin workers on the north side of the capitol.

Stop the war on teachers, we are not the enemy. On the north side of the capitol.

On the north side of the capitol.

On the north side of the capitol.

I’m in love with a union man. On the north side of the capitol.

From Egypt to Jeff City. One world, one pain. On the north side of the capitol.

Mo public workers in solidarity. On Wi[sconsin]! On the north side of the capitol.

On the north side of the capitol.

On the north side of the capitol.

Walker is addicted to Koch. On the north side of the capitol.

Tea party Taliban. Koch sucker. On the north side of the capitol.

What the teabaggers lacked in numbers they made up for with their sound system:

The teabagger rally. On the south side of the capitol.

On the south side of the capitol.

Activist Susan Cunningham told us last Sunday about her outrage that a tea party group wanted to  use the local high school auditorium in Union to disseminate its lies–and that it wanted the fee waived. Not one to sit home alone and fume, Susan joined 25 or so “take the fight to them” activists and appeared at the Wednesday evening Union school board meeting. One tea party member showed up.

The sign Susan brought that evening built on a recent school bond issue campaign with the theme “Save our schools. She added “from Patriots” because these particular tea partiers call themselves the Franklin County Patriots. (Get a load of their professional looking–not cheap, sponsored by the big bucks?–website.)

The school board was mighty impressed with the arguments Susan’s group presented–including the fact that as anti-tax, anti-government, anti-public-anything citizens, the teabaggers support vouchers over public schools.

The board voted unanimously not to waive the fee for the teabaggers. But it turns out that the district has no policy about who may rent the auditorium, so the tea party event will be there on Oct. 10. The local Dems had just assumed that political groups would not be allowed to rent the place. Now that they know differently, they’ll make use of it, so in a way the baggers did the Dems a favor. And the Democrats may decide to attend on the tenth and participate–but civilly, of course.  

Until the last few days, the only celebrity status Charles “Chet” Hurth from Union, MO had enjoyed was for being sued ten years ago when he was a law student at St. Louis U. for biting a female law student on the butt–so hard she had to seek medical treatment.  Now Hurth, the city attorney for tiny New Haven is embroiled in something that’s grabbing headlines in the San Francisco Chronicle.

You’re probably aware by now of the latest dirty trick the Republicans are up to, a petition initiative drive in California.  They want Californians to vote in June on whether to split California’s electoral votes in the 2008 presidential election by awarding electoral votes by each congressional district rather than by the winner-take-all rules that have applied.

Under its proposed district-by-district system, Kerry – who won California’s popular vote in 2004 – would have received just 33 electoral votes, and Republican President Bush would have earned 22 votes – more than the number awarded in Illinois (21), Pennsylvania (21) or Ohio (20).

 

On September 24th, the group running the petition drive, Californians for Equal Representation, recorded its first and only contribution, $175,000 received on September 11th from Take Initiative America LLC in … Union, MO?  The registered agent for TIA is Hurth. 

An anomaly immediately jumps out:  TIA was formed on September 10th, and the only thing it has ever done is pass that 175 thou to Californians for Equal Representation.  It seems unlikely in the extreme that Hurth, who’s never had any interest in politics, much less those in California, would suddenly form a “grassroots group” to contribute a hefty sum to a petition drive in that state. In fact, until last March, he had never contributed to a political campaign.   And who got that contribution last March?  Hurth gave $2300 to Rudy Giuliani’s campaign.

He is one of several people connected to the California petition drive who are Giuliani supporters.  Democratic groups assert that the petition initiative drive itself is a Republican effort, probably backed specifically by Giuliani.  Giuliani’s campaign denies any connection to the petition. 

Democrats further believe that the contribution from TIA LLC is money laundering.  It is illegal in California to contribute money through an intermediary without disclosing the true donor.   California’s Fair Political Practices Commission is looking into the matter.

Democrats further insist that it is not all that surprising that Hurth would be serving clandestine interests.  They note that in 2004, he fronted for Choices for America, a conservative group that worked to get Nader on the ballot in key states where Kerry might win.

Republicans respond to these charges by basically saying, so what? 

Kevin Eckery, the spokesman for the proposed ballot measure, said “whether it’s a front for presidential candidates – even if it was, what’s the big deal?”

“We’ve said all along that some of the people we would approach for fundraising are contributors to various presidential candidates,” he said. “If somebody wants to support us because we’re trying to create a voting system that’s fairer … what’s the problem?”

It matters, say the Dems, for two reasons.  First, the petition organizers have been vociferously repeating, up and and down the state, that the drive is “by Californians, for Californians.”  And yet their only contribution so far is from Union, MO (population 7700), from a company that is almost certainly a front group for Republican interests.

It matters, secondly, because money laundering is taken seriously in California politics.  Two major fines have been levied in recent years ($95,000 in one case, $135,000 in another) for exactly this kind of offense.  In fact, the Sacramento attorney who wrote the proposed ballot measure, Thomas Hiltachk, unsuccessfully defended the woman who was fined $135,000.  So he ought to know better than to be up to the same tricks in this case.

The Democrats who are publicizing this illegal and underhanded funding are issuing a challenge to Californians for Equal Representation:  Come clean by noon on Monday (high noon!), or we will file a legal complaint forcing you to reveal who is the hidden hand behind this contribution.

Meanwhile, Hurth is lying low and refusing to answer his phone.  All we know about him is that he bit that law student in the bar that night ten years ago, then high fived his friends.  Hurth opined that he didn’t mean to hurt her and that she should have considered it a compliment.  After all, he had done the same thing to women at two fraternity parties at Vanderbilt and nobody sued.

The jurors didn’t take it as lightly.  They gave her $2,500 in actual damages and $25,000 in punitive damages.  This case may eventually make that one look like peanuts.